Earthquakes around the world
- Thread starter pescado
- Start date
Researchers aim to understand the unexpected, tsunami-like waves that slammed into the Pacific Northwest coast in 2016 and 2018
On January 16, 2016, a sudden swath of large and powerful waves swept through seaside communities along 450 kilometers (280 miles) of Pacific Northwest coastline. From Washington to northern California, water rushed past normal tide lines and filled beaches and streets, stretching hundreds of meters inland.
These “sneaker waves” are aptly named given their unannounced arrival, which occurs when massive waves push extra water onshore—a higher-than-usual water level that scientists refer to as runup. At best, these events take beachgoers by surprise. At worst, they are disastrous and fatal.
Researchers taking interest in these surprise events are starting to understand how they unfold. The data gathered so far suggests distant storms created the swells that drove the 2016 sneaker wave and another that occurred in early 2018, according to Chuan Li, a civil engineering graduate student at Oregon State University who presented his team’s most recent work on the two massive waves last month at the 2018 AGU Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C.
As researchers learn more about what caused these events, Li said they hope to better inform the public about the possibility of an unexpected and powerful sneaker wave.
“The bottom line is we’re trying to better understand these extreme runup events so we can inform the public,” Li said. “This work is motivated by wanting to provide additional safety for beachgoers and ultimately creating more awareness and better warning systems.”
Taking the “sneak” out of “sneaker waves”
Sneaker waves are fairly common in the Pacific Northwest. But the 2016 one was different.
“Video footage showed really large wave runup events within two or three hours of each other,” Li said. “The runup was so strong and went so far that people were up to their knees and water went all the way up into an inlet. We saw some pretty unusual phenomenon on this particular day.”
Li and other scientists were confounded: the wave activity measured deep in the ocean and on shore resembled conditions for a small tsunami, but without the triggering earthquake or telltale atmospheric disturbances.
“These long runup signals are often generated by things like earthquakes, submarine landslides, and tsunamis, or sometimes by waves at the surface,” said Ryan Mulligan, a coastal engineer and oceanographer from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario who was not involved in the research. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen effects in the deep ocean and on shore like that unless it’s a tsunami. So if it’s not a tsunami, then what is going on?”
Jan 20, 2016
To get to the bottom of this mystery, a team of researchers at Oregon State University examined the near- and off-shore conditions leading up to and during the sneaker wave. They turned to existing data gathered by sensors and instruments off the Pacific Northwest coast: tide gauges, wave buoys, and bottom sensors on the ocean floor.
Examining the wave patterns around the runup event, Li’s team observed unusually long and rapidly increasing peak wave periods both near the shore and further out at sea, indicating that a large swell may have driven the runup. What exactly caused the swell was not yet clear, but Li suspects distant storms may have been responsible.
As Li and his colleagues began to dive deeper into analyzing the instrumentation data, they learned that the 2016 sneaker wave was not a one-off event.
Two years later—nearly to the day—another massive runup event burst on the scene. It produced similar oddball signals and yielded another wave of attention on social media. But Li says there is still not enough information readily available to protect the public from these occurrences.
Sneaker waves don’t move in a predictable pattern like most wave sets, making them difficult for passersby to anticipate, according to Li.
“Visitors often don’t know much about the dangers of this particular part of the world, where we get very big waves,” Li said. “They might think, I can just stand by the edge of the water and I’ll be okay. But [these events] are the leading cause of death by drowning in this area.”
Li’s team now plans to further explore the possible drivers of this event and better understand potential generation mechanisms.
“We’re hoping to do some numerical modeling and lab work—running some short waves immediately followed by very long waves—to see if we can replicate some of this,” Li said. “We’re going to try to understand as much as possible.”
Earthquake, Magnitude 5.6 - BANDA SEA - 2019 January 04, 06:22:44 UTC
Overall Green Earthquake alert in Indonesia on 04 Jan 2019 06:22 UTC
Earthquake, Magnitude 5.3 - KURIL ISLANDS - 2019 January 03, 20:46:18 UTC
On January 16, 2016, a sudden swath of large and powerful waves swept through seaside communities along 450 kilometers (280 miles) of Pacific Northwest coastline. From Washington to northern California, water rushed past normal tide lines and filled beaches and streets, stretching hundreds of meters inland.
