http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/natural_disasters/ Natural Disaster News and Research. Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, landslides, tsunamis and other natural disasters. Research past events, review predictions by scientists and learn how disaster relief can be most effective. en-us Mon, 12 May 2008 19:05:01 EDT Mon, 12 May 2008 19:05:01 EDT 60 http://www.sciencedaily.com/images/logosmall.gif http://www.sciencedaily.com/news/earth_climate/natural_disasters/ For more science articles, visit ScienceDaily. http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512135102.htm A new study of possible links between climate and geophysics finds that a much hotter climate could shut down the Earth's plate tectonics. While human-induced climate change couldn't generate the needed heat, volcanic activity or changes in the sun's luminosity could. The research, in Earth and Planetary Science Letters, may help explain why Venus swelters beneath a thick blanket of heat-trapping carbon dioxide. Mon, 12 May 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080512135102.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508092004.htm Chile's Chaiten Volcano is shown spewing ash and smoke into the air for hundreds of kilometers over Argentina's Patagonia Plateau in a new Envisat image acquired on May 5, 2008. Thu, 08 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080508092004.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507105654.htm The Chaiten volcano now erupting in southern Chile is one of 200 to 300 volcanoes in the "Andean Arc" region of Chile, Peru, Ecuador and Columbia considered active by volcanologists, some of which lie in much more densely populated areas, said a geologist who has studied Chaiten. Wed, 07 May 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080507105654.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502120306.htm Officials declared a commercial fishery failure for the West Coast salmon fishery due to historically low salmon returns. Hundreds of thousands of fall Chinook salmon typically return to the Sacramento River every year to spawn. This year, scientists estimate that fewer than 60,000 adult Chinook will make it back to the Sacramento River. Fri, 02 May 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/05/080502120306.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424153833.htm After finding more than 300 surface faults in Harris County, a geologist now has information that could be vitally useful to the region's builders and city planners. This information -- the most accurate and comprehensive of its kind -- was discovered using advanced radar-like laser technology. Although geologists have long known of the existence of faults in Southeast Texas, only recently have researchers produced a comprehensive map pinpointing the locations of the faults. Tue, 29 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424153833.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423135236.htm The 1600 eruption of Huaynaputina in Peru had a global impact on human society, according to geologists. The eruption is known to have put a large amount of sulfur into the atmosphere, and tree ring studies show that 1601 was a cold year, but no one had looked at the agricultural and social impacts. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080423135236.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424171350.htm To the surprise of many, the earthquake on April 18, 2008, about 120 miles east of St. Louis, originated in the Wabash Valley Fault, not the better-known and more-dreaded New Madrid Fault in Missouri's bootheel. The concern of seismologists is that the New Madrid Fault may have seen its day and the Wabash Fault is the new kid on the block. Fri, 25 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080424171350.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422103901.htm Although many people think that California "owns" all the earthquakes, Ohio also has its share of faults. Unlike another earthquake that woke people on another April 18, 102 years ago, this quake was fairly mild. Wed, 23 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080422103901.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421193729.htm The recent magnitude-5.2 earthquake in southern Illinois is a reminder that earthquakes are a national hazard. Today, scientists at the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) are revealing how shaky the nation is by releasing an updated version of the USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps. Tue, 22 Apr 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421193729.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418155002.htm New Orleans residents who lost their homes in Hurricane Katrina were over five times more likely to experience serious psychological distress a year after the disaster than those who did not. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 05:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418155002.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421151807.htm According to new research, some people survived Hurricane Katrina because of quick action from key women who, through pre-existing social networks, were able to mobilize for successful evacuation. Mon, 21 Apr 2008 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080421151807.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418160135.htm Today's early morning earthquake that jolted many in the central U.S. is a reminder that seismic events do occur in areas not normally thought of as "earthquake country." It is also a lesson that earthquakes east of the Mississippi River are felt more widely than those in the west. This event was felt as far west as Kansas, as far north as Upper Michigan, and as far south as Georgia. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080418160135.