tagged w/ Seismology
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A 2005 shot of Brendan Margison surfing in front of the now-damaged nuclear power plant in Fukushima. Photo: Aichner
AFTER A MONTH OF SHUT DOWN NUCLEAR REACTORS AT SAN O, THE HAZARDS OF NUCLEAR ENERGY SPELL POTENTIAL DISASTER IN SOUTHERN CALIFORNIAA 2005 shot of Brendan Margison surfing in front of the now-damaged nuclear power... more
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Strong earthquake strikes Chile; no serious damage reported
By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 2:40 AM EDT, Tue April 17, 2012
Click link to play video
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: A 72-year-old man died of a heart attack in an evacuation
A journalist describes what it felt like
The Canadian prime minister is okay
Chile is on the so-called "Ring of Fire"
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(CNN) -- A strong earthquake struck coastal Chile near the port city of Valparaiso late Monday, causing mudslides and some minor damage, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The 6.7-magnitude quake knocked out some power and phone lines in the region, authorities said.
The temblor was felt in the capital city, Santiago, located 69 miles from the epicenter. A CNN en Español anchor held onto his desk as the quake rattled the studio during a newscast in Huechurba, a suburb of the capital.
"We could feel the ground shaking," said journalist Richard Madan. "It felt like we were standing on a subway track but multiply that by about 200."
Madan, of CNN's Canadian affiliate CTV, is in Santiago as part of the traveling press for Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper's visit there.
Both he and the Canadian delegation were okay, Madan said.
No tsunami warning was issued, according to Chile's Hydrographic and Oceanographic Service, and a preventive evacuation for the area has been lifted. A 72-year-old man died of a heart attack during the evacuation, according to regional Mayor Raul Celis.
Quake rattles Chile, no tsunami warnings
The same part of the country was hit with an 8.8-magnitude earthquake in February 2010, killing hundreds of people.
Chile is on the so-called "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines circling the Pacific Basic that is prone to frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
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CNN en Español's Jose Manuel Rodriguez contributed to this report.
.CNN...
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Strong earthquake strikes Chile; no serious damage reported
By the CNN... more
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Strong earthquake hits off Antarctica's coast
By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 6:58 PM EST, Sun January 15, 2012
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
The quake struck Sunday morning near Antarctica's Shetland Islands
The USGS reports it struck at a depth of 6.2 miles
A U.S. agency warns there's a "small possibility of a ... regional tsunami"
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(CNN) -- A strong 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck Sunday off the coast of Antarctica, prompting a warning that there was a "small possibility" it could trigger a tsunami.
The tremor was centered in waters south of South America's southern tip, about 334 miles (539 kilometers) west of Coronation Island and 388 miles northeast of Palmer Station in Antarctica, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
It hit at 9:40 a.m. local time (8:40 a.m. ET) on Sunday, according to the federal agency, and had an estimated depth of 6.2 miles.
Afterward, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center released a statement saying that there appears to be no threat of "destructive widespread tsunami" because of the quake.
But the agency did state "there is a small possibility of a local or regional tsunami that could affect coasts located usually no more than a few hundred kilometers from the earthquake epicenter.
"Authorities in the region near the epicenter should be made aware of this possibility," the warning center added.
.CNN...
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Strong earthquake hits off Antarctica's coast
By the CNN Wire... more
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Work halted at 4 more Ohio fluid-injection wells in wake of quake
From Maggie Schneider, CNN
updated 6:18 PM EST, Sun January 1, 2012
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Officials have shut down fluid-injection wells in eastern Ohio in the aftermath of heightened seismic activity in the area.
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
Ohio officials order the closure of four fluid-injection wells near Youngstown
This comes amid a probe looking at links between "fracking" and recent quakes
"We need to get more information," an official says of any possible connection
A magnitude 4.0 quake struck Saturday, one of 11 to occur in the past year
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(CNN) -- Work has been halted at four more fluid-injection wells in eastern Ohio in the aftermath of heightened seismic activity in the area, a state official said.
Ohio Department of Natural Resources Director James Zehringer had announced on Friday that one such well -- which injects "fluid deep underground into porous rock formations, such as sandstone or limestone, or into or below the shallow soil layer," the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency explains -- was closed after a series of small earthquakes in and around Youngstown.
Then on Saturday, a magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck that released at least 40 times more energy than any of the previous 10 or more tremors that had rattled the region in 2011.
Andy Ware, deputy director of Ohio's natural resources department, told CNN on Sunday that Zehringer and Gov. John Kasich subsequently have ordered the closure of four other nearby injection wells as well.
The decision comes as authorities investigate a possible link between the earthquakes and hydraulic fracturing, better known as fracking. That controversial drilling technology involves injecting water, sand and chemicals deep into the ground at high pressure to crack the shale and allow the oil or gas to flow.
Last Friday's order affecting the first well in Youngstown came six days after a magnitude 2.5 earthquake that struck that area around 1:24 a.m. on December 24. After Saturday's larger earthquake, scientists recommended that operations stop at all wells within a 5-mile radius of that original site.
"We need to get more information," Ware said.
The epicenter for Saturday's tremor was 5 miles northwest of Youngstown, 6 miles southeast of Warren and 55 miles east-southeast of Cleveland, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. According to the preliminary estimate, the earthquake struck 1.4 miles deep.
There was a lot of shaking "and a rumbling sound," said Jimmy Hughes, a former Youngstown police chief running for sheriff of Mahoning County. "I could see the house move. ... It seemed like the ground was moving. "
Ohio is far from the edges of Earth's major tectonic plates, with the nearest ones in the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea, the U.S. Geological Survey explains on its website. Still, there are many known faults in this region, with the federal agency noting that it is likely there are additional "smaller or deeply buried" ones that haven't been detected.
