Tag Archives: earthquakes

2/8 El Hierro Update

Posted on by

El Hierro Volcano : Yellow-Red alert – Joke Volta images of tonight’s Smoking Lava Balloons

Last update: February 8, 2012 at 11:29 pm by By 

This is the most recent El Hierro Volcano eruption report

Update 08/02 – 23:18 UTC

Remember our update from 17:56 yesterday, when somebody of CAP told Joke that he had seen much stronger activity than usual in the Jacuzzi. ER reader Sissel has recorded the webcam at that time. The 4 minutes video shows the more intense activity. The activity occurred when we lived through 5 minutes of the most powerful HT since many days. The graph can  be seen at the end of the recording.

Update 08/02 – 21:11 UTC
For the interested people : Etna is erupting right now ! (Thank you Nataly for telling us)
http://www.guide-etna.com/webcam/

Update 08/02 – 20:33 UTC
– There have been 3 more earthquakes while harmonic tremor its continuing at minimum levels:
08/02/2012    18:38      Depth 14 km        M 1.3    W EL PINAR
08/02/2012    18:51       Depth 12 km        M 1.3    W FRONTERA
08/02/2012    19:18       Depth 12 km        M 1.3    W FRONTERA

Update 08/02 – 20:32 UTC
– When Pam and New wrote us “SLS”, we immediately forwarded the message to Joke who was on her way to El Pinar. She asked the bus driver to stop, got a lift from a friendly person to Montana Naos, took some pictures and hitchhiked again towards El Pinar.  These are Jokes pictures.

Update 08/02 – 16:39 UTC
– Just after writing about the calm day, ER readers Pam and New notified us of Smoking Lava Stones.

Update 08/02 – 16:23 UTC
– A calm day at El Hierro with few spectacular events but with the very beautiful pictures of Joke Volta.
– only 1 new earthquake since the last update, but a medium powerful one which can well be seen on the IGN HT graph.
08/02/2012    15:35     Depth 12 km     M 2.2    SW EL PINAR

Update 08/02 – 10:21 UTC
– Very minor harmonic tremor all night and morning so far, a little increase in HT at 03:05 for about an hour.
– Jacuzzi activity was very much present all night long in a very sensitive webcam seting. We enjoy this setting for maximum observation at night.
– 5 earthquakes so far today!
08/02/2012    00:42      Depth 14 km        M 1.3    W EL PINAR
08/02/2012    00:43      Depth 12 km        M 1.3    SW FRONTERA
08/02/2012    02:52      Depth 11 km        M 1.4    W EL PINAR
08/02/2012    06:12      Depth 14 km        M 0.8    SW EL PINAR
08/02/2012    07:33      Depth 20 km        M 1.4    SW EL PINAR

Update 07/02 – 23:55 UTC
2 new earthquakes are making it a total of 10 today.
07/02/2012    22:57     Depth 11 km        M 1.8     SW FRONTERA 
07/02/2012    23:30     Depth 12 km        M 1.7     SW FRONTERA

Update 07/02 – 23:02 UTC
– the current high sensitive webcam image shows the action in the jacuzzi. Hard to say what the light effects are (waves or hot material).  That will be a question for CAP for Joke tomorrow or the day after tomorrow.
– Harmonic tremor has been minimal for many hours again, but the eruption is still going on.
– 2 new earthquakes that make it a total of 8 today
07/02/2012    20:20     Depth 13 km        M 1.0    SW EL PINAR
07/02/2012    22:25     Depth 10 km        M 1.2    S EL PINAR
– Readers like Julian have seen the Ramon Margalef continuing his bathymetry mission after dark.
– Images Joke Volta from today February 7 2012

Update 07/02 – 19:30 UTC
ER reader Julian writes in our comment section : In an interview with Ramon Ortiz (Volcanologist of CSIC) in local newspaper Canarias7, Mr. Ortiz says that according to past experiences, the eruptive process is finishing. The new HT increase of the last couple of days are the normal evolution to a new phase.
He says that two different possibilities are: 1- that this process ends in few days and/or a new eruption is going on in another location.
He says that right now there are two different eruptions. The one in Las Calmas, and another one elsewhere which we may never know where it is, beacuse of the depth in the north area.
(ER : the supposedly second vent in the north has been a fierce debate among scientists from the very beginning).  We refer to some updates we wrote during the weeks after the coloring of the sea).