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416174634.htm The destruction and disappearance of ancient cultures mark the history of human civilization, making for fascinating stories and cautionary tales. The longevity of today's societies may depend upon separating fact from fiction, and archaeologists and seismologists are figuring out how to join forces to do just that with respect to ancient earthquakes. Fri, 18 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416174634.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416174630.htm 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, according to a new study. Thu, 17 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080416174630.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414203459.htm California has more than a 99% chance of having a magnitude 6.7 or larger earthquake within the next 30 years, according scientists using a new model to determine the probability of big quakes. The likelihood of a major quake of magnitude 7.5 or greater in the next 30 years is 46% - and such a quake is most likely to occur in the southern half of the state. Tue, 15 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080414203459.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080413184801.htm Scientists have recorded more than 600 earthquakes in the last 10 days off the central Oregon coast in an area not typically known for a high degree of seismic activity. This earthquake "swarm" is unique, according to marine geologists, because it is occurring within the middle of the Juan de Fuca plate -- away from the major, regional tectonic boundaries. Mon, 14 Apr 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080413184801.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403131923.htm Seismic activity on the southern Cascadia Subduction fault may have triggered major earthquakes along the northern San Andreas Fault in California, according to new research. This new information will have significant meaning for seismic hazard models for San Francisco. The research refines the recurrence rate for the southern portion of the Cascadia fault to approximately every 220 years for the last 3000 years. Tue, 08 Apr 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080403131923.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402164140.htm On the one year anniversary of a devastating earthquake and tsunami in the Solomon Islands that killed 52 people, scientists are revising their understanding of the potential for similar giant earthquakes in other parts of the globe. According to a new report in Nature Geoscience, the rupture in the Solomon Islands broke through a geological province previously thought to form a barrier to earthquakes. Implications are worldwide. This discovery means other sites such as the Cascadia Subduction Zone in northwestern North America have potential for more severe earthquakes than once thought. Mon, 07 Apr 2008 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402164140.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402152704.htm An idea for monitoring earthquakes that a seismologist came up with two years ago is now being realized, and has the potential to save lives in case an earthquake strikes. Her idea involves inviting the public to help monitor earthquakes by simply using their laptop computers at home. In doing so, the laptops join a network of computers designed to take a dense set of measurements that can help capture an earthquake. Sat, 05 Apr 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/04/080402152704.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327171053.htm Explosive eruptions and noxious gas emissions at Kilauea Volcano in Hawaii this week have prompted scientists to work around the clock to understand what will happen next. Scientists are monitoring gas emissions and seismic activity at Kilauea, which on March 19 experienced its first explosive eruption since 1924. The volcano is also emitting sulfur dioxide at toxic levels. Sat, 29 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080327171053.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318224409.htm Azhii peralai: from the deep ... large waves. This is the expression for 'tsunami' in Tamil, the oldest language in southern India. For an ancient dialect to have its own phrase for destructive waves triggered by earthquakes, the people of Tamil Nadu likely experienced tsunamis periodically through the centuries, say scientists. In other words, the catastrophic Indian Ocean event in December 2004 that killed 230,000 people in a dozen countries -- including 15,000 in India -- was hardly a one freak occurrence, he says, and people could have been much better prepared for it. Fri, 21 Mar 2008 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080318224409.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312115423.htm Ten questions driving the geological and planetary sciences have been identified. Far-reaching questions range from increasing our understanding of the beginning of the universe, the origin of life, earthquakes and climate change. Sat, 15 Mar 2008 08:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080312115423.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311090733.htm NOAA has just deployed the final two tsunami detection buoys in the South Pacific, completing the buoy network and bolstering the U.S. tsunami warning system. This vast network of 39 stations provides coastal communities in the Pacific, Atlantic, Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico with faster and more accurate tsunami warnings. Thu, 13 Mar 2008 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080311090733.