Category Archives: Earth Stuff

News of Earth Changes, climate shifts, weather anomalies, volcanoes, etc

Southern Italy — Earthquake

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Earthquake Sora, Southern Italy (Lazio – Frosinone) – 63 year old woman dies from a hearth attack

Last update: February 17, 2013 at 10:20 am by By

Update Febr. 17 – 09:18 UTC : A 63 year old woman in Isola Liri has died from a heart attack due to this earthquake. ER sends his condolences to her family. Er sees hearth attacks as secondary deaths as the damage of the earthquake cannot be held responsible as the cause.

Villages and towns within 10 km from the epicenter : ARPINO (FR), BROCCOSTELLA (FR), CASTELLIRI (FR), ISOLA DEL LIRI (FR), MONTE SAN GIOVANNI CAMPANO (FR), PESCOSOLIDO (FR), SORA (FR) and BALSORANO (AQ)
Villages and towns within 10 and 20 km from the epicenter :  ALVITO (FR), ARCE (FR), BOVILLE ERNICA (FR), CAMPOLI , PPENNINO (FR), CASALATTICO (FR), CASALVIERI (FR), CEPRANO (FR), COLFELICE (FR), FONTANA LIRI (FR), FONTECHIARI (FR), POSTA FIBRENO (FR), RIPI (FR), ROCCA D’ARCE (FR), ROCCASECCA (FR), SANTOPADRE (FR), STRANGOLAGALLI (FR), TORRICE (FR), VEROLI (FR), VICALVI (FR), COLLELONGO (AQ), MORINO (AQ), SAN VINCENZO VALLE ROVETO (AQ) and
VILLAVALLELONGA (AQ)

Italian tectonics are very complex and are mainly complicated subduction processes (subduction is also responsible for the Italian volcanoes). A very good scientific but easy to understand article can be found here.

Shaking map courtesy INGV

Shaking map courtesy INGV

Update 23:40 UTC : Luckily NO reports of serious damage, but the people in the greater epicenter area are really frightened. Some villages and towns have setup temporary shelters to allow people who are too frightened to sleep there. Others prefer to sleep in their cars.

Update 22:13 UTC : There have not been any reports of major damage as yet and only panic and minor non-structural damage has been seen as yet.

Update 22:00 UTC : This earthquake also caused similar concern from residents of Rome to that of 2009, with calls to emergency services despite no damage.

Update 21:58 UTC : The earthquake was even felt in l’Aquila. Our second map (at the bottom) shows that there were NO other earthquakes in this area since the beginning of 2012.
This earthquake is around the same place as the 1980 Irpinia earthquake causing major damage. This earthquake will normally  only cause minor damage if any presumably.
In 1922 a M5.6 earthquake struck the Sora area and caused some damage too.

INGV showing the risky areas of Italy. This earthquake has an epicenter in the highest risk area of the country.

INGV showing the risky areas of Italy. This earthquake has an epicenter in the highest risk area of the country.

Update 21:51 UTC : A  good sign is an experience report from a reader who said that the motion he felt was mostly vertical and not horizontal. Horizontal accelerations are the most damaging. A second good sign is that other readers tell us that the shaking lasted only a couple of seconds, long lasting shaking increases the chance on damage.

Update 21:48 UTC : A lot of people ran on the streets as they were frightened not only from the earthquake but also from the aftershocks

Update 21:40 UTC : The website from INGV Italy, the National Seismological agency is hard to enter because of the many people looking at them.
Region : Lazio (population 5,196,447) . The nearest places are Latina, Sora, Isola del Liri, Broccostella, Carnello, Cisterna, Vallefredda, and San Domenico. The maximum altitude nearby is 2689m .

Update 21:35 UTC : Our biggest concern are the old buildings in Sora. From Emilia Romagna, we know that these are very vulnerable for even moderate shaking. This earthquake can however NOT be compared with that earthquake as the intensity is a lot less.