Update 07/02 – 17:56 UTC
– A CAP scientists who met Joke in El Pinar a few hours ago said to her that he has seen an extraordinary jacuzzi around noon UTC today. He was quiet fascinated about it.
– We are also fascinated about the strange harmonic tremor we see today. A lot of powerful starts gradually winding down, again and again. Now it is calm again, but we cannot remind having seen the same pattern since a long time. It may be very wise to follow HT the following hours in combination with the webcam.

Update 07/02 – 15:08 UTC
– 2 new earthquakes:
07/02/2012    13:31      Depth 12 km        M 1.4     SW EL PINAR
07/02/2012    13:58     Depth 10 km        M 1.6     SW FRONTERA

Update 07/02 – 13:55 UTC
– The Ramón Margalef IEO Oceanographic vessel is back in town. He is making a new bathymetry session enabling IEO to measure the depth of the vent and to make new maps of the submarine cones. Meanwhile the local Canary Island press is quoting local volcanologists who are saying that IEO is not sharing the submarine research details with other (scientific) partners. It will at least take 2 to 3 days to get a new depth figure.
– 4 earthquakes so far today
07/02/2012    02:21      Depth 11 km        M 1.0     SW EL PINAR
07/02/2012    10:29      Depth 15 km        M 1.4     SW EL PINAR
07/02/2012    10:55      Depth 14 km        M 1.3     SW FRONTERA
07/02/2012    11:37      Depth 13 km        M 2.3     SW EL PINAR
 – Harmonic tremor started to grow gradually after 03:00 as Ursula said in the comments (she lives in Australia and is looking at the HT graph and webcam while most Europeans sleep), winding down just before noon. Very suddenly everything restarted forcefully at 13:32 UTC, although nothing more than degassing can be seen at the surface.

Harmonic tremor from midnight UTC until 13:40 UTC – image courtesy IGN

Image Joke Volta

Update 06/02 – 23:55 UTC
– Joke Volta pictures of February 6, 2012. No SLS today.

Update 06/02 – 23:24 UTC
– INVOLCAN has just published two high definition videos of today’s flight. We can see how they measured gas levels and took thermal images, which would be useful if they made public. There is a strong degassing, blue stain, that can be observed.


– Second video shows the green stain in La Restinga port.

– Eruption webcam is showing a good view the stain even now that is dark. A near full moon illuminates the sea enough for the camera to capture an image. Also, the webcam was cleaned today for better image quality.

– Another earthquake since our last update
06/02/2012    21:43    Depth 15 km    M 1.7     W EL PINAR

Update 06/02 – 21:50 UTC
– One more earthquake since last update:
06/02/2012    18:04    Depth 11 km    M 1.7

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

Negros – Cebu Philippines Earthquake

Posted on by

Earthquake Negros – Cebu, Philippines – 43 killed, among them 29 due to landslides and 10 by collapsed buildings.

Last update: February 6, 2012 at 3:26 pm by By 

Earthquake overview : an earthquake of magnitude 6.8 occurred in the very highly populated region of Central Visayas in Philippines. The nearest populated places are: Ayungon (20km), Tayasan (12km), Cantaup (16km), Jimalalud (6km), La Libertad (7km), Apanangon (6km), Guihulngan (15km), Villegas (15km). The closest civilian airport is Bacolod (73km).

Most important Earthquake Data:

Magnitude : M 6.8
UTC Time : Monday, February 06, 2012 at 03:49:16 UTC
Local time at epicenter : Monday, February 06, 2012 at 11:49:16 AM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) :  46.6 km
Geo-location(s) :
72 km (44 miles) N of Dumaguete, Negros, Philippines
74 km (45 miles) WNW of Tagbilaran, Bohol, Philippines
80 km (49 miles) WSW of Cebu, Cebu, Philippines

Update 14:42 UTC : Damage report issued at 05:00 PM (17:00) local time by the Philippine authorities. more damage may be expected the coming hours.

Update: 40 killed and many missing with 100 injured due to earthquake induced landslides. The death toll is expected to continue to rise.

Update: 13 have been killed and many are missing following this earthquake. Landslides and aftershocks including a m6.2 in the last hour are making conditions difficult for rescuers.

Update:  5 have been killed and at least 29 missing. more news to follow.

Update : GMA report in mixed Tagalog / English language about the situation in the Philippines after the earthquake.

Update 07:23 UTC : The NDRRMC said both damage to property and aftershocks are expected from the quake, whose epicenter was traced to 5 km northwest of Tayasan, Negros Oriental.