While earthquakes are not unprecedented in the area, the rate of them in the past year has been unusual. That fact led Zehringer, the Ohio department head, to act late last week.
"While conclusive evidence cannot link the seismic activity to the well, Zehringer has adopted an approach requiring prudence and caution regarding the site," the natural resources department said Friday in a press release, explaining its decision to shut the first well.
Ben Lupo -- CEO of D&L Energy, an independent natural gas and oil exploration, production and marketing group that oversees the first well that was closed -- recently told CNN affiliate WKBN that there's full cooperation with experts, though he expressed grave doubts that the injection wells were to blame for the quakes.
"We have approximately 1,000 wells between Ohio and Pennsylvania and we've never had a problem ... with an earthquake or spill," Lupo said.
Dr. Won-Young Kim, one of the Columbia University experts asked by the state to examine possible connections between fracking and seismic activity, said that a problem could arise if fluid moves through the ground and affects "a weak fault, waiting to be triggered." He explained the underground waste "slowly migrates" and could cause issues miles away, adding that the danger could persist for some time as the fluid travels and seeps down toward the fault.
"In my opinion, yes," the recent spate of earthquakes around Youngstown is related to a fluid-injection well, Kim stated -- though there has been no definitive determination, by the state or other authorities, indicating as much.
There have been "moderately frequent" reports of earthquakes in northern Ohio since the first recorded one was reported in 1823, the federal agency noted. A 1986 tremor, measuring magnitude 4.8, caused some damage. Another in 1998 measured a 4.5 and was centered in northwest Pennsylvania.
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CNN's Susan Candiotti and Ross Levitt contributed to this report.
.CNN...
Work halted at 4 more Ohio fluid-injection wells in wake of quake
From... more
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5.8-magnitude quake hits New Zealand
December 22nd, 2011
08:37 PM ET
A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck near the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its website.
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MAJOR UPDATE:
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http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2011/dec/23/new-zealand-earthquake-christchurch
The Guardian...
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New Zealand's Christchurch hit by series of earthquakes
The initial quake measured 5.8 magnitude, and prompted the evacuation of public buildings and the airport
guardian.co.uk,
Thursday 22 December 2011 21.00 EST
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A series of strong earthquakes struck the New Zealand city of Christchurch on Friday, ten months after an earlier quake devastated the city centre.
The US Geological Survey said the initial quake measured 5.8 magnitude but there was no tsunami alert issued and there were no immediate reports of widespread damage in the city.
One person was injured at a city mall and was taken to a hospital, and four people had to be rescued after being trapped by a rock fall, Christchurch police said in a statement.
Local reports suggested the quake rattled buildings, sending goods tumbling from shelves and prompted holiday shoppers to flee into the streets.
The first 5.8-magnitude quake struck Friday afternoon, 16 miles (26 kilometres) north of Christchurch and 2.5 miles (4 kilometres) deep, the US Geological Survey said. Minutes later, a 5.3-magnitude aftershock hit, and about an hour after that, the city was shaken by another 5.8-magnitude temblor. Both aftershocks were less than 3 miles (5 kilometres) deep.
The city's airport was evacuated and all shopping centres shut down as a precaution.
Warwick Isaacs, demolitions manager for the Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority, said most buildings had been evacuated "as an emergency measure."
Christchurch is still recovering from the earthquake in February that killed 182 people and destroyed much of the downtown area.
The area has recorded more than 7,000 earthquakes since a magnitude-7 quake rocked the city on 4 September, 2010. That quake did not cause any deaths.
Rock falls had occurred in one area and there was liquefaction when an earthquake forces underground water up through loose soil in several places, Isaacs told New Zealand's National Radio.
"There has been quite a lot of stuff falling out of cupboards, off shelves in shops and that sort of thing, again," he said.
Isaacs said his immediate concern was for demolition workers involved in tearing down buildings wrecked in previous quakes.
"It ... started slow then really got going. It was a big swaying one but not as jolting or as violent as in February," Christchurch resident Rita Langley said.
"Everyone seems fairly chilled, though the traffic buildup sounds like a beehive that has just been kicked as everyone leaves (the) town (centre)."
The shaking was severe in the nearby port town of Lyttelton, the epicentre of the 22 February quake.
"We stayed inside until the shaking stopped. Then most people went out into the street outside," resident Andrew Turner said. "People are emotionally shocked by what happened this afternoon."
About 15,000 homes were reported without power after electricity lines were felled in the city's eastern suburbs. Sewerage services were also cut. Hundreds of miles of sewer and fresh water lines have been repaired in the city since the February quake.
One partly demolished building and a vacant house collapsed after Friday's quakes, police said.
Central City Business Association manager Paul Lonsdale said the quakes came at the worst possible time for retailers, with people rushing to finish their Christmas shopping.
Despite the sizable quakes, there was no visible damage in the central business district, where 28 stores have reopened in shipping containers after their buildings were wrecked by the February quake, he said.
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http://static.guim.co.uk/sys-images/Guardian/About/General/2011/12/23/1324610241691/Christchurch-earthquake-006.jpg
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SECOND MAJOR UPDATE:
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Latest updates: Christchurch earthquakes
Updated 4:52 PM Friday Dec 23, 2011
PHOTO: Damaged buildings in central Christchurch. File photo / Mark Mitchell
Large earthquakes have shaken Christchurch this afternoon.
The first hit shortly before 2pm, with a magnitude of 5.8 and a depth of 8km. The second struck at 3.19pm and has been measured at magnitude 6.0, 6km deep.
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http://media.nzherald.co.nz/webcontent/image/jpg/201152/SCCZEN_220211NZHMMQUAKE7_460x230.JPGCNN...
