Category Archives: Earth Stuff

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

Earthquake—MO/TN/IL Border

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Earthquakes list February 21, 2012 – moderate shallow earthquake near the Missouri / Illinois / Tennessee stateline

Last update: February 21, 2012 at 5:07 pm by By 

M 4.0      2012/02/21 09:58     Depth 5.0 km      SOUTHEASTERN MISSOURI

03:58:43 AM at epicenter – Epicenter location see below in list
Moderate earthquake in the middle of the night. Light to moderate shaking expected near the epicenter
16 km (9 miles) ESE of Sikeston, Missouri and 27 km (16 miles) SW of Cairo, Illinois
Update :  Some minor damage has been reported by people living in the epicenter area, mainly cracks in walls and falling objects. Click here to see the video report of a local TV station 
Update : The epicenter has been located near East Prairie

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/20/earthquakes-list-february-21-2012/

 

El Hierro Update

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El Hierro Volcano : Yellow-Red alert – 7 earthquakes since midnight + test video ROV “Wally”

Last update: February 21, 2012 at 1:37 pm by By 

This is the most recent El Hierro Volcano eruption report

Update 21/02 – 13:34 UTC

– As said yesterday, the Atlantic Explorer is carrying the ROV Sirio which was baptized “Wally“.  Because of the weather conditions during the first mission, the ROV was unable to be set at work. While anchoring at La Restinga, the crew made a test with “Wally” in the port of La Restinga. Here is the result of this test.  The image you see here is the image which you can expect when Wally would be able to dive to the volcano cone next week.

Update 21/02 – 11:53 UTC
– 7 earthquakes since midnight
– Joke Volta set of morning images

Geology course at La Restinga

Update 21/02 – 09:46 UTC
– 6 earthquakes since midnight + continuing not listed weak earthquakes
– no visible jacuzzi or stain
– HT at minimum amplitude
– Another day of Geology course for Joke Volta and she enjoys learning about tectonics,  volcano types, magma types, magma viscosity, historic events which can be seen at the island, etc etc.  Based on what she told us yesterday, earthquake-report calls the geology course a 5-star course. Every important topic is discussed. An example : it is impossible to talk about volcanoes when Ocean ridges are not discussed. Ocean ridges were a part of the course on day 1.
This 3 day course was organized by  the diving centers association and joined by partners like the University of La Laguna and the government of the Canary Islands, etc. The biggest part of the course is given by Ramon Casillas, a professor at the university of La Laguna.  Javier Morales, member of the parliament, is also listed on the leaflet as a co-speaker.

 

Update 20/02 – 23:35 UTC
– we have stranded on 19 earthquakes today
– other interesting data : unchanged

Update 20/02 – 18:17 UTC
– unchanged situation : continuing micro-seismicity, listed earthquakes and minimal HT
– Jesus Machin, a fisherman at La Restinga has made a coastal walk along the Naos bay. He said to Joke that he has seen a lot of sardines. Sardines are common around this time of the year, but so many was a real surprise to him.

Jesus Machin fisherman at La Restinga

Update 20/02 – 11:10 UTC
– Joke is currently following a “geology” class in La Restinga ! :) .  It is a free lecture with a focus on what is happening below the island.  (click here to see the 5 pictures she has photographed this morning)
– It tends to be a shaky day in El Hierro as we have already 13 listed earthquakes so far.
– The picture below shows that the volcano is still emitting material in the sea (gray area).  The picture dates from this morning

Update 20/02 – 08:13 UTC
– No visible stain or jacuzzi this morning
– Accordingly also almost no harmonic tremor
– Micro-seismicity continues to show the continuing magma pressure
– On top of the microseismicity,  IGN has listed 8 earthquakes since midnight. All these earthquakes had magnitudes above M1. All the epicenters are or below the island (main crater system) or in the Las Calmas sea in between the main vent and Tacoron.

for more information, updates, and history of the eruption, go to:  earthquake-report.com/2011/09/25/el-hierro-canary-islands-spain-volcanic-risk-alert-increased-to-yellow/

Dead Birds I-95 Near Laurel, MD

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Dead birds slow Interstate 95 commute

By The Associated Press7:21 p.m. EST, February 16, 2012

LAUREL, Md.—

Maryland officials said hundreds of birds were killed on Interstate 95 near Laurel, bringing traffic to a crawl Wednesday.

