What is an Earthquake? The basic facts of seismology

3/20/10

Strong quake hits off Papua New Guinea: geologists PORT MORESBY (AFP) – A strong 6.2 magnitude quake struck off Papua New Guinea's coast on Saturday, US geologists said, but there was no tsunami warning and the epicentre's depth lessened the likelihood of damage.The quake struck at 1400 GMT with its epicentre located 95 kilometres (60 miles) north of the town of Rabaul on New Britain island and at a depth of 423 kilometres, the United States Geological Survey said.There was no immediate alert from the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre, based in Hawaii.

Volcano erupts in Iceland; hundreds evacuated REYKJAVIK, Iceland – Authorities evacuated hundreds of people after a volcano erupted beneath a glacier in southern Iceland, Iceland's civil protection agency said Sunday.The eruption occurred around 11:30 p.m. Saturday (1930 EDT) beneath the Eyjafjallajokull glacier, the fifth largest glacier in Iceland.The volcano is covered by an ice cap.Fearing flooding from the glacier melt, authorities evacuated some 400 people in the area 160 kilometers (100 miles) southeast of the capital, Reykjavik, as a precaution but no damage or injuries have been reported, said Vidir Reynisson, the department manager for the Icelandic Civil Protection Department. The last time the volcano erupted was in the 1820's.

3/8/10

Deadly 6.0 Quake Rattles Turkey (Newser) – At least 51 people were killed early today when a 6.0 magnitude earthquake rocked eastern Turkey. Minarets toppled, buildings crumbled, and panicked residents fled their homes in 6 villages near the epicenter some 350 miles east of the nation's capital of Ankara. Rescuers were rushing to free people trapped in the rubble, reports the BBC. "The number of people injured is not clear. Ambulances keep on going back and forth," said a local governor.

3/7/10
The state geological service of chile carried out an overflight of Llaima volcano on 4 March, and have raised the alert level for Llaima volcano from Yellow Level 4 to the slightly higher Yellow Level 3.

A bulletin issued on 5 March reports that there has been no major change in the activity or morphology of Llaima since the last analysis on 21 February (although the rate of gas emissions, mainly sulphur dioxide, has increased), there have been large rockfalls on the slopes and some cracking of the ice on the northern and northwestern flanks, possibly due to the powerful movement generated by the earthquake of 27 February 2010. Swarms of tectonic quakes near Llaima have been caused by the fault system. Within the volcano, an increase in the amplitude and duration of seismic activity (tremor), and seismic signals suggesting movement of fluids through minor cracks of a superficial character, have been detected since the afternoon of 4 March.

Link (interesting pictures, although in Spanish): www.sernageomin.cl/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=493&Itemid=1

3/5/10

3/4/10

Taiwan, Japan, Chile, Haiti still experiencing more quakes and after-shocks!

3/2/10
Historic Earthquakes Two great earthquakes occurred in Arica, Peru (now Chile) that generated catastrophic Tsunamis that affected locations all through the Pacific Basin in 1898.

2/27/10

Special page on Chile Quake and Tsunami watches and warnings..

This is one of those 'Holy Cow" times....string of quakes hitting Chile right now...huge destruction!!

Massive quake, aftershocks hit Chile; at least 147 dead Santiago, Chile (CNN) -- A massive magnitude 8.8 earthquake rocked Chile early Saturday, the U.S. Geological Survey said, killing at least 147 people and triggering tsunami warnings for the entire Pacific basin.Warning sirens were sounded in Hawaii at 6 a.m., although any possible tsunami would not strike for several hours. Tsunamis can travel at 400 to 500 mph, the speed of a jet plane, said Georgia Tech geology professor Kurt Frankel.A large wave killed three people and 10 were missing on the island of Juan Fernandez, 400 miles (643 km) off the coast of Chile, said Provincial Governor Ivan De La Maza.On mainland Chile, the task of trying to save survivors and recover the dead was fully under way by late morning. Buildings lay in rubble, bridges and highway overpasses were toppled and roads buckled like rumpled paper.

