Earthquakes
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Shallow 3.6 magnitude earthquake strikes under Lake Erie: residents report "gigantic explosion", homes rattled

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An earthquake of preliminary magnitude 3.6 struck early yesterday, beneath Lake Erie, just outside of Cleveland, according to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS). The temblor's epicenter was 4 miles (6 km) northwest of Fairport Harbor, Ohio. It originated 3.7 miles (6 km) deep and struck at 3:48 a.m. local time (07:48 UTC), the USGS reports. Some light shaking was felt in coastal towns just northeast of Cleveland, but no damages were reported, according to The Columbus Dispatch. Damaging earthquakes are rare in the region. The largest temblor on record in the Northeast Ohio seismic zone struck in 1986 with a magnitude of 4.8, according to the USGS. That quake, which caused minor property damage and a few injuries, was felt over a wide area from Illinois to New York.

In Ohio, Lake County officials received multiple calls. "I heard a gigantic explosion, and it rumbled entire house," one caller said. "I'm sorry; I'm like shaking so bad right now," she went on. The quake was felt in places like Perry, and Fairport Harbor. Even Eileen Steele of Mentor heard the pictures on her walls shake. "It was pretty significant, like an explosion had gone off far away and you kind of feel the rumble from it," said Steele. "This was different. The bed shook," she said. All of her animals were alert and scared too, especially her dog. According to the United States Geological Survey, this was a 3+ magnitude earthquake. Even At the Cleveland Museum of Natural History, this seismograph machine picked up the activity at 3:49 a.m. The machine is part of the museum's Earthquake Zone display, which is full of information about the natural disasters. But the kind of shaking and rumbling some Lake County residents felt, is something they don't want to experience again. "It was scary," Steele said. - Live Science , Fox8

USGS data

Bizarro Earth

Powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake injures dozens in Indonesia's Aceh province

A powerful 6.1 magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia's northwestern Aceh province, on the island of Sumatra. Dozens have been reported injured. The epicenter of the quake was roughly 55 kilometers from the town of Bireuen, a regency of the larger Aceh province, and took place at 7:37 AM local time according to data from the US Geological Survey.

Although it's unknown how many were injured, Sky News estimates"at least 50 people," and numerous buildings have collapsed as an effect of the powerful tremblor. The quake appears to have shaken the provincial capital of Banda Aceh, which is located at the northern tip of the Sumatran land mass. "I see many houses were damaged and their roofs fell onto some people," said central Aceh district resident Bensu Elianita to the Associated Press. "Many people were injured but it is difficult to evacuate them due to traffic jams."


Bizarro Earth

USGS: Earthquake Magnitude 6.1 South of Bireun, Indonesia

Indon Quake_020713
© USGS
Event Time
2013-07-02 07:37:02 UTC
2013-07-02 14:37:02 UTC+07:00 at epicenter

Location
4.698°N 96.687°E depth=10.0km (6.2mi)

Nearby Cities
55km (34mi) S of Bireun, Indonesia
72km (45mi) SE of Reuleuet, Indonesia
74km (46mi) SW of Lhokseumawe, Indonesia
87km (54mi) NE of Meulaboh, Indonesia
581km (361mi) WNW of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia

Technical Details

Bizarro Earth

Massive earthquakes make volcanoes sink - moving mountains

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The biggest earthquakes also move mountains.

The massive earthquakes that struck Japan and Chile in 2011 and 2010, respectively, sank several big volcanoes by up to 6 inches (15 centimeters), two new studies report.

This is the first time scientists have seen a string of volcanoes drop after an earthquake. Even though the mountains are on opposite sides of the Pacific Ocean, their descents look remarkably similar. The two teams have different explanations for why the volcanoes sank, according to the studies, published today (June 30) in the journal Nature Geoscience. However, both groups agree it's likely scientists will discover more examples of drooping volcanoes after big earthquakes, and find a single mechanism that controls the process.

"It's amazing, the parallels between them," said Matthew Pritchard, a geophysicist at Cornell University in Ithaca, N.Y., and lead author of one of the studies. "I think it makes a really strong case that this is a ubiquitous process."

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Volcanic eruptions rage in Alaska: Geologist, "for some reason we can't explain, activity picked up"

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Alaska volcano eruptions are entering a more powerful phase. After six weeks of Alaska volcano eruptions reaching five miles into the sky, covering nearby communities with ash and shutting down air flights, there looks to be no end. Alaska volcano eruptions 2013 started in May at the Pavlof Volcano, which is located about 590 miles southwest of the major city Anchorage, in the Alaska Peninsula. The most powerful phase of Alaska volcano eruptions started with low-level rumblings.