These “sneaker waves” are aptly named given their unannounced arrival, which occurs when massive waves push extra water onshore—a higher-than-usual water level that scientists refer to as runup. At best, these events take beachgoers by surprise. At worst, they are disastrous and fatal.
Researchers taking interest in these surprise events are starting to understand how they unfold. The data gathered so far suggests distant storms created the swells that drove the 2016 sneaker wave and another that occurred in early 2018, according to Chuan Li, a civil engineering graduate student at Oregon State University who presented his team’s most recent work on the two massive waves last month at the 2018 AGU Fall Meeting in Washington, D.C.
As researchers learn more about what caused these events, Li said they hope to better inform the public about the possibility of an unexpected and powerful sneaker wave.
“The bottom line is we’re trying to better understand these extreme runup events so we can inform the public,” Li said. “This work is motivated by wanting to provide additional safety for beachgoers and ultimately creating more awareness and better warning systems.”
Taking the “sneak” out of “sneaker waves”
Sneaker waves are fairly common in the Pacific Northwest. But the 2016 one was different.
“Video footage showed really large wave runup events within two or three hours of each other,” Li said. “The runup was so strong and went so far that people were up to their knees and water went all the way up into an inlet. We saw some pretty unusual phenomenon on this particular day.”
Li and other scientists were confounded: the wave activity measured deep in the ocean and on shore resembled conditions for a small tsunami, but without the triggering earthquake or telltale atmospheric disturbances.
“These long runup signals are often generated by things like earthquakes, submarine landslides, and tsunamis, or sometimes by waves at the surface,” said Ryan Mulligan, a coastal engineer and oceanographer from Queens University in Kingston, Ontario who was not involved in the research. “I don’t think I’ve ever seen effects in the deep ocean and on shore like that unless it’s a tsunami. So if it’s not a tsunami, then what is going on?”
To get to the bottom of this mystery, a team of researchers at Oregon State University examined the near- and off-shore conditions leading up to and during the sneaker wave. They turned to existing data gathered by sensors and instruments off the Pacific Northwest coast: tide gauges, wave buoys, and bottom sensors on the ocean floor.
Examining the wave patterns around the runup event, Li’s team observed unusually long and rapidly increasing peak wave periods both near the shore and further out at sea, indicating that a large swell may have driven the runup. What exactly caused the swell was not yet clear, but Li suspects distant storms may have been responsible.
As Li and his colleagues began to dive deeper into analyzing the instrumentation data, they learned that the 2016 sneaker wave was not a one-off event.
Two years later—nearly to the day—another massive runup event burst on the scene. It produced similar oddball signals and yielded another wave of attention on social media. But Li says there is still not enough information readily available to protect the public from these occurrences.
Sneaker waves don’t move in a predictable pattern like most wave sets, making them difficult for passersby to anticipate, according to Li.
“Visitors often don’t know much about the dangers of this particular part of the world, where we get very big waves,” Li said. “They might think, I can just stand by the edge of the water and I’ll be okay. But [these events] are the leading cause of death by drowning in this area.”
Li’s team now plans to further explore the possible drivers of this event and better understand potential generation mechanisms.
“We’re hoping to do some numerical modeling and lab work—running some short waves immediately followed by very long waves—to see if we can replicate some of this,” Li said. “We’re going to try to understand as much as possible.”
Earthquake, Magnitude 5.6 - BANDA SEA - 2019 January 04, 06:22:44 UTC
Overall Green Earthquake alert in Indonesia on 04 Jan 2019 06:22 UTC
Earthquake, Magnitude 5.3 - KURIL ISLANDS - 2019 January 03, 20:46:18 UTC
Earthquake, Magnitude 6.0 - ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS. - 2019 January 05, 18:47:11 UTC
Location 51.42 N ; 178.30 W
Depth10 km
Earthquake, Magnitude 6.8 - ACRE, BRAZIL - 2019 January 05, 19:25:39 UTC
Location 8.11 S ; 71.58 W
Depth 578 km
M6.8 Deep Earthquake Brazil and M6.1 Earthquake Alaska Region... 1/5/2018
Published on Jan 5, 2019
Location 51.42 N ; 178.30 W
Depth10 km
Earthquake, Magnitude 6.8 - ACRE, BRAZIL - 2019 January 05, 19:25:39 UTC
Location 8.11 S ; 71.58 W
Depth 578 km
M6.8 Deep Earthquake Brazil and M6.1 Earthquake Alaska Region... 1/5/2018
Magnitude 5.8 Quake Hits Iranian-Iraqi Border – Seismological Centre
A moderate 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit the Iranian territory close to the border with Iraq on Sunday afternoon, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.
