Earthquakes
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Attention

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

Nigar Orujova
Azernews
Mon, 14 Dec 2015 12:54 UTC
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.
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Fire

'This Gulf of Fire': The cataclysmic earthquake that leveled Lisbon

Michael Upchurch
The Seattle Times
Sun, 13 Dec 2015 18:29 UTC
Fire
Mark Molesky’s richly readable new book “This Gulf of Fire” chronicles the catastrophic earthquake of 1755 that left Lisbon in ruins, killed almost 40,000 people in the city alone, and irrevocably altered the history of Portugal.
First came the earthquake. Then came the tsunami. Then came the all-consuming fire.

Economic chaos and a political power vacuum followed — from which a dictatorship arose.

Mark Molesky's richly readable This Gulf of Fire: The Destruction of Lisbon, or Apocalypse in the Age of Science and Reason paints an astonishing picture of the natural cataclysm that struck Lisbon on Nov. 1, 1755. But it goes well beyond that, too.

Molesky examines the historical consequences the earthquake had for Portugal. He weighs its effect on European thought (his title is borrowed from Voltaire). He traces how it spread as a news event across Europe and the Atlantic. He also argues that European aid to Portugal constituted "the first international relief effort in world history."
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Alarm Clock

Another earthquake swarm shakes Idaho, US

Keith Ridler
KTVB
Fri, 11 Dec 2015 13:27 UTC
earthquake swarm
© WFAA
More than 40 small earthquakes have been recorded in east-central Idaho this week in what experts say is another earthquake swarm in the region.

Officials in the Challis area on Friday reported no damage from the micro-quakes that started Tuesday and have mostly gone unnoticed or unreported in an area experienced with more vigorous shaking.

But the temblors ranging up to 2.9 magnitude have perked up scientists trying to understand the fault system in the area where a 5.0 magnitude quake struck in January.

Idaho's largest recorded earthquake rocked the same area in 1983 when a 6.9-magnitude quake occurred near 12,667-foot Borah Peak, Idaho's tallest peak.

University of Idaho research geologist William Phillips says scientists aren't sure if the current earthquake swarm could lead to something bigger.

Source: Associated Press

Comment: Elsewhere in the US recently, more than 50 small earthquakes shook the Pacific northwest within a week, whilst over 600 earthquakes rattled San Ramon, California in the space of a month - setting a new record.

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Attention

Series of earthquakes hit in some parts of Mindanao, Philippines

Mike Chrismundo
Manila Bulletin
Fri, 11 Dec 2015 14:38 UTC
Earthquake map
© PhivolcsEpicenter map of 4.6 earthquake courtesy of Phivolcs
A series of earthquakes struck in some parts of Mindanao yesterday, December 10, 2015.

However, the various provincial disaster risk reduction and management councils in said areas reported no damage or casualty in yesterday's tremor.

The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs) said that the initial earthquake with 3.2 magnitude was registered at 11:45 a.m. on December 10. Its epicenter was plotted at 147 kilometers (km) northeast of Lingig town, Surigao del Sur, with a depth of 29 km.

A magnitude 3.5 tremor followed at 3:36 p.m. of the same day, with epicenter traced at 12 km southwest of Governor Generoso town, Davao Oriental, with a depth of 28 km.
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Attention

5.3 magnitude earthquake jolts Bengkulu, Indonesia


Antara News
Fri, 11 Dec 2015 14:23 UTC
Earthquake Indonesia
Earthquake Indonesia
An earthquake measuring 5.32 on the Richter scale jolted Kaur District, Bengkulu Province, on Friday at 10:20 a.m. local time.

"The earthquake occurred due to a collision between the Indo-Australian and Eurasian plates," Litman, the head of the Kepahiang meteorology, climatology and geophysics office, stated here on Friday.

The quakes epicenter was located at 5.03 degrees southern latitude and 102.94 degrees eastern longitude, some 71 kilometers (km) southwest of Kaur District at a depth of around 10 km, he revealed.

The tremors of the earthquake could be felt in six districts and cities in Bengkulu, or up to hundreds of kilometers away from the epicenter.

