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The Orphan Tsunami of 1700
May 20, 2013 | Smithsonian.com

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.

Sea Level Rise and Small Pacific Islands
April 18, 2013 | USGS

“Dynamic modeling of sea-level rise, which takes storm wind and wave action into account, paints a much graver picture for some low-lying Pacific islands under climate-change scenarios than the passive computer modeling used in earlier research.” Quote from the USGS press release.

The Tsunami Magnifying Lens
March 10, 2013 | University of Southern California

“Multinational research team finds that sea floor earthquake zones can act like a “magnifying lens,” focusing and strengthening tsunamis beyond what was through possible.” Quoted from the University of Southern California press release.

Impact of Climate Change on U.S. Coasts
February 18, 2013 | USGS

“According to a new technical report, the effects of climate change will continue to threaten the health and vitality of U.S. coastal communities’ social, economic and natural systems. The report, Coastal Impacts, Adaptation, and Vulnerabilities: a technical input to the 2013 National Climate Assessment, authored by leading scientists and experts, emphasizes the need for increased coordination and planning to ensure U.S. coastal communities are resilient against the effects of climate change.” Quoted from the USGS press release.

M8.0 Earthquake: Santa Cruz Islands
February 5, 2013 | USGS Earthquake Hazards Program

A Magnitude 8.0 earthquake occurred in the Santa Cruz Islands area at about 8:12 PM EST. Tsunami warnings were issued for numerous islands in the South Pacific and waves up to 3 feet in amplitude have been reported.

USAToday reports that dozens of homes were damaged in the Solomon Islands.

Watches, Warnings and Advisories by State
December 20, 2012 | NOAA

Did you know that the NOAA website has a tabulation of “Watches, Warnings and Advisories” for each of the 50 states? These include blizzard warnings, avalanche warnings, fire weather watches, wind advisories and much more.

Historic Tsunami in the British Virgin Islands?
December 18, 2012 | United States Geological Survey

“Waters from the Atlantic Ocean washed southward across parts of Anegada, east-northeast of Puerto Rico, during a singular event a few centuries ago, [creating] inland fields of cobbles and boulders. [...] Hypothetically, the overwash resulted from the Antilles tsunami of 1690, the transatlantic Lisbon tsunami of 1755, a local tsunami not previously documented, or a storm whose effects exceeded those of Hurricane Donna.” Quoted from the USGS press release.

USGS Images for Natural Hazards Response
December 16, 2012 |

“The primary goal of U.S. Geological Survey Natural Hazards Response is to ensure that the disaster response community has access to timely, accurate, and relevant geospatial products, imagery, and services during and after an emergency event. [...] Post-event imagery and analysis can provide important and timely information about the extent and severity of an event. USGS Natural Hazards Response will also support the coordination of remotely sensed data acquisitions, image distribution, and authoritative geospatial information production as required for use in disaster preparedness, response, and recovery operations.” Quoted from the USGS Fact Sheet.

Most Popular: 11/11 to 11/17
November 18, 2012 | Geology.com

Colorado’s Largest Earthquake

Evaporite Sinkholes in Colorado

Our Galaxy is Teeming with Planets

Impact of the Tohoku-Oki Tsunami on Hawaii

Stratiform Chromite

Shortage of Oil and Gas Professionals

Heating British Homes with Icelandic Volcanoes

Impact of the Tohoku-Oki Tsunami on Hawaii
November 16, 2012 | USGS

USGS has published “Tohoku-Oki Earthquake Tsunami Runup and Inundation Data for Sites Around the Island of Hawai‘i“. It contains a number of maps, photos and descriptions of tsunami damage on the island.

Most Popular: 11/04 to 11/10
November 12, 2012 | Geology.com

Impact of the Toba Eruption

Spectacular Stream Potholes

The Granites of Yosemite National Park

Ancient Tsunami in Lake Geneva, Switzerland

Glacial Change on Mount Baker, Washington

Wisconsin’s Volcanic Past

Interactive Hazards Map of Oregon
November 12, 2012 | Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries

“The HazVu map provides a way to view many different geohazards in the state of Oregon. You can enter the address for your home, school, business, or public buildings in your area to see what hazards might affect you. You can print the map you create.

Geohazards include 100-year flooding; Cascadia Subduction Zone earthquake shaking and tsunami; coastal erosion; volcano; landslide; active faults; earthquake soft soil; and more. Assets include state-owned/leased facilities and public buildings such as schools, police and fire stations, and hospitals, as well as links to seismic assessment reports for these public buildings.” Quoted from the HazVu website.

When Disaster Strikes, Money is a More Effective Donation than Physical Goods
November 7, 2012 | Anchorage Daily News

An article in the Anchorage Daily News explains how about 60% of physical goods shipped to disaster areas are not beneficial to the victims. If you want to help, the best way to do that is through a donation of money to an established relief organization.

Most Popular: 10/28 to 11/03
November 5, 2012 | Geology.com

Google Map: Hurricane Sandy

Canadian Earthquake Sends Tsunami Towards Hawaii

Hurricane Sandy Impact Photos

Huge Storm on Saturn

California Volcano Observatory

The Salt Marsh Mystery

Melting Glaciers Threaten Bolivia’s Water Supply

Ancient Tsunami in Lake Geneva, Switzerland
November 4, 2012 | Latinos Post

About 1500 years ago a tsunami triggered by a delta collapse, traveled across Lake Geneva and swamped the area that is now the city of Geneva, Switzerland.

Canadian Earthquake Sends Tsunami Towards Hawaii
October 28, 2012 | CNN

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

Latest reports from CNN.

USGS earthquake summary.

Tsunami from the Seattle Fault Zone
July 17, 2012 | The Seattle Times

About 1000 years ago the Seattle Fault Zone produced an earthquake of about magnitude 7. University of Washington graduate student, Beth Arcos, is examining field evidence of a large tsunami associated with that earthquake.

Have You Seen Ready.gov?
July 11, 2012 | Ready.gov

FEMA has published the website Ready.gov which provides lots of information about being prepared. Natural disasters make up an entire category on the site with lots of information on mitigation and how to citizens can prepare. Check it out.

Tsunami Debris on the Oregon Coast
June 11, 2012 | Los Angeles Times

Debris from the Japan tsunami of March 2011 has been washing up on Oregon beaches. Recently a 66-foot-long dock washed up on Agate Beach, near Newport, Oregon.

Mystery: Tsunami or Ocean Waves?
May 1, 2012 | The University of Chicago Press

“Perched atop the sheer coastal cliffs of Ireland’s Aran Islands, ridges of giant boulders have puzzled geologists for years. What forces could have torn these rocks from the cliff edges high above sea level and deposited them far inland?” Quoted from The University of Chicago Press media release.

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.

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.

Iceberg-Generated Tsunamis
March 15, 2012 | MSNBC Science

An article on the MSNBC Science website explains how a capsizing giant iceberg can produce a deadly tsunami.

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?

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

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.

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