All Articles Tagged As: earthquakes

Electronic heat trap grips deep Earth (11/16/2008)

The key to understanding Earth's evolution, including our atmosphere and how volcanoes and earthquakes form, is to look into the lower mantle, a region some 400 to 1,800 miles below the surface. Researchers at the Carnegie Institution's Geophysical Laboratory simulated conditions at these depths and discovered that the concentration of highly oxidized iron in the two major mantle minerals is key to moving heat in that region and affects material movement throughout the planet. ...> Full Article

Scientists find evidence of tsunamis on Indian Ocean shores long before 2004 (11/4/2008)

Scientists have found evidence that the event was not a first-time occurrence. ...> Full Article

Catching quakes with laptops (10/29/2008)

Inside your laptop is a small accelerometer chip, there to protect the delicate moving parts of your hard disk from sudden jolts.It turns out that the same chip is a pretty good earthquake sensor, too -- especially if the signals from lots of them are compared, in order to filter out more mundane sources of laptop vibrations, such as typing. ...> Full Article

World's Largest Tsunami Debris (9/28/2008)

A line of massive boulders on the western shore of Tonga may be evidence of the most powerful volcano-triggered tsunami found to date ...> Full Article

Stalagmites May Predict Next Big One along the New Madrid Seismic Zone (9/26/2008)

Small white stalagmites lining caves in the Midwest may help scientists chronicle the history of the New Madrid Seismic Zone – and even predict when the next big earthquake may strike ...> Full Article

May 2008 Earthquake in China Could Be Followed by Another Significant Rupture (9/11/2008)

Scientists Say Nearby Faults Now Twice as Likely to Produce Strong Quakes ...> Full Article

Major flooding risk could span decades after Chinese earthquake (9/7/2008)

Up to 20 million people are at increased risk of flooding and major power shortages in China's massive Sichuan Basin. ...> Full Article

New Analysis of Earthquake Zone off Oregon Coast Raises Questions (8/27/2008)

Scientists have completed a new analysis of an earthquake fault line that extends some 200 miles off the southern and central Oregon coast that they say is more active than the San Andreas Fault in California. ...> Full Article

Earthquakes may endanger New York more than thought, says study (8/24/2008)

Indian Point nuclear power plant seen as particular risk ...> Full Article

Earthquake Commission funds coseismic landslide research (7/20/2008)

A UC project to predict the location and volume of coseismic landslides has been awarded $30,000 funding by the Earthquake Commission ...> Full Article

Early earthquake warning: New tools show promise (7/19/2008)

Seismic 'stress meter' registered signs of quake 10 hours in advance ...> Full Article

A stress meter for fault zones (7/14/2008)

The speed of seismic waves is a measure of stress in rocks during -- and possibly before -- earthquakes ...> Full Article

A world novelty for an improved tsunami early warning (7/11/2008)

New early warning system being installed in Indonesia ...> Full Article

Pre-earthquake changes detected in the crust (7/10/2008)

Scientists have measured interesting changes in the speed of seismic waves that preceded two small earthquakes by 10 and 2 hours. ...> Full Article

Geologists study China earthquake for glimpse into future (7/7/2008)

The May 12 earthquake that rocked Sichuan Province in China was the first there in recorded history and unexpected in its magnitude. Now a team of geoscientists is looking at the potential for future earthquakes due to earthquake-induced changes in stress. ...> Full Article

Geologists show China quake was rare event (7/2/2008)

Could be a long wait before next big temblor--or maybe not ...> Full Article

Report confirms drilling, not earthquake, caused Java mud volcano (6/10/2008)

A mud volcano which has caused millions of dollars worth of damage was caused by the drilling of a gas exploration well ...> Full Article

Data show Antarctic ice stream radiating seismically (6/5/2008)

Seismologists have found seismic signals from a giant river of ice in Antarctica that make California's earthquake problem seem trivial. ...> Full Article

Enforcing scientific governance over seismic forecasts (6/4/2008)

Scholars called for the scientific management of seismic hazards at a symposium held recently by the Center for Policy Simulation under the CAS Institute of Policy and Management. ...> Full Article

Stress Buildup Precedes Large Sumatra Quakes (5/30/2008)

The island of Sumatra, Indonesia, has shaken many times with powerful earthquakes since the one that wrought the infamous 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami ...> Full Article

Big quakes spark jolts worldwide (5/26/2008)

Triggered tremors occur even on the opposite side of the Earth ...> Full Article

Global Earthquake Fatalities Expected To Rise This Century (5/19/2008)

Earthquake expert and geological sciences Professor Roger Bilham of the University of Colorado at Boulder says unprecedented human fatalities from earthquakes will occur around the globe in the coming century unless significant earthquake-resistant building codes are implemented. ...> Full Article

Scientists identified earthquake faults in Sichuan, China (5/19/2008)

