Earthquakes
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Bizarro Earth

US: 4.7-magnitude earthquake hits central Arkansas

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© USGS
A 4.7-magnitude earthquake struck central Arkansas just after 11 p.m. Sunday (12 a.m. ET Monday), the United States Geological Survey said. There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The quake's epicenter was 37 miles from Little Rock, Arkansas, USGS said. CNN affiliate KARK received calls from a number of viewers who reported feeling the impact of the quake and seeing items on their walls shake.

From USGS:

Date-Time:
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 05:00:50 UTC

Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 11:00:50 PM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location:
35.265°N, 92.344°W

Depth:
3.8 km (2.4 miles)

Region:
ARKANSAS

Distances:
6 km (4 miles) NE (46°) from Greenbrier, AR

7 km (4 miles) S (187°) from Guy, AR

9 km (6 miles) SE (128°) from Twin Groves, AR

22 km (14 miles) NNE (27°) from Conway, AR

59 km (37 miles) N (359°) from Little Rock, AR

418 km (260 miles) SSW (207°) from St. Louis, MO

Radar

Philippines: 13 lahar-related 'quakes' rock Mount Bulusan area

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At least 13 volcanic quakes were recorded around restive Bulusan Volcano in Sorsogon in the last 24 hours, state volcanologists said Monday morning.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology said the quakes were "lahar-related" - a day after lahar flows affected water supply in parts of Sorsogon.

"Bulusan Volcano's seismic network recorded 13 lahar-related seismic signals during the past 24 hours. Steaming activity was not observed due to thick clouds covering the active vents and summit crater. Continuous heavy rain over Bulusan Volcano yesterday saturated loosely deposited ash and rock fragments and generated small lahar flows to roll down the slopes of the volcano then flowed along river channels," Phivolcs said on its website.

It said channel-confined lahar flows were observed along Cogon and Monbon river channels.

Other than that, it said no other significant volcanic activity was observed since the last ash explosion on Feb. 21.

Radar

Iceland: Four day long earthquake swarm intensifies at Krísuvík volcano

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Picture is from Icelandic Met Office graphic web tool.
While this earthquake swarm in Krísuvík volcano does not appear to be big in size. It is clear that was rather long and might even be ongoing. But it is interesting how long this earthquake swarm did last. So far the time is about 2 days. It is impossible to know if the earthquake swarm is over or not. Current number of earthquakes is about 60 earthquakes so far.

The earthquakes are on North-South fault line according to the visual evidence. Depth of the earthquakes is from 12 km and up to 3 km at the moment. It is hard to know at the moment if this is due to magma inflow under Krísuvík volcano or just normal tectonic activity along the rift zone in Reykjanes.

Icelandic news about this earthquake swarm.

Hrina smáskjálfta í Krýsuvík (Vísir.is, Icelandic)

Bizarro Earth

No Power, No Shower as New Zealand Quake Toll Rises to 113

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© The Associated Press
The neighborhood's toilet is a portable one out on Keller Street. The water supply is cut, making showers and clean laundry distant dreams. Resident stay fresh with bottles of hand sanitizer, and they're running low.

"Don't stand too close to anyone," Judy Prime said with a chuckle as she took a break from shoveling huge piles of wet sludge out of her garage in the shattered Christchurch suburb of Avonside.

The days since Tuesday's massive earthquake rumbled through Christchurch, killing at least 113 and toppling buildings, have brought a level of misery unusual for the residents of this modern city of 350,000. Water and power supplies to thousands have been cut, and many have been forced to sleep in their cars or tents as their unstable houses sway with the relentless aftershocks.

Many Christchurch residents first started getting used to some deprivation five months ago, when an earlier quake struck the city. Now, life is even worse.

Tuesday's temblor brought a fresh surge of water up through cracks in the yards of Prime and her neighbors along Keller Street. Most houses on the street suffered damage, and many will need to be demolished.

Prime, 66, has spent each night sleeping on a rubber mat under the dining room table, worried that aftershocks will send parts of her home crashing down. Every evening, she and her neighbors gather in her back yard to share beers and barbecue the meat from her freezer - still good, because it was encased in thick ice when the power went out.

Bizarro Earth

Hawaii Earthquake Jolts Honolulu: Signs of Geological Change in Hawaii?

Hawaii Quake
© The Extinction Protocol
Honolulu - A small earthquake hit Hawaii on Thursday, with a jolt felt across Honolulu.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude 3.6 temblor struck at 2:12 p.m., about 12 miles deep in the Kaiwi Channel, between the islands of Oahu and Molokai.

