Why two massive earthquakes in a week doesn't indicate a trend

KUMAMOTO, JAPAN - APRIL 17: A road collapse and landslide are seen on April 17, 2016 in Kumamoto, Japan. A magnitude-7.3 earthquake hit Kumamoto prefecture on Japan's Kyushu Island on Saturday after one measuring 6.4 struck on Thursday. As of Sunday, reports indicate that 42 people have been killed, 1,500 were injured, and 11 people remain missing. An estimated 80,000 homes are without power and 400,000 homes have no running water. (Photo by Taro Karibe/Getty Images)

Mark Simons of the Caltech Seismology Laboratory explains why the two recent earthquakes do not indicate that global seismic activity is becoming more frequent.

The people of Ecuador are digging out today from the strongest earthquake there in decades.

The 7.8 magnitude quake has killed at least 350 and has left thousands homeless.

This following two other powerful quakes which hit south-western Japan last week. A quarter of a million people have now been told to leave their homes as tremors there continue.

For more on all this seismic activity, Take Two's Alex Cohen sat down with Mark Simons, professor of geophysics at Caltech's Seismology Laboratory.

Simons says that while it's tragic that two huge quakes happened with such close timing, that doesn't necessarily mean that seismic activity is ramping up world wide.

To hear the full conversation, click the blue play button above