Update 21:35 UTC : GDACS reports that at least 100,000 people are living within a radius of 10 km from the epicenter

Update 21:33 UTC : INGV Italia is reporting a Magnitude of 4.8 at a depth of 10.7 km

Update 21:32 UTC : Based on the current data, ER does not expect any serious damage from this earthquake

Update 21:31 UTC : the earthquake will certainly have been felt in Rome, as Rome is only at a distance of 90 km from the epicenter

Update 21:29 UTC : EMSC reports a Magnitude of 4.8 at a depth of 12 km.
Sora, very near the epicenter is a city with a population of 26,600 people

The preliminary Magnitude as reported by Geofon was M4.6

90 km E Rome (pop 2,563,241 ; local time 22:16:10.0 2013-02-16)
64 km NE Latina (pop 113,332 ; local time 22:16:10.0 2013-02-16)
2 km W Sora (pop 26,525 ; local time 22:16:10.0 2013-02-16)

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 4.9

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-02-16 22:16:12

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-02-16 21:16:12

Depth (Hypocenter)  : 10 km

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2013/02/16/moderate-earthquake-southern-italy-on-february-16-2013/

earthquake off New Zealand

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Very Strong deep earthquake off the coast of the North Island of New Zealand

Last update: February 16, 2013 at 10:43 am by By

Update 06:25 UTC : Below Geonet’s intensity map. On the exception of 7 people, the vast majority experienced a weak shaking (also on the South Island). The South Island intensities can be explained by the depth of the hypocenter.

Earthquake New Zealand February 16 2013

Update 06:20 UTC : The greater epicenter area is seismically very active as one can see on the lower map.  The epicenter is located on top of the subducted plate.

Update 06:01 UTC : The epicenter was at a +200 km out of the coast which makes that the shaking on land was limited to weak or even very weak shaking

A very strong earthquake occurred off the coast of the North Island of New Zealand. The hypocenter was very deep in the hot solid mantle of the earth.

Screen Shot 2013-02-16 at 07.01.36

219km (136mi) ENE of Tairua, New Zealand
223km (139mi) NNE of Whakatane, New Zealand
240km (149mi) NE of Tauranga, New Zealand
274km (170mi) NE of Rotorua, New Zealand
639km (397mi) NNE of Wellington, New Zealand

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 6.3

Local Time (conversion only below land) : Unknown

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-02-16 05:16:09

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2013/02/16/very-strong-earthquake-te-araroa-on-february-16-2013/

Mindanao, Phillipines — Earthquake

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Very Strong deep earthquake in Mindanao, Philippines

Last update: February 16, 2013 at 10:44 am by By

Update 06:15 UTC : The earthquake has been felt in a wide radius which is normal for deep earthquakes. The earthquake waves are propagating from deep in the earth to the upper layers.
Our Philippino readers are reporting relatively high shaking values for this earthquake.
As you can see on the lower map, this is the strongest earthquake in this area for more than a year. The map shows also that the area is seismically very active.

Update 06:10 UTC : Phivolcs published slightly different data than the other agencies : M6.2 at 100 km
Phivolvs did report the following shaking intensities :
Intensity IV – Mati & Taragona, Davao Oriental
Intensity III – Davao City
Intensity II – General Santos City, Butuan City, Malaybalay, Bukidnon
Based on their theoretical models, Phivolcs does not expect any damage out of this earthquake. They expect (as usual) a number of aftershocks.

Update 05:43 UTC : The shaking was theoretically expected to reach a max. V or moderate shaking

A very strong deep earthquake occurred approx. 30 km out of the Mindanao coast. The earthquake was not powerful enough to generate a tsunami.

Screen Shot 2013-02-16 at 06.42.14

28km (17mi) SE of Caburan, Philippines
65km (40mi) ESE of Malapatan, Philippines
68km (42mi) ESE of Lun Pequeno, Philippines
70km (43mi) E of Glan, Philippines
971km (603mi) W of Koror Town, Palau

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 6.2

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-02-16 12:37:40

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-02-16 04:37

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2013/02/16/very-strong-earthquake-mindanao-philippines-on-february-16-2013/

Greece — Earthquake

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Moderately dangerous earthquake in Greece also felt in Bulgaria

Last update: February 15, 2013 at 3:20 pm by By

Update 15:06 UTC : Epicenter below the Lerissos peninsula. Minor damage cannot be excluded as the hypocenter of this earthquake was very shallow and as the epicenter (if correct) is almost below a village with a population of +1000 inhabitants..

