The most powerful earthquakes known to have hit the central U.S. were the New Madrid quakes of 1811 and 1812. Now, a new study suggests that the next 'Big One' in the region may not occur along the New Madrid fault, but somewhere else.
The new research, published in the journal Lithosphere, examined earthquake records in China. Earthquakes have been recorded and described in China for some 2,000 years, but have never occurred twice in the same place.
"In North China, where large earthquakes occur relatively frequently, not a single one repeated on the same fault segment in the past 2,000 years," said Mian Liu, a professor of geological sciences at University of Missouri and one of the authors of the new study. "So we need to look at the 'big picture' of interacting faults, rather than focusing only on the faults where large earthquakes occurred in the recent past."
Different faults form a web of interacting stresses. A large earthquake on one fault can increase stress on a different fault. Important faults can remain dormant for years then jolt awake in a brief period of violent activity.
Earth Changes
I've recently become aware, via some Facebook posts, that there are a number of people posting videos on youtube about an alleged coming Pole Shift in March of this year. It seems that these people are using my posts about Comet Elenin along with my astronomer friend's little comet animation, without our permission to promote this ridiculous idea.
© Earth Observatory / NASA
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using CALIPSO data provided by the Langley Atmospheric Science Data Center, with meteorological analyses by Andreas Dörnbrack, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, DLR Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
NASA Earth Observatory image by Jesse Allen, using CALIPSO data provided by the Langley Atmospheric Science Data Center, with meteorological analyses by Andreas Dörnbrack, Institute of Atmospheric Physics, DLR Oberpfaffenhofen, Germany.
© Earth Observatory / NASA
Clouds do not usually form in the stratosphere because of the dry conditions. But in the polar regions, often near mountain ranges, atmospheric gravity waves in the lower atmosphere (troposphere) can push just enough moisture into the high altitudes. The extremely low temperatures of the stratosphere condense ice and nitric acid into clouds that play an important role in depletion of stratospheric ozone.
Scientists in Iceland are warning that another volcano looks set to erupt and threatening to spew-out a pall of dust that would dwarf last year's event.
Geologists detected the high risk of a new eruption after evaluating an increased swarm of earthquakes around the island's second largest volcano.
Pall Einarsson, a professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland, says the area around Bárdarbunga is showing signs of increased activity, which provides "good reason to worry".
© Reuters
Lava and ash explode out of the caldera of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano
Lava and ash explode out of the caldera of Iceland's Eyjafjallajokull volcano
Pall Einarsson, a professor of geophysics at the University of Iceland, says the area around Bárdarbunga is showing signs of increased activity, which provides "good reason to worry".
© USGS
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 at 22:02:01 UTC
Tuesday, February 08, 2011 at 02:02:01 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location:
43.405°N, 127.119°W
Depth:
10.1 km (6.3 miles)
Region:
OFF THE COAST OF OREGON
Distances:
235 km (145 miles) W of Coos Bay, Oregon
275 km (170 miles) NW of Brookings, Oregon
280 km (175 miles) WSW of Newport, Oregon
370 km (230 miles) WSW of SALEM, Oregon
The United Nations said Tuesday that recent monsoon flooding in Sri Lanka had hit hundreds of thousands of victims who were forced from their homes just weeks ago.
"The impact on people of this second wave of floods is even greater than the first in large part as peoples' capacity to cope was already diminished," UN Colombo chief Neil Buhne said in a statement.
"The impact on people of this second wave of floods is even greater than the first in large part as peoples' capacity to cope was already diminished," UN Colombo chief Neil Buhne said in a statement.
In the coming months, parts of southern Africa may experience the worst flooding in the last 20 or 30 years. That's the warning Monday from the U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO).
It says the La Nina weather phenomenon has brought heavier than normal rainfall, destroying thousands of hectares of agricultural land and crops so far. The seasonal rainy season is only half over and the cyclone season is expected to peak this month.
It says the La Nina weather phenomenon has brought heavier than normal rainfall, destroying thousands of hectares of agricultural land and crops so far. The seasonal rainy season is only half over and the cyclone season is expected to peak this month.
The U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) on Monday issued an alert warning that "floods and heavy rains have significantly damaged whole areas of agricultural land across southern Africa and that the livelihood and food security of farmers and their families are at risk," the Associated Press reports.
According to the FAO, more damage is possible since the rainy season is only half over and the cyclone season is due to peak in February, Agence France-Presse writes. "Most countries in the region, including Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, are affected, [an FAO statement] said, quoting Cindy Holleman, FAO regional emergency coordinator. 'Food insecurity levels are already critical in the affected areas of some of these countries and floods will only further worsen the ability of poor farmers to cope and feed their families in the coming months,' Holleman added," the news service reports.
According to the FAO, more damage is possible since the rainy season is only half over and the cyclone season is due to peak in February, Agence France-Presse writes. "Most countries in the region, including Botswana, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa, Zambia and Zimbabwe, are affected, [an FAO statement] said, quoting Cindy Holleman, FAO regional emergency coordinator. 'Food insecurity levels are already critical in the affected areas of some of these countries and floods will only further worsen the ability of poor farmers to cope and feed their families in the coming months,' Holleman added," the news service reports.
The possibility of significant wintry precipitation from yet another winter storm across parts of Mississippi has prompted the National Weather Service to issue a Winter Storm Watch from Wednesday into early Thursday morning.
The Winter Storm Watch covers 24 out of 82 counties, including Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Coahoma, De Soto, Grenada, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Lafayette, Leflore, Marshall, Montgomery, Panola, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, Warren, Washington, Yalobusha and Yazoo in Western Mississippi.
A low pressure system is expected to develop and move east along the Northern Gulf Coast Wednesday into late Wednesday night, spreading moisture north over a deep cold airmass that will be firmly in place across the region.
The Winter Storm Watch covers 24 out of 82 counties, including Bolivar, Calhoun, Carroll, Coahoma, De Soto, Grenada, Holmes, Humphreys, Issaquena, Lafayette, Leflore, Marshall, Montgomery, Panola, Quitman, Sharkey, Sunflower, Tallahatchie, Tate, Tunica, Warren, Washington, Yalobusha and Yazoo in Western Mississippi.
A low pressure system is expected to develop and move east along the Northern Gulf Coast Wednesday into late Wednesday night, spreading moisture north over a deep cold airmass that will be firmly in place across the region.
Two volcanoes on Japan's southern island of Kyushu erupted on Tuesday.
A volcano at Sakurajima, the Minamidake crater, erupted early Tuesday followed by an eruption at Shinmoedake in the afternoon.
Shinmoedake erupted for the first time in 52 years last month and has erupted more than ten times since.
A volcano at Sakurajima, the Minamidake crater, erupted early Tuesday followed by an eruption at Shinmoedake in the afternoon.
Shinmoedake erupted for the first time in 52 years last month and has erupted more than ten times since.
Comment: See also: Bright Prospects for Comet Elenin?
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