Update 06:23 UTC : Not much more news than the 1 child killed has come from the authorities. Local tsunami alerts have been put out in the Visayas region – Alert Level 2 – stay away from the coast due to unusual waves.

 

for more information and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/02/06/very-strong-earthquake-close-to-la-libertad-negros/

New Zealand Earthquake and MORE

Posted on by

1/28/2012 — 6.2 magnitude earthquake in New Zealand — MASSIVE amount of 5.0M quakes this past week

Posted on January 28, 2012

watch the video update here:

 

————————————————

 

 

January 28, 2012 — North of New Zealand a magnitude 6.2 earthquake occurred:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/recenteqsww/Quakes/usc0007swv.php

Magnitude 6.2 – KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND

 

from:    http://sincedutch.wordpress.com/

Crete, Greece earthquakes

Posted on by

2nd M5+ earthquake in 2 days near Crete, Greece

Last update: January 27, 2012 at 11:02 pm by By 

Chania (Khania) – where the shaking was strongest (Courtesy: Lappländer, Wiki Commons)

Earthquake overview : For the 2nd time in 2 days, a moderate earthquake has hit off the northern coast of Greece near Heraklion. The town of Khania recorded an intensity of V, and in some places in Heraklion it was felt as strongly.

The first earthquake had an intensity V in Iraklion and had a magnitude 5.2 striking early yesterday morning (Thursday, January 26, 2012 at 06:24:59 AM LT). Today’s earthquake had about the same magnitude.

Civil protection officials said no damage to buildings was reported, but two people were slightly injured trying to flee their homes on the island of Crete.

Last year, the Crete earthquake of M6.2 in January 2011 had minor car damage in Iraklion and minor non-structural house damage caused less than the criteria needed to be classified as a “CATDAT Damaging Earthquake”.

These two earthquakes have not been damaging, however the second becomes a CATDAT Orange quakeand will be included in the 2012 Annual Review of Earthquakes. If further information comes to fruition, we will let you know.

Magnitude : Mw5.4 (EMSC)

UTC Time : 27th January, 2012 01:33:23.0 UTC
Local time at epicenter : 27th January, 2012 03:33:23.0 UTC
Depth (Hypocenter) : 5km
Geo-location(s) : 79 km NW Iráklion (pop 137,154 ; local time 03:33:23.8 2012-01-27)
80 km NW Néa alikarnassós (pop 11,886 ; local time 03:33:23.8 2012-01-27)
49 km SW Emboríon (pop 1,946 ; local time 03:33:23.8 2012-01-27)

for more information and updates, go to:   http://earthquake-report.com/2012/01/27/2nd-m5-earthquake-in-2-days-near-crete-greece/

Northern Italy — Series of Earthquakes

Posted on by

2 moderate earthquakes are shaking Northern Italy – slight damage in Parma reported

January 25, 2012 By 

Earthquake overview : A moderate but shallow and thus moderately dangerous earthquake occurred only 13 km from Parma, Italy.

Minor damage (fallen stones, objects etc)

Update 13:39 UTC : This experience report just arrived in our website, it gives a good description of what happened when the earthquake occurred :

We were at school, everything normal until I felt a light shake. I was the first in class to feel it So I backed up my chair but felt nothing anymore, then, a few seconds later (10 seconds) there was a bigger one and everyone immediately went under their desk. Then the teacher cried; ‘no time for that! Get out quick!’ so we got out and went to hallways. Shortly after, there was the alarm therefore everybody quickly went down the stairs to go outside. There were little 4-year-old girls crying and policemen going in the building. We stayed there for 1hour+ until parents came to get us.
ER comment : This teacher should know that what he ordered could make victims. The first pupils action was by far the best (look for cover under desks when the shaking starts). More people are being killed by falling objects than bu collapsed houses. Only evacuate when the shaking stops. This is an advice of almost all of the Preparedness Agencies in the world.

Update 10:43 UTC : INGV, the Italian  local seismological service has reported a magnitude of 4.9. The earthquakes epicenter was located in the valley of the River Po, one of the Italian main rivers. As far as we could follow up the present reporting NO signs yet of any serious damage or injuries although it is too soon to make a final balance.

Update : Max. reported shaking at USGS is a V to VI MMI (moderate to strong shaking). Minor injuries from falling objects like tiles, stones etc cannot be excluded.

Update : experience report just in from Parma says : it lasted about 30-40 seconds.  strong shaking. things falling off of shelves and walls.  pictures broken.

