Tag Archives: Earthquake

Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake Offshore of Japan

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck Saturday off the coast of southwest Japan, triggering a small tsunami, followed by another 6.5 earthquake shortly after.  There were no immediate reports of damage or injuries.

The USGS says the first quake struck at 5:51 a.m. local time, or 12:51 p.m. PDT, approximately 99 miles southwest of Makurazaki, Japan. The second one occurred 32 seconds later, 9 miles away.

There was no immediate tsunami danger to the U.S. West Coast, British Columbia and Alaska, the National Tsunami Warning Center said.

In 2011, a massive earthquake caused a tsunami that left more than 18,000 people dead or missing in north-eastern Japan.

Some 230,000 people have yet to return to their home towns since the disaster reported the BBC.

Oklahoma: World’s #1 Earthquake Area

A state agency released a report on Tuesday claiming that Oklahoma is now the number one earthquake area of the world.

According to the Enid News and Eagle, Oklahoma Corporation Commission (OCC) spokesman, Matt Skinner, stated that there has been 15 earthquakes in the Medford area since Saturday. He added that the world is currently going through a seismic phase.

“In North America, Oklahoma is very unique and unique in the world, in the sense that it’s concentrated so much in just one area,” said Jim Palmer, OCC director of public information and manager of consumer education.

And because state officials see this as a very real problem, the commission’s Oil and Gas Conservation Division announced a plan to help reduce the risk of induced earthquakes in the area.

The oil and gas industry now gives seismic activity data to the Oklahoma Geological Survey who uses the information and turns into data that the OCC can use. This helps the OCC find disposal wells that could be causing seismic activity due to water being injected into the basement rock. And the reason the water was disposed of in the first place was because it was saltwater that contained natural constituents like arsenic and lead that could infect surface water.

“You really don’t want it out on the surface. You want to put it back down the hole. So, that’s done in the name of protecting groundwater, it’s protecting underground drinking water supplies and it’s worked quite well for a long, long time,” Skinner said. “However, now, we have a new thing to worry about, which is induced seismicity.”

And while the Oklahoma Corporation Commission is trying their best to reduce the amount of earthquakes in the area, Skinner admits they still don’t have all the details.

“All we have is data,” he said. “In terms of this phenomenon, very little is really known.”

Relief Efforts Intensified as Death Toll in Afghanistan and Pakistan Continues to Climb

Monday’s 7.5-magnitude earthquake that struck Afghanistan and Pakistan and sent tremors into India and Tajikistan has now claimed the lives of over 250 people according to multiple news agencies.

The exact number still isn’t clear as various news agencies report anywhere from 260 to 339 people being killed by the earthquake. The quake also injured 2,000 people, damaged around 6,000 homes, cracked walls to other buildings, and shut down power.

According to the Associated Press, relief organizations have finally reached some of the more remote and impoverished areas that were affected by the earthquake. The United States has also offered supplies and aid that has been stored in warehouses around Afghanistan.

Officials believe that the death toll will continue to rise as there are several remote areas and fallen buildings that have not been reached by rescue efforts.

“We believe the exact numbers are much higher because not all people bring the bodies to the hospitals so there are many that are not being counted. And there are still areas we don’t have access to so we are not aware of the situation there,” Qameruddin Sediqi, an adviser to the public health minister, told Fox News.

Reuters reported that the Taliban has also called its people to help out with the relief efforts and to stay out of the way of aid groups.

“The Islamic Emirate calls on our good-willed countrymen and charitable organizations to not hold back in providing shelter, food and medical supplies to the victims,” the group said in a message of condolence to quake victims, using its formal name.

“And it similarly orders its mujahideen in the affected areas to lend their complete help.”

The quake has also caused landslides. The Pakistan Geological Survey reported to BBC News that landslides disrupted the Karakoram highway between Gilgit and Baltistan.

Afghanistan Earthquake Death Toll Rises to 180 from 7.5 Quake

The death toll is rising by the hour in Afghanistan and in Pakistan after a 7.5 earthquake struck at 1:39 pm local time Monday afternoon.  According to news sources, at least 180 people have died. That number is expected to rise.  The earthquake was centered about 28 miles south-southwest of Jarm, Afghanistan, and about 159 miles north-northeast of the Afghan capital of Kabul.

Officials are concerned about the mountainous area near the epicenter due to the vulnerability  landslides because of heavy rains in the last week and the porous nature of the soil.  

According to Reuters, Badakhshan provincial governor Shah Waliullah Adib said about 400 houses were destroyed but he had no figures on casualties.

“Right now we are collecting information,” he said.

Because so many people are cut off from communication, it will take time to know how extensive the damage and casualties will be.  

Scott Anderson, deputy head of office for the U.N. Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs in Kabul commented “The problem is we just don’t know. A lot of the phone lines are still down.”   

Among those killed were 12 girls who were trampled as they attempted to flee from their school and were crushed by the crowd attempting to leave the building through a stairway.  

Aftershocks are now being watched carefully as authorities feel more landslides will most likely to occur.  