Maryland natural resources officials suspect a flock may have flown into a passing truck, while state highway officials said power lines crossing over the highway might also be to blame.

The dead starlings slowed traffic for several hours as highway crews used shovels to remove the birds from the roadway.

Officials at the state Department of Natural Resources said they don’t believe the birds were poisoned. However, samples taken from the birds are being analyzed as a precaution.

from:    http://www.herald-mail.com/news/local/hm-dead-birds-slow-interstate-95-commute-20120216,0,5281878.story

Tinakula Volcano Eruption As Seen by Satellite

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Tinakula volcano (Solomon Islands) eruption captured by satellite

Last update: February 17, 2012 at 12:27 pm by By 

Tinakula is a conical stratovolcano which forms an island north of Nendo in Temotu Province, the Solomon Islands. It lies at the north end of the Santa Cruz Islands. It is about 3.5 km wide and rises 851 m above sea level, but rises three or four km above the sea floor. It erupts approximately every hour in a plume of ash and rocks. The volcano was first recorded in eruption in 1595 when Álvaro de Mendaña sailed past on his round the world voyage.

Image courtesy NASA Earth observatory

This natural-color satellite image (top) shows a plume of volcanic gas, possibly mixed with a little ash, rising above the island’s summit. On February 13th and 14th, 2012, NASA’s Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) detected heat signatures on Tinakula, and a small plume was apparent in visible imagery (lower image). Over the past decade satellites have detected intermittent “thermal anomalies” that suggest eruptions have taken place, but eyewitness observations are infrequent. The images was collected by the Advanced Land Imager (ALI) on the Earth Observing-1 (EO-1) satellite (top) and MODIS on the Terra satellite on February 14, 2012.

Google earth profile image

The island is uninhabited. A previous population was eradicated when the volcano erupted around 1840 and pyroclastic flows swept all sides of the island.
In 1951, polynesians from Nukapu and Nupani settled on the island, which reached a peak population of 130, before it had to be evacuated again during the 1971 eruption. The village of Temateneniwas on the southeast coast. In the late 1980s, two families (less than 10 people) from Nupani made another attempt at settlement.

Transport can be arranged, but landing on the island is very difficult since there are few good beaches. One must bring plenty of water and be prepared to swim ashore. The island is covered with jungle, except for the western side, which is covered with ash. It was scraped by landslides in 1965. When the volcano erupts, it is possible to watch large boulders tumbling down the mountain side.

The island is in the range of the endangered Santa Cruz Ground Dove (Gallicolumba sanctaecrucis), but as ornithologists have not visited the island in a long period, it is unknown whether they survive there. Doctor Gunter Kittel, an Austrian doctor, who came and worked for Lata Hospital climbed Tinakula four times in 2002.

Text : NASA Earth Observatory and Wikipedia

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/17/tinakula-volcano-solomon-islands-eruption-captured-by-satellite/

6.0 Quake off Oregon Coast

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6.0-magnitude earthquake reported off Oregon coast, no tsunami expected

Published: Tuesday, February 14, 2012, 8:15 PM     Updated: Wednesday, February 15, 2012, 7:54 AM
The U.S. Geological Survey reported a 6.0-magnitude earthquake off the Oregon Coast this evening but said no tsunami was expected.

The quake, which struck about 159 miles west of Coos Bay, was measured at 7:31 p.m., the USGS said. Initial reports indicated it hit at a depth of 6.2 miles.