Update 14:56 UTC : As a reader reported us a little while ago, the shaking lasted for nearly a minute and thats a long time for a moderate earthquake like this.

The shaking in Bulgaria is related to the earthquake below which has an epicenter in Greece

Screen Shot 2013-02-15 at 16.00.51

264 km N Athens (pop 729,137 ; local time 16:42:54.5 2013-02-15)
94 km E Thessaloníki (pop 354,290 ; local time 16:42:54.5 2013-02-15)
75 km SW Kavála (pop 59,240 ; local time 16:42:54.5 2013-02-15)
2 km N Ouranópolis (pop 1,047 ; local time 16:42:54.5 2013-02-15)

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 4.6

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-02-15 16:42:55

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-02-15 14:42:55

Depth (Hypocenter)  : 10 km

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2013/02/15/moderate-earthquake-greece-on-february-15-2013/

Meteor Hits Russia

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Meteorite – not the end of the world – strikes Russia’s Siberia

A bus-sized meteor exploded over Russia’s Ural Mountains, sparking speculation about everything from a missile attack to the end of the world. The shock waves smashed windows and damaged buildings.

By Fred Weir | Christian Science Monitor

  • Russian meteorite caught on tape; injuries reportedKABC – Los Angeles  0:56A meteor hit over Russia’s Ural Mountains on Friday, causing sharp explosions and reportedly injuring …

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A meteor the size of a bus exploded in the atmosphere over the Russian Urals city of Chelyabinsk Friday, terrifying thousands with blinding light flashes and powerful sonic booms that shattered windows, damaged buildings, and injuries may be heading toward 1,000, mainly due to flying glass and debris.

Thanks to the proliferation of new technologies like CCTV and dashboard cameras in cars, the dazzling meteor shower that hit the far-western Siberian region may be the first event of its kind in history to be filmed from almost every angle.

Dozens of videos have cropped up on YouTube and other social media, and they offer an astounding glimpse of what happens when a huge hunk of rock, estimated at about 10 tons, plows into the atmosphere at a speed of 30,000 miles per hour. It disintegrated in a series of bright flashes while still several miles above the Earth’s surface.

According to eyewitnesses quoted by the Ekho Moskvi radio station, the event began around 9 a.m. local time, when it was not yet full daylight. The station said that thousands of people rushed into the frigid streets, looking up at the fiery contrails in the sky, with many wondering if it was an air disaster, a missile attack, or the end of the world.

“My ears popped, the windows in our building are smashed, everyone says an airplane exploded. My cellphone stopped working for awhile,” said one witness from Chelyabinsk.

“I was driving to work and suddenly there was this flash that lit everything up like bright sunlight,” said another. “The shock wave nearly drove me off the road.”

Close to 1,000 people were reported injured, but only three seriously enough to be hospitalized, according to the official RIA-Novosti agency. Windows were blown out across a wide area, and several buildings were reported damaged, including a Chelyabinsk factory, whose roof caved in.

Pieces of the meteor have been reported coming down across several regions in western Siberia and even nearby Kazakhstan. Russia’s Defense Ministry reported that soldiers have located a 20-ft.-wide crater near a lake in Chelyabinsk region.

Russia‘s military may have known of the impending meteor strike several days in advance, but did not issue any special public warnings, according to the independent Rosbalt news agency (link in Russian).

“The preliminary data about its size and composition suggested it would break up in the atmosphere. There was no cause for alarm,” the agency quoted an unnamed Defense Ministry official as saying.

Experts say that such meteor showers are not uncommon, but this one was much bigger than usual, and it occurred over a major population center in the early morning, where huge numbers of people could watch it. Chelyabinsk is an industrial city of about 1 million.

