Earthquakes
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Seismograph

Shallow 6.3 magnitude earthquake hits Tibet


RT
Sat, 18 Nov 2017 23:05 UTC
Tibet earthquake
© USGS
A magnitude 6.3 earthquake has hit southern China near the border with India, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) reports.

The quake hit at a shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), some 58km from the Nyingchi prefecture, with a population of almost 200,000 people. No casualties or property damage was immediately reported.

The quake, initially reported as magnitude 6.7, hit the Tibet area, one of the most seismically active spots on Earth. The boundary between the Indian and Asian tectonic plate lies below the Himalayan-Tibetan region, with their collisions resulting in powerful earthquakes.

The region saw one of the most powerful earthquakes in the past century in 1950. Known as the Assam-Tibet earthquake, the 8.6 event killed some 4,800 people and caused destruction in both India and China.
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Seismograph

Shallow 5.9 earthquake recorded near New Caledonia with numerous aftershocks


Earthquake Track
Thu, 16 Nov 2017 15:38 UTC
chart
5.9 magnitude earthquake 62 km from Tadine, Loyalty Islands, New Caledonia

2017-11-16 07:02:38 UTC

USGS page: M 5.9 - 62km E of Tadine, New Caledonia

USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist

Reports from the public: 5 people

10 km depth
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Seismograph

South Korea 5.4 earthquake leaves 1,500 homeless, dozens injured


USA Today
Thu, 16 Nov 2017 09:31 UTC
Debris from a collapsed wall is scattered in front of a shop after an earthquake in Pohang, South Korea.
© APDebris from a collapsed wall is scattered in front of a shop after an earthquake in Pohang, South Korea.
A 5.4 magnitude earthquake that was South Korea's second-strongest in decades damaged infrastructure, injured dozens of people and left about 1,500 homeless, officials said Thursday.

No deaths have been reported since the quake rattled the southeastern coastal region around the port city of Pohang on Wednesday afternoon.

As of Thursday morning, 1,536 people had been forced to evacuate their homes and 57 people were injured, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety said in a statement.

More than 1,000 houses and dozens of other buildings and cars were damaged or destroyed, and cracks and other damage were found in military facilities, bridges, port facilities and water supply facilities. Media images showed crumbled walls piled on damaged cars, broken windows and cracks in buildings.

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Seismograph

Rare 5.4 magnitude earthquake hits off South Korea


South China Morning Post
Wed, 15 Nov 2017 07:17 UTC
South Korea earthquake
© USGS
A rare 5.4-magnitude earthquake hit South Korea's southeast Wednesday afternoon, the second most powerful quake on record, in a country that seldom experiences significant tremors.

The quake, which was felt across much of the country including in the capital Seoul, struck at the shallow depth of nine kilometres near the southeastern industrial city of Pohang at around 2:30pm, the Korea Meteorological Administration said.

The Korean peninsula rarely has to worry about significant quakes, unlike neighbouring Japan.

But seismic activity is closely monitored because a spike in activity is often the first indication that North Korea has carried out a nuclear test.

The South Korean port city of Pohang is the home to the headquarters of Posco - the country's top, and the world's fourth largest, steelmaker.

Photos and video footage sent to local TV stations showed crumbled street walls and furniture violently shaking inside people's homes.

Local nuclear reactors were operating without disruption, Yonhap news agency said, citing officials at Korea Hydro and Nuclear Power.

The most quake recorded in the south was a 5.8-magnitude tremor that hit the southeastern city of Gyeongju in September last year.

Comment: Earlier today a 5.8 magnitude earthquake shook Guam as recent seismic activity continues worldwide.

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Seismograph

Japan, Costa Rica and Iran hit with powerful earthquakes within hours of each other

Zoe Drewett
Metro
Mon, 13 Nov 2017 23:31 UTC
earthquake Iran
© ReutersA woman reacts next to a dead body following the earthquake in Kermanshah, Iran
A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Japan, hours after a devastating quake in Iran left 320 dead.

The tremor rumbled south-east of the city of Kamaish, on the country's Pacific coast, according to the US Geological Survey.

The quake happened six miles beneath the Earth's surface at around 10.24pm, with the epicentre recorded 180 miles off the coast of Japan, scientists have said.

It is unclear whether the quake has caused any impact on land.

It came just hours after the huge 7.3 magnitude earthquake near the Iran/Iraq border, with the death toll currently at 320 and almost 2,000 others reportedly injured. Iran quake of 7.3 magnitude kills more than 130
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Seismograph

Earthquake swarm hits Monterey County, California - Biggest a 4.6M, felt in San Francisco

Bill Hutchinson
SF Gate
Mon, 13 Nov 2017 10:37 UTC
Monterey earthquake swarm 13 Nov 2017
© Screenshot/USGSA 4.7 magnitude earthquake and a series of smaller aftershocks shook Monterey County Monday, officials said.
A 4.6-magnitude earthquake rattled Monterey County on Monday and was felt more than 90 miles away in San Francisco, officials said.

The quake hit at 11:31 a.m. about 13 miles northeast of Gonzales, near Salinas, and was followed by nine smaller aftershocks, with the largest measuring magnitude 2.8, said Annemarie Baltay, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park.

There were no reports of injuries or damage.

Baltay said the quake occurred on the San Andreas Fault, close to an area where the Calaveras Fault branches off. The quake happened at a depth of about 4 miles.

