A new earthquake thread? May as well. . .

[Nordic]

Seems a little strange, right? Also, this time of year is the opposite of fire season. I don't know of any fires in California at the moment. Doesn't mean there might not be a couple here and there, but basically we're in the end of a wetter-than-normal rainy season (and even some El Nino to boot).

I dunno, "Mostly False". Yeah, so what's "A little bit true" then?

"We're from the government and we're here to help you."

[elfismiles]

April 18, 2016 8:20 pm JST
Unusual quake cluster worries Japan

Rescuers and a search dog check the damage around a landslide area caused by earthquakes in Minamiaso, Kumamoto prefecture on April 17. © AP

TOKYO -- Seismic activity in southern Japan is mystifying geologists and keeping the nation on edge.

The island of Kyushu has been struck by a series of significant earthquakes, with the epicenters moving progressively further inland. The cluster started with the deadly quakes that hit Kumamoto Prefecture last Thursday and Saturday. Temblors subsequently rocked the Mount Aso region and neighboring Oita Prefecture.

There is a known concentration of faults in the area. Still, experts say it is highly unusual to have a string of quakes measuring around magnitude 6 and stretching over such a vast area. The epicenter of the Oita jolt was about 100km away from the first Kumamoto quake.

"I don't quite understand what is happening with the recent earthquakes, because it's an unfamiliar phenomenon," said Yoshihisa Iio, a professor at Kyoto University's Research Center for Earthquake Prediction.

The Japan Meteorological Agency said it is unprecedented to have a group of large quakes in these three parts of Kyushu. Experts are divided over how far the shaking will spread and whether it could prompt more quakes centered elsewhere.

Linked faults

The Beppu-Shimabara graben -- a type of geological formation -- stretches east to west across Kyushu, through Oita and Kumamoto prefectures. A number of faults run underground. Scientists believe such concentrations of faults increase the chances of what they call earthquake swarms. When one fault shifts, causing an earthquake, it can add to the strain on other faults, triggering more tremors.

The government's earthquake research committee attributed the magnitude-6.4 quake that hit Kumamoto last Thursday evening to a shift in the northern part of the Hinagu fault zone. The magnitude-7.3 quake that struck in the wee hours of Saturday morning occurred in the Futagawa fault zone, which runs just north of the Hinagu zone, the Geospatial Information Authority of Japan said.

Part of the Futagawa fault zone, about 27km in length, slid by around 3.5 meters, according to the GSI.

The government committee met on Sunday and agreed that the Futagawa zone was the culprit in the main quake. This zone, it turns out, is longer than previously thought and stretches close to Mount Aso's caldera. The committee warned local residents to brace for more aftershocks.

http://asia.nikkei.com/Features/Kyushu- ... ries-Japan

"as if a huge living being were moving underground"

[82_28]

On my fake facebook profile when I made it I chose both Stryper and Sepultura as my favorite bands because they're both stupid and counter-intuitive. They both blow my "timeline" or whatever the fuck it's called up with their announcements. Stryper is hella stoked about their tour there. I just wrote this to them:

Have you looked into whether the presence of Stryper might have summoned the earthquakes? I hope you suspended your tour to help out the victims of this act of God.

No they're headed to like Europe or something. No mention of the earthquakes. Anyway, another semi prank. But Jesus, the most lame band of all time that calls itself christian has absolutely no mention of the quakes. Just a great time in Japan! God bless you.

[Pele'sDaughter]

https://weather.com/science/nature/news ... kes-swarms

Scientists have detected a swarm of low-magnitude earthquakes beneath Mount St. Helens since last month, an occurrence that has researchers believing it's recharging its batteries for another eruption.

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), since March 14, there have been more than 130 earthquakes detected by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. There have also been many more quakes that were too small to find.

The tremors mainly had low magnitudes of 0.5 or less, with the largest clocking in at 1.3. The rates of earthquakes have been steadily climbing, reaching almost 40 quakes per week. The good news is, all of these occur at a depth between 1.2 to 4 miles below Earth’s surface and are too small to be felt above ground.