“Judging by the intensity of the shock waves, this was a body at least 30 ft. in diameter and weighing around 10 tons. That’s a big one,” says Nikolai Chugai, a department head at the official Institute of Astronomy in Moscow.

“It came in very fast, at a shallow angle, and disintegrated in an arc across the sky. That accounts for the amazing sound-and-light show…. If it had come in vertically, it would have been way more destructive, but over a smaller area,” he adds.

The European Space Agency reported Friday that there is no connection between the meteor that hit Russia and the huge 165-ft. diameter asteroid known as DA14, which is due to pass within 17,000 miles of Earth – less distance than satellites in geosynchronous orbit – within the next day or so.

“It did a lot of damage, but what do you expect?” asks Nikolai Zheleznov, an expert with the Institute of Applied Astronomy in St. Petersburg. “A meteorite is a large projectile, like a bomb, that enters the atmosphere at high speed. Imagine the kinetic energy in a rock 30 ft. across. When it comes roaring into the atmosphere, the air density is like a solid wall that it slams into. Kinetic energy turns to heat, and then there is percussion….

“We live in a solar system that’s full of asteroids and meteorites. There’s no avoiding them. Thousands of tons of meteorites fall onto the Earth every year, far more than we can even keep track of. So, try not to worry too much.”

from:    http://news.yahoo.com/meteorite-not-end-world-strikes-russias-siberia-144416162.html

Siberia – Earthquake

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Very Strong earthquake in a sparsely populated Siberia area (Sakha Republic), Russia

Last update: February 14, 2013 at 4:20 pm by By

134km (83mi) WSW of Druzhina, Serbia
860km (534mi) NE of Markha, Russia
866km (538mi) NE of Yakutsk, Russia
979km (608mi) NNW of Magadan, Russia
2973km (1847mi) NNE of Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 6.6

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-02-15 01:13:53

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-02-14 13:13:53

Depth (Hypocenter)  : 14 km

Update 15:07 UTC:
The Russian department of emergencies has said that NO damage and/or injuries were reported. The towns in the greater area (some very far away) have either not felt it or have no damage. Earthquake-report.com will continue to monitor the situation and will report if necessary.

Update 15:07 UTC: Let’s hope that the Russians are as good as the Chinese in making their assessment of the epicenter area. The chance that we will not find any reports from this area is rather high.

Update 14:45 UTC: More precise population data comes from GDACS. This confirms that with the new data (M6.6) , only very few people will have felt a very strong to strong shaking. Radius 20 to 75 km  : less than 1000 people. Within a 20 km radius : NO people

Screen Shot 2013-02-14 at 15.47.50

Great image courtesy Yuri Klaver from a river bed near today’s epicenter. The bended geological layers are telling the history of this area.

Update 14:28 UTC: USGS has decreased the Magnitude to M6.6, a lot weaker than the initially reported M6.9

Update 14:16 UTC: So far, we have no information of any village or settlement in the surrounding area of the epicenter. That’s good. No village means no damage and no fatalities. But of course it is too early to be sure about it.
Chinese authorities are specifying this earthquake with M 7,3. But in this case we trust USGS data the most as the same magnitude is given by Geofon and EMSC.

Sineria February 14 earthquake 2013

No, this is not a painting which hangs in MOMA, but the river Indigirka crisscrossing the landscape in the greater epicenter area

Update 14:00 UTC: The closest larger town to the epicenter is Markha (11,000 inhabitants). It is located at 862 km southwest of the epicenter. The earthquake was probably not felt there. This shows how little people living in this area, what is a good sign.

Update 13:53 UTC: Based on theoretical models, 2.000 people will have felt a moderate shaking.

