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Geology News
Earthquakes Current Events

This webpage details an activity to help students learn more about earthquakes. Using their textbooks and recommended internet resources, students can investigate the cause of earthquakes and the value of predicting them.

This image is a USGS plot of epicenters of the main shock and the after shocks for the Sichuan, China earthquake. The spread of epicenters along the fault is an indication of the tremendous strain accumulated prior to rupture.

This article describes two programs. One monitors the acceleration sensor in a Mac computer and uses it to detect shaking. Another detects vibrations and sends a signal to other nearby computers. These signals travel faster than seismic waves and can warn that vibrations are on their way.

Dangerous cracks have been discovered in he Zipingku Dam, located about five kilometers upstream from the earthquake damaged community of Dujiangyan.

Map of China

Information on the Eastern Sichuan, China magnitude 7.9 earthquake from USGS, newspapers and online news sources.

Aftershocks continued to occur in western China through Tuesday, May 13, when a magnitude 5.9 tremor shook Sichuan’s capital of Chengdu at 3:10 PM local time. Almost 2,000 aftershocks have occurred in the earthquake-prone area since Monday, and are hindering rescue efforts.

The 7.9 magnitude earthquake early today in China is thought to have killed an estimated 10,000 people. It destroyed small towns north of Sichuan’s provincial capital of Chengdu. It was felt as far away as Vietnam.

Map of China

A major earthquake struck western China today, at 2:28 PM local time. There are early reports of damage and casualties…

School Collapse
Three Gorges Dam Not Damaged

A large earthquake occurred off the east coast of Honshu, Japan. USGS reports a preliminary magnitude of 6.8 and their shakemap estimates intensity VII effects in areas of the coastline near the epicenter. It occurred at 1:45 local time and was preceded by smaller earthquakes.

Over 1000 small earthquakes have occurred below the Reno, Nevada suburb of Mogul during the past two months. Some of these have been strong enough to do minor damage and the intensity and frequency of the quakes are increasing. Now local residents are worried and scientists ponder the meaning of these earthquakes.

Houston Satellite Image

Researchers at the University of Houston used advanced radar-like laser technology to map the location of more than 300 surface faults in Harris County, Texas. The new, most accurate map of these faults produced to date, might prove to be valuable to planners and mitigation studies.

USGS Image

“The 2008 U.S. Geological Survey National Seismic Hazard Maps display earthquake ground motions for various probability levels across the United States and are applied in seismic provisions of building codes, insurance rate structures, risk assessments, and other public policy. This update of the maps incorporates new findings on earthquake ground shaking, faults, seismicity, and geodesy.” Quoted from the USGS Release.

At least two dozen earthquakes have been felt in Reno since Thursday morning. The strongest was a magnitude 4.7 about six miles northwest of Reno. No injuries or major damage have been reported.

Latest USA Earthquakes from USGS

The 2007 Working Group on California Earthquake Probabilities has released the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast - the first comprehensive framework for comparing earthquake likelihoods throughout all of California. It provides important new information for improving seismic safety engineering, revising building codes, setting insurance rates, and helping communities prepare for inevitable future earthquakes.

This article by Jane Wells and published on the CNBC website reveals her response to recent USGS reports of earthquake probability in California. She says that her earthquake insurance is: “the most expensive insurance I own.”

Article: Homeowners Insurance Does Not Cover Natural Hazards

Scientists in Japan have begun work on an extensive project that aims to predict earthquakes and tsunamis. They have drilled into the fault zone of the Nankai Trough and retrieved cores of sea floor, which are being used to map stress lines along the subduction zone. Their findings could be applied to similar areas, such as the Sunda Trench, which was the origin of the massive Indonesian tsunami in 2004.

USGS has a Podcast interview about this earthquake with Harley Benz, Scientist-in-Charge at the USGS National Earthquake Information Center. For specific details about the event you can find data at the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program.

Geotimes has a summary report on the recent earthquake in southeastern Illinois.

An earthquake occurred in southeastern Illinois this morning at 4:36 AM central time, Apr 18, 2008. The epicenter was located about 6 miles from West Salem, Illinois, 20 miles southwest of Vincennes, Indiana and 125 miles southwest of Indianapolis, Indiana. Early news postings say that no injuries or deaths have been reported, however, some minor damage has occurred. It was felt by people as far away as Chicago.

Early News Report from Associated Press

Scientists have developed a new method of predicting earthquakes. Using this new model, they estimate that in the next 30 years, the chance of a magnitude 6.7 or greater earthquake occurring in California is over 99%. Which parts of California have the greatest risk of being affected?