Comment: The planet is going through another phase of earthquake activity:

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Seismograph

Iran-Iraq border region hit with 7.2 magnitude earthquake, 400+ killed, deadliest quake of 2017 (UPDATE)


RT
Sun, 12 Nov 2017 18:46 UTC
earthquake Iran Iraq 11/12/2017
© CSEM
An earthquake of 7.2 magnitude has hit Iraq southeast of the city of As-Sulaymaniyah, according to US Geological Survey.

DETAILS TO FOLLOW

Comment: The quake was felt widely. ZeroHedge reports:
Eye witnesses recount:
"Terrible... Extremely horrible"

"The swaying was significant, I stood up and tried to get to a doorway and stumbled a little bit. It lasted nearly 5 minutes with the first 2 minutes being the strongest."

Moments after the quake strikes Erbil people are rushing into the streets...


Update: Nov. 13

New data provided by Tasnim News Agency now indicates that at least 211 people have been killed and over 2,500 injured in the earthquake in Iran, according to officials from Kermanshah province.

Electricity was cut off in several Iranian and Iraqi cities, and fears of aftershocks sent thousands of people in both countries out onto the streets and parks in cold weather. The Iranian seismological centre registered around 50 aftershocks and said more were expected. The head of Iranian Red Crescent said more than 70,000 people were in need of emergency shelter.


Update: Nov. 14

The death toll from the earthquake in western Iran has jumped to 407 people, with over 6,700 others injured, Iranian Press TV reports. Local officials said the toll was likely to rise as search and rescue teams reached remote areas. It is now the deadliest earthquake this year surpassing the tremor that struck Mexico City in September, which claimed the lives of 369 people.

Most people who died were in western Iran in Sarpol-e-Zahab, a town 15km (10 miles) from the border, and other parts of Kermanshah province. The town's main hospital was severely damaged, leaving it struggling to treat hundreds of wounded people, state TV reported.


Running water and electricity cut out in some cities, and after buildings collapsed people were forced to spend hours outdoors in parks or streets in cold weather. Many homes in the predominantly Kurdish mountainous area are made of mud bricks and are vulnerable in quakes as large as Sunday's. The UN said it was "ready to assist if required" in a statement from a spokesman for the secretary-general.

The quake hit at 21:18 local time (18:18 GMT) about 30km (19 miles) south of Darbandikhan, near the north-eastern border with Iran, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said. It's likely that it released strain created by the collision of two tectonic plates: the Arabia plate, which contains the Arabian Peninsula, Iraq, Syria, and Jordan, and the Eurasia plate, to which Iran belongs.





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Bizarro Earth

Costa Rica 'rocked' by 6.5 magnitude earthquake


CNN
Mon, 13 Nov 2017 04:21 UTC
Costa Rica Quake
© USGS
San Jose, Costa Rica -- A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.5 shook Costa Rica on Sunday night, knocking items from shelves and sending people rushing outside in panic.

The country's Public Safety Ministry said there were reports of two serious injuries as a result of the quake, but did not provide additional details.

Electricity was knocked out in some areas as power lines and poles fell, but there were no reports of major infrastructure damage from the tremor, which hit in a lightly populated area on the Pacific Coast. The government reported some rockslides obstructing highways near the epicenter.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was centered about 10 miles (15 kilometers) southeast of the town of Jaco, which is about 60 (100 kilometers) miles southwest of the capital, San Jose. The quake was at a depth of about 12 miles (20 kilometers).
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Seismograph

Strong earthquake shakes New Zealand's capital Wellington

Nicholas Bieber
The Star (UK)
Sun, 12 Nov 2017 15:30 UTC
ROCKED: The earthquake struck shortly before midnight in the capital
© USGSROCKED: The earthquake struck shortly before midnight in the capital
Hundreds of thousands of people have been rocked by a strong earthquake in New Zealand's capital.

The magnitude 4.7 quake Wellington at around 11pm local time (10am UK time).

Although the epicentre was 26km west of the capital, locals said it was felt strongly in the city.

One local wrote on Twitter: "Holy s**t just felt that earthquake (I'm in Wellington). Gave me a big fright!"

Another said: "Just had one heck of a good shake here in Wellington, hotel rocking and rolling, hope everyone is OK"
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Attention

Shallow 3.2 magnitude earthquake hits Los Angeles, raises fears of bigger jolts

Chris Baynes
The Independent (UK)
Fri, 10 Nov 2017 09:29 UTC
West Athens, California earthquake
© Bing MapsA map shows the approximate location of the epicenter of Friday morning's quake near West Athens, Calif.
Locals shaken awake by 'nasty' tremor, raising fears of bigger quake

Los Angeles has been rocked by a magnitude 3.2 earthquake.

The tremor occurred at 1.15am local time (9.45am GMT) at a depth of 7.5 miles (12km), according to the US Geological Survey. Its epicentre was in the West Athens area in the south of the city.

Locals reported feeling the ground shake, with some tweeting that they were woken up by the quake.

"That felt nasty," wrote one. "Especially because it was near my area."

Another said: "I jumped out of bed and woke everyone up just in case."

"Felt quite a strong shake in downtown LA," tweeted another.

Minor tremors are a regular reminder of the likelihood of another strong earthquake in Los Angeles, which was devastated by a deadly magnitude 6.7 earthquake in January 1994
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