Earth ChangesS

Bizarro Earth

US: Reno Quake Activity Lessens But Threat Remains

The number of earthquakes in a nine-week-long swarm of temblors that has shaken Reno has leveled off in recent days, but the threat of a major earthquake still is not over, seismologists said Friday.

John Anderson, director of the seismological laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno, said it appears the activity that began Feb. 28 on the west edge of Reno has tapered off over the last three days.

Cloud Lightning

Olympic pressure helps to foster a caring response to earthquake

Only three months ago the Chinese Prime Minister stood in a railway station to apologise through a megaphone to thousands stranded by snowstorms. He was so poorly informed about conditions that he had been forced to fly to a neighbouring province and finish his journey by train. Wen Jiabao has not allowed his Government to be taken by surprise this time.

On his race from Beijing to reach the epicentre of the deadliest earthquake to rock China in more than three decades, Mr Wen made sure that his first public comments hinted at the gravity of the tragedy

Cloud Lightning

China earthquake brings out citizen journalists

Minutes after the earthquake struck in Sichuan on Monday the internet was alive with videos and eyewitness accounts of the disaster.

It was a contrast to the events in Tangshan 32 years ago, when the Chinese government refused for months to admit the 7.8 magnitude earthquake had even happened, despite the deaths of an estimated 240,000 people.

Bizarro Earth

Russia: Karymsky volcano on Kamchatka spews ash column to 4,5 km

The Karymsky volcano on the Kamchatka Peninsula has spewed an ash column to a height of 4.5 kilometres above sea level. There is no danger to nearby settlements, the Kamchatka branch of the Geophysical service of the Russian Academy of Sciences told Itar-Tass on Saturday.

A surge of seismic activity in the area of the volcano has been registered.

Bizarro Earth

Chile: Fears volcanic ash is causing ecological disaster

Volcanic ash raining down from the Chilean volcano Chaiten may cause long-term environmental damage and harm the health of people and animals in Patagonia, scientists say.

Ash from the volcano, which started erupting 10 days ago for the first time in thousands of years, is made up of pulverised rock containing all kinds of minerals.

Phoenix

Volcano Etna Erupts in Italy



Etna volcano
©Unknown

Italian volcano Etna has awakened. Lava started gushing from the 3,350 metre mountain and the surrounding Sicily area, without any residents, was shaken by 200 earthquakes measuring 4.2 on the Richter scale.

Better Earth

Tiny krill could help unlock global climate change secrets

Scientists in Hobart are starting small in their bid to discover the answers to one of the world's biggest problems: they are researching krill in the hope of finding out what impact climate change may be having in the Southern Ocean.

The shrimp-like krill is one of the smallest animals in the Antarctic, but Dr Andrew Constable from the Australian Antarctic Division says it could help unlock some of the secrets of one of the world's most complex ecosystems.

Ambulance

Update: China quake kills nearly 9,000, toll likely to soar

Chongqing, China - China's most devastating earthquake in three decades killed nearly 9,000 people on Monday, with the toll likely to soar as authorities struggle to reach casualties in large areas cut off from relief.

The earthquake that hit China's southwestern province of Sichuan killed 8,533 people, the official Xinhua news agency said on Monday, citing the provincial government.

Ambulance

Toll from China quake estimated at 3,000 to 5,000

Beijing - A massive earthquake struck central China on Monday and state media reported that as many as 5,000 people were killed in a single county while nearly 900 students were trapped under the rubble of their school.

The official Xinhua News Agency said 80 percent of the buildings had collapsed in Beichuan county in Sichuan province after the 7.8-magnitude quake.

Bizarro Earth

Update: 5 dead in SW China earthquake

Chongqing -- Five people were confirmed dead in southwest China's Sichuan Province and Chongqing Municipality on Monday afternoon after an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale toppled two school buildings and a water tower.

Four students died in Chongqing's outer Liangping County when the earthquake toppled the Wenhua Township Primary School at about 2:30 p.m. At least 100 children were injured, the local government said.