Only last summer research published by earth scientists in the international journal Tectonics concluded that geological faults in the Sichuan Basin, China "are sufficiently long to sustain a strong ground-shaking earthquake, making them potentially serious sources of regional seismic hazard." ...> Full Article

Funding to study earthquake region (5/18/2008)

A major research consortium has just started to investigate the causes of devastating earthquakes in south-east Asia ...> Full Article

Geosciences Professor Measuring Aftershocks of China Earthquake (5/18/2008)

Professor and students study seismic activity of critical area near China's largest hydroelectric dam. ...> Full Article

Earthquake Engineering Conference (5/17/2008)

Experts on earthquake engineering and simulation will meet at the Sacramento Convention Center May 18-22 ...> Full Article

An earthquake's aftermath (5/3/2008)

Class works to get Peruvian town back on its foundations ...> Full Article

Twenty years of the Alaska Volcano Observatory (4/28/2008)

Volcanologists keep track of 30 volcanoes in Alaska ...> Full Article

Earthquake in Illinois could portend an emerging threat (4/27/2008)

To the surprise of many, the earthquake on April 18, 2008, about 120 miles east of St. Louis, originated in the Wabash Valley Fault and not the better-known and more-dreaded New Madrid Fault in Missouri's bootheel. ...> Full Article

To a Fault: The Bottom Line on Earthquakes (4/23/2008)

Geologist discusses common misconceptions about earthquakes ...> Full Article

New hazard estimates could downplay quake dangers (4/19/2008)

The dangers posed by a major earthquake in the New Madrid and Charleston, South Carolina zones in the Midwestern and Southern parts of the United States may be noticeably lower than current estimates if seismologists adjust one of the major assumptions that go into calculating seismic hazard ...> Full Article

Unearthing clues of catastrophic earthquakes (4/17/2008)

An inviting tale of destruction ...> Full Article

Grant Enables Extensive Mapping of Idaho Geology (4/8/2008)

Thanks to a generous grant, researchers at the Idaho Geological Survey at the University of Idaho will be able to map the region, including earthquake-prone areas ...> Full Article

Seismologist's Project Uses Public's Laptops to Monitor and Predict Earthquakes (4/6/2008)

Network of computers senses earthquake and sends warning, potentially saving lives ...> Full Article

Possible link found between earthquakes along the Cascadia and San Andreas faults (4/4/2008)

Seismic activity on the southern Cascadia Subduction fault may have triggered major earthquakes along the northern San Andreas Fault ...> Full Article

One Year After Solomon Islands Disaster, Scientists Realize Geological Barrier to Earthquakes Weaker than Expected (4/3/2008)

On the one year anniversary of a devastating earthquake and tsunami in the Solomon Islands that killed 52 people and displaced more than 6,000, scientists are revising their understanding of the potential for similar giant earthquakes in other parts of the globe. ...> Full Article

Seismologists set up telemetry system in wake of Wells earthquake (3/16/2008)

Even now, several days after traveling to Wells, Nev., to set up a telemetry network to gain a better understanding of the magnitude 6.0 earthquake that rocked the rural Nevada community last month, Nathan Edwards shakes his head with a sense of amazement. ...> Full Article

10 questions shaping 21st-century earth science identified (3/14/2008)

Ten questions driving the geological and planetary sciences were identified today in a new report by the National Research Council. Aimed at reflecting the major scientific issues facing earth science at the start of the 21st century, the questions represent where the field stands, how it arrived at this point, and where it may be headed. ...> Full Article

Mediterranean 'due a tsunami' research suggests (3/12/2008)

Studying an ancient earthquake has enabled researchers to quantify the likelihood of a tsunami in the Eastern Mediterranean. ...> Full Article

This is not a drill: The earth actually is moving beneath western Washington (3/10/2008)

While the annual Sound Shake exercise on Wednesday produced a simulated magnitude 6.7 earthquake on the Seattle fault, a real though unfelt seismic event is taking place beneath western Washington. ...> Full Article

Old fault zone could be to blame for earthquake (3/6/2008)

An old fault zone could be to blame for the earthquake that shook the UK early today, according to a Durham University expert. ...> Full Article

Earthquake predictions prove accurate for researchers (3/3/2008)

Two large earthquakes have occurred in quick succession in Sumatra, Western Indonesia, only months after University of Queensland researchers publicly identified the area as a high-risk zone for seismic activity. ...> Full Article

Supercomputer Unleashes Virtual 9.0 Megaquake in Pacific Northwest (2/27/2008)

Simulation May Help Big Cities Develop Early Warning Systems ...> Full Article

Earthquake theory stretched in Central Asia study (2/26/2008)

The entrenched political instability in Pakistan and Afghanistan is of grave concern to many in the West - but now geologists at ANU have suggested a new cause for the seismic instability that regularly rocks the region. ...> Full Article

