Earthquake forecasting is a branch of the science of geophysics, primarily seismology, concerned with the probabilistic assessment of earthquake occurrence within a given limits of time, location and magnitude. Often confused with earthquake prediction, earthquake forecasting has a distinct objective. While earthquake prediction aims to specify the exact time, location, and magnitude of a future event to enable immediate emergency action, earthquake forecasting focuses on the probabilistic assessment of future earthquakes over broader windows. Because of this probabilistic framework, it is considered scientifically feasible and forms the foundation of operational earthquake forecasting. Both forecasting and prediction of earthquakes are distinguished from earthquake warning systems, which, upon detection of an earthquake, provide a real-time warning to regions that might be affected.