We cannot "hear" earthquakes in the sense of being able to perceive them directly through our auditory system. Earthquakes generate seismic waves that propagate through the Earth's crust, and these waves can be felt as vibrations or shaking. However, the human ear is not designed to detect such low-frequency waves.

The lowest frequency that a healthy human ear can perceive is around 20 hertz, while most earthquakes emit seismic waves with frequencies below 1 hertz. Therefore, we cannot hear earthquakes through our ears.

Seismographs are instruments specifically designed to record and measure seismic waves. They can detect and process these low-frequency signals, providing valuable information about the occurrence, location, intensity, and characteristics of earthquakes.