With all the rattling being done under our feet, the Washington volcano still appears to be silent.

In order to understand what exactly volcanoes do in this time of repose, you have to “look at the evidence of changes in the magmatic system recorded in the crystals that are brought up during an eruption,” Denison University assistant professor of geosciences Erik Klemetti writes for Wired.

Viewing these records shows intrusions of new magma occurring frequently, even when the volcanic system might not erupt for 100,000 years, Wired also reports.

The quakes underneath Mount St. Helens are volcano-tectonic in nature, which indicates a slip on a small fault, according to USGS. These usually take place in active hydrothermal and magmatic systems, which means it’s surrounded by hot gasses, hot water and, of course, magma. As the volcano slowly recharges, the magma chamber is likely imparting its own stresses on the Earth’s crust around and above it.

This stress pushes fluid through cracks, which creates the small tremors.

Though the idea of Mount St. Helens doing some kind of volcanic boxer shuffle to prepare for another eruption is worrisome, scientists say that this doesn’t necessarily mean it’s going to blow anytime soon.

“The current pattern of seismicity is similar to swarms seen at Mount St. Helens in 2013 and 2014; recharge swarms in the 1990s had much higher earthquake rates and energy release,” states USGS. “No anomalies games, increases in ground inflation or shallow seismicity have been detected with this swarm, and there are no signs of an imminent eruption.”

Between 1987 and 2004, researchers observing Mount St. Helens noted that recharge can go on for many years under a volcano without an explosion. However, this means that the currently brewing magma is likely stopping to crystallize and interact with residue from previous eruptions as it works its way towards the surface , according to Wired.

While a big recharge event is crucial for the system to get ready for the next eruption, researchers continue to question what it’ll be that pulls the trigger.

[elfismiles]

http://hello-gifriends.com/hopes-fears-moon-ribas

This woman, a self-described cyborg, can sense every earthquake in real time
http://qz.com/677218/this-woman-a-self- ... real-time/

[PufPuf93]

http://hello-gifriends.com/hopes-fears-moon-ribas

This woman, a self-described cyborg, can sense every earthquake in real time
http://qz.com/677218/this-woman-a-self- ... real-time/

From the second link above:

Like her longtime artistic partner Neil Harbisson, who has a color-sensing antenna permanently attached to his cranium, Ribas says the external physical change is not the point of being a cyborg. “I modified my body, to modify my mind,” says Ribas. As you can see in the video above, she translates the tremors she feels in her arm into dance movements.

But why the need for the surgically-implanted body hack?

“I want to perceive movement in a deeper way, “ explains Ribas, a choreographer who studied movement at Dartington College in the UK. “The planet moves, constantly shaking and moving everyday. I thought it would be amazing to translate the massive and natural movements of the planet in a different way.”

Ribas’ subdermal implant receives data from a custom iPhone app that aggregates seismic activity from geological monitors around the world. She describes the physical sensation as akin to having a phone vibrate in your pocket. The stronger the quake, the stronger the vibration.

[Iamwhomiam]

^^^^She must be a riot at tea parties

[seemslikeadream]

Magnitude-6.2 Earthquake In Central Italy Reportedly Kills Dozens

August 24, 20167:08 AM ET
CAMILA DOMONOSKE


A powerful earthquake shook central Italy overnight, killing at least 37 people, according to reports, and destroying large swathes of several towns. Victims are still being pulled from the rubble and the full extent of the devastation is not yet clear.

The U.S. Geologic Service estimates that the quake, which was centered about 100 miles northeast of Rome, had a magnitude of 6.2.


Amatrice, Accumoli and Pescara del Tronto, in the Apennine mountains, are among the hardest-hit towns. They're small in size but popular as tourist destinations.

