Tag Archives: Earthquake

Over 1,300 Dead in Massive Nepal Earthquake

The strongest earthquake to hit the Himalayan nation of Nepal in over 80 years has left massive devastation and over 1,300 people dead.

The quake, which struck just outside the nation’s capital of Kathmandu, was measured at 7.8 on the Richter scale by the U.S. Geological Survey.

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The death toll in Nepal is rising every hour.  Neighboring countries India and China have reported deaths from the massive quake.

The quake struck just before lunch time local time in a very heavily populated area of the region.  Residents began to run into the streets in panic as many buildings began to crumble.  Trees fell knocking out power lines and massive cracks appeared in the middle of roads and walking paths.

Residents spent the rest of the day in the streets because of aftershocks that continued to collapse buildings damaged by the initial quake.

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“It is hard to describe. The house was shaking like crazy. We ran out and it seemed like the road was heaving up and down,” Vaidya, who runs an advertising agency, told The Associated Press. “I don’t remember anything like this before. Even my parents can’t remember anything this bad.”

“It’s cold and windy so we are all sitting in the car listening to the news on FM radio,” he said. “The experts are saying it’s still not safe to go back inside. No one can predict how big the next aftershock will be.”

The region lost many historical buildings and artifacts in the quake.

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The historic Dharahara tower was almost completely destroyed in the quake.  The formerly nine story tower, listed as a world historical site by the United Nations, is now reduced to a partially collapsed building less than two stories tall.  There were people on the 8th floor viewing tower when the quake struck and officials cannot say how many were killed in the building’s collapse.

The tower had been built by the nation’s first prime minister in 1832.

Durbar Square in Kathmandu’s Old City, also a U.N. recognized historical site, has been flattened.

The quake also triggered an avalanche on Mount Everest that killed at least 13.

New Report Says 143 Million Americans In Earthquake Zones

A new report says that around 143 million Americans are living in an earthquake zone and that 28 million in the lower 48 are in danger of “strong shaking”by a quake.

The researchers attribute the record total to population migration with many moving to the earthquake areas on the West Coast that are known for their activity.  The scientists also say a “change in hazard assessment”contributed to the expansion of zones.

The report shows nearly 20,000 schools are in the area that is considered a threat from earthquakes.

The last time FEMA estimated the number of Americans who could be impacted by a quake in 1994.  That report stated only 75 million Americans were at risk.  The study was conducted then by the U.S. Geological Survey, the California Geological Survey and FEMA.

The new report says that financial losses from damages to schools, hospitals and other emergency responder buildings could run over $4.5 billion per year.  Up to 80% of that cost would be located along the West Coast.

“While the West Coast may carry the larger burden of potential losses and the greatest threat from the strongest shaking, this report shows that the threat from earthquakes is widespread,”said Kishor Jaiswal, the researcher who presented the findings.

Oklahoma Averaging Two Earthquakes A Day

The U.S. Geological Survey confirmed to CNBC that Oklahoma is seeing a massive increase in magnitude 3.0 or greater earthquakes over the last 7 years to the level that the state sees 2 quakes a day.

“We have a good record going all the way back to the 1970s of magnitude 3 or larger earthquakes. They increased throughout the central U.S. in 2009, but primarily in just a few states like southern Colorado, Arkansas, Texas and Oklahoma,” says Bill Leith, senior science adviser for Earthquake and Geologic Hazards at USGS, told CNBC. “Oklahoma is the most striking case, where the number of earthquakes is now at record levels.”

The USGS said that from 2008 through April 8th, 2015, a total of 1,063 earthquakes of 3.0 magnitude or greater were officially recorded in Oklahoma.  This year there has been a total of 210 compared to just 91 over the same time in 2014.

Critics of the drilling process called fracking blame the quakes on the fracking process but quakes have been on the rise in Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Colorado and Ohio according to the USGS which seems to counter the claims the Oklahoma quakes are related solely to fracking.

The quakes are causing another concern for the oil and gas industry above the people critical of the fracking process; storage of oil above ground.  Cushing, Oklahoma is the major hub of oil pipelines in America and over $3 billion in crude oil is stored above ground in that area.  A major quake that ruptures a tank could cause millions in damage to supplies and surrounding lands.

Earthquake Strikes Along New Madrid Fault

The U.S. Geological Survey has confirmed a magnitude 4.0 earthquake struck Wednesday night along the New Madrid Fault near Steele, Missouri.

The quake was reportedly felt in more than six states.

No major damage was reported in the region.  Several businesses reported items being shaken off shelves and homeowners reported pictures had fallen off walls.

Several police departments in the region confirmed their computer monitors began shaking during the quake.

The New Madrid fault is the most seismically active zone east of the Rocky Mountains.  The New Madrid Fault reaches from St. Louis to Memphis.