The EMSC registered the tremor 87 kilometers (54 miles) northwest of Ilam, a Kurdish-majority city in western Iran, and 141 kilometers (87 miles) northeast of Iraqi capital Baghdad.
The EMSC said the epicenter was at the depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles). A shallower 4.1-magnitude aftershock was reported closer to the border minutes later.
The agency estimated the population in the area where the quake was felt at around 30 million. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
A moderate 5.8-magnitude earthquake hit the Iranian territory close to the border with Iraq on Sunday afternoon, the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre said.
The EMSC registered the tremor 87 kilometers (54 miles) northwest of Ilam, a Kurdish-majority city in western Iran, and 141 kilometers (87 miles) northeast of Iraqi capital Baghdad.
The EMSC said the epicenter was at the depth of 20 kilometers (12 miles). A shallower 4.1-magnitude aftershock was reported closer to the border minutes later.
The agency estimated the population in the area where the quake was felt at around 30 million. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage.
Magnitude 6.6 Earthquake Strikes North-West of Indonesia - USGS
The quake in the archipelago-nation comes mere days after the country was hit by deadly landslides and a tsunami that killed over 430 people, injuring at least 1,500 more.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a massive 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck 173 km north-northwest of the island of Ternate at a depth of 60.5 km on Sunday. Earlier USGS data suggested that the quake measured 7.0 in magnitude.
The disaster comes just a day after a 5.4 earthquake with its epicentre located 180 km south of Ternate.
There are no reports on the possibility of a new tsunami.
Indonesia, located in a seismically active zone known as the Ring of Fire, regularly suffers from powerful earthquakes.
The quake in the archipelago-nation comes mere days after the country was hit by deadly landslides and a tsunami that killed over 430 people, injuring at least 1,500 more.
According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), a massive 6.6 magnitude earthquake struck 173 km north-northwest of the island of Ternate at a depth of 60.5 km on Sunday. Earlier USGS data suggested that the quake measured 7.0 in magnitude.
The disaster comes just a day after a 5.4 earthquake with its epicentre located 180 km south of Ternate.
There are no reports on the possibility of a new tsunami.
Indonesia, located in a seismically active zone known as the Ring of Fire, regularly suffers from powerful earthquakes.
This earthquake is trivial, but has significance with the fact that California is poised to self destruct.
Earthquake, Magnitude 3.7 - SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIF. - 2019 January 16, 12:42:08 UTC
Location 37.85 N ; 122.23 W
Depth 12 km
Earthquake jolts East Bay residents awake Wednesday morning
January 16, 2019
Earthquake, Magnitude 3.7 - SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIF. - 2019 January 16, 12:42:08 UTC
Location 37.85 N ; 122.23 W
Depth 12 km
Earthquake jolts East Bay residents awake Wednesday morning
[SIZE=3]https://www.sfgate.com/napa-northern-california-earthquake/article/Earthquake-oakland-berkeley-strength-reaction-13537728.php[/SIZE]January 16, 2019
from USGS
M 5.3 - 133km WSW of La Libertad, Mexico (Gulf of California)
Time 2019-01-17 12:56:37 (UTC)
Location 29.640°N 114.039°W
Depth10.0 km
M 5.3 - 133km WSW of La Libertad, Mexico (Gulf of California)
Time 2019-01-17 12:56:37 (UTC)
Location 29.640°N 114.039°W
Depth10.0 km
Another hit on the Hayward Fault in Oakland CA. Video below!