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5.8-magnitude quake hits New Zealand
December 22nd, 2011
08:37 PM ET... more
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UPDATE AS OF 11/09/11 - 8:27 PM PT:
http://www.cnn.com/2011/11/09/world/turkey-earthquake/index.html?hpt=hp_t2
At least 5 dead in quake in eastern Turkey
By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 10:18 PM EST, Wed November 9, 2011
Click picture to play video
A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck eastern Turkey on Wednesday, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
More than 100 people are buried under rubble
25 buildings are reported to have collapsed
Two TV reporters buried under rubble are alive
The area was devastated by a magnitude 7.2 temblor in October
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(CNN) -- At least five people died and more than 100 others were buried under rubble from a magnitude-5.7 earthquake that struck eastern Turkey Wednesday night, officials said.
The death toll came from Deputy Prime Minister Besir Atalay, who spoke to reporters while visiting the stricken zone. He said the deaths occurred when two hotels collapsed. Another 20 people were rescued from the crumbled structures, he said.
In all, 25 buildings collapsed, but 22 of them had been empty since a 7.2 earthquake devastated parts of eastern Turkey, including the area around Van, on October 23. Last month's quake killed more than 500 people.
Eighteen people were rescued, said CNN Turk, which had a reporter in the area.
The epicenter was 16 kilometers (9 miles) south of the town of Van, the U.S. Geological Survey said, and its depth was 4.8 kilometers (3 miles). The quake struck at 9:23 p.m. (2:23 p.m. ET), it said.
DHA, a CNN partner station in Turkey, reported that two of its reporters were buried under rubble. Its journalists' Twitter messages indicated they were alive.
Video from DHA in Van showed residents and rescuers pulling a man out of the rubble on the stretcher, apparently conscious and wearing an oxygen mask, his arms folded across his chest.
It was not immediately clear whether the man was one of the DHA journalists.
Floodlights bathed the nighttime scene as dozens of people combed through rubble of what appeared to have been a multistory building. A front-end loader pawed through the large piles of smashed concrete.
Five planes were being prepared in Ankara to take rescuers to Van, according to state news agency Anadolu. The agency also reported an aftershock of magnitude 4.4.
Parts of eastern Turkey, including the area around Van, were devastated by a magnitude 7.2 earthquake on October 23, which killed more than 500 people.
CNN's Hande Atay-Alam in Atlanta and Journalist Andrew Finkel in Turkey contributed to this report.
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At least 3 dead in quake in eastern Turkey
By the CNN Wire Staff
updated 5:19 PM EST, Wed November 9, 2011
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STORY HIGHLIGHTS
More than 50 people are buried under rubble
At least 18 buildings have collapsed in Van, authorities say
A television station reports two of its reporters are buried under rubble
The area was devastated by a 7.2-magnitude temblor in October
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(CNN) -- At least three people died and 50 more remained buried under rubble from a 5.7-magnitude earthquake that struck eastern Turkey Wednesday night, officials said.
Another 11 people were rescued, state-run television TRT said.
The epicenter was 16 kilometers (9 miles) south of the town of Van, the U.S. Geological Survey said, and its depth was 4.8 kilometers (3 miles). The quake struck at 9:23 p.m. (2:23 p.m. ET), it said.
At least 18 buildings have collapsed in Van, including two hotels and one school, TRT said.
DHA, a CNN partner station in Turkey, reported that two of its reporters were buried under rubble.
Video from DHA showed residents and rescuers in a floodlit nighttime search effort combing through rubble of what appeared to have been a multistory building in Van.
Five planes were being prepared in Ankara to take rescuers to Van, according to state news agency Anadolu. The agency also reported an aftershock of 4.4 magnitude.
Parts of eastern Turkey, including the area around Van, were devastated by a 7.2-magnitude earthquake on October 23, which killed more than 500 people.
.UPDATE AS OF 11/09/11 - 8:27 PM PT:... more
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CNN BREAKING NEWS...
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6.9 magnitude earthquake hits Peru
October 28th, 2011
03:15 PM ET
A 6.9-magnitude earthquake struck Peru on Friday, some 32 miles south of Ica, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
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Please add updates - thanks!CNN BREAKING NEWS...
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6.9 magnitude earthquake hits Peru
October 28th, 2011... more
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_Thousands of people evacuated buildings across Washington, D.C., and New York City on Tuesday after a moderate earthquake in Virginia that was also felt as far south as Chapel Hill, N.C. No tsunami warning was issued for the East Coast.
..Parts of the Pentagon, White House and Capitol were among the areas evacuated.
At the Pentagon in northern Virginia, a low rumbling built and built to the point that the building was shaking. People ran into the corridors of the government's biggest building and as the shaking continued there were shouts of "Evacuate! Evacuate!"
Centered some 90 miles from the nation's capital, the quake was a magnitude 5.9, the U.S. Geological Survey said.
At the U.S. Capitol, light fixtures swung and the building shook for about 15 seconds while the tremor hit, NBC News reported.
At Reagan National Airport outside Washington, ceiling tiles fell during a few seconds of shaking. All flights were put on hold.
In New York City, NBC reported debris fell from the attorney general's office, causing a brief panic as people ran from the area.
Airport towers and government buildings in New York, including City Hall, were evacuated. The 26-story federal courthouse in lower Manhattan began swaying and hundreds of people were seen leaving the building.
A mild tremor was even felt by NBC reporters with President Barack Obama during his vacation on Martha's Vineyard, an island off Massachusetts.