Surprise On Journey To Center Of The Earth: Light Tectonic Plates Lead The Way (2/25/2008)

The first direct evidence of how and when tectonic plates move into the deepest reaches of the Earth has been detailed in Nature. Scientists hope their description of how plates collide with one sliding below the other into the rocky mantle could potentially improve their ability to assess earthquake risks. ...> Full Article

2007 third-lowest year on record for earthquake activity (2/20/2008)

The Nevada and eastern California region experienced one of its quietest years on record for earthquake activity, according to a study by the University's Nevada Seismological Laboratory. ...> Full Article

Why Do Earthquakes Stop? (2/7/2008)

Why do some earthquakes terminate along a fault, while others jump or step-over a gap to another fault? ...> Full Article

Paired earthquakes separated in time and space (1/31/2008)

Earthquakes occurring at the edges of tectonic plates can trigger events at a distance and much later in time, according to a team of researchers reporting in today's (Jan. 31) issue of Nature. These doublet earthquakes may hold an underestimated hazard, but may also shed light on earthquake dynamics. ...> Full Article

Innovative Method Improves Tsunami Warning Systems, Offers New Insights (1/30/2008)

A wave of new NASA research on tsunamis has yielded an innovative method to improve existing tsunami warning systems, and a potentially groundbreaking new theory on the source of the December 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami. ...> Full Article

For geoscientist Simons, Earth's deepest secrets may come from the sea (1/29/2008)

Princeton Earth scientist Frederik Simons believes the answers to questions about such unpredictable and destructive acts of nature as earthquakes and volcanoes might best be found floating in the ocean. ...> Full Article

Earthquake seer wins accolade from star gazers (1/28/2008)

An ANU seismologist whose work could help forecast the damage path of future earthquakes has been honoured by one of the world's top scientific organisations. ...> Full Article

NSF Awards Carnegie Mellon's Jacobo Bielak $1.6 Million for Earthquake Research (1/21/2008)

Carnegie Mellon University's Jacobo Bielak was awarded $1.6 million over the next four years from the prestigious National Science Foundation (NSF) PetaApps program to develop earthquake computer simulations that play an important role in reducing seismic risk for large urban coastal cities. ...> Full Article

Mapping of Greenland may aid understanding of sea-level mystery (1/16/2008)

A University of Alberta Arctic ice researcher is closing in on some real understanding about the process that might be feeding rising sea levels. ...> Full Article

Quakes Under Pacific Floor Reveal Unexpected Circulatory System (1/16/2008)

Study upsets long-held image of volcanism-driven hydrothermal vents ...> Full Article

Deep-ocean researchers target tsunami zone near Japan (1/15/2008)

Geologists search Nankai Trough for quake clues ...> Full Article

Quakes Under Pacific Ocean Floor Reveal Unexpected Circulation System (1/12/2008)

Zigzagging some 60,000 kilometers across the ocean floor, Earth's system of mid-ocean ridges plays a pivotal role in many workings of the planet: in plate-tectonic movements, heat flow from the interior, and the chemistry of rock, water and air. ...> Full Article

Earth's Moving Crust May Occasionally Stop (1/10/2008)

New Theoretical Model Suggests Plate Tectonics May Be On-Again, Off-Again Process ...> Full Article

Earthquake 'memory' could spur aftershocks (1/4/2008)

Using a novel device that simulates earthquakes in a laboratory setting, a team of researchers have shown that seismic waves - the sounds radiated from earthquakes - can induce earthquake aftershocks, often long after a quake has subsided. ...> Full Article

Earthquake Season in the Himalayan Front (12/24/2007)

Scientists have long searched for what triggers earthquakes, even suggesting that tides or weather play a role. Recent research spearheaded by Jean-Philippe Avouac, professor of geology and director of the Tectonics Observatory at the California Institute of Technology, shows that in the Himalayan mountains, at least, there is indeed an earthquake season. It's winter. ...> Full Article

Tracking Earth Changes with Satellite Images (12/22/2007)

For the past two decades, radar images from satellites have dominated the field of geophysical monitoring for natural hazards like earthquakes, volcanoes, or landslides. These images reveal small perturbations precisely, but large changes from events like big earthquake ruptures or fast-moving glaciers remained difficult to assess from afar, until now. ...> Full Article

Large earthquakes may broadcast warnings, but is anyone tuning in to listen (12/16/2007)

Like geological ninjas, earthquakes can strike without warning. But there may be a way to detect the footfalls of large earthquakes before they strike, alerting their potential victims a week or more in advance. A Stanford professor thinks a method to provide just such warnings may have been buried in the scientific literature for over 40 years. ...> Full Article

Geologist probes undersea seismic zone as part of new deep-drilling experiment (12/15/2007)

