http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/earthquakes/ Earthquake News. Early detection, historic earthquakes, earthquake measurement, smart building methods and more in our earthquake research news. en-us Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:05:01 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 12:05:01 EST 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/earthquakes/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091108131442.htm New research demonstrates that deep creep may mean milder, more frequent earthquakes along SoCal's San Jacinto fault, making it a less likely candidate for a major earthquake than its neighbor to the east, the Southern San Andreas fault. Mon, 09 Nov 2009 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091108131442.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104132652.htm When small earthquakes shake the central US, citizens often fear the rumbles are signs a big earthquake is coming. Fortunately, a new study instead shows that most of these earthquakes are aftershocks of big earthquakes (magnitude 7) in the New Madrid seismic zone that struck the Midwest almost 200 years ago. Aftershocks go on until the fault recovers, which takes much longer in the middle of a continent. Thu, 05 Nov 2009 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104132652.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105092611.htm Community-based education and awareness programs minimized the death toll from the recent Samoan tsunami, according to a team of researchers that traveled to Samoa last month. Funded by a National Science Foundation grant, the team collected data to document the impacts of the earthquake and ensuing tsunami that occurred on Sept. 29. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091105092611.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172037.htm In 2005, a gigantic, 35-mile-long rift broke open the desert ground in Ethiopia. At the time, some geologists believed the rift was the beginning of a new ocean as two parts of the African continent pulled apart, but the claim was controversial. Now, scientists from several countries have confirmed that the volcanic processes at work beneath the Ethiopian rift are nearly identical to those at the bottom of the world's oceans. Tue, 03 Nov 2009 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091102172037.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028112803.htm For the first time, a group of scientists working in the Kuril Islands off the east coast of Russia has documented the scope of tsunami-caused erosion and found that a wave can carry away far more sand and dirt than it deposits. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091028112803.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134709.htm Coastal towns and cities in the northwest are woefully unprepared for a large-scale natural disaster. In response, geotechnical engineers are working to develop a series of tsunami evacuation buildings up and down the northwest coast. They would be the first buildings of their kind in the United States. Wed, 28 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019134709.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020122538.htm Seismologists have found a new way to piece together the history of hurricanes in the North Atlantic -- by looking back through records of the planet's seismic noise. It's an entirely new way to tap into the rich trove of seismic records, and the strategy might help establish a link between global warming and the frequency or intensity of hurricanes. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091020122538.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122838.htm New ground measurements suggest the rate of ice loss of the West Antarctic ice sheet has been slightly overestimated. For the first time, researchers have directly measured the vertical motion of the bedrock at sites across West Antarctica using GPS. The results will lead to more accurate estimates of ice mass loss. Tue, 20 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091019122838.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015094337.htm Using satellite radar data and GPS measurements, Chinese researchers have explained the exceptional geological events leading to the 2008 Wenchuan Earthquake that killed nearly 90,000 people in China's Sichuan Province. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015094337.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091009120836.htm An international group of scientists aboard the Deep-Sea Drilling Vessel CHIKYU return from a 40-day scientific expedition off the shore of the Kii Peninsula, Japan on Oct. 10, 2009. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091009120836.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930132654.htm Scientists have found a way to monitor the strength of geologic faults deep in the Earth. This finding could prove to be a boon for earthquake prediction by pinpointing those faults that are likely to fail and produce earthquakes. Until now, scientists had no method for detecting changes in fault strength, which is not measurable at the Earth's surface. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930132654.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930132700.htm Seismologists have found evidence that the massive 2004 earthquake that triggered killer tsunamis. Their study suggests the Earth's largest earthquakes can weaken the strength of fault zones worldwide and trigger periods of increased global seismic activity. Wed, 30 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090930132700.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831212954.htm New research has found that the Wenchuan, China earthquake that occurred on May 12, 2008, had an acute impact on the brain function of physically healthy survivors and poses a risk to the mental health of these survivors. Thu, 24 Sep 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090831212954.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911164435.htm An international team of researchers has created the most complete seismic image of the Earth's crust and upper mantle beneath the rugged Himalaya Mountains, in the process discovering some unusual geologic features that may explain how the region has evolved. Mon, 14 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090911164435.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910114143.htm When a terrorist bomb explodes, a tornado rips through a town, a hurricane devastates a region, or wildfires ravage homes and businesses, plastic surgeons are not typically atop the list of emergency responders. Sat, 12 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090910114143.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112117.htm Scientists have developed a new technique to monitor movements beneath the Earth's surface, helping them better understand how earthquakes behave. Fri, 11 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112117.