In Charleston, W.Va., hundreds of workers left the state Capitol building and employees at other downtown office buildings were asked to leave temporarily."The whole building shook," said Jennifer Bundy, a spokeswoman for the state Supreme Court. "You could feel two different shakes. Everybody just kind of came out on their own."In Ohio, where office buildings swayed in Columbus and Cincinnati and the press box at the Cleveland Indians' Progressive Field shook. At least one building near the Statehouse was evacuated in downtown Columbus.In downtown Baltimore, Md., the quake sent office workers into the streets, where lamp posts swayed slightly as they called family and friends to check in.More about the quake at breakingnews.com
The earthquake’s epicenter was near Louisa, Va., the USGS reported. It was a very shallow quake, which would explain why it was so widely felt.
The D.C. area's previous record for an earthquake was on July 16, 2010, when a 3.6 magnitude quake was felt.
The East Coast gets earthquakes, but usually smaller ones than the West Coast and is less prepared for shaking.
This report will be updated as information becomes available.
Also see:
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/earthquake-measured-59-magnitude-rattles-washington-york/story?id=14364643_Thousands of people evacuated buildings across Washington, D.C., and New York City on... more
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Estimated 6.8-magnitude quake strikes off coast of Papua New Guinea
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By the CNN Wire Staff
July 31, 2011 10:01 p.m. EDT
STORY HIGHLIGHTS
NEW: The Japan Meteorological Agency lifts any tsunami-related warnings or advisories
Earlier, the agency had said "there is a very small possibility" of a tsunami
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center and Australia's similar agency reports no such threats
The earthquake hits 81 miles east of Wewak, New Guinea, says the U.S. Geological Survey
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(CNN) -- A preliminary 6.8-magnitude earthquake struck Monday morning off the coast of Papua New Guinea, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The quake struck around 9:39 a.m. and was centered 131 kilometers (81 miles) east of Wewak, which is on the northern coast of the Pacific nation, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. Its depth was reported at 16 kilometers (9 miles).
The Japan Meteorological Agency -- which had an identical measure for the quake's strength -- noted on its website that "there is a very small possibility of a destructive local tsunami" as a result. It said any tsunami likely would not be over half a meter (20 inches) high.
"However at some coasts, particularly near the epicenter, high tsunamis may arrive (larger) than our estimation," the agency said on its website.
But within about two hours after the quake struck, the Japanese agency reported there were no such warnings or advisories still in effect.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue any threats or warning, noting on its website that there was no danger of a tsunami striking Hawaii. Similarly, the Australia tsunami warning center said there was no threat to that nation.Estimated 6.8-magnitude quake strikes off coast of Papua New Guinea
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By the CNN... more
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"DISCLAIMER": I am merely submitting the following...
LiveScience...
Japan Earthquake Was 'In the Air' Days Before, Scientist Claims
Stephanie Pappas, LiveScience Senior Writer
Date: 18 May 2011 Time: 03:14 PM ET
PHOTO:
On March 11, 2011, at 2:46 p.m. local time (05:46 UTC), a magnitude 8.9 earthquake struck off the east coast of Japan. The epicenter was 80 miles (130 kilometers) east of Sendai, and 231 miles (373 km) northeast of Tokyo. If initial measurements are confirmed, it will be the world’s fifth largest earthquake since 1900 and the worst in Japan's history.
This image of Japan from 1999 was taken as part of SeaWiFS, the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor Project.
CREDIT: NASA/Goddard Space Flight Center, SeaWiFS Project and ORBIMAGE
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The atmosphere above the epicenter of the March 11 earthquake in Japan underwent unusual changes in the days leading up to the disaster, according to preliminary data.
The research has not yet been published in an academic journal or reviewed by other scientists, but it could offer an intriguing possibility for earthquake prediction — though the day scientists are able to forecast earthquakes is still "far away," said study researcher Dimitar Ouzounov, a professor of earth sciences at Chapman University in California.
Looking to the sky in hopes of predicting an earthquake is not a new idea. The theory, which in science circles is called "Lithosphere-Atmosphere-Ionosphere Coupling mechanism," goes like this: Right before an earthquake, the stressed fault releases more gases, especially the colorless, odorless radon gas. Once in the upper-atmosphere ionosphere, the radon gas strips air molecules of their electrons, splitting them into negatively charged particles (the free electrons) and positively charged particles. These charged particles, called ions, attract condensed water in a process that releases heat. [Infographic: Tallest Mountain to Deepest Ocean Trench]
And scientists can detect this heat in the form of infrared radiation.
Using satellite data, Ouzounov and his colleagues looked at what the atmosphere was doing in the days before the Japanese quake. They found that the concentration of electrons in the ionosphere increased in the days before the earthquake, as did infrared radiation. March 8, three days before the quake, was the most anomalous day, Ouzounov told LiveScience. [Read: The Science Behind Japan's Deadly Earthquake]
The researchers have crunched data for more than 100 quakes in Asia and Taiwan, Ouzounov said, and have found similar correlations for earthquakes with magnitudes bigger than 5.5 and depths less than 31 miles (50 kilometers). The team is now working to involve researchers in Japan and worldwide, as ambitious atmosphere monitoring will take international effort, Ouzounov said.
Nonetheless, the success of earthquake forecasting is far from guaranteed. No one has ever predicted an earthquake from atmospheric data, and plenty of supposed earthquake precursors, from weird animal behavior to groundwater flowing the wrong way, have proven hit-or-miss.
"It's intriguing," said Henry Pollack, an emeritus professor of geophysics at the University of Michigan who was not involved in the research. "But it's hardly what I would call a breakthrough."
To iron out the usefulness of the atmospheric approach, Pollack told LiveScience, you'd need to look at lots of earthquakes over time to make sure the phenomena is statistically linked with fault ruptures. You'd also want to know how often these atmospheric anomalies show up without an associated quake.
