Earthquakes around the world

[Ca.]

5.7 magnitude earthquake hits near Christchurch, New Zealand Video
Date February 14, 2016 - 1:18PM
http://www.theage.com.au/world/59-magnitude-earthquake-hits-near-christchurch-new-zealand-20160214-gmtlia.html?&utm_source=social&utm_medium=twitter&utm_campaign=nc&eid=socialn:twi-14omn0023-optim-nnn:nonpaid-27062014-social_traffic-all-organicpost-nnn-age-o&campaign_code=nocode&promote_channel=social_twitter

Wellington: Paramedics are responding to a number of calls from people who fell as a magnitude 5.7 earthquake hit near Christchurch.

The quake struck shortly after 1pm on Sunday (11am AEDT) and was initially reported as 5.9 magnitude by GeoNet.

Pictures have emerged of a cliff face crumbling into the sea at Sumner Beach.

The earthquake hit central New Zealand, rattling Christchurch. Photo: Supplied

The Press building on Gloucester St was evacuated, after items fell over and computer monitors smashed. Two people died in the former Press building in the 2011 quake in the city.

This quake was centred 15km east of Christchurch and was 31km deep - with people as far north as Palmerston North and as far south as Dunedin reporting they felt it.

The quake comes just a week out from the fifth anniversary of the 6.3 magnitude February 22, 2011 quake that killed 185 people.

St John ambulance said while they had so far not received reports of serious injuries or damage, a number of people had fallen in the quake.

The Fire Service were responding to one call, but were not aware at this point if it was serious.

The city is still experiencing aftershocks, with a 3.5 magnitude quake and a 3.0 quake recorded a short time ago.

People trying to contact loved ones have been becoming concerned as phone systems have been overloaded.

"Grabbed the TV to stop it falling, books off, car alarms set off by it in the neighbourhood," Belinda McCammon tweeted.

Twitter:
Ben Jones
‏@SumnerBoy
Another nasty shake in Sumner, our hills are getting smaller by the day! #eqnz
https://twitter.com/SumnerBoy/status/698665394224001024/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

Michael Kerwin
‏@mkerwin111
Relatively minor EQ, but Mercalli scale shaking of VIII (severe). I felt it for 20 seconds while driving - was big. http://www.theguardian.com/world/2016/feb/14/injuries-and-cliff-collapse-after-severe-earthquake-strikes-close-to-christchurch …
https://twitter.com/mkerwin111/status/698746225818898432
Just felt magnitude 5.7 EQ (while driving) in Christchurch where 80% of CBD is being rebuilt from 2010 & 2011 quakes
https://twitter.com/mkerwin111/status/698685401460928512/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc^tfw

 

[casper]

Magnitude ML 3.8
Region CROATIA
Date time 2016-02-14 14:51:30.1 UTC
Location 43.10 N ; 17.44 E
Depth 2 km
Distances 111 km SW of Sarajevo, Bosnia and Herzegovina / pop: 696,731 / local time: 15:51:30.1 2016-02-14
73 km NW of Dubrovnik, Croatia / pop: 28,428 / local time: 15:51:30.1 2016-02-14
10 km NW of Komin, Croatia / pop: 1,309 / local time: 15:51:30.1 2016-02-14

 

[Ca.]

M 2.1 - COLOMBIA - 2016-02-15 06:05:40 UTC
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=488487
M 4.2 - TAIWAN - 2016-02-15 05:22:37 UTC
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=488484
M 2.1 - ISLAND OF HAWAII, HAWAII - 2016-02-15 03:01:29 UTC
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=488468
M 2.8 - SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIF. - 2016-02-15 00:17:24 UTC
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=488457
M 2.1 - SEATTLE-TACOMA AREA, WASHINGTON - 2016-02-14 23:43:11 UTC
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=488452
M 2.4 - CENTRAL CALIFORNIA - 2016-02-14 20:19:00 UTC
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=488440
M 2.0 - NORTHERN CALIFORNIA - 2016-02-14 19:43:27 UTC
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=488434
M 4.5 - HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION - 2016-02-14 22:47:58 UTC
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=488449
M 3.3 - ANTOFAGASTA, CHILE - 2016-02-14 19:14:23 UTC
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=488433
M 5.5 - IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION - 2016-02-14 18:09:26 UTC
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=488421

Alaskan Super Wave
(1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_Lituya_Bay_megatsunami)
Uploaded on Aug 18, 2008
Two survivors of a Mega Tsunami tell their stories of the day the 1/2km high wave hit Lituya Bay

https://youtu.be/yN6EgMMrhdI

 

[Laura]

Alaskan Super Wave
(1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_Lituya_Bay_megatsunami)
Uploaded on Aug 18, 2008
Two survivors of a Mega Tsunami tell their stories of the day the 1/2km high wave hit Lituya Bay

https://youtu.be/yN6EgMMrhdI

That's crazy. Read this!

