Could We Stop Geologic Disasters?

Damaged homes from the 2010 earthquake in Haiti. European Commission DG ECHO. Geologic disasters are commonplace on Earth. Earthquakes, eruptions, tsunamis, floods -- they occur all the time and not without consequence in terms of loss of life and property. Many times, they happen without warning and occasionally in places you might not suspect. So, what can we do to stop these disasters ... and by that, I mean stop them, not prevent damage and destruction in their aftermath. I get this question a lot: can we actually prevent geologic disasters from happening. That volcano looks like its going to erupt? Let's make sure it doesn't! That fault line has a record of big earthquakes and it has been longer than usual since the last one? Let's get rid of the threat. Human ingenuity can solve many massive problems, so why not these? That is the realm of what might ...