According to scientists at the federal-state Alaska Volcano Observatory, the latest phase of Alaska volcano eruptions started late on Monday and continued through the night into Tuesday. The blasts emanate from the crater of a 8,261 foot volcano. Tina Neal, an geologist at the observatory said, "For some reason we can't explain, it picked up in intensity and vigor.' In May, Alaska volcano eruptions sent a smaller ash cloud 15,000 feet into the air. The ash was visible for miles. Residents were worried that it would damage power generators. The ash plume has so far topped of at an altitude of 28,000 feet, which is too low in the air to affect major air traffic, but high enough that small planes have to fly around it.

Comment: SOTT.net can explain it: the recent localized heatwave is probably the result of increased underwater and land-based volcanic activity, which in turn is the result of Earth Changes brought on by the grounding of the electrical current running through the solar system. Listen to this episode of SOTT Talk Radio to find out more!


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Energy shift? Popocatépetl volcano growing more violent, Philippine volcano shaken by 15 earthquakes

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A Supermoon, a geomagnetic storm from a CME, and the advent of the summer solstice- did these forces create a energy shift in planetary processes within Earth’s interior? Volcanoes across the planet have suddenly become more agitated.

Seismic activity has picked up, suggesting that the volcano could be headed for more vigorous activity soon. SO2 emissions on NOAA recent satellite data have been relatively high as well. A magnitude 3.6 volcanic quake occurred on Tuesday night 23:57 local time and was located SE of the crater at 2 km depth. Over 3 hours of low frequency and short amplitude tremor were recorded. An earthquake swarms occurred yesterday as well and another one seems to have started an hour ago. The rate of small to moderate steam and ash explosions was reported to about 2 per hour during yesterday, with ash plumes reaching up to 1-2 km height above the crater. Ashfall has been reported at Tepetlixpa and Ecatzingo. On 25 June, with the support of the Ministry of Maritime Affairs and Navy of México, a reconnaissance flight over Popocatepetl´s crater was carried out. It could be observed that the inner crater has grown to 250 m in diameter and 60 m depth, as a result of the explosions of recent days. No other changes could be seen. (CENAPRED) - Volcano Discovery

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Nicarauga's Telica volcano shaken by new earthquake swarm

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A new earthquake swarm started this morning, visible on INETER's seismograms. Telica has six cones, the tallest of which is 1061 meters high. There is a double crater at the top, 700 meters wide and 120 meters deep. Telica has erupted frequently since the Spanish Era. The most recent eruption was in 2011. In terms of explosive force, Telica's largest eruption has been rated with a VEI of 4. That eruption occurred in 1529. One of Nicaragua's most active volcanoes, Telica has erupted frequently, and ash from those frequent eruptions keeps the slopes of its cone bare of vegetation. - Volcano Discovery, Wikipedia

Bizarro Earth

USGS: Shallow Earthquake Magnitude 4.3 - 25km N of Leavenworth, Washington

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© USGS
Event Time:
2013-06-27 02:45:35 UTC
2013-06-26 19:45:35 UTC-07:00 at epicenter

Location:
47.824°N 120.689°W depth=9.1km (5.7mi)

Nearby Cities:
25km (16mi) N of Leavenworth, Washington
52km (32mi) NNW of Wenatchee, Washington
54km (34mi) NNW of East Wenatchee, Washington
91km (57mi) ENE of Snoqualmie, Washington
188km (117mi) ENE of Olympia, Washington

Technical Data

Bizarro Earth

Erupting Shiveluch volcano blankets Kamchatka villages in ash

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An ash cloud from the erupting Shiveluch volcano is spreading over the Kamchatka Peninsula in Russia's Far East covering several local villages in ash and disrupting local aviation services, a news report said Thursday.

Showers of ash were reported in the village of Klyuchi in the Ust-Kamchatsky district forcing authorities to distribute gas masks among residents, Interfax said.

Local residents said that the streets are covered with a layer of ash and that there is a strong smell of sulphur in the air. The village is located 47 kilometers away from the volcano.

The plume of ash, spewed into the air by the Shiveluch volcano Thursday morning, reached a height of 10 kilometers above sea level.

All public facilities in the village continue to function despite the ashfall, while local firefighters and rescuers are sending out text messages warning people to stay inside.

The Emergency Situations Ministry's local office said the lives of local residents were not in danger.

Bizarro Earth

A rare tsunami hit the U.S. East Coast earlier this month?

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says a 6 ft wave that hit the east coast earlier this month was a rare tsunami. The West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center said the source of the wave is "complex and under review," but they believe it was caused by a strong storm and perhaps even the "the slumping at the continental shelf east of New Jersey."
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The weather service says that Brian Coen, who was spear fishing near Barnegat Inlet in New Jersey, saw the effect of the tsunami first hand.

He told the weather service that he noticed an outgoing tide that lasted a couple of minutes and exposed rocks that had been submerged. That was followed by a big six-foot wave.

The Asbury Park Press, which covers the Jersey coast, talked to Paul Whitmore, director of the tsunami center.

He explained the weather system that moved through the area may have changed the air pressure enough to "generate waves that act just like tsunamis." When that happens, the wave is called a "meteotsunami" - in other words a tsunami caused by meteorological conditions, not seismic activity.