Scientists believe there is evidence that great earthquakes occur in clusters over a period of years and that a significant event is on the horizon, according to a report from catastrophe modeler Eqecat.

The report, "Spatial and Temporal Earthquake Clustering: Part 1, Global Earthquake Clustering," lays out evidence that giant earthquakes of magnitude 8 or higher may occur in clusters over a decade or more. The authors of the report, Paul C. Thenhaus, Kenneth W. Campbell and Mahmoud M. Khater, say the occurrences of great and giant earthquakes "on a global scale cannot be attributed to chance."

They report that the giant Andaman-Nicobar (Sumatra, Indonesia) earthquake of 2004 of magnitude 9.1 began "a new cycle of global great earthquake activity."

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