Terry Tullis, an emeritus professor of geological sciences at Brown University, was similarly doubtful. Earthquake scientists have been "burned enough times in the past" and so have learned not to get excited about every potential prediction method, Tullis told LiveScience. But plans are underway to put together a workshop between earth scientists and atmospheric scientists this summer to discuss the research on the ionosphere changes, he said.
"I don't want to dismiss it out of hand," Tullis said. "But at this point, one has to be somewhat skeptical."
The full report is available at The Physics arXiv Blog. The researchers have also submitted their research report to a scientific journal."DISCLAIMER": I am merely submitting the following...
LiveScience...... more
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A strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake has struck beneath the sea off Papua New Guinea, US seismologists say, prompting a local tsunami alert.
According to the United States Geological Survey, there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the quake, which hit at 4:37am (local time) at a depth of 43 kilometres, 120 kilometres west of the island of Bougainville.
"Earthquakes of this size sometimes generate local tsunamis that can be destructive along coasts located within 100km of the earthquake epicentre," the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, based in Hawaii, said in a statement.
But the centre says there is no risk of a destructive widespread tsunami from the quake.
It says Papua New Guinea sits on the so-called Pacific ring of fire, a hotspot for seismic activity due to friction between tectonic plates.
A giant tsunami in 1997, caused by an undersea earthquake or a landslide, killed more than 3,500 people near Aitapi on the north-west coast of mainland Papua New Guinea.
In 2007, a tsunami following an 8.1-magnitude earthquake killed at least 52 people in the Solomon Islands and left thousands homeless.
http://livesaildie.com/files/2007/04/tsunami-wave.jpgA strong 6.5-magnitude earthquake has struck beneath the sea off Papua New Guinea, US... more
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This list contains all earthquakes with magnitude greater than 2.5 located by the USGS and contributing networks in the last week (168 hours). Magnitudes 4.5 and above are in bold font. Magnitudes 6 and above are in red. (Some early events may be obscured by later ones on the maps.)
The most recent earthquakes are at the top of the list. Times are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). Click on the word "map" to see a ten-degree tall map displaying the earthquake. Click on an event's "DATE" to get a detailed report.
DISCLAIMER
If you cannot see the list, Click here to go to the top of the list.
Update time = Thu Mar 17 16:29:03 UTC 2011
MAG UTC DATE-TIME
y/m/d h:m:s LAT
deg LON
deg DEPTH
km Region
MAP 4.7 2011/03/17 15:51:55 35.994 140.748 34.0 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.0 2011/03/17 15:34:33 40.512 79.057 18.7 SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA
MAP 3.3 2011/03/17 15:29:28 38.809 -122.788 3.8 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.8 2011/03/17 14:04:27 37.601 143.780 25.0 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 4.8 2011/03/17 13:37:35 36.113 141.929 33.8 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 2.7 2011/03/17 13:28:34 38.810 -122.791 3.4 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.9 2011/03/17 12:54:52 36.766 141.307 25.1 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.6 2011/03/17 12:32:03 35.523 140.744 21.0 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 4.7 2011/03/17 12:16:04 37.712 144.215 25.0 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.1 2011/03/17 11:14:24 -32.518 -71.537 19.2 OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE
MAP 4.6 2011/03/17 11:09:59 38.884 142.443 24.9 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 4.2 2011/03/17 10:52:42 25.324 -109.696 10.0 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.8 2011/03/17 10:44:03 37.472 143.238 31.5 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.0 2011/03/17 09:05:58 40.240 142.333 25.3 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 4.9 2011/03/17 08:59:43 40.344 142.371 40.2 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 4.8 2011/03/17 08:44:55 38.428 142.038 53.9 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.1 2011/03/17 08:28:28 53.244 159.364 74.6 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA, RUSSIA
MAP 5.3 2011/03/17 08:25:26 36.698 141.762 29.3 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.8 2011/03/17 08:03:04 -17.283 167.899 27.8 VANUATU
MAP 2.8 2011/03/17 07:12:15 19.052 -66.460 38.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
MAP 4.7 2011/03/17 07:03:44 37.359 142.727 21.9 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 4.9 2011/03/17 07:00:13 38.726 143.870 46.0 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 2.9 2011/03/17 06:44:42 40.387 -125.058 1.3 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.2 2011/03/17 06:42:46 38.709 143.911 36.4 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.3 2011/03/17 06:24:32 37.249 142.293 24.9 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 4.6 2011/03/17 06:19:42 37.598 143.462 25.0 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.7 2011/03/17 06:12:43 37.755 143.451 25.0 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 3.0 2011/03/17 05:55:35 35.689 -121.114 4.7 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
MAP 5.2 2011/03/17 05:07:01 38.027 143.543 25.4 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 6.1 2011/03/17 04:13:56 40.198 142.204 25.3 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.2 2011/03/17 03:50:54 36.312 142.820 20.6 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 4.5 2011/03/17 03:43:58 38.191 142.706 38.2 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 4.8 2011/03/17 02:48:33 39.638 142.835 20.1 NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 6.3 2011/03/17 02:48:00 -17.339 167.743 15.2 VANUATU
MAP 3.5 2011/03/17 02:13:56 40.648 -124.760 6.6 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP 4.7 2011/03/17 01:31:59 -19.954 -66.683 223.4 POTOSI, BOLIVIA
MAP 5.0 2011/03/17 01:08:01 36.387 142.891 20.0 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
MAP 5.4 2011/03/17 01:00:08 -57.913 -25.685 85.8 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
MAP 5.1 2011/03/17 00:55:03 -32.465 -71.531 23.3 OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE
MAP 5.0 2011/03/17 00:42:50 37.379 143.704 25.0 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPANThis list contains all earthquakes with magnitude greater than 2.5 located by the USGS... more
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Japan has been shaken due to an earthquake of 8.9 magnitudes. This earthquake has done huge scale damage to infrastructure of Japan. Simultaneously, it has been reported that tsunami waves will strike vast areas of Pacific Ocean. Countries what may come under affect of these tsunami waves are Russia, Philippines, Taiwan, Colombia, Ecuador, Chile, Peru, Fiji, Papua New Guinea, Guatemala, El Salvador, Nicaragua, Costa Rica, Honduras and Panama.Japan has been shaken due to an earthquake of 8.9 magnitudes. This earthquake has done... more
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12:45AM - 02-22-11
65 people are confirmed dead after earthquake hits New Zealand, the New Zealand Civil Defense Ministry says.12:45AM - 02-22-11
65 people are confirmed dead after earthquake hits New Zealand,... more
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10/31/10 Updates: Updates: 449 Dead, 270 Injured, 96 Missing after 7.7 Earthquake Triggers Tsunami, Followed by Two Volcano Eruptions, In Indonesia | Videos | Photos
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ORIGINAL NEWS STORY...