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112759.htm A new earthquake-resistant structural system for buildings, just successfully tested in Japan, will not only help a multi-story building hold itself together during a violent earthquake, but also return it to standing up straight on its foundation afterward, true and plumb, with damage confined to a few easily replaceable parts. During testing on a massive shake table, the system survived simulated earthquakes bigger than either the 1994 Northridge earthquake or the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090902112759.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165108.htm The deep-sea drilling vessel CHIKYU successfully completed riser drilling operations on August 31, for IODP Expedition 319, Stage 2, of the Nankai Trough Seismogenic Zone Experiment. The CHIKYU is operated by the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology in partnership with the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program. Expedition 319 marks the first riser drilling in the history of the scientific ocean drilling program, and the first subseafloor observatory operations for NanTroSEIZE. Fri, 04 Sep 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090904165108.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817142849.htm Using a technique called "ambient noise correlation," seismologists have observed significant changes in the behavior of parts of Earth's crust that were disturbed by three major earthquakes. Tue, 01 Sep 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817142849.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090828103942.htm Some slow-moving faults may help protect against destructive earthquakes, suggests new research. Until now, geologists thought when the crack between two pieces of the Earth's crust was at a very gentle slope, there was no movement along that particular fault line. Now geoscientists have found that such a low-angle normal fault in Italy is moving slowly and steadily. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090828103942.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825151002.htm It takes just seconds for tall buildings to collapse during earthquakes. Knowing what's happening in those seconds can help engineers design buildings that are less prone to sustaining that kind of damage. But the nature of collapse is not well understood. That's why researchers are trying an innovative "hybrid" approach to testing that may provide a safer, less expensive way to learn about building collapses. Fri, 28 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090825151002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818130607.htm After a big earthquake, it's key to keep the water system afloat. Water is necessary for life, and it fights the fires that often accompany such disasters. Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090818130607.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703091808.htm China is in a very seismically active area and has had many catastrophic earthquakes during its history. A joint European-Chinese team is using satellite radar data to monitor ground deformation across major continental faults in China to understand better the seismic cycle and how faults behave. Mon, 24 Aug 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090703091808.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817142743.htm New research about what triggers earthquakes shows that splay fault activity varies through time. Fri, 21 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090817142743.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805133007.htm New Zealand is the site of one of the world's youngest subduction zones, where the Pacific Plate of Earth's crust dives beneath the Australian Plate. Now, a study shows how water deep underground helps the subduction zone mature and paves the way for it to generate powerful earthquakes. Thu, 20 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090805133007.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090819153342.htm As tags on household appliances warn, water conducts electricity extremely well. Now, scientists have found that enhanced electrical conductivity in parts of Earth's mantle may signal the presence of water far below our planet's surface. Thu, 20 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090819153342.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730073924.htm The deep-sea drilling vessel CHIKYU, for the first time in the history of scientific ocean drilling, conducted riser-drilling operations to drill successfully down to a depth of 1,603.7 meters beneath the seafloor (at water depth of 2,054 meters). The CHIKYU is drilling deep into the upper portion of the great Nankai Trough earthquake zone to gain insights into geological formations and stress-strain characteristics. Wed, 19 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090730073924.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806204846.htm The Mission Creek and Banning faults are two principal strands of the San Andreas fault zone in the northern Coachella Valley of southern California. The two faults merge at depth to form one fault zone, according to a new analysis of the fault geometry near Desert Hot Springs. The refined understanding of the fault zone has implications for regional earthquake hazards and local groundwater resources, according to a new article. Tue, 18 Aug 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806204846.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810033921.htm Scientists have placed high-tech "spiders" inside and around the mouth of Mount St. Helens, one of the most active volcanoes in the United States. Networks such as these could one day be used to respond rapidly to an impending eruption. Wed, 12 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090810033921.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806184052.htm Daily traffic and noisy machines mask the vibrations caused by earthquakes, making seismic stations unable to detect many M >1 earthquakes. As a result, more earthquakes appear to happen on Sundays and late at night when people and machines are at rest, according to a new study of the apparent daily and weekly periodicity of seismic activity. Sun, 09 Aug 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806184052.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727143658.htm Researchers have discovered new faults that reveal how earthquake-induced stress is transferred below Southern California's Salton Sea. Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727143658.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090731085813.htm A research program aimed at using platinum as an exploration guide for nickel has for the first time been able to put a time scale on the planet's large-scale convection processes. Sat, 01 Aug 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090731085813.