NASA predicts 99-percent possibility of 5.0 earthquake to hit Los Angeles

NASA’s scientists in the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena have predicted that Los Angeles has a 99% chance to experience a possible 5.0 earthquake or stronger within the next 3 years.

Dr. Andrea Donnellan, a JPL geophysicist, came up with this hypothesis by using radar and GPS to measure Southern California’s chances of a good sized earthquake.

“When the La Habra earthquake happened, it was relieving some of that stress, and it actually shook some of the upper sediments in the LA basin and moved those a little bit more,” Dr. Donellan told CBS Los Angeles News.

However, there is still strain within the land, which could produce a more powerful earthquake of up to 6.3 magnitude.

Scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey believe that the chances are slightly lower. They believe there is an 85% chance of a magnitude 5 or greater earthquake hitting the area within the next 3 years. They used fault maps and models to come up with their percentage.

“We all need to be prepared. That’s not new for LA,” Dr. Donellan added.

Massive Quake Shakes Chile’s Capital

At least 8 people are dead and a million people have been displaced because of a massive magnitude 8.3 earthquake in Chile.

Violent aftershocks continue to shake the ground around Santiago and surrounding towns.  Residents were preparing for the possibility of a second strong quake although the tsunami warnings have ended for the region.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) says the quake struck around 6:45 p.m., 29 miles west of the capital in a small city of Illapel.  The USGS reported the quake was the strongest to hit the region in 100 years.

Aftershocks of 6.3 and 6.4 have been recorded by the USGS.  A tsunami watch was issued for both California and Hawaii because of the quakes, although they were later retracted.  Residents are still being warned to watch for high waves and significant rip tides.

Chile is one of the most earthquake-prone countries in the world because of two major plates connecting just off the coastline.  The strongest recorded quake in world history took place in the nation in 1960, magnitude 9.5.

The Chile Earthquake’s First Tsunami Waves Strike

A TIDE GAUGE off the shore of Coquimbo, a Chilean seaside city less than 100 miles from the epicenter of tonight’s 8.3 moment magnitude earthquake, has logged wave heights in excess of 14 feet. This comes about 90 minutes after the quake struck at 7:54pm local time.

NOAA’s Pacific Tsunami Warning Center has predicted wave heights exceeding 36 feet along the Chilean coast, and smaller events elsewhere in the Pacific. Outside of Chile, French Polynesia, a group of over 100 islands in the middle of the south Pacific, is in the most danger. There, NOAA warns of tsunami waves from three to nine feet.

Source: Wired – The Chile Earthquake’s First Tsunami Waves Strike

Tsunami alert as Chile hit by powerful earthquake

A powerful earthquake has hit central Chile, causing buildings to sway in the capital Santiago, officials say.

The 8.3-magnitude tremor was centred off the coast, about 144 miles (232km) north-west of the capital.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned that “widespread hazardous tsunami waves are possible”.

One person was killed by a falling wall, and evacuation was ordered in coastal areas. Tsunami sirens were heard in the port of Valparaiso.

Chilean officials say the earthquake has produced waves of up to 4.5 metres (15 feet) along the coast in the region of Coquimbo.

Source: BBC News – Tsunami alert as Chile hit by powerful earthquake

8.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Coast of Chile

An 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck near the central coast of Chile Wednesday, shaking buildings and causing at least one death, officials said. Tsunami advisories were issued for the region and as far away as Hawaii.

The earthquake struck 44 miles west-northwest of Illapel, and north of Santiago, at 6:54 p.m., the U.S. Geological Survey said. It said the earthquake was the largest to hit the area in over 100 years.

Illapel Mayor Denis Cortes told TV Chile that there are reports of one death. He said the town of around 30,000 was without power.

Source: NBC News – 8.3-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Coast of Chile

California Hit With Earthquake As Battles With Wildfires Continues

As if firefighters weren’t already having enough trouble trying to stop a deadly wildfire that has roared through parts of Lake, Napa and Sonoma counties in California, now they have to deal with earthquakes.

A magnitude 3.2 quake struck in Lake County early Tuesday morning.  The quake caused no significant damage to buildings in the region already threatened by the massive fire.

Officials said that the fires have claimed the life of one woman and has left four firefighters hospitalized.  Over 11,000 firefighters are now on the scene of a dozen wildfires in the state.

Cal Fire said the Valley fire that killed a woman had destroyed 585 homes and hundreds of other buildings.  The fire that began Saturday also caused a number of propane tanks to explode in the town of Middletown.

“This was a very destructive fire,” Cal Fire public information officer Daniel Berlant said Tuesday.

That fire burned 67,200 acres near Sacramento.  Another fire in the same area burned 71,780 acres and was only 40 percent contained.

Light rain has been helping fight some of the flames.  However, the rain has also caused problems with flooding in other areas.

Los Angeles received over an inch and a half of rain in a downpour which caused the Los Angeles River to flood. Several people had to be rescued from the rushing water.