Earthquake swarms are typically associated with an impending volcanic eruption. The earthquake swarms detected off the coast of Oregon are anything but typical, however; there are no volcanoes in the vicinity. To add to the mystery, the quakes are originating in the middle of the Juan de Fuca Plate, instead of at the boundary, where they would normally occur.

“Geoscientists from The University of Texas at Austin’s Jackson School of Geosciences and their colleagues report this week that the rupture, which produced an 8.1 magnitude earthquake, broke through a geological province previously thought to form a barrier to earthquakes. This could mean that other sites with similar geological barriers, such as the Cascadia Subduction Zone in northwestern North America, have the potential for more severe earthquakes than once thought.” Quoted from the original release.

If a large earthquake hit Tokyo and everyone left their buildings it would result in six humans per square meter on the street. That’s just the start of the problem.

Over 50,000 squatter families have taken refuge on a waste dump in the Philippines that has been placed as fill along the shoreline of Laguna de Bay. The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology says that this area has a very high risk of liquefaction. Earthquakes shake this area frequently.

I really like to see publications like this placed on the web where citizens have free access to valuable information prepared by government agencies. This publication includes chapters on floods, earthquakes, problem soils, mass movements, subsidence and earth fissures, radon, karst, abandon mines, volcanic hazards and radon. Every state should have a publication like this on their website.

A magnitude 5.8 earthquake occurred on the island of Crete at 2:16 AM Friday morning local time. The USGS PAGER reports estimates that about 79,000 people could be exposed to VI Modified Mercalli Intensity.

The California Geological Survey continues to release more seismic hazard zonation maps for the San Francisco and Los Angeles areas. The most recent are maps for Dublin and Livermore Quadrangles. These maps and many others can be viewed as .pdf files on their websites.

The next big earthquake on the Hayward Fault could have five million people feeling strong shaking and cause property damage over $165 Billion.

“An earthquake of M6.8 or greater on the Hayward Fault, in the heart of the San Francisco Bay area, is increasingly likely. The last major earthquake on the Hayward Fault was in 1868, 140 years ago: research by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and others indicate the past five such earthquakes have been 140 years apart on average.” Quoted from the USGS release.

NASA Image

Crashing waves in the deep ocean can generate enough energy to create a seismic “hum.” This hum has long been detected on seismometers. The cumulative energy of this hum is equal to combined energy of all earthquakes generated worldwide. Now scientists have identified a location in the North Atlantic where these vibrations are emitted.

USGS shake maps show instrumental intensities of VI on the island of Malakula. About 200,000 people live in the Vanuatu archipelago located about 300 miles (500 kilometers) east of northern Australia. There are no news reports at this time.

According to new research, mega-quakes (those with a magnitude of 9 or greater) can happen at any location where one tectonic plate is in active subduction.

A pair of earthquakes of magnitude 5.1 and 4.9 struck early Monday morning about 200 miles off the Oregon Coast. No damage was reported and no tsunami was produced.

USGS Report on the magnitude 5.1

A magnitude 4.7 earthquake shook the UK on Wednesday, damaging some buildings but with few injuries. It was the strongest quake in that country in 25 years. An article in the Telegraph summarizes the damage (don’t miss the links to photos, the city-by-city stats or other related information).

Although Wednesday morning’s UK earthquake was small compared to world standards, it was a strong one for the UK. It was felt throughout the country and across the Channel in France. Buildings were damaged and one injury was reported in an early news story.

USGS Report

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake, two over 6.0 and numerous 5.0+ events have been recorded so far today off the western coast of Sumatra. A tsunami warning was issued for the 7.0 event but was canceled.

Reuters News Report

A strong earthquake shook a sparsely populated area in northeast Nevada this morning. The “did you feel it” map on the USGS website shows intensity VI effects felt near the epicenter with reports of ground shaking in adjacent areas of Utah, Idaho and Oregon. Early news reports include some damaged buildings but no casualties.

The current volcanic eruption at Mount St. Helens began in October 2004 and is accompanied by “drumbeat earthquakes” - earthquakes that occur at regular intervals. New research investigates the cause of these earthquakes.

A magnitude 7.5 earthquake occurred about 195 miles SSE of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. Early reports say that three people have been killed. USGS has no information that an tsunami has been generated.

Several minor to small earthquakes have occurred today in the Baja California, Mexico area. The largest was about magnitude 5.0. Up to intensity V shaking has been repored in the Mexicali area.