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727102034.htm When the magnitude 8 Sichuan earthquake struck southern China in May 2008, it left more than 69,000 people dead and 4.3 million homeless. Now ecologists have added to these losses an assessment of the earthquake's impact on biodiversity. Researchers show that more than 23 percent of the pandas' habitat in the study area was destroyed, and fragmentation of remaining habitat could hinder panda reproduction. Tue, 28 Jul 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090727102034.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720083421.htm The potential for a huge Pacific Ocean tsunami on the West Coast of America may be greater than previously thought, according to a new study of geological evidence along the Gulf of Alaska coast. The new research suggests that future tsunamis could reach a scale far beyond that suffered in the tsunami generated by the great 1964 Alaskan earthquake. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720083421.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720105125.htm New research has shown it is possible to develop an 'invisibility cloak' to protect buildings from earthquakes. The seismic waves produced by earthquakes include body waves which travel through the earth and surface waves which travel across it. The new technology controls the path of surface waves which are the most damaging and responsible for much of the destruction which follows earthquakes. Mon, 20 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720105125.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716103849.htm For the first time, scientists have demonstrated that tsunamis in the open ocean can change sea surface texture in a way that can be measured by satellite-borne radars. The finding could one day help save lives through improved detection and forecasting of tsunami intensity and direction at the ocean surface. Thu, 16 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090716103849.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709140817.htm Tremors under the Parkfield segment of the San Andreas Fault have increased with increasing stress on a nearby locked segment of the fault, perhaps signaling a greater chance of an earthquake. The tremors, like a constant, low-level rumble, increased after quakes in 2003 and 2004, and are at the end of a segment that last ruptured in 1857 in a 7.8 magnitude quake. Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090709140817.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622194340.htm The Earth's mantle, situated under the Earth's crust, is very much the spot for studying interesting geological processes. Although we do not realize it, right under our feet there is a sultry world of circulating Earth layers. We only come into contact with these hot Earth layers in the event of earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Mon, 13 Jul 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622194340.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618093238.htm For the first time scientists have discovered the presence of a natural deep earth pump that is a crucial element in the formation of ore deposits and earthquakes. Mon, 06 Jul 2009 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090618093238.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622195628.htm As reports of a strong earthquake in Alaska continue to emerge (on June 22) a Baylor University earthquake researcher says this is not an unusual event in this area. Tue, 23 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090622195628.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144213.htm Experts have evaluated the best building design and construction practices to reduce wind pressures on building surfaces and to resist high winds and hurricanes in residential or commercial construction. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090615144213.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617201806.htm Scientists are finishing the first phase of seismic surveying through downtown as part of a $1 million US Geological Survey study to create an earthquake hazard map in the Reno-Carson City urban corridor. Tue, 16 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090617201806.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610185522.htm A new study evaluates expected ground motion in Seattle, Victoria and Vancouver from earthquakes of magnitude 7.5 - 9.0, providing engineers and policymakers with a new tool to build or retrofit structures to withstand seismic waves from large "subduction" earthquakes off the continent's west coast. Mon, 15 Jun 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610185522.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610133449.htm Scientists have made the surprising finding that typhoons trigger slow earthquakes, at least in eastern Taiwan. Slow earthquakes are non-violent fault slippage events that take hours or days instead of a few brutal seconds to minutes to release their potent energy. Fri, 12 Jun 2009 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090610133449.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604181253.htm The Mw 7.9 Wenchuan earthquake occurred at 2:28 PM LT (6:28 UTC) on 12 May 2008, striking Wenchuan, Beichuan, and Qingchuan counties, located in the northwestern part of the Sichuan province. This earthquake was the most devastating earthquake in China in the past three decades. As of 29 September 2008, 69,227 deaths had been confirmed, with 374,643 people injured and 17,823 people missing. The maximum meizoseismal intensity (MMI) reached XI around Yingxiu Town, Wenchuan County, and Beichuan Town, Beichuan County, where 80% of homes were destroyed during the quake. Thu, 04 Jun 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090604181253.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090429132256.htm Scientists have developed a more comprehensive analysis of earthquake activity in the Lake Tahoe region, which suggest a magnitude-7 earthquake occurs every 2,000 to 3,000 years in the basin, and that the largest fault in the basin, West Tahoe, appears to have last ruptured between 4,100 and 4,500 years ago. Thu, 30 Apr 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090429132256.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423142322.htm The most powerful earthquakes happen at the junction of two converging tectonic plates, where one plate is sliding (or subducting) beneath the other. Now scientists have found that an anomalous layer at the top of a subducting plate coincides with the locations of slow earthquakes and non-volcanic tremors. Such a layer in similar settings elsewhere could point to other regions of slow quakes. Thu, 30 Apr 2009 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090423142322.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427091118.htm Observation, analysis, and interpretations of both rotational and translational ground motions may soon play a significant role in seismology and earthquake engineering. Mon, 27 Apr 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/04/090427091118.htm