Twin quakes shake Iran amid Israel conflict. Is there link to nuclear activities?
Nuclear activities, particularly underground nuclear explosions, can induce earthquakes by releasing tectonic stress near the blast. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), such explosions can trigger seismic events, but these are typically much smaller in magnitude than the explosion itself and are limited to a range of a few tens of kilometres from the blast site. The quakes are generally less intense and have fewer aftershocks than natural ones.advertisementSeismologists can distinguish these events by analysing wave patterns, with nuclear explosions producing mainly P-waves. Natural earthquakes generate both P and S-waves. Also, the seismic waves generated by nuclear explosions differ from those of natural earthquakes.The Berkeley Seismology Lab explains that nuclear test seismograms are dominated by compressional P-waves, while natural earthquakes generate strong shear S-waves as well. This distinction allows seismologists to differentiate between the two, using methods such as moment tensor solutions, as described by the National Geographic, which trace waves back to their origin to identify the mechanism of the shake.Earlier earthquakes with a 2.5-magnitude event near Fordo on June 15, coincided with military actions, but expert analysis, including those from the Comprehensive Nuclear-Test-Ban Treaty Organization (CTBTO), confirmed they align with natural patterns.NUCLEAR-INDUCED QUAKE THEORY IN INDO-PAK CONFLICTDuring India-Pakistan's four-day conflict in May, similar tremors were felt in Pakistan. Even then, a theory of atomic activity surfaced but was debunked by India Today after analysing the facts logically based on seismographic evidence and trails.Keeping these scientific explanations in mind, it can be conclusively said that while nuclear activities, especially explosions, can cause small, localised earthquakes, the latest seismic events in Iran near nuclear facilities are consistent with natural tectonic activity, given the region's high seismic activity.Expert analysis, including from CTBTO, USGS, and independent seismologists, supports this conclusion, dismissing speculation about nuclear tests or military-induced quakes. The evidence leans toward natural causes, but ongoing monitoring and further research are essential, especially in conflict zones where speculation runs faster than the earthquake waves.Tune InMust Watch
IN THIS STORY#Israel#Iran
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Time of India
28 minutes ago
- Time of India
Trump is pushing India back toward China
Live Events (You can now subscribe to our (You can now subscribe to our Economic Times WhatsApp channel It may be another case of the adage: The enemy of my enemy is my way, it has come as a welcome surprise for China to see its top global rival, the United States, pick a fight with Beijing's biggest Asian competitor, India Relations between Washington and New Delhi are on the fritz after the Trump administration threatened this month to double tariffs on Indian goods to a whopping 50%, citing India's imports of Russian sudden rift threatens to undermine years of growing cooperation between the United States and India in areas like security and technology that had been fueled in large part by a shared desire to keep China's global ambitions in has also injected new momentum into an easing of tensions between China and India, which had ramped up in recent years. The thaw started in earnest in October when President Xi Jinping of China met with Prime Minister Narendra Modi of India at a summit of emerging economies in Kazan, Russia. Since then, the two countries have increased official visits and discussed easing trade barriers and the movement of people."I assume that there is a certain amount of schadenfreude among some folks in Beijing when they look at the trade issues between India and the United States," said Manoj Kewalramani, head of Indo-Pacific studies at the Takshashila Institution in Bangalore, India. "A breakdown of political trust between New Delhi and Washington works in Beijing's favor."To be sure, there is still much that divides the two Asian giants. That includes control of a 2,100-mile shared border; China's coziness with India's adversary, Pakistan; and India's ambition to attract the multinational manufacturers that have been trying to reduce their dependence on October meeting between Modi and Xi was the first time the two leaders had spoken in person since a 2019 summit in India, a year before relations cratered following a deadly Himalayan border fight between Chinese and Indian the Russia talks, the two countries have eased travel visa restrictions and are working to restore direct flights. In June, Beijing allowed pilgrims from India to visit holy sites in Tibet. China and India are also in discussions to reopen three trading posts along their mountainous boundary, Randhir Jaiswal, the spokesperson for India's foreign ministry, said last top diplomat, Wang Yi, is scheduled to arrive in India on Monday for the latest round of talks on border issues. It would be the first time Wang has visited India in more than three month, Modi will visit China for the first time in seven years to attend a regional security summit meeting in the northeastern city of Tianjin. Xi and President Vladimir Putin of Russia will also attend, bringing together three leaders at odds, to varying degrees, with the United Modi government has also been careful not to raise the Indian public's ire over the way China helped Pakistan's military during a clash with Indian forces in May -- a sign of New Delhi's commitment to smoother relations with Gokhale, a former Indian ambassador to Beijing, said in an opinion piece in The Times of India published Tuesday that China and India still had many diverging interests. But he wrote that China provided India and other developing countries a crucial counterbalance to "Trumpian disorder" as a source of capital and technology and as a partner in fighting climate change."China is beginning to look better than at any time in the previous five years," Gokhale has responded to India's friendlier posture with cautious optimism, taking into account the chance that the reorientation could simply be a play to hedge against the Trump administration, analysts called this year for relations to resemble a harmonious "dragon-elephant tango" in a nod to the two countries' symbolic creatures. Despite the gesture, China continues to fortify its border with India by building new roads, rail networks and villages that can also serve the Chinese two powers are also vying for influence across the Indian Ocean, the crucial waterway for Beijing's Belt and Road Initiative, a global infrastructure project intended to deepen China's supply chain of the biggest drivers of tension with India from China's perspective is the suspicion that New Delhi was abandoning its historically nonaligned foreign policy to move further into Washington's sphere. Beijing points to the Quad defense group, which brings together four large democracies -- India, the United States, Japan and Australia -- to counter China's military the next meeting of Quad leaders, expected later this year in India, goes ahead will depend on whether the Trump administration and New Delhi are able to mend their trade spat and rebuild trust, an Indian official if Indian officials want to improve ties with China, they will have to do it on Beijing's terms, analysts means opening up India more to Chinese firms and investment and continuing to loosen restrictions on visas for Chinese businesspeople. India has blocked Chinese carmaker BYD from setting up factories and has banned Chinese apps including TikTok "If India seeks to improve its relations with China, China welcomes that," said Lin Minwang, an expert on China's relations with South Asia at Fudan University in Shanghai. "However, China will not make significant concessions or sacrifices to accommodate India's so-called diplomatic posture."Lin said China will not budge on its national interests, even those that irk New Delhi the most, such as Beijing's close support for is also wary, Modi having been bitten once before after trusting Xi too readily, other analysts have said."India's current approach is primarily driven by strategic calculations," Lin said. "Given its deteriorating relations with the United States, it has adopted some China-friendly gestures. I believe the Chinese side will at least assess these developments cautiously."