Earthquake, Magnitude 5.3 - NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 2019 January 18, 12:46:25 UTC
Location35.88 N ; 140.43 E
Depth 60 km
Translated from Japanese by Microsoft
Data of the observation machine 5. It has a slightly larger reaction. It is much smaller than the response of the earthquake (M6) that occurred off the eastern Kanto Coast on December 24th, and we are paying attention to whether it will rise in the future. The Observation unit 5 captures the earthquake precursors from the Kanto area and the east coast of Kanto.#地震 #地震予測 #地震前兆 #jishin
Big earthquake would topple countless buildings, but many cities ignore the danger
Jan 17, 2019 | 5:00 AM Rong-Gong Lin II 11-14 minute Read
Snip:
Early morning earthquake strikes East Bay for second day in a row
Thursday, January 17, 2019
For the second morning in a row, East Bay residents were jolted out of bed by an earthquake.
Thursday morning's quake was mercifully a little later, at 6:11 a.m. The USGS gave it a preliminary magnitude of 3.5.
Wednesday morning's 3.4-magnitude quake hit at 4:42 a.m. Three small aftershocks followed: a 1.9-magnitude at 4:45 a.m., a 2.0 at 4:48 a.m., and a 1.1 at 8:52 a.m.
This morning's earthquake, like yesterday's shakers, was centered near Piedmont and the Oakland hills along the Hayward Fault. The USGS pinpointed the epicenter near the intersection State Route 24 and Tunnel Road.
This morning's shaker had a depth of just over 7 miles, exactly the same as the 3.4-magnitude earthquake that hit the area Wednesday.
Locals were even more stirred up on social media, spooked by eerily similar quakes on back-to-back days.
Some noted Thursday marked the 25th anniversary of the Northridge earthquake, a 6.7-magnitude that struck the San Fernando Valley at 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1994. The massive quake killed 57 people and injured another 8,700.
There were no initial reports of damage from either Wednesday or Thursday morning's quakes. BART ran trains at reduced speeds to perform track inspections. The agency told early-morning commuters to expect 20-minute delays systemwide.
Published on Jan 17, 2019 / 1:23
Earthquake, Magnitude 5.3 - NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 2019 January 18, 12:46:25 UTC
Location35.88 N ; 140.43 E
Depth 60 km
Translated from Japanese by Microsoft
Data of the observation machine 5. It has a slightly larger reaction. It is much smaller than the response of the earthquake (M6) that occurred off the eastern Kanto Coast on December 24th, and we are paying attention to whether it will rise in the future. The Observation unit 5 captures the earthquake precursors from the Kanto area and the east coast of Kanto.
Big earthquake would topple countless buildings, but many cities ignore the danger
Jan 17, 2019 | 5:00 AM Rong-Gong Lin II 11-14 minute Read
Snip:
Early morning earthquake strikes East Bay for second day in a row
Thursday, January 17, 2019
For the second morning in a row, East Bay residents were jolted out of bed by an earthquake.
Thursday morning's quake was mercifully a little later, at 6:11 a.m. The USGS gave it a preliminary magnitude of 3.5.
Wednesday morning's 3.4-magnitude quake hit at 4:42 a.m. Three small aftershocks followed: a 1.9-magnitude at 4:45 a.m., a 2.0 at 4:48 a.m., and a 1.1 at 8:52 a.m.
This morning's earthquake, like yesterday's shakers, was centered near Piedmont and the Oakland hills along the Hayward Fault. The USGS pinpointed the epicenter near the intersection State Route 24 and Tunnel Road.
This morning's shaker had a depth of just over 7 miles, exactly the same as the 3.4-magnitude earthquake that hit the area Wednesday.
Locals were even more stirred up on social media, spooked by eerily similar quakes on back-to-back days.
Some noted Thursday marked the 25th anniversary of the Northridge earthquake, a 6.7-magnitude that struck the San Fernando Valley at 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1994. The massive quake killed 57 people and injured another 8,700.
There were no initial reports of damage from either Wednesday or Thursday morning's quakes. BART ran trains at reduced speeds to perform track inspections. The agency told early-morning commuters to expect 20-minute delays systemwide.
Re do way to long. OK this is better!
Another hit on the Hayward Fault in Oakland CA. Video below!