The National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colo., says a magnitude 6.0 quake off the Oregon coast caused no reported damage and only a smattering of reports from people who felt it as a weak jolt.

Within about an hour, the information center’s website recorded 39 reports of people who reported feeling the quake. Most were in northern California and southern Oregon and characterized it was “weak” or “barely felt.”

U.S. Geological Survey geophysicist Dale Grant said in a telephone interview the quake occurred in a seismically active area and called it “not uncommon at all.”

“These are the ones we like — nobody gets hurt and there’s no damage,” he said.

The Associated Press contributed to this report.    

— Kate Mather

Papua New Guinea Earthquake

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Strong shallow earthquake below the rain-forest of Eastern Papua New Guinea

Last update: February 15, 2012 at 4:54 pm by By 

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude :  5.8
UTC Time :  Wednesday, February 15, 2012 at 14:07:51 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Thursday, February 16, 2012 at 12:07:51 AM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 10.1 km
Geo-location(s) :
88 km (54 miles) S of Lae, New Guinea, PNG
137 km (85 miles) ENE of Kerema, New Guinea, PNG
216 km (134 miles) N of PORT MORESBY, Papua New Guinea

Earthquake overview : A strong but shallow and thus moderately dangerous earthquake occurred just after midnight inland Eastern Papua New Guinea.

Strong moderately dangerous earthquake.
1,000 people will experience a very strong shaking and 33,000 people a strong shaking. The main reason for this high impact is the very shallow hypocenter. PNG is however well prepared for very strong to even massive earthquakes. Since 1000ths of years, the islands are regularly shuddered by massive earthquakes. The earthquake’s epicenter is below the rain forest where only primitive villages are located. These villages have NO brick or concrete houses which make them less vulnerable for destruction.
The main dangers during these earthquakes are landslides and mining accidents. 
Emergency services will normally not react to this kind of earthquakes. Additionally, as they have no helicopters and as the hills are mostly saturated by clouds, they have to walk to the epicenter areas via normal walking trails. They often need many days to reach the epicenter area.
These are the facts of life at PNG. We would be very surprised if a report would ever be published on this earthquake by the PNG authorities or by the local PNG press.

Update :  nearest populated place to the epicenter is : Were Were (18km).
The closest civilian airport is Sim (18km).

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/15/strong-shallow-earthquake-below-the-rainforest-of-eastern-papua-new-guinea/

 

Costa Rica Earthquake

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Strong and moderately dangerous earthquake in Costa Rica – initial M 6.1 decreased to M 5.8

Last update: February 13, 2012 at 7:07 pm by By 

Earthquake overview : A powerful earthquake struck the coastal Costa Rica area at 04:55 in the morning. The epicenter has been located at 76 km from San Jose.

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 6.1 5.8  (Ovsicori Costa Rica : 5.9)
UTC Time : Monday, February 13, 2012 at 10:55:12 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Monday, February 13, 2012 at 04:55:12 AM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 33.6 km 27.9 km ( (Ovsicori Costa Rica : 14 km)
Geo-location(s) :
75 km (50 miles) S (175°) from SAN JOSE, Costa Rica
137 km (85 miles) SW (233°) from Limon, Costa Rica
193 km (120 miles) W (268°) from Bocas del Toro, Panama

Update 18:56 UTC : It was felt strongly, however damage and injuries have not yet been registered. Falling objects as stated before have occurred on the coast. If any people have registered damage, please let us know. The aftershocks have not caused major damage as yet.

Update 16:44 UTC :  10 aftershocks have been reported by Ovsicori since the mainshock 5 hours ago.  All these aftershocks were below M 4, making them harmless for houses and people.

Shaking map as calculated by USGS

Update 16:03 UTC :  Until now we have found no signs of damage or injuries(but still too soon to be certain). A lot of people are reporting however “fallen objects” in various parts of the country.

Update 15:53 UTC :  USGS has decreased the magnitude after recalculation to Mw 5.8. The depth has been updated to 27.9 km.

