Science / Medicine : Quake Activity Lessens

The Earth shook a little less in the first half of this year. The U.S. Geological Survey reported Thursday that there were 26 significant earthquakes--two in the United States--in the first six months of the year, three fewer than in the same period a year ago.

And only 12 deaths have been attributed to quakes around the world in the first half of the year. If that rate continued, an annual total of 24 deaths would be the lowest ever recorded, the survey said. The current low record is 77 deaths in 1984. The high was 600,000 in 1976.

To be considered significant a quake must cause casualties or have a magnitude of at least 6.5.