"A lot of the officials are lamenting that these are tiny towns but their populations swell in the summer, specifically because they are very sought-after vacation getaways," Associated Press reporter Nicole Winfield told NPR.

"So the tiny town of Accumoli ... the mayor said is only a population of 700 but it swells to about 2,500 in the summer," she says, raising concerns about high casualty numbers.

The towns in the region are old, and some have been "completely razed," Winfield says: "The buildings are old and they just crumbled."

The earthquake struck just after 3:30 a.m. local time on Wednesday morning, Christopher Livesay reports for NPR.

"One of the town worst-hit is Amatrice," Livesay reports from Rome. "The mayor says half the town 'doesn't exist' anymore, and that all roads to and from have been cut off."

Reports collected by the USGS show that the impact of the quake was felt from coast to coast in central Italy, and as far north as Bologna and as far south as Naples.


A general view of Pescara del Tronto shows damage caused by an earthquake early Wednesday morning. Numerous buildings have collapsed in mountain towns near the quake in central Italy.
Giuseppe Bellini/Getty Images
Hundreds of people have been injured and thousands of people need temporary housing, The Associated Press says, citing Italy's civil protection agency.

Rescue crews are still trying to access some of the quake-damaged communities; roads are impassable in some regions.

The Associated Press reports that in the city of Amatrice, the air was choked with dust and thick with the smell of gas:

"Rocks and metal tumbled onto the streets and dazed residents huddled in piazzas as some 39 aftershocks jolted the region into the early morning hours, some as strong as 5.1.
" 'The whole ceiling fell but did not hit me,' marveled resident Maria Gianni. 'I just managed to put a pillow on my head and I wasn't hit luckily, just slightly injured my leg.'
"Another woman, sitting in front of her destroyed home with a blanket over her shoulders, said she didn't know what had become of her loved ones.
" 'It was one of the most beautiful towns of Italy and now there's nothing left,' she said, too distraught to give her name. 'I don't know what we'll do.'
"As daylight dawned, residents, civil protection workers and even priests began digging out with shovels, bulldozers and their bare hands, trying to reach survivors."

The Apennine mountains are "tectonically and geologically complex," the USGS writes, and the region has experienced several major earthquakes.

In 2009, a major earthquake hit near the city of L'Aquila, not far from Wednesday's quake.

The 2009 earthquake killed 300 people. Afterwards, seismologists were convicted of manslaughter for having said, days before the quake, that it was improbable a large quake was imminent. Their statement was in response to a widely publicized earthquake prediction by a layperson.

The convictions, which were criticized by scientists who said there is simply no reliable way to predict earthquakes, were later overturned.
http://www.npr.org/sections/thetwo-way/ ... t-least-37

Powerful earthquakes strikes central Myanmar, rattles region

By Shwe Yee Saw Myint and Aung Hla Tun August 24, 2016


YANGON (Reuters) - A powerful earthquake of 6.8 magnitude struck central Myanmar on Wednesday, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and local authorities said, shaking buildings across the Southeast Asian nation and the region.

The quake hit the town of Chauk, southwest of Mandalay, the Myanmar government said, with tremors felt as far away as Bangkok, where witnesses reported high rise buildings swaying, and the Bangladeshi capital Dhaka.

There were no immediate reports of casualties and initial reports suggested limited damage.

"My house shook during the quake. Many people were scared and they ran out of the buildings," said Maung Maung Kyaw, a local official of the ruling National League for Democracy (NLD).

"I went outside to check the situation in the town. Some of the buildings are split and nearly collapsed, but I don't see any people affected by the quake," said Maung Maung Kyaw.

The USGS said the epicenter was about 145 km (90 miles) west of the city of Meiktila, and relatively deep at 84 km (52 miles).

Chauk is about 35 km from Myanmar's ancient capital of Bagan, known as the "City of 4 Million Pagodas" and a major draw for Myanmar's nascent tourism industry.

According to the 2014 census, the town has a population of about 45,000, with around 185,000 living in the surrounding area. It was a thriving oilfield during the British colonial era.