2/26/10
Powerful earthquake strikes off Japan island of Okinawa A powerful earthquake has struck in the Pacific Ocean, about 80km (50 miles) off the southern Japanese island of Okinawa. A tsunami warning was initially issued, but later lifted. There are no reports of major damage or casualties. The Japan Meteorological Agency gave the strength as 6.9 while the US Geological Survey put it at 7.3.

2/25/10
Mississippi Delta earthquake: America's Haiti waiting to happen? Scientists predict a Haiti-magnitude earthquake along the New Madrid fault during the next 50 years. The fault runs under the Mississippi Delta, one of the poorest parts of the US.
Little Rock, Ark. One of the strongest series of earthquakes ever to hit the United States happened not in Alaska or along California's San Andreas fault, but in southeast Missouri along the Mississippi River.In 1811 and 1812, the New Madrid fault zone that zig zags through five states shook so violently that it shifted furniture in Washington, D.C., and rang church bells in Boston. The series of temblors changed the course of the Mississippi River near Memphis, and historical accounts claim the river even flowed backward briefly. Geologists consider the New Madrid fault line a major seismic zone and predict that an earthquake roughly the magnitude of the Haiti earthquake (7.0 on the Richter scale) could occur in the area during the next 50 years.

2/18/10

2/15/10

2/11/10

 

2/7/10
Strong earthquake hits off southern Japan coast A strong earthquake shook several small islands off Japan's southern coast on Sunday, rattling buildings over 100 miles (160 kilometers) away in Taiwan and causing officials to temporarily issue a tsunami warning.There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties.Japan's Meteorological Agency said the earthquake hit at 3:10 p.m. (0610 GMT; 2:10 a.m. EDT) and registered magnitude 6.6. The U.S. Geological Survey measured it at 6.4.Japanese officials immediately issued a warning for a tsunami about 1.6 feet (50 centimeters) high, but removed the warning about an hour later...the rest of the story at the link

2/5/10

2/4/10
2nd large quake in month hits off N. Calif coast Residents of Northern California's Humboldt County were rocked by a magnitude-5.9 earthquake Thursday, but officials said there were no immediate reports of major injury or damage from the second large temblor to hit the area within a month.The U.S. Geological Survey reported the quake struck at 12:20 p.m. about 35 miles northwest of the community of Petrolia and nearly 50 miles west of Eureka. The shaking was felt within a 150-mile radius, as far north as southern Oregon and as far south as Sonoma County, according to the USGS Web site.Local officials and residents reported feeling a rolling sensation that caused items to fall from walls and shelves. Many said the movement didn't feel nearly as severe as the magnitude-6.5 quake that struck the same region Jan. 9 and caused more than $40 million in damage and one serious injury — an elderly woman who fell and broke her hip...the rest of the story at the link

2/1/10

1/29/10

Did an 8.6 Quake Hit China? Something occurred in China yesterday, something that may have been a magnitude 8.6 quake. ...............(and then it was 'disappeared'.....a huge quake had hit near there in 1920 killing 20,000....so not unusual or un heard of to have one there) ..the rest of the story at the link

1/20/10
More than 600 earthquakes recorded in current Yellowstone earthquake swarm The swarm of earthquakes at Yellowstone National Park which started Sunday has produced 644 tremors through 1:36 p.m. Wednesday, scientists at the University of Utah said this afternoon.So far Wednesday, the the magnitude of the earthquakes has been in the 2.5 range or slightly lower.Several tremors about 3.0 above were recorded on Tuesday. The most devastating earthquake in recent history in the Yellowstone region occurred on Aug. 17, 1959, when a magnitude 7.3 earthquake hit. It was centered near Hebgen Lake, Mont., killed 28 people and caused more than $11 million in damage...the rest of the story at the link

Updates on Haiti quake

1/12/10 Major quake hits Haiti; many casualties expected..the rest of the story at the link

Now a group is hitting Haiti, a very volitile area

PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti - The largest earthquake ever recorded in the area rocked Haiti today, collapsing a hospital where people screamed for help and damaging other buildings. An aid official described "total disaster and chaos."

Communications were widely disrupted, making it impossible to get a clear picture of damage as powerful aftershocks shook a desperately poor country where many buildings are flimsy. Electricity was out in some places.