Update 15:51 UTC :  A video report from Telenoticias7, one of the main networks with a very good earthquake report. Those among you who do not understand Spanish, have to go directly to 06:30 minutes. The video shows the shaking in the television studios. The shaking confirms the many I Have Felt It reports that we have received from all over Costa Rica. Telenoticias7 is also mentioning (like one of our readers below) that the country has felt various small quakes since Saturday.  Saturday’s earthquake measured M 4.5.  On Sunday 3 smaller aftershocks were noticed. Today’s earthquake occurred in the same area than the 4 other ones and can be called a stronger aftershock than the mainshock.

Update 15:32 UTC :  OVISCORI, the local Costa Rican seismological agency, has reported a magnitude of 5.9. The depth of the hypocenter was located at 14 km. Epicenter in the Pacific Ocean at 34 km to the South West of Estero Garita. Oviscori also reported a max. intensity of VI MMI (strong shaking), a little less than USGS initially reported.

Update 12:12 UTC :  From James Daniells CATDAT database : The area had over 40 damaging earthquakes historically in the last 100 years within 100km, the 1910 earthquakes caused over 1000 fatalities. Based on previous losses there will probably be no fatalities, but minor damage should be expected.

Update 12:09 UTC :  As could have been expected if earthquakes like this occur, the shaking has also been felt in many neighboring countries.

Update 11:44 UTC :  The locations that may experience a moderate shaking are : Quepos, Parrita, San Isidro, Daniel Flores, Mercedes

Update 11:40 UTC : Following the initial calculations of USGS, the earthquake will have been felt by 785 people as a very strong shaking, 149,000 people will have felt a moderate shaking and 4,094,000 people will have been shaken slightly.

Update : We expect NO tsunami danger from this earthquake. the specialized agencies have not created alert messages.

Update : This earthquake occurred in the highly populated region of Puntarenas in Costa Rica, also visited by many tourists.

Update :  The nearest populated places are: Dominical (16km), Guapil (14km), Bar? (18km), Hatillo (12km), Laguna (16km), Salitral (15km), Palma Quemada (11km), Platanillo (11km), Matapalo (10km), Tierras Morenas (18km), Dos Bocas (15km), Dos Boscas (15km), Portal?n (12km), Paso (12km), Pasito (13km), Savegre (13km), Llorona (19km), Guabos (17km), Finca Negro (19km), S?balo (19km). The closest civilian airport is Nuevo Palmar Sur (67km).

Update : the epicenter is located at only a few km from the coast

The depth of this earthquake is shallow enough to create serious problems in the epicenter area.

from:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/13/very-strong-and-dangerous-earthquake-in-costa-rica/

 

Eureka, CA Area Earthquake

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Strong earthquake in the greater Eureka area, California, USA – NO damage so far

Last update: February 14, 2012 at 12:16 am by By 

Image shaking map courtesy USGS

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 5.4
UTC Time : Monday, February 13, 2012 at 21:07:02 UTC
Local time at epicenter :  Monday, February 13, 2012 at 01:07:02 PM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 32.9 km
Geo-location(s) :
10 km (6 miles) WSW (247°) from Weitchpec, CA
28 km (17 miles) ENE (63°) from Westhaven-Moonstone, CA
29 km (18 miles) ENE (70°) from Trinidad, CA
50 km (31 miles) NE (36°) from Eureka, CA

Earthquake overview : A strong earthquake occurred near Redwood National park in California. Distance from the epicenter until Eureka approx. 50 km

Update 22:50 UTC : The Cal Fire reports that “No damage has been reported to CAL FIRE stations.” (Cal Fire = California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection).

Update 22:42 UTC :  Police is currently making assessments in the more remote locations of the direct epicenter area to find out if damage would have been inflicted (even minor).

Update 22:14 UTC :  As of 1:25 p.m. theEureka Police Department had no reports of damage. The temblor was widely felt and that the shaking lasted 30 to 45 seconds.