At 22:15 hours PST on July 9, 1958, which was still daylight at that time of year, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 struck the Lituya Bay area. The tide was ebbing at about plus 1.5 m and the weather was clear. Anchored in Anchorage Cove, near the west side of the entrance of the bay:[10]

With the first jolt, I tumbled out of the bunk and looked toward the head of the bay where all the noise was coming from. The mountains were shaking something awful, with slide of rock and snow, but what I noticed mostly was the glacier, the north glacier, the one they call Lituya Glacier. I know you can't ordinarily see that glacier from where I was anchored. People shake their heads when I tell them I saw it that night. I can't help it if they don't believe me. I know the glacier is hidden by the point when you're in Anchorage Cove, but I know what I saw that night, too. The glacier had risen in the air and moved forward so it was in sight. It must have risen several hundred feet. I don't mean it was just hanging in the air. It seems to be solid, but it was jumping and shaking like crazy. Big chunks of ice were falling off the face of it and down into the water. That was six miles away and they still looked like big chunks. They came off the glacier like a big load of rocks spilling out of a dump truck. That went on for a little while—its hard to tell just how long—and then suddenly the glacier dropped back out of sight and there was a big wall of water going over the point. The wave started for us right after that and I was too busy to tell what else was happening up there.[10]

 

[casper]

Magnitude Mw 6.0
Region TONGA
Date time 2016-02-15 15:02:32.7 UTC
Location 21.14 S ; 175.47 W
Depth 10 km
Distances 28 km W of Nuku‘alofa, Tonga / pop: 22,400 / local time: 04:02:32.7 2016-02-16
720 km SE of Suva, Fiji / pop: 77,366 / local time: 03:02:32.7 2016-02-16
899 km SW of Apia, Samoa / pop: 40,407 / local time: 05:02:32.7 2016-02-16

 

[Pierre]

Alaskan Super Wave
(1958 Lituya Bay megatsunami https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1958_Lituya_Bay_megatsunami)
Uploaded on Aug 18, 2008
Two survivors of a Mega Tsunami tell their stories of the day the 1/2km high wave hit Lituya Bay

https://youtu.be/yN6EgMMrhdI

That's crazy. Read this!

At 22:15 hours PST on July 9, 1958, which was still daylight at that time of year, an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 struck the Lituya Bay area. The tide was ebbing at about plus 1.5 m and the weather was clear. Anchored in Anchorage Cove, near the west side of the entrance of the bay:[10]

With the first jolt, I tumbled out of the bunk and looked toward the head of the bay where all the noise was coming from. The mountains were shaking something awful, with slide of rock and snow, but what I noticed mostly was the glacier, the north glacier, the one they call Lituya Glacier. I know you can't ordinarily see that glacier from where I was anchored. People shake their heads when I tell them I saw it that night. I can't help it if they don't believe me. I know the glacier is hidden by the point when you're in Anchorage Cove, but I know what I saw that night, too. The glacier had risen in the air and moved forward so it was in sight. It must have risen several hundred feet. I don't mean it was just hanging in the air. It seems to be solid, but it was jumping and shaking like crazy. Big chunks of ice were falling off the face of it and down into the water. That was six miles away and they still looked like big chunks. They came off the glacier like a big load of rocks spilling out of a dump truck. That went on for a little while—its hard to tell just how long—and then suddenly the glacier dropped back out of sight and there was a big wall of water going over the point. The wave started for us right after that and I was too busy to tell what else was happening up there.[10]

And that was 'only' a 7.9 quake...

 

[Ca.]

CSEM
EMSC
M 4.8 - SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND - 2016-02-15 19:29:13 UTC
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=488624

Magnitude Mw 6.2
http://www.emsc-csem.org/Earthquake/earthquake.php?id=488625
Region AUCKLAND ISLANDS, N.Z. REGION
Date time 2016-02-15 19:28:04.0 UTC
Location 49.07 S ; 164.46 E
Depth 10 km
Distances 1184 km SW of Wellington, New Zealand / pop: 381,900 / local time: 08:28:04.0 2016-02-16
416 km SW of Invercargill, New Zealand / pop: 47,287 / local time: 08:28:04.0 2016-02-16
399 km SW of Bluff, New Zealand / pop: 1,938 / local time: 08:28:04.0 2016-02-16
New Zealand Earthquake Report
Magnitude 6.0, Tue, Feb 16 2016, 8:28:08 am (NZDT)
Quake History
Location history for this earthquake:
http://www.geonet.org.nz/quakes/region/newzealand/2016p123815

https://youtu.be/4RZg787GSfc

USGS
M6.3 - 40km W of Ovalle, Chile
2016-02-10 00:33:05 (UTC)
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/tectonic/images/southamerica_tsum.pdf
View interactive map
30.634 °S 71.620 °W depth=31.5 km (19.6 mi)
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/us20004z5b#general_map

https://youtu.be/UBl41skWi6w

EarthQuake Chile 2016
Published on Feb 9, 2016
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0iS_R-XBXTM
Recent earthquakes in Chile - complete list