Karel Zelenka, a Catholic Relief Services representative in the capital of Port-au-Prince, told U.S. colleagues before phone service failed that "there must be thousands of people dead," according to a spokeswoman for the aid group, Sara Fajardo.

"He reported that it was just total disaster and chaos, that there were clouds of dust surrounding Port-au-Prince," Fajardo said from the group's offices in Maryland.

The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 and was centered about 10 miles (15 kilometers) west of Port-au-Prince, the U.S. Geological Survey said. It had a depth of 5 miles (8 kilometers). It was the largest quake recorded in the area and the first major one since a magnitude-6.7 temblor in 1984, USGS analyst Dale Grant said. ..the rest of the story at the link

1/9/10

BREAKING: 6.5 earthquake reported off of Eureka, Calif. An earthquake with an estimated magnitude of 6.5 occurred about 25 miles southwest of Eureka, Calif., at 4:27 p.m.Preliminary reports indicate the earthquake was felt as far away as San Francisco.The quake appears to have occurred along the Russ fault...the rest of the story at the link

1/6/10

According to a report at Visir.is, University of Iceland geophysicist Freysteinn Sigmundsson has said that pressure in the magma chamber ‘is similar now to immediately before the last Hekla eruption’. This information ’should be used as an early warning of an upcoming eruption and monitoring and general preparedness should be increased accordingly’.
Temperature increases have been recorded at the surface at Hekla and suggests that magma may only be 2-3 km below the summit.
Hekla’s last eruption was in the spring of 2000. Since 1970 it has erupted roughly every ten years.

1/5/10

New quakes rock Solomon Islands after tsunami A string of fresh earthquakes rocked the western Solomon Islands late Tuesday and early Wednesday but there were no early reports of damage or casualties, officials said.The largest earthquake late Tuesday had a magnitude of 6.9, followed by five aftershocks measuring at least 5.0 in the isolated region about 300 kilometres (185 miles) west of the capital Honiara.The latest tremors followed a series of quakes on Monday, with the largest one of 7.9 causing a tsunami estimated at eight feet (nearly 2.5 metres) high...the rest of the story at the link

Dead fish provoke alert around Gulf of Mexico Mexican officials issued a vigilance alert Tuesday after thousands of dead fish washed up on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico.Veracruz state governor Fidel Herrera issued the alert after fishermen reported dead fish along several kilometers (miles) of beaches off eastern Mexico...the rest of the story at the link

1,000 people homeless on Solomons after tsunami HONIARA, Solomon Islands – Landslides and a tsunami destroyed the homes of about one-third of the population on a Solomon Island, but lives were likely spared as residents with memories of previous disasters fled quickly to higher ground, officials said Tuesday. From the air, extensive damage could be seen on a remote western island after a 7.2-magnitude temblor triggered the landslides in the Pacific Solomon Islands on Monday, said disaster management officedirector Loti Yates.video of tsumani ..the rest of the story at the link

1/3/09

Lava flows ravage national park forest in DRCongo Lava flowing from a volcanic eruption in eastern DR Congo was gathering pace and set to destroy up to 10 hectares (25 acres) of forest in Virunga National Park by late Sunday, vulcanologists said.The Goma Vulcanological Observatory, which has been monitoring the eruption of nearby Mount Nyamulagira early Saturday, said the pace of destruction would increase as it hit steeper ground."From Monday, the speed will increase because the territory starts to slope whereas it had been flatlands before," the observatory's director Karume Katcho told AFP. Virunga National Park is a UNESCO World Heritage Site and located on a chain of active volcanoes including Nyamulagira. It is home to around 200 of the world's last 750 mountain gorillas, but these are located further east of the volcano near the border with Rwanda...the rest of the story at the link

