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 Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:05:01 EST Wed, 11 Nov 2009 10:05:01 EST 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/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/2009/11/091104123027.htm Scientists have used images compiled over a decade to study volcanic activity in the African Rift. A new article focuses on the section of the rift in Kenya. Surface deformation of four active volcanoes underscore possibility for human hazard, as well as the potential of geothermal resources. Wed, 04 Nov 2009 00:00:00 EST http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/11/091104123027.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/2009/10/091030095513.htm In October, the hydraulic benthic interactive sampler HyBIS made 10 dives over the Casablanca Seamount, a four-kilometer high seamount located some 300 miles west of Morocco. Fri, 30 Oct 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091030095513.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/2009/10/091026093728.htm There is a likely chance of tsunami waves reaching the shores of Israel, says one researcher, following geoarchaeological research at the port of Caesarea. Tsunami events in the Mediterranean occur less frequently than in the Pacific Ocean, but recent findings reveal a moderate rate of recurrence. Mon, 26 Oct 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091026093728.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/2009/10/091006104055.htm Topographical surveys of Swiss lake floors have never been performed in such detail before now. With the aid of a sophisticated sonar system, Swiss researchers can produce three-dimensional images which show channels and other structures at the bottom of Lake Maggiore with centimetre-scale accuracy. Fri, 16 Oct 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091006104055.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/2009/10/091015102246.htm A mysterious basin off the coast of India could be the largest, multi-ringed impact crater the world has ever seen. And if a new study is right, it may have been responsible for killing the dinosaurs off 65 million years ago. Thu, 15 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091015102246.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008113259.htm Plinian eruptions are rare but highly explosive volcanic eruptions, which are often preceded by quite short periods of tectonic activity. Researchers in Germany have now been able experimentally to determine the speed at which the molten rock in the magma chamber rises to the surface. Thu, 08 Oct 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091008113259.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001081219.htm Worldwide, thousands of workers die every year from mining accidents, and instantaneous coal outbursts in underground mines are among the major killers. But although scientists have been investigating coal outbursts for more than 150 years, the precise mechanism is still unknown. Thu, 01 Oct 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/10/091001081219.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/2009/09/090921093600.htm Scientists have found the "Rosetta Stone" of supervolcanoes. A fossil supervolcano has been revealed in a rare uplift of the Earth's crust in the Sesia Valley of the Italian Alps. The discovery will advance scientific understanding of active supervolcanoes, such as Yellowstone, which is the second-largest supervolcano in the world and which last erupted 630,000 years ago. Mon, 21 Sep 2009 17:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090921093600.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/2009/09/090908103625.htm Tornadoes that occur from hurricanes moving inland from the Gulf Coast are increasing in frequency, according to researchers. This increase seems to reflect the increase in size and frequency among large hurricanes that make landfall from the Gulf of Mexico. Thu, 10 Sep 2009 11:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/09/090908103625.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/2009/07/090730073924.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/2009/07/090720083423.htm In the past, sirens howled to warn the population against floods, large fires or chemical accidents. Today, however, there is no extensive warning system in Germany, as most sirens were dismantled after the Cold War. Tue, 11 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090720083423.htm http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090717104618.htm Tropical cyclone Nargis made landfall in the Asian nation of Myanmar on May 2, 2008, causing the worst natural disaster in the country's recorded history. Researchers now report on a field survey done three months after the disaster to document the extent of the flooding and resulting damage. Mon, 10 Aug 2009 23:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090717104618.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/2009/08/090806170721.htm When Alaska's Kasatochi Volcano erupted on Aug. 7, 2008, it virtually sterilized Kasatochi Island, covering the small Aleutian island with a layer of ash and other volcanic material several meters thick. The eruption also provided a rare research opportunity: the chance to see how an ecosystem develops from the very first species to colonize the island. Thu, 06 Aug 2009 00:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/08/090806170721.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/2009/06/090624093313.htm A type of insurance called index insurance offers significant opportunities as a climate-risk management tool in developing countries, according to a new article. Fri, 31 Jul 2009 02:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/06/090624093313.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/2009/07/090706161304.htm New research finds cell phone towers can help predict the next big flood. Tue, 14 Jul 2009 14:00:00 EDT http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090706161304.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