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Wed, 13 Oct 2021
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Earthquakes

Attention

6.0-magnitude earthquake rattles Indonesia's Borneo

Indonesia earthquake
© USGS
A strong 6.0-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia early on Monday (Dec 21), the US Geological Survey (USGS) said, but no immediate damage or casualties were reported.

The quake, which was relatively shallow, struck the northeastern corner of Kalimantan on the Indonesian part of Borneo island, 34 kilometres north of the coastal city of Tarakan, according to the USGS. The agency reported the quake hitting at a depth of 22 kilometres.

Indonesia's tsunami warning centre said there was no potential for the quake to trigger a tsunami. There were also no immediate reports of damage.

The archipelago nation sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire" where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity in the region.

Last month, a 6.1-magnitude undersea earthquake struck eastern Indonesia that was felt in Saumlaki and prompted some residents to run outside, though the tremor had no tsunami potential, disaster officials said.

Earlier in November, two powerful quakes struck Sumatra - an initial 6.1-magnitude undersea tremor followed hours later by a strong 6.4-magnitude quake.

Attention

5.4 earthquake hits parts of Uttarakhand, India

Uttarakhand map

A moderate earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale rocked parts of Uttarakhand in the wee hours.
A moderate earthquake measuring 5.4 on the Richter scale rocked parts of Uttarakhand in the wee hours today.

Epicentred in the India-Nepal border region, the earthquake occurred at 3.47 am, the MeT department in Dehradun said.

As the tremors were moderate and occurred in the wee hours when people are usually asleep they were not felt by many, it said.

However, a report from Chamoli said the quake shook people out of their sleep in the district.

The tremors were also felt in Pithoragarh district which borders Nepal.

Source: Press Trust of India

Alarm Clock

Chile struck by 6.0 magnitude earthquake

chile earthqauke map
© google
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.0 has struck east of the city of Ovalle in Chile's Limarí province, seismologists say, with shaking felt over a large area.

The earthquake, which struck at 4:25 p.m. local time on Saturday, was centered about 13 kilometers (8 miles) east of Ovalle, or 82 kilometers (51 miles) southeast of La Serena. It struck about 49 kilometers (30 miles) deep, making it a relatively shallow earthquake, according to Chile's seismological center.

The earthquake could be felt over a large area, with medium intensity shaking reported in the regions of Atacama and O'Higgins. There was no immediate word about possible damage or casualties.

Chile's seismological center initially put the magnitude of the earthquake at 6.2, but later downgraded it to 6.0. Chile's Hydrographical and Oceanographical Service of the Navy said the earthquake did not meet the characteristics necessary to generate a tsunami off the coast.

Arrow Up

Magnitude 6.2 earthquake hits near Vanuatu islands, South Pacific Ocean

Vanuatu islands
© USGS
A magnitude-6.2 earthquake has struck north-east of the Vanuatu chain of islands, the US Geological Survey said.

The quake had a depth of 10 kilometres, it said.

Nearby cities to the impact zone include Isangel, Port-Vila, We, Luganville and Dumbea.

There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

ABC/wires

Bizarro Earth

USGS reports 6.6-magnitude quake hits off southern Pacific coast of Mexico

Map Tres Picos, Mexico
An earthquake with magnitude 6.6 occurred near Pijijiapan, Chiapas, Mexico at 19:49:54.80 UTC on Dec 17, 2015.

The quake location 15.892°N 93.429°W depth=96.9 km (60.2 mi) ENE of Tres Picos, Mexico.

Attention

5.2 magnitude earthquake strikes Ilocos Sur, Philippines

map Phillipines
A 5.2-magnitude earthquake struck near the town of San Juan in Ilocos Sur on Thursday evening (December 17), according to the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

Aftershocks are expected, it added.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS), however, said the quake that struck at 8:44 p.m. had a magnitude of 5.4.

Strong quake felt in one town

Based on Phivolcs' earthquake intensity scale, an Intensity 5 or a strong quake was reported in the town of Sinait, more than 30 minutes drive from the town of San Juan.

Many sleeping people are awakened, while stationary vehicles rock noticeably at this intensity, the agency said.

Better Earth

Oklahoma reports surge in earthquakes during 2015

As 2015 nears its end, 850 earthquakes of magnitude three or greater have stirred the state of Oklahoma. Compared to 584 of the same magnitude in 2014 and 109 in 2013, the trend is clear: earthquakes are on the rise.

While Oklahoma's spike in earthquakes has been heavily publicized, Jeremy Boak, director of the Oklahoma Geological Survey, said it's less widely known that the state has been taking steps toward combating the pattern of induced seismicity.

Oklahoma earthquakes: 2013 through 2015
© CartoDB / Oklahoma Geological Survey
Oklahoma earthquakes: 2013 through 2015

Comment: Putting "some" restriction? Again this Boak person sounds like he's doing damage control on behalf of unspecified interests in the oil and gas industry.


Attention

Over 100 earthquakes at Copahue volcano in one day, Chile

Copahue volcano
© AFP PHOTO / Antonio Huglich
Copahue volcano
Is the Copahue volcano entering a new eruptive phase?

The volcano was hit by 103 earthquakes between December 12 at 10:17 local time (13.17 GMT) and December 13 at 1:09 local time (4.09 GMT), so less than 1 day. Insane.

103 seismic events rattled the Copahue volcano during last week-end as reported by the Service National of Geology and Mining of Chile (Sernageomin).

The earthquakes occurred 12 kilometers from the main crater at depths close to six kilometers underground.

The most powerful tremor was a M3.1 and happened at 12:57 local time (15.00 GMT) on Saturday.

Bizarro Earth

Earth's day is getting longer - Rotation is slowing down

Scientists reveal that the rotation of Earth's core holds a clue to understanding global sea-level rise.

Mathieu Dumberry
© University of Alberta
Scientists are studying past changes in sea level to make accurate future predictions of this consequence of climate change, and they're looking down to Earth's core to do so.

"In order to fully understand the sea-level change that has occurred in the past century, we need to understand the dynamics of the flow in Earth's core," says Mathieu Dumberry, a professor in the Department of Physics at the University of Alberta.

The connection is through the change in the speed of Earth's rotation. Meltwater from glaciers not only causes sea levels to rise, but also shifts mass from the pole to the equator, which slows down the rotation. (Picture the Earth as a spinning figure skater. The skater moves his or her arms in to spin more quickly or out to slow down.) The gravity pull from the Moon also contributes to the slowdown, acting a little like a lever brake. However, says Dumberry, the combination of these effects is not enough to explain the observations of the slowing down of Earth's rotation: a contribution from Earth's core must be added.

Attention

Seismic activity increases in Azerbaijan: 7,000 earthquakes in 2015

earthquake needle
Seismic activity intensified in Azerbaijan as the country faced about 7,000 earthquakes in 2015.

Magnitude of more than 80 earthquakes ranged from 3.1 to 5.9, and tremors of 17 were felt
, the Republican Seismological Service Center reported.

Azerbaijan locates in seismically active zone. Scientists believe that seismic zones with the potential to produce dangerous force cover the entire country, while the Alpine-Himalayan seismic belt passes directly through Azerbaijan.

An increase in seismic activity is observed since the beginning of the year in the northern part of Azerbaijan - in Oghuz, Shamakhi-Ismayilli, Shabran seismic zones, as well as in the southern part - the Talysh seismic zone, according to the center.