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Earthquakes Current Events


NetQuakes
May 23, 2012 | USGS

“NetQuakes strong-motion instruments enable seismologists to collect extensive data in urban areas where installing traditional seismographs is not practical. This instrument (in blue, to the right of the upended chairs) takes up very little space in a Bay Area resident’s garage. It is the size of a auto battery, runs on a home wifi and captures data on a 2GB flash drive.”

Learn how to get one here.

Deadly Earthquake in Italy
May 21, 2012 | LATimes.com

A magnitude 6.0 earthquake killed several people and caused significant damage in north-central Italy.

Earthquake Cycles
May 14, 2012 | Caltech

“Our study describes a methodology to assimilate geologic, seismologic, and geodetic data surrounding a seismic fault to form a physical model of the cycle of earthquakes that has predictive power,” says Sylvain Barbot, a postdoctoral scholar in geology at Caltech. Quoted from the Caltech press release.

2010 Chile Earthquake: Ecosystem Impact
May 8, 2012 | MSNBC.com

Science on MSNBC.com has an article that explains some of the impacts of the 2010 Magnitude 8.8 earthquake that struck off the cost of Chile. The earthquake made significant changes to the intertidal environment.

Surface Displacement Map: Sendai Earthquake
May 7, 2012 | Nevada Geodetic Laboratory

The Nevada Geodetic Laboratory has a map showing the displacement of Earth’s surface as measured by GPS stations during the March 11, 2011 Sendai M9.0 Earthquake. “Japan’s coastline has moved up to 5 meters (>16 feet), and the location of the North Pole has been estimated to have moved about 10 cm (4 inches).” Quote from the NGL blog post.

Wyoming Quarry Blast
May 1, 2012 | USAToday.com

A seismic event in Wyoming that USGS reported with a depth of zero was actually a quarry blast.

Money Needed for Earthquake Warning System
April 27, 2012 | LA Weekly

USGS has developed a working “Shake Alert” system that will send early warnings that arrive from a few seconds to as much as 90 seconds before earthquake vibrations. Unfortunately, very few people/institutions are able to receive these potentially life-saving warnings. The reason: the project needs more funding.

New Faults in the Bellingham Basin, WA
April 27, 2012 | OurAmazingPlanet.com

An article on the OurAmazingPlanet.com website discusses the discovery of three potentially dangerous faults in the Bellingham Basin of Washington.

GPS Monitoring System for Earthquakes
April 25, 2012 | NASA

“By using GPS to measure ground deformation from large earthquakes, we can reduce the time needed to locate and characterize the damage from large seismic events to several minutes.”

Indiana Earthquake Simulator
April 25, 2012 | Indiana University

The Indiana Geological Survey has a new addition to their earthquake outreach program.

“Given Indiana’s proximity to the New Madrid and Wabash Valley fault zones, earthquake preparedness is an important component in any overall emergency planning effort, as recent global events have demonstrated.”

Earthquake and Eruption Predictions
April 24, 2012 | Eruptions Blog

Erik Klemetti, author of the Eruptions Blog, does not like the earthquake and volcanic eruption predictions that he has been seeing on the internet and explains why.

Injection Wells and Earthquakes
April 23, 2012 | Bloomberg.com

An article on the Bloomberg.com website explains how some states are responding to the correlation between wastewater injection and shallow earthquake activity. Injection well disposal of hydraulic fracturing wastewater is declining rapidly as natural gas drilling operations are recycling more of their wastewater instead of sending it to injection wells.

USGS: $7 Million in Earthquake Research Grants
April 19, 2012 | USGS

The U.S. Geological Survey will award up to $7 million in grants and cooperative agreements for earthquake research in 2013. Applications are due on May 17th, 2012.

USGS Physical Science Technician
April 19, 2012 | USGS on YouTube

“In the video, Robert Leeper stands in the field while explaining how he became associated with the USGS, what types of research projects he has worked on , and what his plans are for the future.” Quote from the USGS video description.

Rare: M8.6 Strike-Slip Earthquake
April 11, 2012 | The Washington Post

Today’s M8.6 earthquake off the western coast of Sumatra was exceptionally large for being generated by a strike-slip fault.

