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The Hindu
3 days ago
- Science
- The Hindu
India's water, energy demand spotlight risk of human-induced quakes
Earthquakes are usually natural — but not always. Sometimes some natural factors can combine with human activities to lead to earthquakes as well. Quakes induced by human activities are called human-induced earthquakes. According to one estimate researchers discussed in Seismological Research Letters in 2017, more than 700 human-induced earthquakes have been recorded around the world in the last 150 years, and they are becoming more common. Human activities like mining, extracting groundwater, impounding water behind a dam, injecting fluids into the ground, constructing tall buildings, and engineering coastal structures, among others, have been shown to induce seismic activity. This is because, according to experts, loading and unloading the crust in a repeated manner can cause strain to accumulate between tectonic plates, which would in turn modulate seismic activity. In India, seismologists have also been studying how the amount of water above and below the ground can affect the geological processes. A 2021 study in Scientific Reports reported that shallow earthquakes recorded in the National Capital Region could be linked to excessive groundwater extraction in the region for farming and human consumption. 'It was seen that between 2003 and 2012, when the water table had depleted significantly, there was an increase in seismic activity. The seismic activity reduced after 2014 when the water table stabilised,' Bhaskar Kundu, associate professor at NIT Rourkela and one of the authors of the study, told The Hindu. Managing extraction When groundwater is pumped out, the mass of water maintaining the pressure under the earth is removed, creating jolts on the surface. 'The situation is not of major concern because these earthquakes in the Delhi-NCR region are usually minor, with the maximum going up to 4.5 magnitude,' C.P. Rajendran, geoscientist and author of The Rumbling Earth: The Story of Indian Earthquakes, said. 'It can go up to 5.5, which for a densely populated city like Delhi could have risks.' This is because Delhi lies on several faultlines and is in the Zone 4 seismic risk category, meaning it's a quake-prone region. The risk for earthquakes induced by groundwater extraction is spread across the Gangetic plains, where the water table has been dropping in leaps, Dr. Rajendran said. This is mostly because crops sown in the region still need large quantities of water and very little of that thirst is quenched by rainfall. He added that there is a need to manage the rate of groundwater extraction and its recharge in a scientific manner and while considering the rate of seismic activity in the region. In the past, human-induced earthquakes have devastated lives and property, caused foremost by large dams that change the water load on the surface. On December 11, 1967, for example, an earthquake of 6.3 magnitude wrought significant damage in Koynanagar, a village in Maharashtra. More than 180 people were killed and thousands of houses were destroyed. Several studies that followed blamed the disaster on water overloading in the Koyna hydroelectric dam nearby. Similarly, research has recorded an increase in seismic activity around the Mullaperiyar dam in Idukki, Kerala, which like Delhi also lies in an earthquake-prone zone. Energy and quakes 'The U.S., which has recorded reservoir-induced earthquakes, has implemented regulations on how quickly a dam should be filled and emptied. Such regulations should also be enforced in India to prevent earthquakes,' Vineet K. Gahalaut, Chief Scientist at the National Geophysical Research Institute, told The Hindu. He also said seismic activities in a region should be properly evaluated before a dam is built there. 'Huge dams in seismically active areas like the Himalayas are not recommended because the water load and percolation could change the local stress regime,' Dr. Rajendran said. India's growing energy demand also increases the risk of this type of disaster. 'The methods used to extract energy to meet our needs have significant risks on our earth, be it oil or hydropower,' Dr. Gahalaut said. Fracking — where liquids are injected into the ground to push rocks apart and allow oil and natural gas — has also been shown to induce earthquakes, Dr. Gahalaut added. India currently has 56 fracking sites across six States. In Palghar district in Maharashtra, which has been experiencing a sequence of quakes since 2018, experts have said plate deformation is occurring in an isolated manner. Initial findings by seismologists indicated that the cause could be fluid migration due to rainfall. 