Earthquakes
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Bizarro Earth

Fiji Islands: Earthquake Magnitude 6.7 - South of Fiji Islands

Image
© USGS
Date-Time:
Friday, July 29, 2011 at 07:42:23 UTC

Friday, July 29, 2011 at 07:42:23 PM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location:
23.651°S, 179.822°E

Depth:
521.7 km (324.2 miles)

Region:
SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS

Distances:
365 km (226 miles) SSW of Ndoi Island, Fiji

576 km (357 miles) ESE of Ceva-i-Ra, Fiji

583 km (362 miles) WSW of NUKU'ALOFA, Tonga

1544 km (959 miles) NNE of Auckland, New Zealand

Info

Moderate quake hits remote area in southeast Iran

Iran says a magnitude 4.6 earthquake has rattled a remote region in the southeast.

State TV says the quake hit around 3 a.m. Friday in a sparsely populated area outside the town of Faryab in Kerman province. It says the quake didn't cause any casualties or damage but sent residents running out of their homes in panic.

The U.S. Geological Survey put the quake's magnitude at 4.5, with the epicenter about 648 miles (1,043 kilometers) southeast of Tehran.

Iran is located on seismic fault lines and is prone to earthquakes, experiencing at least one slight quake a day on average.

Some 26,000 people were killed by a magnitude 6.6 quake that flattened the historic southeastern city of Bam in 2003.

Bad Guys

US: Fracking Operations Cause Thousands of Earthquakes in Arkansas

Geologists say fracking wastewater disposal wells in central Arkansas caused an outbreak of thousands of minor earthquakes.

The Arkansas Oil and Gas Commission placed a ban on fracking wastewater wells in the area yesterday. A moratorium on well activity had been in place for months as geologists investigated a possible link between fracking activity and the outbreak of more than 1,200 earthquakes that measured lower than 4.7 in magnitude.

Fracking is a common term for hydraulic fracturing, a controversial gas drilling method that involves pumping water and chemicals deep underground to break up rock and free natural gas.

Fracking produces millions of gallons of wastewater, and the gas industry has been experimenting with different ways to dispose of it.

Radar

US: 3.6 magnitude earthquake hits southern Idaho

A 3.6 magnitude earthquake struck southern Idaho on Monday evening.

The United States Geological Survey reported that at 9:38 p.m. a shallow quake hit about 11 miles northeast of Franklin.

The quake measured about 0.2 miles beneath the surface. Its epicenter was about 4 miles north of the Utah/Idaho border in the mountains. Residents in the Bear Lake area and northern portion of Cache Valley reported feeling the tremor.

Info

US, California: 3.3-magnitude earthquake shakes Sonoma County

A 3.3-magnitude earthquake bounced southern Sonoma County Monday morning, followed by three smaller quakes in the same area, according to U.S. Geological Survey data.

The quake was felt at least north to Santa Rosa. Some folks in the south county said the first quake was a sharp, quick jolt. There was no report of any damage.

At Kenilworth Junior High School in Petaluma, Jackie Watt was working in the kitchen at the time.

"It almost sounded like a plane landed on the roof," said Watt.

Her rolling work chair shifted a few inches and her computer screen jiggled back and forth.

"It got louder and louder," Watt said. "Everything rattled in the kitchen."

Radar

US: Powerful 5.8 Magnitude Shallow Earthquake Hits Gulf Of California

Image
© Google Earth
The Gulf of California, a body of water that separates the Baja California Peninsula from the Mexican mainland, was struck by a powerful shallow earthquake Tuesday morning.

The 5.8 magnitude quake struck at 11.44a.m. local time. The epicentre was situated 86 km (53 miles) southwest of Los Mochis, Sinaloa; 138 km (85 miles) north-northeast of La Paz, Baja California Sur; and 142 km (88 miles) west-southwest of Guamuchil, Sinaloa (Mexico).

The US Geological Survey (USGS) measured the seaquake depth at a shallow 10.2 kilometres (6.3 miles).

Radar

More aftershocks hit Japan as radiation is picked up in Glasgow, Scotland

Image
© AP Photo/Lee Jin-man via PA ImagesPeople walk past a damaged road outside of Tokyo Disneyland in Urayasu, east of Tokyo, Japan, Tuesday, March 29, 2011. Tokyo Disneyland was shut down after the March 11 earthquake and has been closed ever since.
A number of aftershocks hit Japan today.

At 6.3 magnitude quake hit 18.2 km (11.3 miles) below the surface, 294 km (182 miles) northeast of Tokyo, at 7.54PM local time.

A 5.2 magnitude quake hit the Southwestern Ryukyu Islands today at 7.48PM local time, 143 km (89 miles) from Ishigaki-jima, Ryukyu Islands, the US Geological Society reports.

Earthquakes have continued to be felt in Japan since the initial quake on 11 March, which led to the tsunami and subsequent devastation of loss of life.

In related news, radiation from the damaged Fukushima power plant has been detected in Glasgow, the Evening Times reports. However, the paper notes: "The levels picked up in Glasgow are tiny and similar to those detected in other parts of Europe and officials stress there is no risk to public health."

Radar

Strong 6.2 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes off Papua New Guinea

A strong earthquake has struck off the coast of the Pacific nation of Papua New Guinea. There are no immediate reports of damage or injuries and no tsunami alert was issued.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-6.2 quake struck Monday 46 miles (73 kilometers) south of the town of Kavieng on the island of New Ireland. The earthquake struck at a depth of 21 miles (34 kilometers).

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue a tsunami alert.

The Pacific island nation of Papua New Guinea lies on the "Ring of Fire" - an arc of earthquake and volcanic zones that stretches around the Pacific Rim and where about 90 percent of the world's quakes occur.

Source: The Associated Press

Radar

US, California: Small earthquake hits Los Angeles area; no damage

A small earthquake has hit the Los Angeles area, but there have been no reports of damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-3.3 temblor struck just after midnight Saturday. It hit 13 miles south of the Los Angeles Civic Center at a depth of about 10 miles.

Matt Spence with the Los Angeles Fire Department says no injuries or damages have been reported.

Source: The Associated Press

Bizarro Earth

Japan: Earthquake Magnitude 6.2 - Near the East Coast of Honshu

Honshu Quake_240711
© USGSEarthquake Location
Date-Time:
Sunday, July 24, 2011 at 18:51:25 UTC

Monday, July 25, 2011 at 03:51:25 AM at epicenter

Location:
37.758°N, 141.540°E

Depth:
35.6 km (22.1 miles)

Region
NEAR THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

Distances:
79 km (49 miles) SE (133°) from Sendai, Honshu, Japan

94 km (59 miles) E (88°) from Fukushima, Honshu, Japan

95 km (59 miles) NE (36°) from Iwaki, Honshu, Japan

282 km (175 miles) NE (34°) from TOKYO, Japan