Update : schools in and around Parma have been evacuated

Update : The actual epicenter of this earthquake has been located near the villages of Lentigione, Corte Godi and Enzano.

Update : local reports are mentioning some collapsed chimneys and a lot of panic in the streets of Parm. Also reports of rubble in the streets of Parma

For aftershocks click here and refresh the page regularly

A first weaker 4.1 magnitude earthquake shook Northern Italy at 00:54 local time. It was experienced by a lot of people as a light to weak shaking. The epicenter of this earthquake was close to Verona.

Most important Earthquake Data:
Magnitude : 5.1
UTC Time : Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 08:06:35 UTC
Local time at epicenter :  Wednesday, January 25, 2012 at 09:06:35 AM at epicenter
Depth (Hypocenter) : 10.2 km
Geo-location(s) :
13 km (8 miles) NE of Parma, Italy
75 km (46 miles) SSW of Verona, Italy

to read more and for updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/01/25/2-moderate-earthquakes-are-shaking-northern-italy-slight-damage-in-parma-reported/

Very Strong Antarctic Earthquake

Posted on by

 Very strong earthquake near sub-antarctic Elephant Island

Last update: January 15, 2012 at 2:47 pm by By 

M 6.7      2012/01/15 13:40     Depth 13.0 km      SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS

09:40:20 AM at epicenter
Very strong earthquake approx. 100 km out of the coast of Elephant Island, an island which is often visited by Antarctica cruiseliners.
Elephant Island and the smaller islands around are all crowded with antarctic birds and animals. All kind of penguins like emperor penguins, seals, etc are common on these islands.
NO tsunami risk exist for populated islands (there are no people living within a radius of several hundred km). Additionally a M 6.7 earthquake is seldom generating a tsunami.
1003 km (623 miles) S (176°) from STANLEY, Falkland Islands
Update : The magnitude has been lowered by USGS to 6.5, a lot less energy than the initial 6.7. The earthquakes can be compared with the many earthquakes who are occurring at the South Sandwich Islands, islands with similar animals.
Update : We said earlier that these islands are a regular destination stop for Antarctica cruise ships.  This destination is not so common than the Antartic peninsula, but we would not be surprised that tourists were visiting the penguin population on one or more islands.
This text is part of the program of Antarctica espedition organizer Oceanwide Expeditions :
The Atlantic Odyssey offers a unique possibility to visit several of the remotest islands in the world. Besides the Antarctic Peninsula, the South Shetland Islands, South Georgia and the South Orkney Islands, the Atlantic Odyssey visits Tristan da Cunha, St. Helena, Ascension Island and Cape Verde.
Update : As it is Antarctica summer and thus Tourist season, at least a couple of thousand people may have been walking on one of the many penguin islands of the Antarctic peninsula and may have felt the earthquake. A M 6.5 earthquake will be probably felt within a radius of several hundred km.
Update :  Very strong aftershock of M 6.2. We expect many more aftershocks to happen the following hours and days.

for more and updates, go to:    http://earthquake-report.com/2012/01/15/earthquakes-list-january-15-2012/

Rio Grande Rift Earthquake Potential

Posted on by

Some earthquakes expected along Rio Grande Rift in Colorado and New Mexico, new study says

January 12, 2012

Some earthquakes expected along Rio Grande Rift in Colorado and New Mexico, new study saysEnlarge

(PhysOrg.com) — The Rio Grande Rift, a thinning and stretching of Earth’s surface that extends from Colorado’s central Rocky Mountains to Mexico, is not dead but geologically alive and active, according to a new study involving scientists from the University of Colorado Boulder’s Cooperative Institute for Research in Environmental Sciences. 

 

“We don’t expect to see a lot of earthquakes, or big ones, but we will have some earthquakes,” said CU-Boulder geological sciences Professor Anne Sheehan, also a fellow at CIRES. The study also involved collaborators from the University of New Mexico, New Mexico Tech, Utah State University and the Boulder-headquartered UNAVCO. The Rio Grande Rift follows the path of the Rio Grande River from central  roughly to El Paso before turning southeast toward the Gulf of Mexico.

Sheehan was not too surprised when a 5.3 magnitude  struck about 9 miles west of Trinidad, Colo., in the vicinity of the Rio Grande Rift on Aug. 23, 2011.  The quake was the largest in Colorado since 1967 and was felt from Fort Collins to Garden City, Kan.

