tagged w/ Seismic Activity
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CNN...
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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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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CNN...
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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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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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7/22/2011 -- Japan -- Sakurajima Volcano erupts again
Uploaded by dutchsinse on Jul 22, 2011
The global uptick in volcanic and seismic activity continues.7/22/2011 -- Japan -- Sakurajima Volcano erupts again
Uploaded by dutchsinse on... more
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It's been quite a week for the Pacific Ring of Fire. Mount Merapi explodes in Java, and on the same day a 7.7 earthquake strikes off Sumatra. Now Krakatoa is rumbling to life, and up to 20 other volcanoes are on heightened alert. What the heck is going on?
http://talkingskull.com/article/something-happening-in-ring-of-fireIt's been quite a week for the Pacific Ring of Fire. Mount Merapi explodes in... more
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An Icelandic volcano that has grounded planes across Europe is spitting lava but less ash, officials said on Monday (April 19), offering travellers hope that skies might clear at a faster rate.
Iceland's erupting volcano sent powerful new tremors on Monday, but scientists said the ash plume rising above its crater was now reaching a height of about 2 km (1.2 miles). Last week, the tower of ash was as high as 11 km.
An official at the Meteorological Office said ash production had fallen sharply and the nature of the eruption appeared to be changing.
There was still a risk, he said, that molten rock could create new pathways for water to run into the crater, causing more explosions and a higher level of ash production.
Scientists flying above the volcano told the Met Office lava had burst from the crater and onto the Eyjafjallajokull glacier that sits atop the volcano. The glacier, about 120 km (75 miles) southeast of Reykjavik, is normally a popular hiking ground.
A reporter flying overhead in a helicopter told state radio the volcano was spitting chunks of lava as big as a jeep.
The appearance of lava could suggest the eruption is moving into a less explosive phase.
Fewer explosions would mean less of the menacing ash that has drifted to the European continent, choking the upper atmosphere with tiny particles of glass and pulverised rock and leading authorities to shut their airspace over safety fears.
Police said there was almost no visibility near the glacier as ash saturated the air and covered agricultural fields with a layer of dust, which could be dangerous to animals if eaten.
Farmer Katrin Birna Vidarsdottir who lives near the glacier said the cows were unaffected:
"The cows are fine, they are calm in the cowsheds and just chewing their cud," she said.
Vidarsdottir's sheep that are normally white were now grey from the ash.
She said the farm had an unusual guest during the ash fall:
"We had one large guest in here who has fled in here from the ash, a raven. Good food for him in here, newly born lambs and ewes. We barely got him out. He acted quite strangely," she said.
On Sunday, rescue workers were helping farmers to gather horses that were outside when the ash started to fall.
Veterinarian Ellert Thor Benediktsson said he had been pleasantly surprised to see the horses in such a good shape.
"We went here yesterday into the cloud of ash and didn't like what we saw obviously. We didn't expect to see the horses as healthy as they were today," he said.
Any pick-up in ash production could spell trouble for more populated areas of the country later in the week.
Weather forecasts show a shift in winds could cause ash to fall over Reykjavik for the first time since the volcano started to blow through the glacier.
The Civil Protection Department prepared plans for such an occurrence, which could include the closure of schools.
Someone who has just been through it, farmer Simon Sigurgeiersson, was philosophical about the ordeal:
"You just say that what doesn't kill you only makes you stronger," he said.
Iceland sits on a volcanic hotspot in the Mid-Atlantic Ridge and has relatively frequent eruptions, though most happen in sparsely populated areas and pose little danger to people or property.An Icelandic volcano that has grounded planes across Europe is spitting lava but less... more
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