"So far as we heard from our local staff, a three-storey building collapsed in Chauk and a pagoda was badly damaged in a town called Yenanchaung," a fire department official in the regional capital Magwe told Reuters.

"We haven't heard any information about casualties."

Ko Tin Ko Lwin, a resident of Yenanchaung township, told Reuters that a pagoda that had been cracked before the quake had collapsed, while electricity poles and some trees were felled.

The quake shook buildings in Myanmar's biggest city of Yangon and in other towns and cities, witnesses said.

Office buildings in the Thai capital Bangkok, to the east of Myanmar, shook for a few seconds, residents there said.

The quake was also felt in Bangladesh, to the west of Myanmar, where some people ran out into the street as buildings shook, residents said.

Myanmar is in a seismically active part of the world where the Indo-Australian Plate runs up against the Eurasian Plate.

In March, 2011, at least 74 people were killed in an earthquake in Myanmar near its borders with Thailand and Laos.

(Reporting by Yangon and Bangkok bureaus; Writing by Robert Birsel and Antoni Slodkowski; Editing by Alex Richardson)

https://www.yahoo.com/news/earthquake-6 ... 49657.html

[Novem5er]

^^ Terrible news out of Italy. I lived on the West Coast as a kid and there was always talk about the next Big One. The Pacific Northwest is long overdue for a major earthquake in the 7.0+ range, and we were constantly reminded of that as kids. How do people cope when the very ground you walk on may, at any moment, rise up to destroy you or open up to swallow you whole?

I read a novel a few years back that gave me some interesting insight into the world of early Christianity, and specifically the idea of Hell. The ancient Greeks had long associated the realm of death and the Underworld with the earth, and specifically with cavern systems. The whole Mediterranean is a geologic jello-bowl, with earthquakes, volcanoes, caverns, chasms, and gas vents. It's no wonder that early Christians translated this into a place of torment, Hell, and after Pompeii, how the End of the World would come with fire.

[seemslikeadream]

At least 247 killed in earthquake in central Italy
http://www.cnn.com/2016/08/23/europe/italy-earthquake/

The quake
The powerful earthquake hit 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) southeast of Norcia at 3:36 a.m. (9:36 p.m. Tuesday ET).
Italy's Civil Protection agency said of the people killed in the quake, at least 53 of them were in the town of Amatrice, and at least 100 people were injured. Other fatalities were reported in the nearby towns of Accumoli and Arquata del Tronto.
More than 1,000 people have been displaced by the quake, and the Civil Protection agency said no residents will be allowed to sleep in the devastated town of Amatrice Wednesday night

[seemslikeadream]

Magnitude-5.6 quake rocks Oklahoma
Doug Stanglin, USATODAY 9:31 a.m. EDT September 3, 2016

A magnitude-5.6 earthquake – matching the strongest temblor to ever hit the state – struck north central Oklahoma Saturday morning and could be felt over a seven-state area, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.

The jolt rattled a wide area of the Great Plains, including Missouri, Kansas, Texas, Arkansas, Nebraska and Iowa.

It was centered about 9 miles northwest of Pawnee, Okla., prompting local officials to dispatch officers to check key facilities, such as the local water plant.


There were no immediate reports of major damage.

Pawnee County sheriff's department radio traffic noted that the quake had apparently caused several structural fires, including one barn, near the town of about 2,000 people.

The magnitude-5.6 quake equals a temblor that struck the town of Prague, in Lincoln County, in November 2011, according to the USGS.

An increase in magnitude 3.0 or greater earthquakes in Oklahoma has been linked to underground disposal of wastewater from oil and natural gas production, the Associated Press notes.

State regulators have asked producers to reduce wastewater disposal volumes in earthquake-prone regions of the state. Some parts of Oklahoma now match northern California for the nation’s most shake prone, and one Oklahoma region has a 1 in 8 chance of a damaging quake in 2016, with other parts closer to 1 in 20.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/2016 ... /89824558/

[82_28]

Only 6.6km deep. No wonder everyone felt it. That's pretty shallow.

