Earthquakes
S


Alarm Clock

Two shallow 5.3 magnitude earthquakes hit Tibet


The Hindu
Sun, 22 May 2016 04:41 UTC
earthquake graph
© Flickr/ Matt Katzenberger
Two 5.3-magnitude earthquakes hit parts of Tibet on Sunday but no damage was reported so far, Chinese authorities said.

The first quake shook Dinggye County, Xigaze City at 9:48 a.m., the China Earthquake Networks Centre said.

The epicentre was monitored at a depth of 10 km, state-run Xinhua news agency reported.

Another quake hit the area at 10:05 a.m. in Tingri County.

Its depth was monitored at 6 km.

Both were stated to be shallow quakes as they took place not far from the surface of the earth.

Authorities are awaiting reports of damage from the areas.
Read More...
Arrow Up

4.4 magnitude earthquake strikes around Bárðabunga volcano, Iceland as unprecedented seismic activity continues

G. Hauksdóttir
Icenews
Sat, 21 May 2016 19:07 UTC
Bárðabunga volcano
Holuhraun is a new lava field just north of the Vatnajökull glacier, in the North-eastern Region of the Icelandic Highlands. The lava field was created by fissure eruptions from Bárðabunga volcano, they began on August 29th in 2014 and produced a lava field of more than 85 km2 wide, the largest in Iceland since 1783.

The eruption lasted for almost six months, until February last year, with the lava flowing over a wide stretch of land, changing the landscape, including the path and temperature of Jökulsá, a glacier river flowing from underneath the Vantajökull ice cap, resulting in the river partly heating up so that people who ventured up on that part of the highlands were able to bask and bathe in it surrounded by the fresh black lava.

The last earthquake was at 7am this morning and measured 4.4 on the Richter scale, the biggest one measured since the end of the eruption in February. Right now there is considerable seismic activity in Bárðabunga and scientists are keeping a close eye on it, the events up there are unprecedented and so scientists are observing with great alertness. Normally there would not be such strong seismic activity so soon after a caldera subsides.
Read More...
Attention

2 earthquakes rattle Macedonia, Albania and northern Greece


BNO News
Sat, 21 May 2016 18:28 UTC
quake
© El Comercio/AP
A moderate earthquake southwest of Skopje has been felt in Macedonia, Albania and some areas of northern Greece, seismologists and residents say. It was followed by a slightly smaller earthquake a few minutes earlier.

The first earthquake, which has a preliminary magnitude of 4.8, was centered about 16 kilometers south of Vraneštica, or some 85 kilometers southwest of Skopje. It struck at a depth of 10 kilometers, making it a shallow earthquake.

About 8 minutes later, the same region was shaken by a slightly stronger earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.9, according to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Center. It said the second earthquake struck closer to the surface, at a depth of just 5 kilometers.

The earthquakes were felt throughout the region, according to residents, but there were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. "It was loud and pretty strong," a resident in Resen in Macedonia reported.

In Skopje, one resident reported that doors and lights began to sway.

Earthquake map
© Google
Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Strong tremor hits Northern Territory, Australia


BNO News
Fri, 20 May 2016 02:26 UTC
NT Earthquake
© USGSMap of where an earthquake struck in the early hours of May 21.
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1 has struck Northern Territory in Australia, centered near Kaltukatjara and Uluru, seismologists say. There is no word on damage but the region is sparsely populated.

The earthquake, at 3:54 a.m. local time on Saturday, was centered southeast of Kaltukatjara in Northern Territory and northwest of Kalka Homeland in South Australia.

It struck at a shallow depth of about 9 kilometers (5.6 miles).

There was no immediate word on damage or casualties, but the region is sparsely populated. Geoscience Australia estimated that the earthquake may have been felt as far away as 507 kilometers (315 miles) from the epicenter, though any damage would be limited to a 40 kilometer (24 mile) radius.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) estimated the magnitude of the earthquake at 5.9.

Saturday's earthquake was one of the strongest to hit mainland Australia since August 1997, when a 6.3-magnitude earthquake was recorded off Collier Bay on West Australia's far north coast. It was widely felt but no serious damage was reported, and there were no injuries.
Read More...
Alarm Clock

4.9 earthquake strikes off Oregon coast

Tony Hernandez
OregonLive.com
Fri, 20 May 2016 15:17 UTC
Earthquake off Oregon coast
© USGS
A 4.9 earthquake struck just after midnight west of the Oregon Coast, according to multiple monitors.

The National Tsunami Warning Center reported there was no danger after the 12:01 a.m. Friday quake. The tremor happened about 190 miles west of Bandon and Coos Bay and more than 6 miles deep in the ground, according to the U.S. Geological Survey and the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network.

Last night's quake happened days after a swarm of earthquakes were felt south of Mount Hood and weeks after swarms hit Mount St. Helens.


Comment: Earthquake swarms reported at Mt. Hood, Mt. Rainier and Mt. St. Helen's: Is a major eruption imminent?


Experts have said the most recent swarms are no cause for concern. Hundreds of earthquakes, below 2.0 in magnitude, happen within weekly time periods in the region.