Along the rift, spreading motion in the crust has led to the rise of magma — the molten rock material under ’s crust — to the surface, creating long, fault-bounded basins that are susceptible to earthquakes, said Sheehan, a study co-author and also associate director of the CIRES Solid Earth Sciences Division. The team studied the Rio Grande Rift region to assess the potential earthquake hazards.

Using Global Positioning System instruments at 25 sites in Colorado and New Mexico, the team tracked the rift’s miniscule movements from 2006 to 2011. “Questions we wanted to answer are whether the Rio Grande Rift is alive or dead, how is it deforming and whether it is opening or not,” said Sheehan.

Some earthquakes expected along Rio Grande Rift in Colorado and New Mexico, new study says
The high-precision instrumentation has provided unprecedented data about the volcanic activity in the region. Previously, geologists had estimated the rift had spread apart by up to 2 inches or 5 millimeters each year, although the errors introduced by the scientific instruments were known to be significant. “The GPS used in this study has reduced the uncertainty dramatically,” Sheehan said.

Using the latest high-tech instrumentation, the scientists found an average strain rate of 1.2 “nanostrain” each year across the experimental area, the equivalent of about one-twentieth of an inch, or 1.2 millimeters, over a length of about 600 miles.  “The rate is lower than we thought but it does exist,” Sheehan said.

The researchers also found the extensional deformation, or stretching, is not concentrated in a narrow zone centered on the Rio Grande Rift but is distributed broadly from the western edge of the Colorado Plateau well into the western Great Plains. “The surprising thing to come out of the study was that the strain was so spread out,” Sheehan said.

Results of the study are published in the January edition of the journalGeology.

The team plans to continue monitoring the Rio Grande Rift, probing whether the activity remains constant over time, said lead study author Henry Berglund of UNAVCO, who was a graduate student at CU-Boulder working at CIRES when he completed this portion of the research. Also, the team may attempt to determine vertical as well as horizontal activity in the region to tell whether the Rocky Mountains are still uplifting or not, Berglund said.

“Present-day measurements of deformation within continental interiors have been difficult to capture due to the typically slow rates of deformation within them,” Berglund said. “Now with the recent advances in space geodesy we are finding some very surprising results in these previously unresolved areas.”

As far as the potential for future earthquakes in the region, the study’s results are unequivocal, however. “The rift is still active,” Sheehan said.

The new study also is co-authored by CU-Boulder Associate Professor and CIRES Fellow Steven Nerem, Frederick Blume of UNAVCO, Anthony Lowry of Utah State University, Mousumi Roy of the University of New Mexico and Mark Murray of  Tech.

Provided by University of Colorado at Boulder

from:    http://www.physorg.com/news/2012-01-earthquakes-rio-grande-rift-colorado.html

2011—Most Costly Disaster Year Ever

Posted on by

Globally, 2011 Was Costliest Disaster Year Ever

OurAmazingPlanet Staff
Date: 04 January 2012 Time: 03:24 PM ET

From devastating earthquakes to record tornado outbreaks, 2011 was the most expensive year for natural disasters worldwide, according to a new insurance report.

At $380 billion, global economic losses from natural disasters in 2011 were two-thirds higher than in 2005, the previous record year, which had losses of $220 billion.

The magnitude 9.0 Japan temblor in Marchalone caused more than half the year’s losses, according to the report from global insurance firm Munich Re. In the United States, a deadly dozen disasters each caused more than $1 billion in damage.

While 90 percent of the recorded natural catastrophes were weather-related, the big earthquakes were the most expensive disasters,. Normally, it is the weather-related disasters that account for the greatest insured losses, according to the insurance firm. Over the last three decades, geophysical events such as earthquakes accounted for less than 10 percent of insured losses, Munich Re said.

Around 70 percent of economic losses in 2011 occurred in Asia, where 16,000 people were killed in Japan during the March 11 earthquake and tsunami. Even without considering the consequences of a crippled nuclear reactor in Fukushima following the quake, the economic losses caused by the quake and the tsunami came to $210 billion — the costliest natural catastrophe of all time.

The magnitude 6.3 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand, in February caused $16 billion in damage. Other expensive disasters included tornado season in the United States, which caused $46 billion in damage. Hurricane Irene, the first hurricane to make landfall in the United States in three years, caused $15 billion in damage.

“Thankfully, a sequence of severe natural catastrophes like last year’s is a very rare occurrence,” said Torsten Jeworrek, the Munich Re board member responsible for global reinsurance business, in a statement.