An M6.9 earthquake hit the northeastern part of Siberia today. USGS reports a depth of 10 km. Due to the shallow depth, USGS expects a very strong shaking (MMI VIII) close to the epicenter area. Luckily this area is unpopulated. Nevertheless, this earthquake should be extremely dangerous if people would live within an area of 50 km from the epicenter.
There are no towns  or villages with more than 1.000 inhabitants in the area of strong to very strong shaking, as USGS says.
ShakeMap Russia

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2013/02/14/very-strong-earthquake-eastern-siberia-russia-on-february-14-2013/

Colombia Earthquake Activity

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Earthquake Swarm at Machín in Colombia

The forested dacite domes of Cerro Machín, nested within an older caldera. Pyroclastic flow deposits from Machín have been traced upwards of 40 kilometers from their source at the volcano. Image: INGEOMINAS, taken November 16, 2011.

I like to keep close tabs on the volcanoes in Colombia — with half of my family living in the country, it seems only appropriate. Some of my first volcanic memories are of seeing firsthand some of the lahar deposits at Nevado del Ruiz from the 1985 eruption. Now, at that time, only two Colombian volcanoes really made any noise: Galeras in the south near Pasto and the aforementioned Ruiz in central Colombia. Nowadays, thanks to increased monitoring on Colombian volcanoes by INGEOMINAS, we know a lot more about the restless nature of the volcanoes of the South American country. Five volcanoes are now on elevated alert status, meaning that they show some level of activity that could lead to an eruption: Ruiz, Galeras, Cumbal, Sotará, Huila and Machín.

Over the past week, Cerro Machín, a dacite dome complex to the  to the south Ruiz near Ibagué, has been feeling some increased seismicity. The INGEOMINAS special bulletin details a M2.9 earthquake that occurred at a depth of ~4.7 km beneath the volcano that was felt by local residents. This was part of a swarm that produced over 210 earthquakes in a few hours on February 10 — all within 2 and 5 km depth, but all very small. Now, before you need to get too nervous about this activity, INGEOMINAS rightly points out that these swarms have occurred before at Machin and that sensitive new seismometers are likely to notice this type of activity that might not have been noticed in the past. Not a lot to see, but in the small chance that Machín does get more active, the Observatorio Manizales has a webcam pointed at the volcano. Machín’s last known eruption was over 800 years ago.

Right now, the most active volcano in Colombia is still Nevado del Ruiz. The volcano is still experiencing elevated seismicity, along with a ~950 meter steam plume that occasionally has minor ash as well — which can be seen via webcam, weather permitting.

from:    http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2013/02/earthquake-swarm-at-machin-in-colombia/#more-148364

Nevada/California Border Earthquake

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Exceptionally strong shallow earthquake along the border of Nevada and California

Last update: February 13, 2013 at 9:12 am by By Ashish Khanal

Update 09:12 UTC : Earthquakes and (expected) shaking intensities are not an exact science as you can see by comparing both images below. The population exposure is the theoretical map of the intensities as expected by USGS. Mammoth Lakes and Bishop are just falling in the MMI II radius (very weak shaking), which should have been hardly felt in these towns. But … people have felt this earthquake in a far wider radius (map just below this paragraph). Such maps are mainly an indication on what to expect in general. Do not blame USGS to be erroneous, because seismology (including intensities) is a very complicated matter. Earthquake waves are propagated through many layers in the earth and each layer can have a different propagation structure. We can assure you, USGS does great work in getting as close as possible to the reality and their work and accuracy are improving year after year.

Screen Shot 2013-02-13 at 10.03.14

Update 08:47 UTC : Since the mainshock we have counted 8 M3+ aftershocks. Aftershocks are normal and some faulting areas are very sensitive to aftershocks like this one.
– 28000 people will have experienced this as a weak earthquake. These are theoretical intensity values. As one can see below in our I Have Felt It reports, this earthquake was perceived by people at a far greater distance than the USGS did expect.

Exceptionally strong earthquake in a luckily sparsely populated area.
The maximum shaking intensity as calculated by the USGS was a weak to very weak shaking (MMI II or III).
The area has however a number of cattle barns in a radius of 10 to 20 miles from the epicenter and it cannot be excluded that these may have been damaged.
The epicenter area has NO volcanic past but influencing the seismic pattern of the nearby Mammoth Mountain volcanic field cannot be excluded.