1/12010

1,002 in O.C. felt Mexico earthquake At least 1,002 people across Orange County went on to the U.S. Geological Survey’s “Did you feel it?” website to report that they felt today’s 5.8 earthquake, which broke on an unnamed fault just south of the Mexico border, southeast of Mexicali.  The quake hit at 10:48 a.m. and was followed by aftershocks measuring 4.9 and 4.0.  More than 200 reports about the main shock came from Irvine, which is located 277 miles from the epicenter. Shaking was felt as far away as Phoenix and Las Vegas, the USGS says.here’s a roughly 5 percent chance that a similar-sized earthquake will occur over the next week, says  Bob Dollar, a USGS seismologist...the rest of the story at the link

Dreamtime Meteor Impact Found with Google Earth Duane Hamacher a PhD student from Australia’s Macquarie University found an ancient meteor impact crater in a remote location of the Northern Territory by searching Google Earth and following clues from an ancient dreamtime legend told by the indigenous Arrernte people. Mr Hamacher reported to the Sydney Morning Herald and other Australian newspapers that the Arrernte people’s legend about a star that fell into a waterhole called Puka in the valley where Kulaia, the serpent, lived – has led to the discovery of the ancient crater, which the research team he is part of propose to name Puka. ..the rest of the story at the link

12/30/09

12/21/09

Newberry Project Newberry Volcano is one of the largest and youngest volcanoes in the United States. It consists of over 400 individual volcanic vents, which, when combined, form a broad mounded landform referred to as a “shield volcano”. The Newberry shield, centered about 20 miles southeast of Bend, Oregon, covers an area in excess of 600 square miles. Davenport Power, and its partners lease over 40,000 acres (60+ square miles) of Bureau of Land Management leases. The leases are shown as pink on this map distributed by the BLM. The Newberry Geothermal Project is located on the western flank of Newberry Volcano, several miles from the Newberry crater, and outside of the Newberry National Volcanic Monument, in an area that allows geothermal development.

Newberry Volcano is extremely “hot”. It has erupted at least 25 times in the last 10,000 years. The most recent eruption was 1,300 years ago and produced the Big Obsidian lava flow, which covers over a square mile near the volcano’s center......more on this at the link

12/19/09

6.4 hits Taiwan, aftershocks A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Taiwan today at 9:02 p.m. local time, with its epicenter about 145 kilometers (90 miles) south of Taipei, the U.S. Geological Survey said on its Web site.Buildings shook in Taipei and at least five aftershocks measuring more than 4.2 struck within about one hour after the initial tremor, Taiwan’s Central Weather Bureau reported on its Web site. The Taiwan authority registered the primary earthquake at magnitude 6.8.Taiwan’s high-speed rail line and Taipei City’s subway system were halted while phone companies reported temporary interruptions, Radio Taiwan International reported on its Web site without saying where it obtained the information...the rest of the story at the link

Notable historical earthquake for the date:Owens Valley M7.6 - M8.0 Earthquake, March 26, 1872

 

12/16/09

Science First: Video of submarine lava eruption Lava erupting from the deepest underwater volcano ever discovered has been captured on video for the first time. The submarine volcano is located nearly 4,000 feet beneath the surface of the Pacific…..the rest of the story at the link

Philippine volcano rumbles with fresh explosions ..the rest of the story at the link

 

At 6:40 am on 10 December, 2009 a large pyroclastic flow travelled down Tyers Ghaut. This pyroclastic flow reached to below the west end of Lees village in the Dyers river, some 3.5 kilometers from the lava dome. This point has been stated by the MVO as the ‘Trigger point' for raising the hazard level from 3 to 4. It signifies that larger pyroclastic flows moving down the Belham valley are a more likely possibility. Larger pyroclastic flows could be formed by a partial dome collapse which could involve several million cubic metres of material.
Since 24 November an increase in volcanic activity has been associated with growth of the lava dome at the summit, and in the last two weeks growth has become focused on the northern side. This has lead to approximately 100 m of lateral growth of the lava dome in a northward direction. Increasing the available material for the formation of pyroclastic flows.
Pyroclastic flows down the northern flank have been abundant in the last few weeks, first occurring in Tuitts Ghaut. Over the last week these have started to move down Tyers Ghaut and the have increased in runout distance steadily over the past few days.