Earthquake list: past 30 days 3.8 (145 quakes)
A 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck Chile's central region Tuesday evening, shaking buildings as far away as the capital of Santiago. But no damage or injuries were reported and authorities discounted the possibility of a tsunami hitting the country's long coast.

The U.S. Geological Survey said the epicenter of the quake was 25 miles (40 kilometers) west of Ovalle. It struck at 9:33 p.m. and caused buildings to shake in Santiago, 202 miles (326 kilometers) to the south-southeast. The USGS reported a 5.1-magnitude aftershock at 9:47 p.m. in the same central Coquimbo region.

Chile's emergency services office said no damage to infrastructure was immediately reported and there were no indications of casualties. The navy said no tsunami alert was issued.

Chile is highly earthquake-prone. Its central region was rocked by a powerful 8.3-magnitude quake in September 2015, but the country's heavy investment in structural reinforcement of buildings and constant refinement of its tsunami alert system helped prevent a catastrophe.

A devastating 8.8-magnitude quake in 2010, and the tsunami it unleashed, killed more than 500 people and destroyed 220,000 homes.

 

[Chad]

quite strong

M 5.3 Earthquake
7km SSE of Krestena, Greece

An earthquake with magnitude 5.3 occurred near Kalamata, Greece at 18:55:01.70 UTC on Feb 15, 2016 ...

 

[Ca.]

MyNorthwest.com
Seattle, Washington, USA
Series of earthquakes recorded under Mount Rainier
BY KIPP ROBERTSON, MyNorthwest.com Writer | February 12, 2016 @ 11:14 am
http://mynorthwest.com/11/2912633/Series-of-earthquakes-recorded-under-Mount-Rainier

A series of earthquakes were recorded under Mount Rainier Thursday morning.
The Pacific Northwest Seismic Network reports a "little swarm of quakes" shook under the mountain for about 20 minutes.
PNSN
‏@PNSN1
https://twitter.com/PNSN1/status/698183207456362496
Yesterday morning, there was a little swarm of quakes under #MountRainier for 20 mins or so. http://pnsn.org/spectrogram/current/volcanic/rainier …

Don't read into the quakes too much. Earthquakes like that are fairly common, according to John Vidale of the Seismic Network. They don't signify much, he says.

"Those swarms probably appear several times a year," he added.

The stronger shaking occurred at 3:41 a.m. when a 1.45-magnitude quake was recorded.

On the same day the Seismic Network reported a tremor episode began in mid-Oregon. Those tremors began not long after a "tremor blob" stalling in Washington.

https://twitter.com/PNSN1/status/697827920799137793/photo/1?ref_src=twsrc^tfw
Now WA-VI #tremor episode has stalled at OR-WA border, but a tremor blob in mid-OR is headed N. toward that border.

The tremors, or slow-moving earthquakes, occur along the Cascadia Subduction Zone about once per year. The latest episode in Washington began Dec. 21. Though there's no definite connection between the tremors and recent earthquakes, the Seismic Network reported there was a chance they were related to the 4.8-magnitude quake that shook Victoria.

Tsunamis Generated by Megathrust Earthquakes
Published on Mar 26, 2014

https://youtu.be/VJIdMvL9KcA?list=PL8FDF28B8FD0C2E56

Earthquakes Subduction-zone mega-thrust earthquakes, the most powerful earthquakes in the world, can produce tsunamis through a variety of structures that are missed by simple models including: fault boundary rupture, deformation of overlying plate, splay faults, and landslides during earthquakes. From a hazards viewpoint, it is critical to remember that tsunamis are multiple waves that often arrive on shore for many hours after the initial wave.In this animation we explore different tsunami-producing mechanisms by examining three famous earthquakes: Japan 2011, Chile 2010, and Alaska 2014.