Nevada shaking map February 12 2013

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 5.1

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-02-12 16:10:13

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-02-13 00:10:13

Depth (Hypocenter)  : 12.4 km

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2013/02/13/moderate-earthquake-nevada-on-february-13-2013/

North Korean Nuclear Test

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North Korean nuclear test detected by agencies all over the world

Last update: February 12, 2013 at 5:04 pm by By

pdate : The focal mechanisms for a Nuclear Test are completely different than in case of an earthquake. The following webpages are showing a number of slides explaining what the difference is and how seismologists can recognize the pattern. Click here for these slides or click on the image below

Comparison seismogram in between Nuclear test and an earthquake

Update : We are very surprised that USGS has received some IHFI reports from within North Korea. They may have been reporting it without knowing that it was a nuclear test.

Update : A nuclear test (first described as earthquake) of very shallow depth has hit North Korea near to many different towns however up in the mountains. The magnitude of between 4.9 and 5.1 has been seen with depths ranging from 1km (USGS) to 10km from GEOFON. It is likely this is the 3rd nuclear test however, the Inchon, Korea seismogram is currently not visible online.
We will wait for more information but South Korea has possibly determined (there is always a lot of back chatter) that it is an artificial quake after looking at the seismograms.

Update : This is most likely artificial it is likely that there will be no damage in the neighbouring towns.
This was between 6 and 7 kilotons.

Screen Shot 2013-02-12 at 09.52.03

Anjik-kol (16km), Chik-tong (5km), Komunjik (16km) are the closest towns.
4 km (34 miles) N of Kimchaek, North Korea (pop 179,000)
80 km (50 miles) SW of Chongjin, North Korea (pop 582,000)
182 km (113 miles) SSW of Yanji, Jilin, China
380 km (236 miles) NE of PYONGYANG, North Korea

Update : Historically many earthquakes have hit North Korea causing damage, but no significant ones in the last few years. However, this is the 3rd nuclear test in the last few years.

Depending on the magnitude of the earthquake, and whether the Lg coda waves have been detected, it could be that this is a nuclear test and not an earthquake as such. Nuclear tests are usually around M4.5-5.0 depending on the amount of explosives used. Lg coda waves are one of the ways to tell if in fact this is a tectonic earthquake or a non-natural event. – THIS HAS NOW BEEN ESTABLISHED ACCORDING TO VARIOUS SOURCES (1 hr after)

North Korea nuclear test February 12 2013

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : M5.0

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-02-12 11:57:53

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-02-12 02:57:53

Depth (Hypocenter)  : 1.5 km

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2013/02/12/moderate-earthquake-north-korea-on-february-12-2013/

Colombia Massive Earthquake

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Massive earthquake near Pasto, Colombia – Also well felt in Ecuador – tens of houses collapsed, 3 people with minor injuries

Last update: February 9, 2013 at 5:58 pm by By

Screen Shot 2013-02-09 at 15.43.20

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : 6.9

Local Time (conversion only below land) : 2013-02-09 09:15:57

GMT/UTC Time : 2013-02-09 14:15:57

Depth (Hypocenter)  : 124 km

Roundup of the damage reported so far (all in Colombia) :
– El Charco : 3 slightly injured people
– Cali : Minor damage like cracks in houses
– Narino : at least 20 collapsed houses
– Timbiquí : 3 collapsed houses
– Buenaventura : 6 houses seriously damaged
– Popoyan (The Tunnel) : 5 houses severely damaged
– Bella Vista de Guapi : 2 houses damaged to some extend
Update 17:57 UTC : Civil Defense in Colombia reports that at least 120 houses have been damaged by the shaking. No serious injuries reported so far, but 7 people have been treated for minor injuries.

Update 17:28 UTC : Almost all reported serious damage and collapsed houses happened in the flat area of the Pacific Coastal plain.

for more information and updates, go to:   http://earthquake-report.com/2013/02/09/massive-earthquake-colombia-on-february-9-2013/

(Please consider a small donation to the earthquake report site.  These guys do an amazing job, and will be more and more necessary as the Earth movements continue and intensify.)