12/8/09 Undocumented Volcano Contributed To Extremely Cold Decade From 1810-1819 South Dakota State University researchers and their colleagues elsewhere in America and in France have found compelling evidence of a previously undocumented large volcanic eruption that occurred exactly 200 years ago, in 1809.The discovery helps explain the record cold decade from 1810-1819....(it should make people also take notice of HOW MANY volcanos that have been going off in the last year or recently......could we have another ice age brewing?) ..the rest of the story at the link

New Research Uncovers Deep Origins Of 'Hawaiian Hotspot' A new study by an international research team has opened up a window into the earth to reveal Hawaii's deep roots and the best picture yet of a plume originating from the lower mantle. The findings suggest that the Hawaiian hot spot is the result of an upwelling high-temperature plume from the lower mantle. ..the rest of the story at the link

The Chilean state emergencies office ONEMI (Oficina Nacional de Emergencia) has declared a Yellow Alert for Llaima volcano and surrounding communities.

11/27/09

Pacific Northwest Earthquakes Could Strike Closer to Home Major earthquakes occurring along the Cascadia subduction zone off the coast of Washington state could strike closer to the state’s urban areas than some models have suggested, a new study notes. GPS data gathered at dozens of sites throughout western Washington hint that slippage along the interface between the North American and Juan de Fuca tectonic plates could occur as deep as 25 kilometers below the Earth’s surface, says Timothy I. Melbourne, a geodesist at Central Washington University in Ellensburg. That depth, in turn, would place the epicenters of quakes triggered along that portion of the subduction zone — some of which could exceed magnitude 9 —more than 60 kilometers inland, he and CWU colleague James Chapman report online and in the November 28 Geophysical Research Letters...the rest of the story at the link

11/24/09

VIDEO: Lava pond visible at Kilauea volcano summit, again November 22, 2009 - Hawaii Volcanoes National Park
VIDEO courtesy USGS ..the rest of the story at the link

11/16/09

4.6 earthquake hits in San Bernardino County The temblor struck east of Ridgecrest and north of Barstow at about 1:20 p.m. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage.The earthquake was centered near Searles Valley, about 117 miles from downtown Los Angeles.It's the latest of several quakes to hit the region in the last day.Earlier this morning, a magnitude 3.6 earthquake hit Riverside County east of Temecula. The temblor did not cause any damage, though it was felt in parts of the Inland Empire. It hit near the small town of Anza in southwestern part of the county..the rest of the story at the link

11/4/09

Plasma Volcanoes The recent eruption of Mt. Redoubt in Alaska calls to mind the skeptical imperative to doubt again the accepted explanations of vulcanology. Common things to see around volcanoes are steam and ash plumes, pyroclastic flows, and lava rivers. Less common things are rotation of the plume, lightning around the column, and waterspouts or dust devils downwind under the plume. Since the invention of the seismograph, a sub-discipline of seismic study has developed....interesting article on new discoveries about volcanos ..the rest of the story at the link

10/21/09

Strong earthquake strikes Afghanistan and Pakistan The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 and was centered in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan. That's according to the U.S. Geological Survey.(upgraded to a 6.2 it seems) ..the rest of the story at the link

Ecuador alerts 3 provinces of Reventador volcano eruption The Ecuadorian authorities on Wednesday alerted three close-by provinces of a possible eruption of the Reventador volcano west of the capital city.     The warning was issued by the country's Risks Management Ministry that said the Emergency Operation Centers of Napo, Pichincha and Sucumbios provinces had been alerted of the possible eruption.     The 3,485-meter-high volcano is regularly active and started its current eruptive activities in November 2002. ..the rest of the story at the link

Earthquake warning system closer to reality It is the Holy Grail of seismology, sought by earthquake scientists for more than a century: the ability to provide advance warning of the Big One, so the public can react before a massive quake unleashes its rolling thunder upon the land...the rest of the story at the link

Researchers Pinpoint Possible Reasons for Earthquakes in Dillsburg CARROLL TOWNSHIP, YORK COUNTY - After months of earthquakes in the Dillsburg area, researchers now believe they know the cause. The combination of two kinds of rock rubbing together underground may be playing a role, along with a rising water table. Since October of 2008, the area has been hit with over 600 small earthquakes. The quakes haven't done much damage, but they have put this community on edge. Now, a report outlines some of the reasons why this may be happening...the rest of the story at the link

