"When the Earth Moves" was adapted from an article written by science writer Joseph Cone for the National Academy of Sciences' series Beyond DiscoveryTM: The Path from Research to Human Benefit. Assistance was provided by of Drs. Tanya M. Atwater, Richard L. Bernknopf, Kenneth H. Brink, G. Brent Dalrymple, William L. Ellsworth, W. G. Ernst, Richard McCarthy, Dan P. McKenzie, and Neil D. Opdyke.

The Academy, located in Washington, D.C., is a society of distinguished scholars engaged in scientific and engineering research, dedicated to the use of science and technology for the public welfare. For more than a century it has provided independent, objective scientific advice to the nation.

Funding for this article was provided by the National Science Foundation and the National Academy of Sciences.