[norton ash]

Jesus, why not just keep poking at the New Madrid fault until it wakes up.

[MacCruiskeen]

Cross-posting:

Who's all Charlie now?

Charlie Hebdo Italy earthquake cartoon sparks anger

If a quake devastates San Francisco, no doubt those noble satirists will replace the lasagne with a Big Mac.

[seemslikeadream]

Magnitude 5 Quake Strikes Near Largest U.S. Oil Storage Hub

Alexander Kwiatkowski
November 6, 2016 — 10:59 PM CST Updated on November 7, 2016 — 6:19 AM CST

NEW YORK - JULY 23: Traders work on the floor of the New York Stock Exchange on July 23, 2009 in New York, New York. As positive economic news continued to emerge, the Dow topped 9,000 for the first time since January with the preliminary closing at 9,069. (Photo by Spencer Platt/Getty Images


A magnitude 5 earthquake struck Oklahoma on Sunday near the largest U.S. oil storage hub, prompting some pipeline companies to shut down operations at the site as a precaution.
The tremor occurred 2 kilometers (1.24 miles) west of Cushing at a depth of 5 kilometers, followed by a smaller quake in the area less than an hour later, according to the U.S. Geological Survey’s website.
Magellan Midstream Partners LP, a pipeline operator, is working through a controlled shutdown of its assets in the area, spokesman Bruce Heine said in an e-mailed statement. There was no damage to its assets and it expects to resume operations on Monday, he said. Enbridge Inc. spokesman Michael Barnes said by e-mail that there was no impact on the company’s facility in Cushing.
All companies that run intra-state pipelines that fall under the jurisdiction of the Oklahoma Corporation Commission have shut down operations as a precaution, Matt Skinner, a public information officer for the OCC, said by phone. Magellan typically discontinues operations to check the integrity of assets if an earthquake over a certain strength occurs, Heine said. Kinder Morgan Inc., another pipe operator, isn’t aware of any impact on its Cushing operations, Richard Wheatley, a Houston-based spokesman for the company, said in an e-mailed statement.
The OCC’s Pipeline Safety Department has been in contact with pipe operators at the storage terminal, and there have been no immediate reports of problems, the OCC said in an earlier advisory on its website.

Cushing, about 70 miles northeast of Oklahoma City, is the delivery point for West Texas Intermediate crude, the U.S. benchmark oil. WTI futures were up 1.7 percent at $44.82 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange at noon London time.
Electricity has been restored to almost all of Cushing, Jeremy Frazier, assistant city manager, told reporters at a televised press conference. Authorities have been in contact with tank farms in the area and there has been no damage to terminals, he said. While some gas leaks occurred, they have been contained and are no longer a threat, according to Frazier. There was some structural damage to buildings in the city’s downtown area, he said.
Other Tremors
Several producers, as well as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, are facing lawsuits because of seismic activity allegedly linked to oilfield wastewater disposal in Oklahoma and other states. The OCC, which regulates oil and gas activity in the state, has been issuing restrictions for more than a year aimed at cutting down on the amount of wastewater injected into underground wells.
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There are about 35,000 active wastewater disposal wells, though only a few dozen have been linked to quakes, according to a Bloomberg Intelligence report in May, citing the USGS. A 5.6 magnitude tremor had struck Oklahoma in September, which tied a state record set in 2011.
Following earthquake at Cushing on Sunday, minor tremors occurred at Nicoma Park, east of Oklahoma City, and Fairview, in the western part of the state.
The region, previously not known for intense seismic activity, began having a significant number of earthquakes in 2009, the same year area oil companies began using fracking to shatter deep rock layers to extract oil and gas. Fracked wells produce large quantities of wastewater, which drilling companies inject into ultra-deep disposal wells.
http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/ ... torage-hub