Update 22:04 UTC :  The area has experienced a massive M 7.3 earthquake on November 8, 1980. 16000 people have been shaken up to a IX MMI, but luckily nobody was killed.

Update 21:59 UTC :  The earthquake has been felt until Sacramento, CA and also in Southern Oregon.

Update 21:59 UTC :  The magnitude has been updated by USGS to Mw 5.6 at a depth of 32.9 km.

Update 21:51 UTC :  Eureka (26,000 people) and Arcata (17,000 people) are the most populated cities in this mainly sparsely populated area. Eureka and Arcata have experienced a light MMI IV shaking. McKinleyville has a population of 15,000 and has also experienced a light shaking.

Update 21:49 UTC :  15 people will have experienced a strong shaking, 4,000 people a moderate shaking and 102,000 people a light shaking.

Update 21:41 UTC :  The depth of the hypocenter will lead to a weak shaking in a very vast area
for more information, and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/13/strong-earthquake-in-the-greater-eureka-area-california-usa/

Earthquake—Zug, Zurich

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Moderate but shallow earthquake strikes Zug and Zurich area, Switzerland – NO damage

Last update: February 12, 2012 at 1:01 pm by By 

Earthquake overview : A moderate 4.1 magnitude earthquake struck the greater Zurich area on late Saturday night (local time).

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 4.1 (SE: 4.2)
UTC Time : Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 22:45:25 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Saturday, February 11, 2012 at 11:45:25 PM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 16 km (SE 32 km)
Geo-location(s) :
14 km S Zurich (pop 341,730)
3 km S Horgen (pop 17,843)
2 km N Hirzel (pop 1,874)

Switzerland-Only real-time earthquake list

Epicenter area – image courtesy Riccola

–
Update 12/02 – 09:32 UTC : Based on reports in the Swiss press, and as predicted by Earthquake-report.com, NO damage has been inflicted.

Update 00:50 UTC : The Swiss seismological agency has been measuring a magnitude of 4.2. Also the Swiss seismological agency does not expect any damage from this earthquake. The epicenter was located in between the Zugersee and the Zurchersee (Zug lake and Zurich lake). Manual calculations have concluded that the hypocenter of depth of the earthquake was at a depth of 30 km, a reason why the earthquake hasn’t been harder felt above the epicenter.

Update : The earthquake has lasted 26 seconds but only a few seconds have been well felt by the people.

Update : Based on our experiences and if the current preliminary data are confirmed, we are convinced that NO serious damage or injuries is expected.
GFZ has recalculated the depth to a less dangerous 16 km and has decreased the magnitude to 4.0. Both main data indicators are becoming less dangerous.

 

Image courtesy USGS

Update : USGS, the United States Seismological Agency is reporting a magnitude of 4.1 at a depth of 16 km. The epicenter is following USGS located at 16 km of Zurich.

Update : The earthquake has been felt until Liechtenstein, Germany (southern border) and France (eastern part).

Update : the lines below shows all 3 important seismological agencies with slightly different values. All these values are to be seen as non-damaging.
EMSC (Europe)    Switzerland    Feb 11 22:45 PM    M 4.2    Depth 32.0 km
USGS    (United States) Switzerland    Feb 11 22:45 PM    M 4.1    Depth 16.0 km
GEOFON   (Germany)  Switzerland    Feb 11 22:45 PM    M 4.0    Depth 19.0 km
Schweizerischer Erdbebendienst : M 4.2 Depth 32 km

Update : small aftershocks may be expected the following hours and days. For Swiss norms these aftershocks maybe very disturbing. Seldom are aftershocks bigger in size than the initial mainshock

A moderate but shallow earthquake hit the greater Zurich area local time 23:45

 

for more information and updates, go to:   http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/12/moderate-but-shallow-earthquake-strikes-zug-and-zurich-area-switzerland/