The first effort to drill into an undersea zone where massive earthquakes and tsunamis are generated has yielded new data on the stresses that build up there, according to Casey Moore, a professor of Earth and planetary sciences at the University of California, Santa Cruz. ...> Full Article

Early warning system predicted shaking from Oct. 30 quake (12/12/2007)

A California earthquake early warning system now being tested accurately predicted the ground shaking in San Francisco a few seconds before the city felt the Oct. 30, 2007, magnitude 5.4 quake near San Jose, according to a statewide team of seismologists. ...> Full Article

Pulselike and Cracklike Ruptures in Earthquake Experiments (12/7/2007)

Lab experiments that mimic the way the ground moves during destructive earthquakes require some sophisticated equipment, and they yield valuable insights. Caltech scientists studying how sliding motion spreads along a fault interface conducted a series of experiments involving ultrafast digital cameras and high-speed laser velocimeters to replicate a range of realistic fault conditions. ...> Full Article

Researchers break new ground in earthquake predictions (12/4/2007)

Researchers from UQ's Earth Systems Science Computational Centre (ESSCC) who were able to predict a series of three large Sumatran earthquakes that occurred in September, will present their ground-breaking research at the Fall Meeting of the American Geophysical Union (AGU), held from December 10 to 14. ...> Full Article

Rising tides intensify non-volcanic tremor in Earth's crust (11/28/2007)

For more than a decade geoscientists have detected what amount to ultra-slow-motion earthquakes under Western Washington and British Columbia on a regular basis, about every 14 months. Such episodic tremor-and-slip events typically last two to three weeks and can release as much energy as a large earthquake, though they are not felt and cause no damage. ...> Full Article

Earth Observation essential for geohazard mitigation (11/14/2007)

Every year geohazards - such as volcanoes, earthquakes, landslides and tsunamis - claim thousands of lives, devastate homes and destroy livelihoods. ...> Full Article

NEPTUNE Completes First Phase of Installation (11/8/2007)

The first phase of the new NEPTUNE Canada ocean observatory is being completed today off the west coast of Vancouver Island. ...> Full Article

Scientist studies 'fossil earthquakes,' possible key to understanding future quakes (10/29/2007)

A Colorado State researcher is studying Earth's ancient earthquakes, or fossil earthquakes, to get a better understanding of how and why earthquakes happen. ...> Full Article

Seismologists See Earth's Dynamic Interior as Interplay of Temperature, Pressure, Chemistry (10/26/2007)

Seismologists have recast their understanding of the inner workings of Earth from a relatively homogeneous environment to one that is highly dynamic and chemically diverse. ...> Full Article

Researchers probe undersea earthquake zone (10/24/2007)

Over the next five years, an international team of scientists will drill deep into the Earth's crust off the shore of Japan to understand how undersea earthquakes are generated and to establish a series of permanent undersea observatories on the plate boundary. ...> Full Article

Geologists Recover Rocks from San Andreas Fault (10/5/2007)

Scientists drill into earthquake zone 10,000-plus feet beneath Earth's surface ...> Full Article

Deepest ever scientific ocean drilling could hold key to understanding earthquakes (10/2/2007)

One of the most ambitious earth science expeditions yet mounted to gain a better understanding of the earthquake process, has begun off the coast of Japan. ...> Full Article

NSF Awards $2.16 Million for Intraplate Earthquake Studies (9/13/2007)

Researchers to understand causes of rare, destructive earthquakes ...> Full Article

For earthquakes 'speed kills' (8/18/2007)

High-speed ruptures travelling along straight fault lines could explain why some earthquakes are more destructive than others, according to an Oxford University scientist. In this week's Science, Professor Shamita Das suggests that ruptures in the Earth's surface moving at 6km per second could make future earthquakes along California's San Andreas fault much more destructive than current models predict. ...> Full Article

2006 Plate Motion Reversal Unlikely To Have Eased Seismic Strain, Earthquake Anticipation Near Acapulco (8/8/2007)

A reversal of tectonic plate motion between Acapulco and Mexico City in the last half of 2006 probably didn't ease seismic strain in the region or the specter of a major earthquake anticipated there in the coming decades, says a University of Colorado at Boulder professor. ...> Full Article

Alaskan Earthquake In 2002 Set Off Tremors On Vancouver Island (8/5/2007)

Perhaps it was just a matter of sympathy, but tremors rippled the landscape of Vancouver Island, the westernmost part of British Columbia, in 2002 during a major Alaskan earthquake. Geoscientists at the University of Washington have found clear evidence that the two events were related. ...> Full Article

Fragmented Structure of Seafloor Faults May Dampen Effects of Earthquakes (7/22/2007)

Many earthquakes in the deep ocean are much smaller in magnitude than expected. Geophysicists from the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) have found new evidence that the fragmented structure of seafloor faults, along with previously unrecognized volcanic activity, may be dampening the effects of these quakes. ...> Full Article