112 dead, 500 missing after 7.7 quake triggers tsunami
http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/10/26/indonesia.quake/index.html?hpt=T1
At least 112 dead, more than 500 missing after Indonesia quake
From Andy Saputra, CNN
October 26, 2010 1:29 p.m. EDT
Indonesian resorts destroyed
Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- At least 112 people were killed and 502 others were missing after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Sumatra on Monday and triggered a tsunami, Indonesian officials said Tuesday.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the quake generated a "significant" tsunami. Some of the missing may include people who are unaccounted for after fleeing to higher ground, said Henri Dori Satoko, the head of the Mentawai Islands parliament.
Although communication with remote areas was difficult, some witnesses in West Sumatra reported seeing a wave 6 meters (nearly 20 feet) high. Other reports described the tsunami as being about 3 meters (almost 10 feet) high.
Satoko said at least one village with a population of about 200 people was swept away, with only 40 people recovered.
Eight to 10 Australians on board a tourist vessel who had been feared missing were reported to be safe, Satoko said. "All foreign tourists are safe.".
The numbers of dead and injured were in flux because information was trickling in from remote parts of Indonesia, a country made up of myriad islands. The area believed hardest-hit was the Mentawai Islands, a popular surfing destination. In particular, Pagai Island was thought to have been affected, said Ita Balanda, a program manager for World Vision in Padang.
Large waves were keeping rescue crews and aid workers from reaching the area. An Indonesian Red Cross assessment team had set out for the island but was forced to turn back because of high seas and debris in the water, said Gayat, spokeswoman for the agency, who like many Indonesians only uses one name. She said the team will try again Wednesday morning.
The trip takes 10 hours, even under good conditions, Balanda said.
The quake struck at 9:42 p.m. Monday, triggering a tsunami warning that was later lifted when sea level readings indicated the threat had diminished or was over for most areas. Its epicenter was 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of Padang, at a depth of 20.6 kilometers (12.8 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The magnitude was revised upward from a preliminary magnitude of 7.5.
"Big, slow, long earthquake last night, and a couple tremblers afterward," WavePark Mentawai Surfing Resort said on its website. "Turns out it was a 7.5 about 70 [kilometers] south of us." The resort said it saw "about six waves on the beach after about 20 minutes" but none was higher than usually seen during high tide.
"No damage here, but reports of damage to other resorts and charter boats further south," the posting said.
"The local residents in the Mentawai Islands reported seeing a tsunami as high as 3 meters [that] reached as far as 600 meters inland," said Mujiharto of the Indonesian Health Ministry.
The Perfect Wave, a surf travel company that said it had 32 clients in the area, also described the wave in a statement as about 3 meters (10 feet) high, and said it washed through a bay where two boats with clients on board were docked. One boat hit the other, which caught on fire, and all the guests jumped overboard. Nine guests and five crew members were washed into the jungle and took more than an hour to make their way to safety, the company said.
All those aboard were picked up by a third boat and were safe "apart from suffering some smoke inhalation and minor scratches," the statement said.
A surf guide aboard the third boat reported "there was a lot of debris floating in the water including bar stools and other pieces of furniture from Macaronis Resort," the company said. "No news on the state of the village at Silabu."
The resort, where six clients were staying, is "all but gone," the statement said.
"It's very difficult to access the coast right now because the sea is quite bad," said Gilles Bordessoule, owner of the Siloinak Surf Resort. He said his property was unaffected, but his staff was attempting to help the Macaronis Resort, which was "completely destroyed" along with two others. Two of the Macaronis guests are missing, he said.
He said the only means of communication with the affected area is by satellite phone, which is how he found out about the resort and received some other information. The fate of the other 130 kilometers (80 miles) of coastline is unknown, he said.
Bordessoule said he had been in contact with authorities and residents of the area and was told between 150 and 180 people are dead and body bags are needed.
World Vision's Balanda said her organization is working with the Indonesian government and the United Nations to figure out how to get to the hardest-hit area. Indonesian government resources have been sent to central Java, where Mount Merapi was erupting, she said, but said her group hopes one or two helicopters will be freed up to help with the quake and tsunami response. She said she is receiving information from a local nongovernmental organization as well as others in the region.
The Perfect Wave said it was working to obtain replacement passports for its clients and organize flights home.
The city of Padang and the Mentawai Islands are at the meeting place of two tectonic plates, making them vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis.
On December 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off northern Sumatra. A tsunami generated by that earthquake killed more than 225,000 people in 14 countries -- mainly India, Indonesia, Maldives, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The Indonesian region of Banda Aceh was hard-hit: About 150,000 died there.
