Earth ChangesS


Question

Experts link earthquakes to volcanic activity

Experts say the tectonic quakes that recently struck Java and Sumatra might be responsible for triggering increased activities at several volcanoes on both islands.

A seismologist from the Bandung Institute of Technology (ITB), Nanang T. Puspito, said the tectonic quakes that occurred along the West Sumatra and southern Java coasts over the past week have likely increased activity in a number of volcanoes.

Nanang said plate movements below the earth's mantle could increase the pressure of the upper magma pocket of a volcano and trigger an eruption followed by volcanic quakes.

Bizarro Earth

Powerful Earthquake Hits South Pacific Island

A powerful earthquake struck near the Marianas Islands in the South Pacific, Japan's weather agency said Wednesday, adding that there was no threat of a tsunami.

The Meteorological Agency initially said the quake's magnitude was 7.5 but later revised it to 7.0 after analyzing the data. The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude was 7.2.

USA

Moderate earthquake of 5.6 rattles Bay Area

SAN JOSE - A magnitude-5.6 earthquake shook the San Francisco Bay area Tuesday night, rattling homes and nerves, but there were no immediate reports of serious damage or injuries.

The moderate temblor struck shortly after 8 p.m., about 9 miles northeast of San Jose, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Residents reported feeling the quake as far east as Sacramento and as far north as Sonoma.

Bizarro Earth

Flood wreaks havoc in Nellore district, India



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Villagers in a boat trying to rescue passengers waiting for help on the top of a private bus in Pandluru stream on Monday.

Eleven persons were killed, several tanks breached, hundreds of houses either collapsed or suffered extensive damage, while road and rail networks were damaged as widespread rain disrupted normal life across the district on Monday.

Cloud Lightning

Update: Tropical Storm Noel Kills at Least 20

SANTO DOMINGO, Dominican Republic - Tropical Storm Noel brought heavy rain and flooding to the Dominican Republic on Monday and officials said at least 20 people had died.

At least 20 other people were reported missing from the storm, which lashed Hispaniola, the island the country shares with Haiti, said Ramon Franco of the Dominican emergency services agency.

Bizarro Earth

New Zealand: Cluster of quakes 'normal' - Or is it?

The South Island has rocked and wobbled to more than 20 earthquakes in the past month, but scientists say such a sudden increase in activity is normal.

Since September 30, 22 earthquakes and aftershocks have shaken communities across the South Island.

Cloud Lightning

Mini-tornadoes to hit South-East Queensland, Australia



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Traffic grinds to a halt southbound on the Pacific Motorway as a result of flooding at Loganholme.

Mini-tornadoes and hail could hit South-East Queensland later today when a severe storm cell strikes the region. Flash flooding, heavy rainfall, wind and large hailstones are expected to hit an area west of Brisbane over the next several hours.

Cloud Lightning

Tropical Storm Noel strengthens, threatens Haiti

Tropical Storm Noel strengthened on Sunday as it crept over the Caribbean and threatened to lash impoverished Haiti with potentially deadly rains, U.S. forecasters said.

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Ark

Clam, 405, is oldest animal ever

It has been christened Ming and it's officially the oldest animal to have ever lived.

A British scientific team discovered the 405-year-old clam, named after the Chinese dynasty and not the former Liberal Democrat leader, at the bottom of the ocean, and hope its longevity will reveal the secrets of ageing.

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The oldest creature ever

Bizarro Earth

Mount Soputan spews ashes

MANADO (Antara): Ash spewed from Mount Soputan on the northern tip of Sulawesi island has covered villages on the volcano's western slopes, forcing hundreds of people to evacuate Thursday morning.

"A number of villages in Southeast Minahasa district on which ash has fallen have been put on a state of red alert," a spokesman for the district administration, Ronny Suwarno, said.

Ronny said the government would evacuate more residents living on the volcano's western slopes if the ash continued to spread in a westerly direction.