Tsunami Warning Systems Tested
April 11, 2012 | CNN.com

Today’s magnitude 8.6 and magnitude 8.2 earthquakes off the western coast of northern Sumatra produced small tsunamis that tested warning systems developed since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.

The Great Lisbon Earthquake
April 11, 2012 | MSNBC.com

MSNBC has a brief article about the subduction zone beneath Gibraltar and how activity there might relate to The Great Lisbon Earthquake.

Oklahoma Earthquake Position Statement
April 11, 2012 | Oklahoma Geological Survey

The Oklahoma Geological Survey has published a “Position Statement on Triggered or Induced Seismicity” that was motivated by many people attributing recent earthquake activity to fluid injection.

USGS on Ohio Fluid Injection Well Earthquakes
April 5, 2012 | USGS

“There is a credible connection between the wastewater injection activities near Youngstown and the recent earthquakes, including the magnitude 4 earthquake that occurred on New Year’s Eve, 2011. This connection is based on the close proximity of the earthquakes to the injection well and depth of injection, and the observation that these events began soon after the start of the injection activities.” Quoted from the USGS FAQ.

Tsunami Risk in Japan
April 2, 2012 | AP @ Google

Since last year’s earthquake and tsunami, experts in Japan have been studying the potential hazards with a heightened purpose.

Did the Oaxaca Earthquake Trigger a Volcano?
March 26, 2012 | Eruptions Blog

Erik Klemetti comments on a small volcanic eruption in Mexico that occurred at about the same time as the Oaxaca Earthquake. Many people speculate that the two events are related.

Lessons Learned from the March 11, 2011 Japan Earthquake
March 22, 2012 | USGS

“Altough the Tohoku quake did not occur in the United States or its territories, it was one of the most thoroughly recorded seismic events of its magnitude and provides valuable information to U.S. scientists seeking to understand how similar events would affect this Nation.” Quoted from the USGS press release.

Using Small Earthquakes to Assess Building Integrity
March 21, 2012 | Computer World

Small devices that monitor motion in three directions will be installed in buildings to gather data during Japan’s small earthquakes. The data will be used to determine how the building might be damaged in a large earthquake.

They Are Not Buying Earthquake Insurance in California
March 20, 2012 |

One would think that lots of people in California have earthquake insurance coverage on their home and business. An article in The Orange County Register reports that 88% of homeowners and 90% of businesses are not covered.

Sounds of the 2011 Japan Earthquake
March 20, 2012 | Georgia Tech

This recording of the 2011 Japanese earthquake was taken near the coastline of Japan between Fukushima Daiichi (the nuclear reactor site) and Tokyo. The initial blast of sound is the 9.0 mainshock. As the earth’s plates slipped dozens of meters into new positions, aftershocks occurred. They are indicated by “pop” noises immediately following the mainshock sound. These plate adjustments will likely continue for years. Created by Zhigang Peng, associate professor in Georgia Tech’s School of Earth and Atmospheric Sciences.

Mexico: Earthquake Damage
March 20, 2012 | CNN

CNN has an early report on the damage done by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck near Acapulco, Mexico shortly after noon today local time. Hundreds of houses have collapsed.

USGS Image
M7.4 Earthquake: Oaxaca Region, Mexico
March 20, 2012 | USGS

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred in the Oaxaca Region of Mexico at about 12:03 PM local time.

Monitoring Earthquakes in Arizona
March 16, 2012 | AZGS on YouTube

Geologist Dave Brumbaugh and seismic technician Lisa Linville, both of the Arizona Earthquake Information Center, describe the role of the Arizona Integrated Seismic Network in monitoring earthquake activity in the Grand Canyon State.

Japanese Prepare for Next Earthquake
March 7, 2012 | CBC.ca

An article on the Radio Canada website visits Japan to see how some of the people are preparing for the next big earthquake.

An Unlikely Ocean-Floor Cable Partnership
February 29, 2012 | Patch.com

Could a partnership between a commercial telecommunications company planning an undersea cable across the Pacific Ocean and science researchers seeing ocean bottom monitoring be a great opportunity for both?

USGS Education Resources
February 24, 2012 |

The United States Geological Survey has an “Education Resources” area on their website that can be used by teachers and students to find information about biology, geology. geography, water and more.