'Strong seismic networks using instruments need to be established across India in regions like these, which are experiencing isolated plate deformation, to monitor and track seismic activity more accurately,' Dr. Kundu said. Impact of climate change Scientists have said that climate change can indirectly affect the occurrence of earthquakes and render them more frequent over time. The melting of glaciers due to global warming has been found to trigger earthquakes around Antarctica and Greenland. Changes in rainfall patterns due to climate change have also been known to modulate the water loading process on the surface. For example, sudden heavy rainfall could alter the stress accumulated between tectonic plates and induce seismic activity. The area around the Sahyadri range of the Western Ghats has been recording tremors due to heavy rainfall for this reason. 'The height of the mountains should have been reduced considering the rate of rainfall. However, the mountains have maintained their height due to seismic activity,' Dr. Gahalaut said. Changing rainfall patterns can also change the soil chemistry, Dr. Rajendran said, affecting cropping patterns and compelling farmers to turn to groundwater for irrigation, which can also induce seismic activity. Similarly, longer droughts can also reactivate seismic faults. Such a drought-induced earthquake was recorded in California in 2014. 'The risk of earthquakes is not present at all locations where there is groundwater depletion or huge dams, They have only been recorded in areas that are present on faultlines or are facing plate deformation processes,' according to Dr. Kundu. At present, the rate at which strain has been accumulating along plates and the fraction of this stress that is due to human activities is not possible to ascertain, he added. Experts have thus warned against concluding that such activities are solely to blame for tremors or earthquakes. Research thus far has only shown that these activities could postpone or accelerate tectonic processes causing these movements.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Scientists Found 78,000-Year-Old Neanderthal Footprints That Tell a Story of Survival
"Hearst Magazines and Yahoo may earn commission or revenue on some items through these links." Here's what you'll learn when you read this story: The oldest-known hominin track sites found in southwest Europe provide clues to the hunting patterns of Neanderthals. Experts believe that along with eating plenty of plants, the ancient population also hunted deer, horses, and rabbits. Neanderthals were eager to explore neighboring regions to discover mammals which they could add to their diet. A Neanderthal family, hunting 78,000 years ago along the dunes of what is now modern-day Portugal, was likely stalking a meal of red deer. Today, thanks to the discovery of fossilized footprints—a range of tracks showing an adult male and two children—scientists were able to piece together the family's movements and how they coincided with the wild game the ancient hominin were known to crave. In a new study published in Scientific Reports, a team of researchers from the University of Lisbon and the Naturtejo UNESCO Global Geopark used optically stimulated luminescence to date prints found on the coastal cliffs of Monte Clerigo, along with a single print left 82,000 years ago, roughly four miles away at Praia do Telheiro. The footprints along Portugal's shifting coastal environment are considered 'the first two hominin track sites found in the southwestern most region of Europe.' In the report, the team chronicles five trackways at Monte Clerigo that contain 26 total prints. They were able to determine that three of the tracks were left by an adult male—likely between 5-foot-6 and 5-foot-8 in height—twice from ascending the cliff dune and once descending. The other two tracks were left by children, one likely between the ages of 7 and 9, and the other from a toddler, probably younger than 2 years old. When the fossilized prints of a red deer were found on the same dune, the researchers came to believe the family was hunting the deer, using the undulating landscape to attempt to sneak up on the prey. 'Tracks of three individuals demonstrate how Neanderthals navigated dune landscapes,' the study authors wrote. It also gives more credence to the belief that coastal environments were used by Pleistocene humans and that they were important areas in 'shaping hominin cognitive and social development.' The footprints, a combined result of foot anatomy, gait dynamics, and substrate properties, help tell the story of the family, which was likely camping nearby the dunes. 'A review of the Neanderthal coastal sites associated with faunal evidence shows that their diet was primarily centered on cervids [deer], horses, and hares,' the study authors wrote. 