 

[casper]

Magnitude mb 5.0
Region XIZANG-NEPAL BORDER REGION
Date time 2016-02-21 18:10:05.9 UTC
Location 28.11 N ; 85.19 E
Depth 40 km
Distances 47 km N of Kathmandu, Nepal / pop: 1,442,271 / local time: 23:55:05.9 2016-02-21
444 km W of Thimphu, Bhutan / pop: 98,676 / local time: 00:10:05.9 2016-02-22
715 km NW of Dhaka, Bangladesh / pop: 10,356,500 / local time: 00:10:05.9 2016-02-22

 

[angelburst29]

Magnitude mb 5.0
Region XIZANG-NEPAL BORDER REGION
Date time 2016-02-21 18:10:05.9 UTC
Location 28.11 N ; 85.19 E
Depth 40 km
Distances 47 km N of Kathmandu, Nepal / pop: 1,442,271 / local time: 23:55:05.9 2016-02-21
444 km W of Thimphu, Bhutan / pop: 98,676 / local time: 00:10:05.9 2016-02-22
715 km NW of Dhaka, Bangladesh / pop: 10,356,500 / local time: 00:10:05.9 2016-02-22

Moderate earthquake hits Nepal - The epicentre of the quake was in Gorkha district in the same area where a 7.8 magnitude temblor on 25 April last year killed over 9,000

http://www.livemint.com/Politics/b3TRhqdyCCBLnxBVtKjySI/Moderate-earthquake-hits-Nepal.html

Kathmandu: A moderate earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter Scale on Sunday night shook western and central Nepal, including the Kathmandu Valley. No casualties were reported so far from the area.

 

[Pierre]

M5.9 - 84km W of Ovalle, Chile

Source: USGS

 

[Chad]

Nearly 6,000 emergency, military personnel to conduct PNW megaquake exercise

Originally published February 27, 2016 at 7:23 pm Updated February 28, 2016 at 8:57 am

22 other pictures on the site page
By Sandi Doughton
Seattle Times science reporter

The last damaging earthquake in Washington struck 15 years ago, on Feb. 28, 2001.


The ground isn’t expected to actually shake this spring. But nearly 6,000 emergency and military personnel will pretend it is during a four-day exercise to test response to a seismic event that will dwarf the 2001 Nisqually quake: A Cascadia megaquake and tsunami.

Called “Cascadia Rising,” the exercise will be the biggest ever conducted in the Pacific Northwest. Which is fitting, because a rupture on the offshore fault called the Cascadia Subduction Zone could be the biggest natural disaster in U.S. history.


“It’s really going to require the entire nation to respond to an event like this,” said Kenneth Murphy, regional director for the Federal Emergency Management Agency, which is coordinating the exercise.

While the Nisqually earthquake measured magnitude 6.8, a Cascadia megaquake is likely to hit magnitude 9 — which is nearly 2,000 times more powerful. It will affect the entire West Coast from British Columbia to Northern California, including Seattle, Portland, Tacoma and Vancouver, B.C. The quake will be closely followed by tsunamis 30 feet high — or bigger — that will slam into oceanfront communities.

The damage and casualty estimates in FEMA’s quake scenario are sobering:

• More than 10,000 fatalities, mostly due to the tsunami

• 30,000 injuries

• 7,000 highway bridges and 16,000 miles of highway with high to moderate levels of damage

• 90 percent of port facilities destroyed or damaged

• Natural-gas and refined-fuel pipelines out of service

• 70 percent of electrical power systems damaged

• Serious damage to water-treatment and sewage plants

“For this scenario, we felt we really had to get all the experts in the room and use the best modeling and research that exists,” said Scott Zaffram, FEMA training and exercises branch chief. But the estimates are just that, he cautioned. The number of deaths, for example, would be much lower if the quake struck at 2 a.m. in January than at noon on a summer’s day when beaches are crowded.

During the Cascadia Rising exercise, emergency managers will do their best to deal with the theoretical catastrophe, with the goal of identifying problems and improving response when the real thing happens.

“We’re going to learn something at every level of government … that will help us figure out better ways to plan for this,” Murphy said.

The drill will be conducted mostly at the tabletop level. Workers will staff their posts at emergency-operations centers across Washington, Oregon, Idaho and British Columbia, fielding simulated damage reports, responding to calls for help, coping with power outages and tracking down resources and rescuers.

Phone and Internet services are expected to be knocked out, so teams will practice communicating via satellite phone and emergency radio frequencies.

In Grays Harbor County on the Washington coast, where many towns are in the tsunami inundation zone and ground shaking is expected to be fierce, emergency manager Chuck Wallace has recruited local ham-radio operators to participate.

“They have radios in their trucks,” he said. “They can hook up to a car battery and they’re rolling, so we should be able to get reconnaissance information from them.”