National Cathedral Earthquake Damage
February 23, 2012 | CNN

Repair work for damage done to Washington’s National Cathedral by the August 23, 2011 earthquake will cost an estimated $20 million.

Tsunami Debris from Japan
February 23, 2012 | BBC.co.uk

The earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan in March 2011 caused millions of tons of debris to be swept into the Pacific Ocean. Now winds and currents are carrying the debris eastward

Powerful and Geologically Recent Earthquakes on Mars
February 22, 2012 | MSNBC

A study of ruptures in the Martian surface and associated “displaced” boulder suggest that earthquakes as powerful as M7.0 could have occurred in the past few million years.

Transportable Array Seismic Station on the East Coast
February 17, 2012 | National Science Foundation

“Yulee, Florida. Not a place one usually thinks of as an Earthquake Epicenter. But this swampland not far from the Georgia state line is now home to a state-of-the-art seismic station known as 457A.” Quoted from the NSF press release.

“Cloaking” Buildings from Earthquake Waves
February 16, 2012 | CNET

Researchers at the University of Manchester have proposed a structure that would protect a building by making it “invisible” to seismic waves.

Darwin on Geology
February 13, 2012 | Scientific American

An article on the Scientific American website reviews a few of Charles Darwin’s interesting experiences with geology.

Mapping How Earthquakes Change a Landscape
February 12, 2012 | National Science Foundation

“Geologists have a new tool to study how earthquakes change the landscape–down to a few inches. It’s giving scientists insights into how earthquake faults behave.”

Highlights from USGS for 2011
February 9, 2012 | USGS

The U.S. Geological Survey had a very busy 2011. This article shows a few of their top stories for the year.

Paleoseismology: Learning from the Past
February 9, 2012 | USGS

In this YouTube video, Martitia Tuttle explains paleoseismology and narrates a field visit to look at ancient liquefaction features.

USGS Podcast: New Madrid Earthquakes of 1811-1812
February 7, 2012 | USGS

“The third and probably the most widely felt of the three major earthquakes occurred on February 7, 1812, at about 3 a.m.”

Negros-Cebu, Philippines Earthquake M6.7
February 6, 2012 | USGS

A strong M6.7 earthquake occurred in the Negros-Cebu Region of the Philippines at 11:49 AM local time on Monday, February 6, 2012. News reports.

You Don’t Have Earthquake Coverage
February 5, 2012 | Daily Progress

Out of nearly 6000 homes damaged by the August 23 earthquake in Virginia, only a few percent will be covered by earthquake insurance. A bill in the Virginia legislature, if passed, will require insurance companies to notify all homeowners who have purchased a homeowners insurance policy that does not cover earthquakes.

National Tsunami Awareness Week: March 20-26
February 1, 2012 | NOAA

“The TsunamiReady Program, developed by the National Weather Service, is designed to help cities, towns, counties, universities and other large sites in coastal areas reduce the potential for disastrous tsunami-related consequences.” NOAA has educational materials available for people of all ages.

Decision-Support Systems for Natural-Hazards and Land Management
January 31, 2012 | USGS

“Decision-support systems can be used to help synthesize, visualize, and analyze the natural-science and socioeconomic information needed for making risk-reduction and land-use choices.”

Japan, Earthquakes and Nuclear Power
January 26, 2012 | Washington Post

A Washington Post article presents how people in Japan have new ideas about nuclear power since the March 2011 earthquake/tsunami.

Record Natural Disaster Losses in 2011
January 19, 2012 | Voice of America

“The United Nations reports 2011 was the costliest year in history for catastrophes. It says economic losses from natural disasters, including earthquakes, storms and floods, amounted to $366 billion.” Quoted from the Voice of America article.

Lake Mead Earthquakes
January 11, 2012 | Arizona Geology

Some of the events recorded on seismographs as earthquakes around or under Lake Mead, were likely blasts from quarries in the region.

Fracking Did Not Cause the 8/23/11 Virginia Earthquake
January 8, 2012 | Daily Press

Someone must have blamed the Virginia earthquake of August 23 on hydraulic fracturing. An extensive article in the Daily Press explains why that is impossible.

Lake Mead Induced Seismicity?
January 6, 2012 | Arizona Geology

Water levels at Lake Mead have risen rapidly from record lows about one year ago. This change may have triggered an increase in seismic activity beneath the lake.

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