Earthquake, Magnitude 5.3 - NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 2019 January 18, 12:46:25 UTC
Location35.88 N ; 140.43 E
Depth 60 km
Translated from Japanese by Microsoft
Data of the observation machine 5. It has a slightly larger reaction. It is much smaller than the response of the earthquake (M6) that occurred off the eastern Kanto Coast on December 24th, and we are paying attention to whether it will rise in the future. The Observation unit 5 captures the earthquake precursors from the Kanto area and the east coast of Kanto.#地震 #地震予測 #地震前兆 #jishin
Early morning earthquake strikes East Bay for second day in a row
Thursday, January 17, 2019 : whistle:
For the second morning in a row, East Bay residents were jolted out of bed by an earthquake.
Thursday morning's quake was mercifully a little later, at 6:11 a.m. The USGS gave it a preliminary magnitude of 3.5.
Wednesday morning's 3.4-magnitude quake hit at 4:42 a.m. Three small aftershocks followed: a 1.9-magnitude at 4:45 a.m., a 2.0 at 4:48 a.m., and a 1.1 at 8:52 a.m.
This morning's earthquake, like yesterday's shakers, was centered near Piedmont and the Oakland hills along the Hayward Fault. The USGS pinpointed the epicenter near the intersection State Route 24 and Tunnel Road.
This morning's shaker had a depth of just over 7 miles, exactly the same as the 3.4-magnitude earthquake that hit the area Wednesday.
Locals were even more stirred up on social media, spooked by eerily similar quakes on back-to-back days.
Some noted Thursday marked the 25th anniversary of the Northridge earthquake, a 6.7-magnitude that struck the San Fernando Valley at 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1994. The massive quake killed 57 people and injured another 8,700.
There were no initial reports of damage from either Wednesday or Thursday morning's quakes. BART ran trains at reduced speeds to perform track inspections. The agency told early-morning commuters to expect 20-minute delays systemwide.
Published on Jan 17, 2019 / 1:23
Another hit on the Hayward Fault in Oakland CA. Video below!
Earthquake, Magnitude 5.3 - NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN - 2019 January 18, 12:46:25 UTC
Location35.88 N ; 140.43 E
Depth 60 km
Translated from Japanese by Microsoft
Data of the observation machine 5. It has a slightly larger reaction. It is much smaller than the response of the earthquake (M6) that occurred off the eastern Kanto Coast on December 24th, and we are paying attention to whether it will rise in the future. The Observation unit 5 captures the earthquake precursors from the Kanto area and the east coast of Kanto.
Early morning earthquake strikes East Bay for second day in a row
Thursday, January 17, 2019 : whistle:
For the second morning in a row, East Bay residents were jolted out of bed by an earthquake.
Thursday morning's quake was mercifully a little later, at 6:11 a.m. The USGS gave it a preliminary magnitude of 3.5.
Wednesday morning's 3.4-magnitude quake hit at 4:42 a.m. Three small aftershocks followed: a 1.9-magnitude at 4:45 a.m., a 2.0 at 4:48 a.m., and a 1.1 at 8:52 a.m.
This morning's earthquake, like yesterday's shakers, was centered near Piedmont and the Oakland hills along the Hayward Fault. The USGS pinpointed the epicenter near the intersection State Route 24 and Tunnel Road.
This morning's shaker had a depth of just over 7 miles, exactly the same as the 3.4-magnitude earthquake that hit the area Wednesday.
Locals were even more stirred up on social media, spooked by eerily similar quakes on back-to-back days.
Some noted Thursday marked the 25th anniversary of the Northridge earthquake, a 6.7-magnitude that struck the San Fernando Valley at 4:30 a.m. on Jan. 17, 1994. The massive quake killed 57 people and injured another 8,700.
There were no initial reports of damage from either Wednesday or Thursday morning's quakes. BART ran trains at reduced speeds to perform track inspections. The agency told early-morning commuters to expect 20-minute delays systemwide.
from USGS
M 6.0 - Northern East Pacific Rise
Time 2019-01-18 16:40:42 (UTC)
Location 8.270°N 103.466°W
Depth10.0 km
M 6.0 - 76km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu
Time 2019-01-18 13:18:32 (UTC)
Location 19.208°S 168.633°E
Depth45.1 km
M 6.0 - Northern East Pacific Rise
Time 2019-01-18 16:40:42 (UTC)
Location 8.270°N 103.466°W
Depth10.0 km
M 6.0 - 76km WNW of Isangel, Vanuatu
Time 2019-01-18 13:18:32 (UTC)
Location 19.208°S 168.633°E
Depth45.1 km
