Earthquakes
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Shallow 6.0-magnitude quake hits southeast of Honshu, Japan

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An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.0 jolted southeast of Honshu, Japan at 11:38:05 GMT on Tuesday, the GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 10.0 km, was initially determined to be at 29.85 degrees north latitude and 140.44 degrees east longitude.

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6.1 magnitude earthquake off Vanuatu

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6.1 magnitude earthquake 59 km from Luganville, Sanma, Vanuatu

UTC time: Thursday, September 28, 2023 14:40 PM
Your time: Thursday, September 28, 2023 at 3:40 PM GMT+1
Magnitude Type: mww
USGS page: M 6.1 - 60 km E of Luganville, Vanuatu
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 6 people

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6.1-magnitude quake hits 41 km WSW of Sola, Vanuatu: USGS

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An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.1 jolted 41 km WSW of Sola, Vanuatu at 21:11:49 GMT on Thursday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 188.4 km, was initially determined to be at 14.00 degrees south latitude and 167.19 degrees east longitude.

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Shallow 6.0 magnitude earthquake in East Pacific Rise

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6.0 magnitude earthquake

UTC time: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 14:45 PM
Your time: Wednesday, September 20, 2023 at 3:45 PM GMT+1
Magnitude Type: mww
USGS page: M 6.0 - central East Pacific Rise
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 1 person

10 km depth

Central East Pacific Rise

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New Zealand hit by magnitude-6 earthquake, no serious damage reported

new zealand earthquake september 2023
© ABC News/GeoScience AustraliaThe earthquake hit at 9:14am local time near Geraldine, New Zealand at a focal depth of 11 kilometres.
A magnitude-3.4 shake followed at 11:42am local time, according to GeoNet

A magnitude-6 earthquake has struck in the centre of New Zealand's South Island, government seismic monitor GeoNet says, but initial reports indicate no injuries or significant damage.

The earthquake, the largest in the country this year, hit at 9:14am local time near Geraldine at a focal depth of 11 kilometres.

GeoNet said more than 14,000 people reported feeling the shake, some as far north as Auckland on the North Island.

Sarah Hussey, a farmer close to the epicentre, said the quake had been stronger than others she remembered.

"There's no damage here, but I thought it was thunder for a start. The house lifted up for a bit," she told TVNZ's 1News.

Timaru Deputy Mayor Scott Shannon told Radio NZ there had been no immediate reports of damage but checks were ongoing.

GeoNet said a magnitude-3.4 shake followed at 11:42am local time, causing light shaking 45 kilometres north of Geraldine at a depth of 6 kilometres.

The quake struck not far from where a 6.3 magnitude quake hit in 2011, killing 185 people and causing major damage in the South Island city of Christchurch.

Via Reuters

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6.3-magnitude quake hits 180 km N of Hirara, Japan - USGS

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An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 jolted 180 km N of Hirara, Japan at 13:21 GMT on Monday, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

The epicenter, with a depth of 183.5 km, was initially determined to be at 26.43 degrees north latitude and 125.30 degrees east longitude.

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Best of the Web: Nearly 3,000 dead after powerful 6.8 magnitude earthquake strikes Morocco - UPDATES

A damaged vehicle is pictured in the historic city of Marrakech
© REUTERSA damaged vehicle is pictured in the historic city of Marrakech
At least 632 people were killed in Morocco after a powerful earthquake struck late Friday night near Marrakech, according to state-run television.

The death toll has surged from the earlier 296 dead and 153 injured figures that were given by the country's interior ministry. Most deaths were reported from Morocco's hard-to-reach mountainous areas, according to Reuters.

The epicentre of the quake was reported to be at the High Atlas mountains in the Ighil area, about 70km south of Marrakech.

It was said to be about 18km below the Earth's surface by the US Geological Survey (USGS), while Morocco's own National Seismic Monitoring and Alert Network, estimated it to be 11km below. Shallow quakes such as this are said to be more dangerous.

The tremors, measured at a 7.2 magnitude by Morocco's own seismic agency, toppled several buildings across cities and sent people running from their homes late at night.


Comment: Update

The BBC reports:
A strong earthquake of magnitude 6.8 has struck central Morocco, killing at least 1,000 people and causing severe damage in several areas.

Residents rushed into the streets when the quake struck at 23:11 local time on Friday.

"Violent" tremors were felt in several areas of the country from Casablanca to Marrakesh, where many buildings have been destroyed or severely damaged.

Many of the victims are believed to be in hard-to-reach mountain areas.

The epicentre was in the High Atlas Mountains, 71km (44 miles) south-west of Marrakesh.

Many people are still believed to be under the rubble and rescue efforts are under way. Several bodies have already been recovered.

Hospitals in Marrakesh have seen an influx of injured people, and the authorities have called on residents to donate blood.

Morocco's interior ministry said the earthquake killed people in the provinces and municipalities of al-Haouz, Marrakesh, Ouarzazate, Azilal, Chichaoua and Taroudant, adding that more than 1,200 had been injured.