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306161746.htm What are the signs of spring? They are as familiar as a blooming daffodil, a songbird at dawn, a surprising shaft of warmth from the afternoon sun. And, oh yes, don't forget the aurora borealis. Spring is aurora season. For reasons not fully understood by scientists, the weeks around the vernal equinox are prone to Northern Lights. Canadians walking their dogs after dinner, Scandinavians popping out to the sauna, Alaskan Huskies on the Iditarod trail -- all they have to do is look up and behold, green curtains of light dancing across the night sky. Spring has arrived! This is a bit of a puzzle. Auroras are caused by solar activity, but the sun doesn't know what season it is on Earth. So how could one season yield more auroras than another? Mon, 10 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080306161746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310131507.htm Geologists have confirmed the discovery of Earth's inner, innermost core, and have created a three-dimensional model that describes the seismic anisotropy and texturing of iron crystals within the inner core. Mon, 10 Mar 2008 20:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/03/080310131507.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229182323.htm There is perhaps no better place on Earth to study the origin of continents than Alaska. Alaska is composed of fragments of crust that were transported northward on a plate-tectonic conveyor belt and scraped off against the North American continent as the conveyor belt (oceanic plates) descended beneath it. During the last several hundred million years of Alaskan history, oceanic plates slid beneath North America in subduction zones, generating volcanoes inland above places where the descending plates dehydrated and generated melts in overlying mantle and crust. Mon, 03 Mar 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080229182323.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226144524.htm On Jan. 26, 1700, at about 9 p.m. local time, the Juan de Fuca plate beneath the ocean in the Pacific Northwest suddenly moved, slipping some 60 feet eastward beneath the North American plate in a monster quake of approximately magnitude 9, setting in motion large tsunamis that struck the coast of North America and traveled to the shores of Japan. To help prepare for the next megathrust earthquake, researchers used a supercomputer-powered "virtual earthquake" program to calculate for the first time realistic three-dimensional simulations that describe the possible impacts of megathrust quakes on the Pacific Northwest region. What they learned was not reassuring. Fri, 29 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080226144524.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219203516.htm Volcanoes are notoriously hard to study. All the action takes place deep inside, at enormous temperatures. So geophysicists make models, using what they know to develop theories about what they don’t know. Geophysicists have just produced a new seismic model to help figure out what's going on deep inside Mount St. Helens, North America's most active volcano. Mon, 25 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080219203516.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080221093208.htm The first direct evidence of how and when tectonic plates move into the deepest reaches of the Earth is published 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. Contrary to common scientific predictions, dense plates tend to be held in the upper mantle, while younger and lighter plates sink more readily into the lower mantle. Sat, 23 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080221093208.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213133301.htm When confronted with emergencies or natural disasters, such as the wildfires that raged through San Diego and Los Angeles counties last October or the tornadoes that recently hit the southern US, residents often dial 9-1-1 as their first course of action. Sun, 17 Feb 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080213133301.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205125248.htm Scientists aboard IODP scientific drilling vessel Chikyu collected 5,000 samples from the seismogenic zone known as the Nankai Trough. The samples will provide scientists with new sources of data and the potential for increased understanding of how earthquakes are generated. Mon, 11 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205125248.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205092746.htm Researchers have characterized the physical and mechanical properties of the Earth's crust in the Gibraltar Arc, an area of intense seismic activity. The African and Eurasian plates get about 4 mm closer every year. The study related the temperature of the Earth's crust to its seismic activity, determining that the probability of earthquakes is significantly lower in areas of higher temperature. Thu, 07 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205092746.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205171753.htm Why do some earthquakes terminate along a fault, while others jump or step-over a gap to another fault? The underlying structure of a fault determines whether an earthquake rupture will jump from one fault to another, magnifying its size and potential devastation. Understanding why some earthquakes terminate along a fault, while others jump or step-over a gap to another fault, is essential to forecasting the seismic hazard of complex fault systems, such as the San Andreas Fault. Wed, 06 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205171753.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205161219.htm One of the world's most vulnerable areas for earthquakes lies in a region important for Palestinians, Jordanians, and Israelis, around the ancient city of Jericho. A serious earthquake could add to the volatile situation in the Middle East. Hoping to mitigate the risks, researchers have formed a new earthquake mapping research partnership between Jordanian, Palestinian, and Israeli scientists. Wed, 06 Feb 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/02/080205161219.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080131094102.htm Researchers investigated the phenomena that led to the recent activity of seven hot spots located in the central Pacific. Numerical mechanical models showed that variations in movement of the Pacific plate, generating shearing stresses within it, could facilitate the rise of magma towards the surface. This discovery, if corroborated, would indicate that the formation of certain hot spots depended on the movement of the tectonic plates. Mon, 04 Feb 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080131094102.