The earthquake did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami.
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Attention

5.7 earthquake strikes off Nadi and Ba, Fiji


BNO News
Wed, 09 Dec 2015 15:05 UTC
earthquake needle
A strong earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 has struck off Fiji, seismologists say.

The earthquake, which struck at 1:58 a.m. local time on Thursday, was centered about 262 kilometers (163 miles) northwest of Nadi, or 376 kilometers (234 miles) northwest of the capital Suva. It struck about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) deep, making it a shallow earthquake.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimated that some 5,000 people on nearby islands may have felt "weak" shaking, and said that damage and casualties were unlikely. The earthquake was not strong enough to generate a tsunami, and no tsunami warnings are in effect.

The earthquake was initially measured at 6.2 before being downgraded to 5.7.

Other details were not immediately available.
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Attention

7.1 magnitude earthquake strikes off Indonesia's Ambon island


channelnewsasia.com
Wed, 09 Dec 2015 14:54 UTC
earthquake needle
An earthquake of magnitude 7.1 struck 174km (108 miles) southeast of Indonesia's eastern island of Ambon on Wednesday (Dec 9), the US Geological Survey said.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties in the quake, which the USGS initially said was 7 magnitude and which occurred at a depth of 75km (47 miles).

Indonesia's tsunami warning centre said there was no potential for the quake to trigger a tsunami. Officials also said there was no damage immediately reported.

"The quake was felt strongly in Ambon and Banda, but until now there is no report of damage or casualties," Jandri Pattinama, an officer at a geophysics station in Ambon, told AFP.
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Attention

Strong earthquake hits near Escuintla in Guatemala


BNO News
Mon, 07 Dec 2015 21:06 UTC
earthquake needle
A strongly felt earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 5.7 has struck near the city of Escuintla in south central Guatemala, not far from the capital, seismologists say.

The earthquake, which struck at 4:53 p.m. local time on Monday, was centered next to Masagua about 12 kilometers (7 miles) southwest of Escuintla, or 59 kilometers (37 miles) southwest of Guatemala City. It struck about 108.6 kilometers (67.5 miles) deep, making it a relatively deep earthquake, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

Witnesses in the region reported feeling strong shaking, causing buildings to shake in Guatemala City, but there was no immediate word on damages or casualties. There is no threat of a tsunami.
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Attention

50+ small earthquakes have shaken Pacific northwest in a week

Russ Bowen
kboi2.com
Tue, 01 Dec 2015 15:46 UTC
earhquake monitors
The U.S. Geological Survey says our region has seen more than 50 small earthquakes in just the last seven days, including a magnitude 3.0 quake in Stanwood on Monday morning.

"I did not feel the one today," said Farmer's Caf server Kylie Johnson. But, she said just the news of the small quake is still a bit unsettling.

"It's true that there's been more activity than usual this week," said seismologist John Vidale with the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network at the University of Washington.

In fact, Vidale said there's been more recent activity at Glacier Peak since they've been monitoring siesmic activity in that area over for the past fifty years. Recently, there was a 3.1 then a 3.5 an hour later and then aftershocks.

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Bizarro Earth

Magnitude 7.2 earthquake hits Tajikistan, felt as far away as India, Pakistan and Afghanistan

Lizzie Dearden
The independent, UK
Mon, 07 Dec 2015 09:00 UTC
Tajikistan earthquake map
© US Geological Survey

There were no immediate reports on casualties and destruction caused

A magnitude 7.2 earthquake has hit Tajikistan, according to the US Geological Survey.

It struck at 7.50am today with an epicentre in the Gorno-Badakhshan Autonomous Region, around 70 miles west of the city of Murghob, seismologists said.

Tremors were felt in Delhi, as well as in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and across northern India. Hundreds of people ran out of shaking buildings and stayed out on the streets fearing aftershocks, NDTV reported.

A spokesman for Tajikistan's Emergencies Committee said it had no information so far on any casualties or damage from the quake, while Russia's defence ministry said its bases in the country were unaffected.
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