Some 27,000 people died in natural catastrophes in 2011. This figure does not include the countless deaths from famine following the worst drought in decades on the Horn of Africa, which was the greatest humanitarian catastrophe of the year.

from:    http://www.livescience.com/17738-2011-expensive-natural-disaster-year.html

Christchurch, New Zealand Aftershocks

Posted on by

3 large dangerous aftershocks hit Christchurch, New Zealand – shaking video

Last update: December 24, 2011 at 12:51 pm by By 

Earthquake overview : Multiple aftershocks hit the city of Christchurch and his suburbs during the early afternoon of December 23. 2 major aftershocks measuring 5.8 and 5.9 magnitude were the largest since many months.

Video of the shaking of the M 6.0  earthquake

Michelle Collins from Christchurch captured the shaking by accident as her camcorder was still running while positioned on a Christmas tree. She talks to the NZ Herald about the experience. This is what a M 6.0 feels like if you live near the epicenter. The heavy shaking lasted “only”  10 seconds, longer would certainly have generated much more damage. Miss Collins runs immediately outside while the shaking is still going on. Not wise at all, but in her case forgivable as she was only a few meters away from the patio/garden.

Liquefaction also occurred today. Funny to look at but something which may become very dangerous with higher magnitudes

Update 18:55 UTC
CERA (Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority) has advised the authorities that a Christchurch wide survey of houses would be desirable. The main reason of such a check is to find out whether the houses can withstand a new strong earthquake.

Update 17:40 UTC
M 5.1      2011/12/23 17:36    Depth 9.0 km     CHRISTCHURCH, NEW ZEALAND
local time 06:37
One of the stronger aftershocks right below the Akaroa peninsula on a location that we had almost no aftershocks so far
10 km east of Akaroa and 50 km south-east of Christchurch
Satellite map of the greater epicenter area

Update 16:26 UTC
In Sydenham, the 100-year-old former Post Office building was demolished last night after sustaining further damage during yesterday’s aftershock.

Update 16:10 UTC
29 + M 3.0 aftershocks since the mainshock!

Update 15:06 UTC – An example to all earthquake sensitive countries in the world
Telecommunications were not hit that hard as a result of the quake. The disruption noticed was due to the problems with the main power supply, which implicated that some equipment was operating on battery and generator backup.
Telecom was asking people to use texts, rather than calling, in order to ease the load on its mobile networks. Emergency calling remained operational (Earthquake-Report.com is in favor of this policy – other countries should follow this example asap (we have encountered continuous problems elsewhere in the world due to too high peaks and due to non-battery backup masts).

Update 10:52 UTC
It looks like the current epicenter can be called “little out of range” of the other powerful earthquakes. The epicenter of the initial quake who triggered the other ones was was located a little out of the coast. Hopefully this will not start off a new episode of aftershocks

for more information and updates, go to:   http://earthquake-report.com/2011/12/23/3-large-dangerous-aftershocks-hit-christchurch-new-zealand/

Earthquakes off Puerto Rico

Posted on by

2 moderate earthquakes in the coastal waters of Puerto Rico

Last update: December 17, 2011 at 11:58 pm by By 

arthquake overview : 2 moderate shallow earthquakes occurred at 2 AM just out the western Puerto Rico coast. The earthquakes were also felt as weak shaking in the Dominican Republic.

Felt reports from the greater epicenter area – image courtesy USGS

Update 13:48 UTC : The Red Sismica Puerto Rico is mentioning a max. VI MMI recorded in Mayaguez (strong shaking).  There are many reports of fallen objects like books, staues, hanging objects, etc. Many people mave mentioned a loud rumble.  The Agencia Estatal para el Manejo de Emergencias y Administración de Desastres (AEMEAD) has reported that no serious damage has occurred.

Update : The earthquake was also felt in the Dominican Republic.

Update : Since the first quake a number of aftershocks have been registered and we expect more to come

Update : NO damage has been reported so far. We will have to wait until daylight before this can be confirmed

Update : Max. intensity as reported by people near the epicenter was V (moderate shaking).

Update :  The earthquakes were very well felt by the people living all over the island of Puerto Rico

Update : people living at the western coast close to the epicenter had the impression that the quakes were more dangerous than measured.

Update : Luckily the epicenter was not below land, but approx. 20 km out in the Mona passage.

for more information and updates, go to:   http://earthquake-report.com/2011/12/17/2-moderate-earthquakes-in-the-coastal-waters-of-puerto-rico/