4.0 Earthquake on the New Madrid Fault Line

Residents in the southeastern part of Missouri were shaken after an earthquake occurred along the New Madrid Fault Line shortly before 11 p.m. CT.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) reported that the earthquake was at 4.0 magnitude and had occurred approximately 11 miles before the surface of the Earth.

Not only did nearby residents feel the quake but reports from KFVS-TV in Cape Girardeau, Missouri stated that residents living as far as Carbondale, Illinois were able to feel the quake.

No damages or injuries have been reported.

The New Madrid Fault Line stretches along the Mississippi River from near St. Louis to Memphis, Tennessee. According to the USGS, the New Madrid Fault is “the most seismically active in North America east of the Rockies.” They also report that earthquakes in the eastern and central part of the United States “can be felt over an area as much as ten times larger than a similar magnitude earthquake on the west coast.”

Small Tsunami Generated After Pacific Earthquake

A huge earthquake off the coast of Papua New Guinea generated a small tsunami.

The magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck around 30 miles southeast of Kokopo at a depth of 40 miles. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center warned of a potential 3 foot high tsunami but the highest reported wave was 1.5 feet in the harbor of Rabaul.

Rabaul residents say there was no major damage and most of the water flooded parking lots near the beach or seaside. Store owners say that items were knocked off shelves but there was no structural damage.

Residents say the tremor lasted about five minutes and was so intense that residents fled into the streets from fear of building collapse.

Miraculously, officials say there were no reports or deaths or injuries from the massive quake.

Papua New Guinea lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”. Volcanic and earthquake activity is common in the region.

Oklahoma To Get New Earthquake Hazard Maps

Oklahoma is getting a new set of maps.

The U.S. Geological Survey announced they will be releasing new earthquake hazard maps for Oklahoma after collections of data from a swarm of quakes the last few years.

Oklahoma in the last year has received more quakes of 3.0 or greater than California.  The number of quakes in the state has been 300 times higher in the last six years compared to previous decades.

The news of the maps comes on the heels of another report from the USGS that Oklahoma is likely to see a major quake from reawakened fault lines.

“By identifying the faults, we are providing some guidance about where major earthquakes can happen,” Dan McNamara, USGS research geophysicist and lead author of the paper, said in a news release.

McNamara says that current maps are underestimating the earthquake hazard for not just Oklahoma but bordering states as well.

Strong Undersea Earthquake in Indonesia

Indonesia was struck by a strong undersea earthquake on Wednesday but there were no reports of immediate injuries or damage.

No tsunami warning was issued.

The U.S. Geological Survey registered the quake at magnitude 6.6.  The epicenter was 85 miles northwest of Ternate, the capital of the North Maluku province.  It was 25 miles deep.

Ternate residents said they felt strong jolts from the quake but no buildings were destroyed despite swaying.

Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because of their position on the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Dormant Oklahoma Fault Lines “Reawakened”

A new report says that long dormant Oklahoma fault lines are being reactivated and could lead to a massive earthquake.

The study, which includes researchers from the U.S. Geological Survey, says Oklahoma now must be considered possible for “a high degree of potential earthquake hazards.”

‘The majority of the recent earthquakes in central Oklahoma define reactivated ancient faults at shallow depths in the crust’ of less than 3.7 miles (6 km), said the report for the American Geophysical Union.

The study did not involve any research regarding fracking and if it had any impact on the reawakening of the fault lines.

‘Any one of these fault zones that are producing magnitude 3 or 4 earthquakes could rupture into a larger earthquake. There are as many as 12 different fault zones that are capable of producing a large, 5 to 6 magnitude earthquake,’ Daniel McNamara of the USGS stated.

Building codes in Oklahoma are not strong enough for a high earthquake.  A major quake would result in mass destruction.

Risk of 8.0 Earthquake in California Rises

The U.S. Geological Survey has released a new estimate saying that the chance of an 8.0 magnitude or greater earthquake striking California is 7%, up from 4.7%.

The USGS said the increase in the percentage is due to new understanding that quakes aren’t always limited to separate faults.  A quake could start on one fault and jump to another causing a simultaneous mega-quake.

“The new likelihoods are due to the inclusion of possible multi-fault ruptures, where earthquakes are no longer confined to separate, individual faults, but can occasionally rupture multiple faults simultaneously,” USGS seismologist Ned Field, the lead author of the report, told the L.A. Times.

“This is a significant advancement in terms of representing a broader range of earthquakes throughout California’s complex fault system.”

Data for the report included the April 4, 2010 quake that triggered aftershocks in at least six different fault lines. The report also found quakes jumping over a gap in the fault of over seven miles, more than double the previously observed three miles.

“As the inventory of California faults has grown over the years, it has become increasingly apparent that we are not dealing with a few well-separate faults, but with a vast interconnected fault system,” the report said. “In fact, it has become difficult to identify where some faults end and others begin, implying many more opportunities for multifault ruptures.”