CNN's Sarita Harilela and Brian Walker contributed to this report.10/31/10 Updates: Updates: 449 Dead, 270 Injured, 96 Missing after 7.7 Earthquake... more
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Study shakes up scientists' view of San Andreas earthquake risk
Researchers find major quakes on the southern section, on average, every 88 years — three times as often as previously thought. It's the strongest evidence yet that we're overdue for a massive quake.
San Andreas fault study
Photo: Sarah Robinson, 23, a graduate student at Arizona State University, runs along a trench at the Bidart Fan sector of the San Andreas fault in June 2009. She is on a team of geologists trying to construct a history of earthquakes on the San Andreas fault by reading lines of sediment in the earth. (Ricardo DeAratanha / Los Angeles Times / June 1, 2009)
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By Rong-Gong Lin II, Los Angeles Times
August 21, 2010
Southern California is long overdue for a major earthquake along the San Andreas fault, according to a landmark study of historic seismic activity released Friday.
The study, produced after several years of field studies in the Carrizo Plain area about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles, found that earthquakes along the San Andreas fault have occurred far more often than previously believed.
For years, scientists have said major earthquakes occurred every 250 to 450 years along this part of the San Andreas. The new study found big temblors on the fault every 88 years, on average.
The last massive earthquake on that part of the fault was in 1857, leading scientists to warn that another such temblor is likely in Southern California.
"The next earthquake could be sooner than later," said Lisa Grant Ludwig, a UC Irvine earthquake expert and co-author of the study, which was published online in the journal Geology. "It was thought that we weren't at risk of having another large one any time soon. Well, now, it might be ready to rupture."
Other seismic experts described the revelation as a major change in the way they think about earthquake risks along the southern San Andreas fault.
Thomas Jordan, director of the Southern California Earthquake Center, said the fault is "locked and loaded. It's been a long time since an earthquake has occurred on that fault — over 150 years."
To reach the new conclusion, scientists dug trenches deep into the Carrizo Plain. They used carbon dating and sophisticated imaging technology known as lidar to find signs of earth movements. They were able to detect earthquakes dating back to the 15th century, creating a far more complete record than had previously been known.
The research found that earlier examinations of the San Andreas had badly undercounted the number of major earthquakes. Those were based on observations made in the 1970s when scientists used measuring tape to look for evidence of past earthquakes.
"Now we have better techniques," Grant Ludwig said. "We can see there's actually more earthquakes."
Scientists now estimate that earthquakes occurred on that section of the fault in 1417, 1462, 1565, 1614 and 1713.
The finding adds weight to the view of many seismologists that the San Andreas has been in a quiet period and that a major rupture is possible. A 2009 study, which Grant Ludwig also participated in, suggested that the San Andreas was overdue for a rupture. But Friday's report offers a much more grim estimate of how frequently quakes have occurred on that segment of the fault.
The San Andreas fault is considered one of the most dangerous in Southern California, partly because it is so long that its southern section is capable of producing a temblor as large as magnitude 8.1.
By contrast, earthquake experts consider 1994's destructive 6.7-magnitude Northridge quake, which occurred on a different fault, to be a medium-sized quake.
The San Andreas is a sleeping giant. It's hard to imagine the power of a huge quake on the southern section because the last one occurred more than a century ago when the area was sparsely populated. Just 4,000 people lived in Los Angeles at the time.
The 1857 temblor, with an estimated magnitude of 7.9, is known as the Fort Tejon quake, but that's a bit of a misnomer because it is thought to have started farther north, way up in Parkfield in Monterey County. The quake then barreled south on the San Andreas for about 200 miles, through Fort Tejon near the northern edge of what is now Los Angeles County, then east toward the Cajon Pass in San Bernardino County, near what is now the 15 Freeway.
The quake was so powerful that the soil liquefied, causing trees as far away as Stockton to sink. Trees were also uprooted west of Fort Tejon. The shaking lasted 1 to 3 minutes.
The study was conducted by scientists at UC Irvine and Arizona State University. As preliminary data went out for peer review, other earthquake scientists immediately took note.
The U.S. Geological Survey was so concerned that it dispatched its own team of investigators to the Carrizo Plain to look over the initial findings and review the evidence in the trenches.
"These investigators really were challenged by their scientific peers," said Ken Hudnut, a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey. "And they made it through. They ran the gantlet and came through with a really solid paper."
Hudnut said the "Big One" wouldn't compare to most quakes Californians have endured. Such a large quake on the San Andreas, generally above a magnitude 7, would send enormous V-shape energy waves spreading out from the fault. If the earthquake energy hit the Los Angeles Basin, the soft sediment underneath it could actually amplify the waves, making the shaking worse.
Hudnut said the study offers both "bad news and good news," noting that it also concluded future earthquakes along that section of the San Andreas could be smaller than the 1857 quake.
"It's not the kind of news that ought to make people crawl into the fetal position. Rather, it's the kind of information that ought to once remind people about basic earthquake preparedness," Hudnut said.
Grant Ludwig said her research should motivate people to prepare.
"If you're waiting for someone to tell you when we're close to the next San Andreas earthquake, just look at the data," she said. "If we look at the only data we have, it's not very comforting. I'm preparing for that possibility."Study shakes up scientists' view of San Andreas earthquake risk
Researchers... more
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There's a hole in this possible earthquake pattern
The Mogi doughnut hypothesis, developed by a Japanese seismologist, holds that earthquakes occur in a circular pattern over decades, building up to one very large temblor in the doughnut hole.