Sunday, October 18, 2009
Piton de la Fournaise Volcano, Reunion - John Seach he frequency and intensity of seismicity are gradually increasing at Piton de la Fournaise volcano on Reunion. The trend of gradual deformation of the volcano continues, particularly on the north side of Dolomieu and near Soufriere...the rest of the story at the link

Recent Kilauea Status Reports, Updates, and Information Releases
KILAUEA VOLCANO (CAVW #1302-01-)
19°25'16" N 155°17'13" W, Summit Elevation 4091 ft (1247 m)
Current Aviation Color Code: ORANGE
Current Volcano Alert Level: WATCH

Activity Summary for past 24 hours: Spattering was recorded deep within the Overlook vent cavity. Sulfur dioxide emission rates from the Halema`uma`u and east rift zone vents remain elevated. Lava flows are active on the pali and coastal plain; lava is entering the ocean west of Kalapana.
(the rest at the link, pleas check there)

10/9/09

Worst Volcanoes Even More Dangerous Than Feared Some of the world's most dangerous volcanoes (rhyolitic volcanoes) can erupt much more quickly than scientists had suspected, according to a new study of the massive 2008 eruption of Chile's Chaitén volcano. (See Chaitén eruption photos.) Normally scientists can track the seismic rumblings that precede most volcanic eruptions for weeks or even months, as magma in the volcano slowly rises to the surface. But when townspeople at the base of the Chaitén volcano first felt earthquakes on April 30, 2008, they had only 30 hours to get out before the long-dormant volcano began to blow its top.......rest at the link

10/6/09

folding along the San Andreas fault Motion along the San Andreas fault can cause deformation in some of the rocks surrounding it. This is one of the classic exposures of such a deformation, as seen in a road cut made for California 14, just south of the city of Palmdale, in the Mojave desert...the rest of the story at the link

10/3/09

Cleveland Volcano in Alaska erupts Alaska’s Cleveland Volcano briefly erupted on Friday evening, according to volcanologist on Saturday, but no one was thought to be at risk..the rest of the story at the link

15 Ft Tsunami Tossed Boats Like Toys In Samoa.... The Power Of Nature..the rest of the story at the link

 

Series of quakes at Keeler area in California raising concerns and questions. List of quakes here ..the rest of the story at the link

Quake landslides wipe out 4 villages in Indonesia At least four Indonesian villages were obliterated by earthquake-triggered landslides that buried as many as 644 people including a wedding party under mountains of mud and debris, officials said Saturday.The full extent of Wednesday's 7.6-magnitude earthquake was becoming apparent three days later as aid workers and government officials reached remote villages in the hills along Sumatra island's western coast.If all 644 are confirmed dead — as is likely — the death toll in the disaster would jump to more than 1,300. The government's death toll currently is 715, with most casualties reported from the region's biggest city, Padang, where aid efforts are currently focused.More than 3,000 people were listed as missing before the news about the obliterated villages emerged...the rest of the story at the link

10/1/09

EXCLUSIVE: first waves of tsunami hitting Samoa video ..the rest of the story at the link

Indonesian earthquakes death toll expected to hit thousands as rescuers desperately dig through rubble for survivors

9/30/09

Indonesian officials: Earthquake leaves 75 dead JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian officials say at least 75 people have been killed and thousands more trapped under flattened buildings in a powerful earthquake off Sumatra island.Vice President Jusuf Kalla announced the death toll at a news conference, hours after the 7.6-magnitude quake hit off the coast of the town of Padang on Wednesday.Rustam Pakaya, head of the Health Ministry's crisis center, said thousands of people were trapped under collapsed buildings. He said a field hospital was being prepared to assist the injured...the rest of the story at the link

9/29/09

Quake triggers tsunami in the Samoas, killing 34 PAGO PAGO, American Samoa – A powerful Pacific Ocean earthquake spawned towering tsunami waves that swept ashore on Samoa and American Samoa early Tuesday, flattening villages, killing at least 34 people and leaving dozens of workers missing at devastated National Park Service facilities. Cars and people were swept out to sea by the fast-churning water as survivors fled to high ground, where they remained huddled hours later. Hampered by power and communications outages, officials struggled to assess the casualties and damage...the rest of the story at the link