In Marrakesh some buildings have collapsed and the damage is particularly severe in parts of the Medina, a Unesco World Heritage site.

Dust could be seen surrounding the minaret of the historic Kutubiyya mosque, a major tourist attraction near the old city's main square, while the historic Jemaa el Fnaa mosque partly collapsed.

The Jemaa el Fnaa mosque in Marrakesh suffered damages, especially to its tower
© REUTERSThe Jemaa el Fnaa mosque in Marrakesh suffered damages, especially to its tower
Resident Rashid Ben Arabi rushed to his car in Marrakesh minutes after the earthquake struck the city last night.

He quickly headed with his wife and one-year-old daughter to the town of Amizmiz - about 56km (35 miles) from Marrakesh - to make sure his father and mother were still alive.

He said the roads were full as everyone fled the city amid complete darkness and a power outage.

"As soon as I entered my town, I saw people in a hysterical state, crying and screaming, and everyone was looking for their families," he said.

"I saw a man lying on the ground by the rubble of his house; he could hear the screams of his two children trapped under the destroyed building, but he couldn't do anything to help them; rescue teams hadn't yet arrived at the scene."

Rashid eventually found his parents who were safe and sound but wrapped in blankets and sleeping in the street.

They were among the many people who spent the night out in the open as the Moroccan government had warned everyone not to go back into their homes in case of severe aftershocks.

A 4.9 aftershock was recorder 19 minutes after the earthquake.

The extent of the damage in mountain villages is instead unknown, but it is believed to be widespread.
Update September 10

The Sunday World reports:
Over 2,000 people have been confirmed dead in an earthquake in Morocco and the toll is expected to rise as rescuers struggled Saturday to reach hard-hit remote areas.

A rare, powerful quake struck Morocco, sending people racing from their beds into the streets and toppling buildings in mountainous villages and ancient cities not built to withstand such force.

The magnitude 6.8 quake, the biggest to hit the North African country in 120 years, sent people fleeing their homes in terror and disbelief late Friday. One man said dishes and wall hangings began raining down, and people were knocked off their feet. The quake brought down walls made from stone and masonry, covering whole communities with rubble.
Update September 14

AP reports:
The building where Naima Ait Brahim Ouali lived in a third-story apartment with her five children was one of many that were destroyed by the earthquake that killed nearly 3,000 people in Morocco last week.

A house cleaner, she and her daughter fell down the stairs as the quake tore off the building's top floor and laid waste to much of the rest of their neighborhood in the town of Amizmiz, near the epicenter.

Like children in many parts of the world, Ait Brahim Quali's youngest had just started their school year. Now, relocated with the rest of the Sourejdid neighborhood to a tent city in the town center, fear sets in at around 11 p.m. each night — the time the earthquake happened last Friday.

"They saw death," she said of her children, who range in age from 10 to 25. One of her daughters now has nightmares.

The displaced family is one of many in Morocco wondering what their future holds, particularly as autumn approaches and the nights get colder. Though many villagers are being provided with food and water, officials said it could take five or six years to rebuild Atlas Mountain communities like Amizmiz, which is more than an hour's drive from the closest big city, Marrakech.

The death toll from the 6.8 magnitude quake stood at 2,946 on Wednesday, with several thousand injuries. The government doesn't release the number of deaths by community, but in Amizmiz, everyone seems to know at least someone who was killed.



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Shallow 6.1 magnitude earthquake southeast of Easter Island

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6.1 magnitude earthquake

UTC time: Wednesday, September 13, 2023 11:49 AM
Magnitude Type: mww
USGS page: M 6.1 - West Chile Rise
USGS status: Reviewed by a seismologist
Reports from the public: 0 people

10 km depth
Southeast Of Easter Island

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Magnitude-6.3 earthquake strikes northern Philippines

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A magnitude 6.3 earthquake struck the area around the Babuyan Islands in the northern Philippines on Tuesday, the authorities said.

So far no damages have been reported or any tsunami warning issued.

The United States Geological Survey, which records seismic activity worldwide, reported that the earthquake occurred at 7:03 pm local time (11:03 GMT) and at a depth of 41 kilometers.

The inhabited areas closest to the tremor site were the towns of Namuac, about 73 kilometers north of the hypocenter, and Claveria (74 kilometers north).

The Philippines sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of great seismic and volcanic activity where about 7,000 earthquakes are recorded each year, most of them moderate.

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Magnitude-6.0 earthquake occurs in Halmahera Island, Indonesia

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A magnitude-6.0 earthquake occurred in Halmahera Island, North Maluku Province, at around 21:51 Sept. 11.

The epicenter was about 39 km (24 miles) north-northeast of Ternate.

The tremor occurred at a depth of about 162 km (101 miles), and light shaking was probably felt throughout much of Halmahera and surrounding islands.

There have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; however, significant damage is unlikely. It could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Moderate-to-light aftershocks are likely over the coming days.