A seismic hot spot
Photo: Signs in Parkfield, Calif., alert tourists that they are passing over the San Andreas fault. The area is so prone to earthquakes that scientists have wired it extensively to collect data. The San Andreas, along with the Elsinore and San Jacinto faults, would be enclosed in Southern California's so-called Mogi doughnut hole. Northern California’s doughnut hole includes the San Andreas and Hayward faults. (Spencer Weiner, Los Angeles Times / July 18, 2010)
PART ONE…
By Rong-Gong Lin II and Hector Becerra, Los Angeles Times
July 18, 2010
As UC Davis physicist and geologist John Rundle ponders the map of recent California earthquakes, he sees visions of a doughnut even Homer J. Simpson wouldn't like.
The doughnut is formed by pinpointing the recent quakes near Eureka, Mexicali and Palm Springs.
Seismologists call the possible pattern a Mogi doughnut. It's the outgrowth of a concept, developed in Japan, which holds that earthquakes sometimes occur in a circular pattern over decades —building up to one very large quake in the doughnut hole. Rundle and his colleagues believe that the recent quakes, combined with larger seismic events including the 1989 Loma Prieta and 1994 Northridge temblors, could be precursors to a far larger rupture.
They just don't know exactly when.
The idea of predicting earthquakes remains controversial and much debated among California's many seismologists. But as technology improves and the understanding of how earthquakes distribute energy grows, experts are gingerly offering improved "forecasts," some of which have been surprisingly prescient.
For example, Southern California was hit earlier this month by a 5.4 quake that struck in the mountains about 30 miles south of Palm Springs — several weeks after seismologists at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory and elsewhere warned that pressure was building in the San Jacinto fault zone, which is where the temblor occurred.
That forecast underscores new thinking by seismologists about how earthquakes occur.
In the past, experts paid less attention to how one fault was connected to another and how one earthquake could increase the chances of a quake on another fault. But now they believe that these connections are extremely important and that this year's temblors along the Mexican border and near Palm Springs seem to support the concept.
"Previously we would identify a fault, map it and name it," said Lisa Grant Ludwig, a UC Irvine earthquake expert. "What we've really got here is a network of faults. Maybe that's what we need to be thinking: more big-picture."
Seismologists made the forecast about the quake risk south of the Palm Springs area after seeing signs that the 7.2 Mexicali temblor in April had placed more pressure on the San Jacinto fault system, which extends from the border northwest 100 miles toward Riverside and San Bernardino. They were particularly concerned because the San Jacinto fault system connects to the massive 800-mile-long San Andreas fault, which last triggered the "Big One" in Southern California in 1857, leaving a trail of destruction from Central California to the Cajon Pass in the Inland Empire.
David Bowman, a geology professor at Cal State Fullerton, said his research indicates that the Mexicali quake — the largest to strike the region in nearly two decades — was actually triggered by a much smaller quake on a unnamed fault line. The small quake's energy "jumped on another fault and kept on going," causing the much larger Mexicali temblor that was felt all the way to Fresno.
"That fault the earthquake started on is so small, we don't even really know where it is. Yet that small earthquake — that would not have made the news at all — was able to jump onto another fault and become a magnitude 7.2 event," he said.
The big question is whether the Mexicali quake has made a destructive temblor in the L.A. area more likely. Experts see strong evidence that there is more pressure now on the San Jacinto and nearby Elsinore fault networks to the east of Los Angeles. The Elsinore fault zone is connected to the Whittier fault, which runs through densely populated sections of the L.A. area, including the San Gabriel Valley. As a result, there's a concern that a quake on the Whittier fault might be more likely.
The Mexicali quake has also turned into a treasure trove of data for earthquake experts. It comes at a time when quake technology has advanced in major ways. Sophisticated satellite images are being used to study creeping ground movement caused by tectonic pressure in advance of an earthquake.
New GPS ground monitoring equipment is tracking how far the ground has moved after a quake, allowing scientists to calculate locations of greater seismic stress. And research in the mountains west of Bakersfield, examining the tracks of earthquakes hundreds of years ago, is showing that catastrophic earthquakes — those as large as magnitude 8 — have occurred in Southern California more frequently than previously believed.
CONTINUED…There's a hole in this possible earthquake pattern
The Mogi doughnut hypothesis,... more
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Periods of exceptional climate change in Earth history are associated with a dynamic response from the solid Earth, involving enhanced levels of potentially hazardous geological and geomorphological activity. This response is expressed through the adjustment, modulation or triggering of a wide range of surface and crustal phenomena, including volcanic and seismic activity, submarine and sub-aerial landslides, tsunamis and landslide ’splash’ waves glacial outburst and rock-dam failure floods, debris flows and gas-hydrate destabilisation. Looking ahead, modelling studies and projection of current trends point towards increased risk in relation to a spectrum of geological and geomorphological hazards in a world warmed by anthropogenic climate change, while observations suggest that the ongoing rise in global average temperatures may already be eliciting a hazardous response from the geosphere.
much more at link...Periods of exceptional climate change in Earth history are associated with a dynamic... more
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http://www.ktla.com/media/photo/2010-04/53097469.jpg
UPDATE! 10:14 pm, pdt, 4/4/10
Earthquakes rattle Pacific Coast; 2 reported dead in Mexico; 100 injured
I'm in Santa Clarita, California (north of Los Angeles), and there was a 25-second swaying motion, nauseating many of us.
Please feel free to submit photos and videos... along with answers to "Did you feel it?" and, if so, where you were in relation to the epicenter.
My apologies that there is no photo to go with this original submission, but when I posted, there was no written news, yet, so I just dove in quickly, never realizing that, without an actual link to an article, no photos could be included. But I've more than made up for it with the following photos and videos.
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/
http://www.ireport.com/docs/DOC-428979?hpt=C2
http://www.ktla.com/media/photo/2010-04/53097469.jpghttp://www.ktla.com/media/photo/2010-04/53097469.jpg
UPDATE! 10:14 pm, pdt, 4/4/10... more
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