Tsunami hits American Samoa PAGO PAGO, American Samoa – A powerful 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck in the South Pacific between Samoa and American Samoa around dawn Tuesday, sending terrified residents fleeing for higher ground as a tsunami swept ashore, flattening at least one village. There were no immediate reports of fatalities. The temblor hit at 6:48 a.m. Tuesday (1748 GMT) midway between the two island groups. In Apia, families reported shaking that lasted for up to three minutes. The U.S. Geological Service said the quake struck 20 miles (35 kilometers) below the ocean floor, 120 miles (190 kilometers) from American Samoa and 125 miles (200 kilometers) from Samoa.The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center issued a general alert for the South Pacific region, from American Samoa to New Zealand. It said there were indications a tsunami wave could be "destructive" along some coastlines.New Zealander Graeme Ansell said the beach village of Sau Sau Beach Fale was leveled.

"It was very quick. The whole village has been wiped out," Ansell told National Radio from a hill near Samoa's capital, Apia. "There's not a building standing. We've all clambered up hills, and one of our party has a broken leg. There will be people in a great lot of need 'round here."...more at the link

 

9/19/09

A Strong quake hits Indonesia's Bali A strong 6.4 quake rattled Indonesia's Bali island on Saturday, hours after a quake struck Sulawesi island, but there were no immediate reports of major damage or serious casualties from either.The Bali quake hit at 6:06 am (2306 Friday GMT), at a depth of 36 kilometres (22 miles), according to Indonesian geophysics agency.The epicentre was 101 kilometres southeast of Nusa Dua, an enclave of resorts located in the southern part of the holiday island...the rest of the story at the link

Six volcanos erupting in Russia along the strait

9/13/09

Large eruption at Russian volcano Shiveluch From the excellent Volcansim Blog

Reports from Russia indicate that a large eruption of Shiveluch began yesterday. A bulletin from the Kamchatka Volcanoes Emergency Response Team (KVERT), issued at 22:35 UTC on 10 September warns that ‘Ash explosions > 10 km (>32,800 ft) ASL from the volcano could affect international and low-flying aircraft’. According to the bulletin, ’strong explosions’ occurred between around 14:19 and 14:55 UTC on 10 September, with seismic data indicating ash plumes reaching 15000 metres above sea level; if ash plumes are indeed reaching 10-15 km altitude, then this is a sizeable event. The bulletin reports that according to seismic data ‘10 volcanic events (ash explosions and hot avalanches or pyroclastic flows) occurred at the lava dome from 16:33 till 20:25 UTC on September 10′. Whether the activity is still continuing is not clear, and there are no visual or satellite images of this event because of cloud cover.

 

8/9/09

Strong earthquake shakes Tokyo area A strong earthquake shook the Japanese capital and surrounding areas today, the Japan Meteorological Agency said.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties from the temblor, which rattled furniture and walls in Tokyo homes at 7:56 p.m. (1056 GMT) Sunday, the agency said. The Japanese agency recorded the quake at a preliminary magnitude of 6.9. The United States Geological Survey said the quake was magnitude 7.1 and that it was centered in the Izu Islands some 200 miles (320 kilometers) southwest of Tokyo ..the rest of the story at the link

 

8/3/09

Gulf of Mexico quakes hitting!!