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130130636.htm Earthquakes occurring at the edges of tectonic plates can trigger events at a distance and much later in time. These doublet earthquakes may hold an underestimated hazard, but may also shed light on earthquake dynamics. Mon, 04 Feb 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080130130636.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128113331.htm Researchers evaluated all known potential tsunami-generating sources in the Indian Ocean basin, and then calculated the impact of the waves they can generate. The geographical distribution of risk is evaluated on a basin-wide scale. Fri, 01 Feb 2008 17:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080128113331.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123182522.htm 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. Tue, 29 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123182522.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123104527.htm Istanbul is at such high risk for a devastating earthquake that engineers at Purdue University and the Republic of Turkey have come up with a bold new proposal: build a second city. A second, satellite city would provide immediate refuge to inhabitants of the old city in the event of a catastrophic earthquake and soften such an event's effects on the nation's economy. Sat, 26 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123104527.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080122154347.htm A newly identified fault that runs under the Adriatic Sea is actively building more of the famously beautiful Dalmatian Islands and Dinaride Mountains of Croatia, according to a new research report. Geologists had previously believed that the Dalmatian Islands and the Dinaride Mountains had stopped growing 20 to 30 million years ago. The Croatian coast is an increasing popular tourist destination. Dubrovnik, known as "the Pearl of the Adriatic," is a UNESCO-designated World Heritage site. Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080122154347.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080120160720.htm The first evidence of a volcanic eruption from beneath Antarctica's most rapidly changing ice sheet has been discovered. The volcano on the West Antarctic Ice Sheet erupted 2,000 years ago and remains active. Using airborne ice-sounding radar, scientists discovered a layer of ash produced by a 'subglacial' volcano. It extends across an area larger than Wales. Tue, 22 Jan 2008 23:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080120160720.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117140831.htm While flooding in California's Central Valley is "the next big disaster waiting to happen," critical water-related infrastructure issues confront almost every community across the country, according to engineers. Tue, 22 Jan 2008 11:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117140831.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117103739.htm Earth scientists have reported the discovery of a strong variation in the tectonic stresses in a region of the Pacific Ocean notorious for generating devastating earthquakes and tsunamis in southeastern Japan. The team used a high-tech drill ship to probe deep into a zone responsible for undersea earthquakes known to cause tsunamis. Tue, 22 Jan 2008 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080117103739.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080103144448.htm Plate tectonics, the geologic process responsible for creating the Earth's continents, mountain ranges, and ocean basins, may be an on-again, off-again affair. Scientists have assumed that the shifting of crustal plates has been slow but continuous over most of the Earth's history, but a new study suggests that plate tectonics may have ground to a halt at least once in our planet's history -- and may do so again. Mon, 07 Jan 2008 14:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080103144448.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080103124649.htm Using a novel device that simulates earthquakes in a laboratory setting, scientists have shown that seismic waves -- the sounds radiated from earthquakes -- can induce earthquake aftershocks, often long after a quake has subsided. Thu, 03 Jan 2008 20:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080103124649.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220110327.htm The German-Indonesian Tsunami Early Warning System for the Indian Ocean runs on track. Main milestones like the development of the automatic data processing software SeisComP3, as well as the underwater communication for the transmission of the pressure data from the ocean floor to a warning centre are already finalized. Thu, 03 Jan 2008 05:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071220110327.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071130101055.htm An earthquake has just shaken the Greek island. Damage is widespread and all conventional, terrestrial communications have been destroyed. The rescue operations have only one means at their disposal that has not been affected by the quake -- a satellite which, from its altitude of 36,000 kilometers, can immediately link the locations involved in the catastrophe with the appropriate authorities. Wed, 02 Jan 2008 02:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/11/071130101055.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219130301.htm A new study adds to evidence that the fault responsible for the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in the San Francisco Bay Area, California, is not as unusually weak as had been thought. In general, a "weak" fault is one that ruptures relatively easily, resulting in smaller but more frequent earthquakes, while a "strong" fault can accumulate more strain before breaking in larger shocks. Wed, 26 Dec 2007 08:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2007/12/071219130301.htm