Earthquakes
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Attention

5.0 Magnitude Earthquake Hits New Zealand's Christchurch

earthquake
© unknown
A 5.0 magnitude earthquake ratted New Zealand's South Island city of Christchurch on Sunday, followed by more aftershocks.

The quake occurred at 2.47 a.m. Sunday (13:47 GMT Saturday). It was centered 10 km east of Christchurch and 10 km north-east of Lyttelton, at a depth of 9 km, New Zealand government geological agency GNS Sciences reported.

The quake was followed by magnitude 3.0 and 3.7 aftershocks at 4.11 a.m. and 5.10 a.m. and magnitude 3.3 and 3.5 at 7.05 a.m. and 7.48 a.m.

The ambulance service says there are no reports of damage or injury.

GNS Sciences said early this month that aftershocks might continue in Canterbury for the next 30 years.

Source: Xinhua

Radar

5.7-magnitude earthquake hits Babuyan Islands region in northern Philippines

Earthquake
© redOrbit
A moderate earthquake roused people from sleep but caused no injuries or damage in the northern Philippines early Sunday, officials said.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported that the magnitude-5.7 earthquake hit the Babuyan Islands region off the country's mountainous north. Philippine officials placed its magnitude at 5.5.

The quake's center, at a depth of 13.9 miles (22.4 kilometers), was about 317 miles (511 kilometers) north of Manila, USGS said.

Benito Ramos, who heads the government's Office of Civil Defense, said the quake woke some people up but did not cause any injuries or damage in at least three provinces where it was felt.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not issue any warnings or advisories.

The Philippines is located on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire" where earthquakes and volcanic activity are common.

Source: The Associated Press

Radar

7.3 Magnitude Earthquake Hits off Indonesia; Panic, No Injuries

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© The Associated Press/Heri Juanda Local residents wait for evacuation on a roadside following an earthquake in Banda Aceh, Aceh province, Indonesia, early Wednesday, Jan. 11, 2012.
A powerful earthquake hit off the coast of western Indonesia early Wednesday, prompting officials to briefly issue a tsunami warning. Panicked residents ran from their homes, some fleeing to high ground by car or motorcycle, but there were no reports of injuries or serious damage.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the magnitude-7.3 quake struck 260 miles (420 kilometers) off the coast of Aceh province just after midnight. It was centered 18 miles (30 kilometers) beneath the ocean floor.

People in the provincial capital, Banda Aceh - still deeply traumatized by the 2004 monster quake and tsunami - poured into the streets as sirens blared from local mosques. Some headed to the hills, choking roads with traffic.

"I'm afraid," said Fera, a resident, who skidded off on her motorbike with her two children and her mother.

Bizarro Earth

Off The West Coast of Northern Sumatra - Earthquake Magnitude 7.3

Sumatra Quake_100112
© USGS
Date-Time
Tuesday, January 10, 2012 at 18:37:01 UTC

Wednesday, January 11, 2012 at 12:37:01 AM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location
2.396°N, 93.175°E

Depth
29.1 km (18.1 miles)

Region
OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN SUMATRA

Distances
423 km (262 miles) SW of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia

537 km (333 miles) SW of Lhokseumawe, Sumatra, Indonesia

951 km (590 miles) W of KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia

1789 km (1111 miles) WNW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia

Bizarro Earth

US: Arizona - Earthquake Rattles Winslow Near Dormant Volcanoes

Image
© USGS
The U.S. Geological Survey recorded a magnitude 3.1 earthquake in Arizona Sunday afternoon. According to the USGS, the quake hit at 12:11 p.m. about 21 miles southwest of Winslow and about 113 miles northeast of Phoenix. (Winslow is about a 3-hour drive from Phoenix.) With a depth of just over 3 miles, the temblor was a relatively shallow one.

Google Earth shows the epicenter to be between what appear to be small dormant volcanoes. The volcano to the south of the epicenter is on the Colorado Plateau between the Mogollon Rim and Winslow. The remnants of the two cones to the north appeared to have been weathered away, leaving a plateau behind.

Google Earth also showed a sinkhole swarm not far from the epicenter. Meteor Crater, one of the best-known meteorite impact craters on the planet, is 20 miles west of Winslow, putting it in the circumference of the quake.

Bizarro Earth

Santa Cruz Islands - Earthquake Magnitude 6.6

Santa Cruz Quake_090112
© USGS
Date-Time
Monday, January 09, 2012 at 04:07:16 UTC

Monday, January 09, 2012 at 03:07:16 PM at epicenter

Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location
10.557°S, 165.160°E

Depth
38.9 km (24.2 miles)

Region
SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS

Distances
75 km (46 miles) WNW of Lata, Santa Cruz Islands, Solomon Isl.

355 km (220 miles) E of Kira Kira, San Cristobal, Solomon Isl.

584 km (362 miles) ESE of HONIARA, Guadalcanal, Solomon Islands

2266 km (1408 miles) NE of BRISBANE, Queensland, Australia

Bell

Earthquake north of Anchorage is felt, but no reports of damage

Anchorage, Alaska - A small earthquake rumbled in Alaska that was felt in several small communities north of Anchorage.

The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude 4.0 temblor struck shortly before 10 p.m. Saturday and was centered about 150 northeast of Anchorage.

Target

Quake rattles Dominican Republic

Dominican quake
© USGS
Santo Domingo - A moderate tremor of 5.3 magnitude has rattled the entire Dominican Republic, at around 5:32am local time, whose epicenter was located 17 kilometers south-southeast of the city of San Jose de Ocoa, at a depth of 10 kilometers.

The tremor shook doors and windows for around 30 seconds, startling people to scurry out of bed.

Emergency Operations Center director Juan M. Mendez said there are no reports of damages or injuries thus far, although cracks in structures have been reported in the country's south region.

Jose Mateo, on the phone from the town of Fundacion, in the southern city of Bani, said his house under construction "has some cracks," with no major damages.

Bizarro Earth

Greece: Increased Seismic Activity at Dangerous Santorini Caldera

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© Expolrecrete.comThe eruption of the Santorini Volcano
The seismic unrest beneath Santorini which had started in July 2011 continues into 2012, greeting the world with a small swarm of quakes beneath the caldera.

The slightly increased number of quakes is concentrated on the volcano-tectonic Kameni line, which stretches SW-NE through the caldera and extends outside, especially to the NE where the submarine volcano Kolumbo is located 8 km off the coast. The alignment defines a tectonic graben structure underlying Santorini and has been used for rising magma for nearly all past eruptions of the volcano.

Attention

Indonesia: Recent Earthquakes Rattling East Java Have Agitated Volcanoes

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© lombokmarine.comMount Semeru or Gunung Semeru
People living in the vicinity of three volcanoes in East Java have been warned to be on the alert as they were showing signs of increased volcanic activity. The three volcanoes are Mt Ijen, Mt Semeru and Mt Bromo. East Java district disaster management head Timur Siswanto said the authorities were in a state of readiness to handle any volcanic disasters and had established command posts for relief work should any of the volcanoes erupt.

He was reported as saying by the local media that Mt Ijen was showing the most activity and that people living in its vicinity had been warned not to come within a 1.5 kilometer radius of the mountain. Besides the above three, five other volcanoes - Mt Gamalama (Ternate Island, Moluccas), Mt Papandayan (Garut, West Java), Gunung Karangetang (northern Sulawesi ), Gunung Lokon (northern Sulawesi) and Anak Krakatau (Sunda Strait) - were also reported to have started "rumbling."