Wallace encouraged organizers to add aftershocks and multiple tsunami surges to the exercise scenario, to make it as realistic as possible. He and his staff are also prepared to consider some grim possibilities, such as a tsunami that completely overtops the cities of Ocean Shores and Westport, killing all public officials.

At the state level, Murphy is challenging elected officials and emergency managers to ask similarly tough questions. “If you have every county in Washington damaged, who gets what first?” he asked.

Several military units will conduct field exercises in conjunction with Cascadia Rising. More than 1,500 members of Washington’s National Guard will set up tactical operations centers, dispatch search and rescue teams, and move supplies, said spokeswoman Karina Shagren.

At least one naval vessel will respond as if to a real disaster, establishing an emergency dock and transporting cargo, equipment and personnel.

The participation of so many state and local governments, agencies and military units is important because the quake and tsunami will affect such a large area, said Jim Mullen, former director of the Washington State Emergency Management Division.

Eastern Washington and Idaho won’t experience much, if any quake damage, but they will be key for relocating refugees, treating victims, and transporting supplies.

Mullen cautioned against the tendency of agencies and organizations to “paper over” their failings in exercises like these. “Identifying gaps is good,” he said. “That means you found something we’re not good at — but now we can fix it.”

And even though the Cascadia Rising exercise is focused on the immediate response to the disaster, officials should also use it as a springboard for discussions about long-term recovery and efforts to get the region’s economy back on track, Mullen said.

The last Cascadia megaquake and tsunami occurred in the year 1700. Estimates of average recurrence intervals vary from 250 to 500 years — but geologists say there’s no doubt the fault will rupture again some day.

Those who weathered the Nisqually quake shouldn’t count on such a mild ride the next time around, Wallace said.

“A Cascadia quake is very different,” he said. “We can’t afford to become complacent.”

 

[Chad]

Indonesia issues tsunami warning after 7.9 quake strikes off Sumatra
Published time: 2 Mar, 2016 13:05
Edited time: 2 Mar, 2016 13:26
Get short URL
© earthquake.usgs.gov
© earthquake.usgs.gov
2172
A 7.9 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Indonesia, according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The country has issued a tsunami warning, the National Meteorolgical Agency reported.

https://www.rt.com/news/334279-quake-strikes-off-indonesia/
The shallow quake, which hit southwest of the island of Sumatra on Wednesday, had a depth of 10 kilometers (six miles).

The epicenter was located 808 kilometers (502 miles) southwest of Padang.

There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. However, shallower earthquakes are more likely to cause damage.

The USGS originally categorized the quake as a magnitude 8.2, and later an 8.1, before lowering it to a 7.9.

In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck 160 kilometers (99 miles) off the western coast of northern Sumatra, resulting in a tsunami. A total of 230,000 people were killed across a dozen countries, including Thailand.

Indonesia straddles the so-called 'Pacific Ring of Fire,' a highly seismically active zone where neighboring tectonic plates violently clash, resulting in a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes.

 

[Chad]

We had intense auroras over UK and Ireland yesterday and this occurred around the same time:

Earthquake felt in Oxfordshire and Buckinghamshire
-http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-35743721
6 hours ago

Image caption The earthquake at was centred near the Oxfordshire-Buckinghamshire border

An earthquake with a magnitude of 2.3 has been recorded in Oxfordshire, the British Geological Survey (BGS) has confirmed.

Residents in Chinnor and Thame as well as Princes Risborough, Aylesbury and Bledlow in Buckinghamshire reported feeling shaking late on Sunday.

The BGS said the earthquake, centred on the village of Emmington, happened at 23:11 GMT.

Seismologist Glen Ford said: "The fact it was noticed makes it a bit special."

Updates on this story and more from Oxfordshire
Image copyright British Geological Survey
Image caption The earthquake was picked up by the British Geological Survey's sensors

A caller to BBC Radio Oxford, who lives in Chinnor, said: "The whole place shook - it was more than a wind and rattled the windows."

People also took to social media to post comments after experiencing the late-night movement.

Anna Edwards tweeted: "Earthquake or explosion? Something moved n S Oxon. Felt in Chinnor & Thame."

Chris White tweeted: "Bucks earth quake? We felt it, house shook, low noise!"

Emily Smith also posted: "Magnitude 2.3 earthquake in Bucks last night, that explains the house shaking then."

The BGS said the quake was one of about a dozen felt in the UK each year.

Mr Ford said: "Old geological faults still get activated by the stresses which are put on them from the major fault lines we have, and every now and again these pressures are released with a small earthquake."

He added: "It was a very small earthquake, but in UK terms it was significant as it was actually felt by the general public - 90% of earthquakes go completely unnoticed."