Geology News
Plate Tectonics Current Events

Smithsonian.com has an article about Japan’s Orphan Tsunami (“orphan” because it was then unlinked to any earthquake) and how it was connected to an earthquake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone.

The Erosion and Tectonics Project team is working to document “one paradox of geology – that weathering a mountain down can actually make it rise higher.”

Dave Petley shares some aerial photographs of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge taken from a helicopter over Iceland.

“Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography at UC San Diego have found a layer of liquefied molten rock in Earth’s mantle that may be acting as a lubricant for the sliding motions of the planet’s massive tectonic plates.” Quoted from the Scripps press release.

Mount Cleveland is an active stratovolcano in a remote part of the Aleutian Islands. Eruptions there can produce ash plumes that are a threat to air traffic.

The American Geosciences Institute has posted four “Faces of Earth” videos on their YouTube channel.

Check them out!

The India-Asia Collision (MIT News)

Earth Flyby Reality Check (NASA)

68,000-Year Record of Greenhouse Gases (NSF)

Meteoroid Explodes Over Russia – Hundreds Injured (CNN)

What is Killing the Coral? (NSF)

Underwater Logging (Takepart.com)

Ancient Eruptions and Global Warming (Climate Central)

The new featured article in GSA Today: Miocene rejuvenation of topographic relief in the southern Appalachians.

“India came running full speed at Asia and boom, they collided,” says Jagoutz, an author of the paper.

“But we actually don’t think it was one collision … this changes dramatically the way we think the India/Asia collision works.”

Quoted from the MIT press release.

“Magma forms far deeper than geologists previously thought. [...] A study simulating pressures in the mantle beneath the ocean floor shows that rocks can melt at depths up to 250 kilometers.” Quoted from the NSF press release.

Earthquakes stronger than M6.0 are unusual on a mid-ocean ridge.

USGS reports that a M6.1 earthquake occurred on the Pacific-Antarctic Ridge today at about 11:00 AM local time.

“New Caltech research suggests creeping faults can turn destructive which could explain the unexpectedly large 2011 earthquake in Japan and give new insight on potential future quakes along the San Andreas Fault. In contrast to some current theories, the research suggests that earthquake ruptures might not stop at creeping fault segments—which are considered stable—instead activating the supposedly stable segments and triggering a bigger quake with more destructive power across a large area.” Quoted from a Caltech media release.

A magnitude 7.4 earthquake occurred off the Pacific coast of Guatemala at about 10:35 local time. Get USGS information.

CBS News reports that 15 people have been killed.

“The country of Burma straddles a complex and highly active earthquake zone — the junction between the Himalayan front to the northwest of the country and, to the south/southeast, the subduction zone responsible for the enormous magnitude-9.3 Sumatra earthquake and ensuing tsunami of 2004.” Quoted from the USGS press release.

A magnitude 7.7 earthquake beneath the Queen Charlotte Islands region, off the west coast of British Columbia, Canada triggered a tsunami heading across the Pacific Ocean. Evacuation warnings were issued for coastal areas of Hawaii and for shoreline communities in British Columbia.

Canada evacuations from The Globe and Mail

USGS earthquake summary.

“Large earthquakes trigger very small earthquakes globally during passage of the seismic waves and during the following several hours to days but so far remote aftershocks of moment magnitude M≥5.5 have not been identified, with the lone exception of an M=6.9 quake remotely triggered by the surface waves from an M=6.6 quake 4,800 kilometres away.” Quoted from the USGS publication release.

Melting Glaciers Threaten Bolivia’s Water Supply

Maar-Diatreme Volcanoes

M4.0 Earthquake near Hollis Center, Maine

Something Worse than Lyme Disease?

Asteroids that Travel in Packs

Rupture Process of the April, 2012 Sumatra Earthquake

Image by NationsReportCard.gov

“The growth of high topography on the Tibetan Plateau in Sichuan, China, began much earlier than previously thought, according to an international team of geologists who looked at mountain ranges along the eastern edge of the plateau.” Quoted from the Penn State Live press release.

“The massive earthquake that struck under the Indian Ocean southwest of Sumatra on April 11, 2012, came as a surprise to seismologists and left them scrambling to figure out exactly what had happened. Analysis of the seismic waves generated during the event has now revealed a complicated faulting process unlike anything seen before.” Quoted from the University of Santa Cruz press release.

Pacific Gas and Electric wants to map offshore faults near San Luis Obispo using a “air cannon” seismic survey. The 250 decibel blasts have triggered concerns from environmental groups.

The poster-size map in a pdf document depicts both active and inactive faults and earthquakes magnitude 1.5 to 7.3 in southern California (1970–2010).

Erik Klemetti comments on the perception of volcano research by the media, focusing on reports that an eruption at Mt. Fuji is expected.

“Three of the largest and deadliest earthquakes in recent history occurred where earthquake hazard maps didn’t predict massive quakes. A University of Missouri scientist and his colleagues recently studied the reasons for the maps’ failure to forecast these quakes.” Quoted from the University of Missouri press release.

Seth Stein is Deering Professor of Geological Sciences at Northwestern makes a presentation on this study in the video below.

Large Triceratops Discovered in Alberta

Mississippi River in Drought

Floating Pumice Trail in the Pacific

Lost Army of Cambyses II Discovered?

Tallest Sand Dunes in North America

One of the Best Teaching Tools on This Planet

This satellite view shows the approximate trace of the San Andreas Fault across California.

Use the buttons in the upper left corner of the map window to zoom in and out and follow the fault across California. You can switch between map, satellite, and hybrid views by clicking the buttons in the upper right corner of the map window.

“Investigations by a University of Canterbury researcher have found that the Alpine Fault’s last rupture almost 300 years ago reached a magnitude of approximately M 8.1.”

USGS offers .pdf copies of “This Dynamic Planet” for free viewing on the web. You can zoom in and get a really close look at plate boundaries, earthquake locations, volcano locations, and much more. They also have paper copies for sale in the USGS store for just $14.00.

“The growth of high topography on the Tibetan Plateau in Sichuan, China, began much earlier than previously thought, according to an international team of geologists who looked at mountain ranges along the eastern edge of the plateau.” Quoted from the Penn State press release.

“The subduction of the Juan de Fuca plate beneath North America changes markedly along the length of the subduction zone, notably in the angle of subduction, distribution of earthquakes, volcanism, geologic and seismic structure of the upper plate, and regional horizontal stress.” Quoted from the USGS article.

American Samoa and neighboring Pacific islands are near plate boundaries that produce many large earthquakes and tsunamis. USGS has prepared maps to communicate the seismic hazard in this area.