There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. No tsunami was generated.

The quake that lasted for several seconds shook homes and people throughout Oahu, from high-rise buildings in downtown Honolulu to the tourist district of Waikiki. People about 160 miles away on Maui reported feeling the quake, the USGS said.

Katrina Woodcock felt it while sitting at her desk on the 7th floor of a downtown Honolulu office building. The shaking lasted for about five seconds or so, and only one other person in her office noticed the earthquake, she said.

"I felt like it was shaking, and I was like, 'What is that, is our building falling?" she said.

Earthquakes are common in Hawaii with events occurring almost daily. Most are small and centered around the Big Island, where most of the state's seismic and volcanic activity takes place.

Bizarro Earth

Two Quakes Wiggle Yellowstone

Aerial of Excelsior Geyser Crater
© Jim Peaco/NPSAerial of Excelsior Geyser Crater & Grand Prismatic Spring
Two earthquakes of the same magnitude - 2.2 on the Richter scale - struck Yellowstone Park this week.

The first was at 9:34 pm Thursday, February 24, 48 miles east of Island Park. The next was at 5:04 am Friday, February 25, 32 miles east-northeast of Island Park.

According to the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory's January report, there were 57 earthquakes in the park in January this year. The largest was a magnitude 2.4 event on January 25 at 9:51 pm, about 6 miles north northwest of West Yellowstone. No earthquake swarms were noted in January 2011.

Analysis of the Yellowstone GPS data shows that the period of accelerated Yellowstone caldera uplift, beginning in 2004, has stopped. Some GPS stations exhibit little change and others reflect slight subsidence, according to the report.

Attention

Philippines: 7 quakes recorded at Taal Volcano

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Taal Volcano
At least seven volcanic quakes were recorded around restive Taal Volcano in Batangas in the last 24 hours, state volcanologists said Friday.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology also noted weak steaming activity even as it said Alert Level 1 stays.

"Alert Level 1 is still enforced over Taal Volcano. This means that a hazardous eruption is not imminent. However, the public is reminded that the Main Crater should be strictly off-limits due to sudden occurrence of steam explosions and accumulation of toxic gases," it said in its Taal update.

Radar

Aftershock hits New Zealand city

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Hopes are fading of finding any more survivors following the devastating earthquake in New Zealand after a strong aftershock measuring 4.4 on the Richter scale caused problems in the city and suburbs this morning.

Up to 113 are dead and around 200 others are still missing in Christchurch.

One of the missing is a 40-year-old man from Abbeydorney in Co Kerry.

The Irish man was working as an accountant at the PGG Building when it collapsed and had been living in New Zealand with his wife and son.

Reporter Will Hine from Radio New Zealand said it is unlikely any more survivors will be found.

Dozens of foreign language students died when the Canterbury Television building collapsed.

The City's Mayor, Bob Parker, said many countries are suffering together.

Attention

Canada: Small Quake Rattles Southwestern Ontario: No Injuries or Damage Reported

A minor earthquake gave a mild shake to the southwestern Ontario town of Wheatley on Wednesday morning as most people began their workday.

No injuries were reported from the magnitude 3 quake.

But Janet Drysdale, a seismologist from Natural Resources Canada, said some people may have felt a rumble around 9:21 a.m.

"Some people close to the epicentre would have felt some minor shaking," she said.

They also may have heard a bang or a sound suggesting a furnace exploding, which Drysdale called normal and attributed to a big release of seismic energy in the atmosphere.

Alarm Clock

US: Lake Pillsbury, California area hit by 4.3-magnitude earthquake Tuesday

A 4.3-magnitude earthquake occurred Tuesday evening near Lake Pillsbury, with residents on the other side of the county reporting that they felt the temblor.

The quake occurred at 8:49 p.m., according to the US Geological Survey.

Its epicenter was located six miles north of Lake Pillsbury, 16 miles southwest of Alder Springs and 22 miles east northeast of Willits. The US Geological Survey said it was recorded at a depth of 9.1 miles.

The quake was immediately preceded by two 2.9-magnitude earthquakes - one at 8:44 p.m., located on the same epicenter as the big quake but at a depth of 7.1 miles, and the second at 8:45 p.m., at a depth of 4.8 miles but located seven miles north of Lake Pillsbury.

At 9:17 p.m. a 2.4-magnitude quake occurred seven miles north of Lake Pillsbury, followed at 10:14 p.m. by a 2.8-magnitude quake six miles north of Lake Pillsbury, US Geological Survey records showed.