MAP	5.9	2009/08/03 18:40:50	29.330	-113.681	10.0	110 km ( 69 mi) NNW of Santa Isabel, Mexico
MAP	5.0	2009/08/03 18:33:34	28.931	-113.022	10.0	69 km ( 43 mi) NNE of Santa Isabel, Mexico
MAP	6.9	2009/08/03 17:59:56	29.066	-112.871	10.0	89 km ( 56 mi) NNE of Santa Isabel, Mexico
MAP	5.8	2009/08/03 17:55:23	28.976	-112.988	10.3	75 km ( 47 mi) NNE of Santa Isabel, Mexico

7/31/09

Will Krakatoa rock the world again? Last time, it killed thousands and changed the weather for five years, now it could be even deadlier... Bright orange lava spews up into the air, dark smoke mingles with the clouds and the gloomy night takes on an ominous red glow. Towering 1,200ft above the tropical stillness of the Sunda Strait in Indonesia, one of the most terrifying volcanoes the world has ever known has begun to stir once more. Almost 126 years to the day since Krakatoa first showed signs of an imminent eruption, stunning pictures released this week prove that the remnant of this once-enormous volcano is bubbling, boiling and brimming over. Krakatoa had an extraordinary effect on the planet last time round. Average global temperatures following the eruption fell by as much as 1.2 C, as the huge quantities of sulphur dioxide pumped into the atmosphere resulted in clouds that reflected a greater amount of incoming light from the sun. (see fabulous photos at the link)

7/23/09

Mysterious Tremors Detected Along San Andreas Fault LOS ANGELES —  Scientists have detected a spike in underground rumblings on a section of California's San Andreas Fault that produced a magnitude-7.8 earthquake in 1857.What these mysterious vibrations say about future earthquakes is far from certain. But some think the deep tremors suggest underground stress may be building up faster than expected and may indicate an increased risk of a major temblor..the rest of the story at the link

Scientists Lower Alaska Volcano Threat Level Alaskans can put away their dust masks and spare air filters, for now, because Mount Redoubt seems to have cooled off since its last major eruption nearly three months ago. ..the rest of the story at the link

7/13/09

Erupting Volcano Anak Krakatau Explanation: A volcano on Krakatoa is still erupting. Perhaps most famous for the powerfully explosive eruption in 1883 that killed tens of thousands of people, ash from a violent eruption might also have temporarily altered Earth's climate as long as 1500 years ago. In 1927, eruptions caused smaller Anak Krakatau to rise from the sea, and the emerging volcanic island continues to grow at an average rate of 2 cm per day. The latest eruption of Anak Krakatau started in 2008 April and continues today. In this picture, Anak Krakatau is seen erupting from Rakata, the main island of the Krakatoai group. High above, stars including the Big Dipper are clearly apparent. (beautiful Photo at the link!) ..the rest of the story at the link

Red sky at night: Heavens turn crimson over Britain after Russian volcano erupts The night skies over Britain will turn a deep shade of crimson this week as the fallout from a Russian volcano blast hits the UK. Millions of tonnes of dust, ash and sulphur dioxide were thrown up to 30 miles into the air when Sarychev Peak on Matua Island in the Kuril Archipelago erupted last month. The blast created what experts call a ‘volcanic aerosol’ - a colourful mixture of ash and sulphur compounds - in the stratosphere. This scatters an invisible blue glow which, when mixed with the red light of the setting sun, produces a ‘volcanic lavender’, or vivid crimson/violet hue. ..the rest of the story at the link

7/9/09

5.0 earthquake off the coast of Oregon

ALASKA: 'Uplift' baffles scientists, transforms area beach Like a giant fist punching through the earth, a 1,000-foot long section of the beach below Bluff Point rose up 20 feet from the tidelands sometime last Friday or late Thursday, pushing boulders up from the ocean bottom, cracking sandstone slabs and toppling rocks upside down. ..the rest of the story at the link

More than 300 injured by strong quake in China A moderate earthquake rocked southwest China Thursday evening, injuring at least 336 people and collapsing 10,000 homes, state media said. The magnitude-6.0 temblor, centered in Yunnan province's Yao'an county, damaged another 30,000 homes, the Xinhua News Agency said...the rest of the story at the link

6/29/09

Temporary reprieve for evacuated Waihi residents LATEST: Residents of an evacuated village on the southwest edge of Lake Taupo have been temporarily allowed back in this morning to feed pets, fetch personal belongings and pray in the church. Two more earthquakes shook the central North Island last night but there has been no major reports of damage at Waihi Village..the rest of the story at the link

 

Amazing volcano photo shows shock wave ..the rest of the story at the link

Alaska volcano erupts five times after 20-year lull