In the last 7 days, almost 200 minor quakes have been registered in Oregon and Washington and off both state's coast, according to the geological survey's website.
Read More...
Attention

Second powerful earthquake of the day hits Ecuador: Magnitude 6.8

Gonzalo Solano
abcnews.go.com
Wed, 18 May 2016 18:02 UTC
quake
© El Comercio/AP
Two powerful earthquakes jolted Ecuador on Wednesday, a magnitude 6.7 early morning temblor followed by a 6.8 shake near midday.

The extent of damage from the second quake was not immediately clear, though President Rafael Correa announced on Twitter some areas along the coast had lost power and said schools would be cancelled nationwide as a precaution. The first caused little serious damage.

Both appeared to be aftershocks of a magnitude 7.8 quake a month earlier.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the second quake hit at 11:46 a.m. (12:46 p.m. EDT; 1646 GMT) and was centered along the coast below land about 15 miles (24 kilometers) north of the city of Rosa Zarate.

The earlier quake was centered less than 10 miles (about 10 kilometers) away and struck shortly before 3 a.m. local time. Both are less than 100 miles (155 kilometers) west-northwest of the capital, Quito.
Read More...
Hardhat

Evidence proves widespread Texas earthquakes have been triggered by oil and gas operations


Science Daily
Wed, 18 May 2016 17:15 UTC
texas earthquakes Oil and gas operations
© Cliff Frohlich/ University of Texas at AustinFigure showing the location and cumulative number of natural (tectonic) and induced earthquakes in Texas between 1980 and 2010.
Earthquakes triggered by human activity have been happening in Texas since at least 1925, and they have been widespread throughout the state ever since, according to a new historical review of the evidence published online May 18 in Seismological Research Letters.

The earthquakes are caused by oil and gas operations, but the specific production techniques behind these quakes have differed over the decades, according to Cliff Frohlich, the study's lead author and senior research scientist and associate director at the Institute for Geophysics at the University of Texas at Austin.

Frohlich said the evidence presented in the SRL paper should lay to rest the idea that there is no substantial proof for human-caused earthquakes in Texas, as some state officials have claimed as recently as 2015.

Comment:

Read More...
Bizarro Earth

USGS: 6.7 earthquake strikes western Ecuador


RT
Wed, 18 May 2016 12:20 UTC
Ecuador map of earthquake
© usgs.gov
A 6.7 magnitude earthquake has struck Ecuador, the US Geological Survey reports. The country has been recently hit by a series of devastating quakes that killed dozens of people.

The quake took place 34km from the town of Rosa Zarate and 35km from the town of Muisne, which already suffered from previous tremors.

According to the USGS, the quake was at a depth of 32km.

More than 600 people were killed and over 2,500 injured in a 7.8-magnitude earthquake that struck off the Ecuadorian coast in April. That quake was followed by a series of strong aftershocks. The disaster ravaged coastal towns and left thousands of households without power.


Comment: See also:

Read More...
Alarm Clock

Swarm of earthquakes recorded under Mount Hood, Oregon

Tony Hernandez
OregonLive.com
Mon, 16 May 2016 08:36 UTC
Mount Hood, Oregon
© Andre Meunier/StaffFile photo -- The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and the U.S. Geological Survey websites are reporting almost two dozen tremors in 24 hours around the Mount Hood Village area as of 8 a.m. May 16, 2016.
Scientists are monitoring a swarm of earthquakes on Mount Hood in the past 24 hours, but there's no cause for alarm, a geophysicist said Monday morning.

The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network and the U.S. Geological Survey websites reported more than five dozen in the Mount Hood Village area as of 11:30 a.m.

The 62 minor earthquakes registered less than 2.0 magnitude and began about 6 p.m. Sunday, according to the seismic network website.

Most of the tremors are clustered east of Timberline Highway and north of U.S. 35 in Mount Hood Village, an area designated by the U.S. Census that included a population of 4,864 in 2010.

Mount Hood has experienced at least 72 earthquakes in 30 days, according to the seismic network.

John Vidale, director of the seismic network, said his data indicates the tremors have been occurring along a fault three miles deep on the south of the volcano.

"Swarms are pretty common around here, and this is probably the biggest one in Hood for a few years," Vidale said.
Read More...
Bizarro Earth

Strong 5.6 magnitude earthquake shakes buildings in Tokyo


RT
Mon, 16 May 2016 12:33 UTC
5.6 Tokyo earthquake map
© jma.go.jp
An earthquake preliminarily measured at 5.6 magnitude has hit off the Japanese coast, just north of Tokyo, Japanese national broadcaster NHK reports.

Local news outlets say the quake was felt in the Saitama and Tokyo areas, with buildings swaying.


Metro operations were briefly suspended on all routes in Tokyo, but services restarted four minutes later.

An elevator maintenance firm in Tokyo said several elevators stopped in the metropolitan area due to the quake with commuters asked to "use emergency buttons," according to NHK.

TASS news agency reports that books fell from shelves and furniture shook at its headquarters in Tokyo.

No damage was reported at airports, the Japan Times reports, citing officials.

However, NHK claims there was some panic just after the tremors when windows shook at a hotel where a G7 Science and Technology ministerial entourage is staying ahead of a conference this week.
Read More...