New Indian Express
44 minutes ago
- New Indian Express
Thank you, scripted
Two days after Chennai corporation sanitary workers were detained following a 13-day protest against privatisation, Mayor R Priya led a 'Thank You' rally of newly-recruited contract staff last week. Placards of gratitude were waved, but the script was obvious. When a reporter thrust a mic at a worker to ask about the government's new welfare schemes, Priya leapt in — blocking the camera, hoisting placards to hide faces, whispering cues before letting the worker speak. The move drew criticism online, with many accusing the mayor of stage-managing the rally organised to gather support. - Praveena S A Handshake politics Saturday began with high drama: ED raids on Minister I Periyasamy's house, angry cadres outside, and even one supporter attempting self-immolation before police intervened. But by evening, the narrative flipped. As officers packed up files and laptops, the DMK veteran walked over, stretched out his hand, and smiled. A raid that started with fire and fury ended with pats on the back. Who knew raids could end like college farewell parties? - Saravanan MP Breaking news Roof collapses at Gudiyattam bus stand in Vellore - for the second time since its grand opening in April last year. Except… it didn't. TV channels got it wrong. Engineers had literally whacked the plaster to 'test' its strength, and naturally, it gave way. Now it's being redone with Plaster of Paris instead of P-sand. But in the race to break news, the truth was the first casualty. - Dheepthi OJ Watt a mess TNPDCL's smart meter project sounds futuristic — until you peek inside the office. Since it invited technical bids for the project on August 5, 50 companies have filed applications, generating a Himalayan 36,000 pages of paperwork. Five people, including a chief engineer, have been assigned to verify them. That's 7,200 pages each. At this rate, the 'smart' part of the project will be when someone teaches officials how to speed-read like Sherlock Holmes. S Guruvanmikanathan (Compiled by Adarsh TR)
Time of India
an hour ago
- Time of India
Netanyahu rebukes anti-war protesters
Israelis protest demanding end to Gaza war (AP file photo) Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has condemned protesters who have been calling for an end to the war in Gaza at nationwide demonstrations on Sunday. "Those calling today for an end to the war without the defeat of Hamas not only harden Hamas' position and draw out the release of our hostages, but also ensure that the horrors of October 7 will reoccur," Netanyahu told a Cabinet meeting. October 7 was the day in 2023 when Hamas-led militants carried out the deadly attacks in southern Israel that triggered Israel's ongoing Gaza offensive. Protesters in Israel call for end to Gaza war and hostage deal Demonstrators took to the streets across Israel on Sunday, with Tel Aviv a focus for protests calling for an end to the war in Gaza and a deal to release hostages still held by militants in the Palestinian enclave. Protesters in Tel Aviv blocked several roads in the city, including the highway connecting Tel Aviv and Jerusalem, while a huge Israeli flag covered with portraits of the remaining captives was unfurled in so-called Hostage Square. Protest organizers and the main campaign group representing the families of hostages also called a general strike that caused many businesses to close. Protesters say they fear further fighting could endanger the hostages still thought to be in Gaza. Police employed water cannon and made more than two dozen arrests for "disruption of order" during the protests. The demonstrations were condemned by some members of the Israeli goverment, with far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich saying public pressure to obtain a deal "buries the hostages in tunnels and seeks to push the State of Israel to surrender to its enemies and jeopardize its security and future." by Taboola by Taboola Sponsored Links Sponsored Links Promoted Links Promoted Links You May Like Multi-Asset Trades, Multi-Level Rewards Vantage Markets IN Register Undo The protests come after Israel's security cabinet approved plans to seize Gaza City as the Israeli military continues its more than 22-month offensive against the Palestinian militant group Hamas. The offensive was triggered by the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, in which 251 people were taken hostage in addition to the some 1,200 killed. Forty-nine of the hostages remain in Gaza, 27 of whom are dead, according to the Israeli military.