'The consistent presence of these mammal taxa highlights their role as reliable food sources, irrespective of the varying environments inhabited by Neanderthals. In addition, the Neanderthal diet also incorporated animals form neighboring littoral habitats, indicating a broad foraging strategy that capitalized on local biodiversity.' At Monte Clerigo's five trackways, the busiest featured 10 prints in one track. The single footprint found at Praia do Telheiro, which was dated about 4,000 years older than those found at Monte Clerigo, was that of a 'slim' foot, likely belonging to a female, the authors wrote. There's no additional evidence to tell if the female at Praia do Telheiro was on the hunt for red deer, horse, or rabbit. You Might Also Like The Do's and Don'ts of Using Painter's Tape The Best Portable BBQ Grills for Cooking Anywhere Can a Smart Watch Prolong Your Life? Solve the daily Crossword
The Independent
4 days ago
- Science
- The Independent
Dogs prefer certain TV shows depending on their personality type, researchers find
Dogs prefer certain TV shows depending on whether their personality is nervous or excitable, researchers in the US have revealed. Auburn University experts in Alabama recruited 453 dogs, aged from four months to 16 years old, and their owners to record their responses to different TV shows. 'The survey investigated trends in the dogs' TV viewing habits, including whether the owner tried to teach the dog to watch TV, the average number of hours per week the owner's TV is switched on, and the average number of seconds the dog pays attention to the TV,' researchers told The Times. 'Dogs who were more excitable were more likely to exhibit behaviours suggesting an expectation that the television stimulus exists in the 3D environment,' said the researchers, whose study was published in Scientific Reports. 'Furthermore, dogs who displayed more fearful tendencies were more likely to respond to the non-animal stimuli, for example, car [or] doorbell.' Last year, scientists revealed the trick to getting your pet dog to understand what you are saying. The research, published in October, claimed people should try speaking a little bit slower. It concludes that dogs' comprehension of human speech relies on a slower tempo. Despite not being able to produce human sounds, man's best friend is capable of responding to human speech. When people talk slowly, it matches the receptive abilities of animals, allowing dogs to better understand commands, researchers say. Writing in the Plos Biology journal, the authors said: 'Comparative exploration of neural and behavioural responses to speech reveals that comprehension in dogs relies on a slower speech rhythm tracking than humans', even though dogs are equally sensitive to speech content and prosody.' They hypothesise that people may adjust their speech rate 'as means to improve communication efficacy'. Eloise Deaux, of the University of Geneva in Switzerland, and colleagues analysed the vocal sounds of 30 dogs, and the sounds of 27 humans across five languages speaking to other people, and 22 humans across those languages speaking to dogs.
Yahoo
6 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Prehistoric ‘scalopini' mole fossil uncovered in an ancient Spanish volcano crater
Researchers have discovered a new genus and species of prehistoric mole in Spain. Vulcanoscaptor ninoti lived during the Pliocene Epoch, from 5.3 to 2.6 million years ago and belonged to the Scalopini, a tribe of moles that currently exists in North America and Asia. Before we dive into the details of a discovery, there is one matter we should immediately set straight. If 'Scalopini' sounds familiar, you're probably thinking of scallopine, or scallopini—a delicious Italian dish consisting of thin sautéed slices of meat served in a variety of sauces. Needless to say that the food scallopine will (unfortunately) not be playing a large part in this story. Researchers found V. ninoti in an excellent state of preservation, recovering its mandible with a complete set of teeth, sections of the torso, and a number of leg bones in their correct anatomical connection. The specimen represents one of the oldest and most complete small mammal fossils in Europe, as they explain in a study recently published in the journal Scientific Reports. The team examined the delicate remains via high-resolution micro-computed tomography (microCT) scanning, which generated a 3D reconstruction of the skeleton. 'With the microCT, we were able to analyze extremely small and delicate structures—such as phalanges and teeth—that would have been nearly impossible to study otherwise,' Adriana Linares, lead author of the study and a predoctoral researcher at the Universitat Rovira i Virgili, explained in a statement. While the anatomy of the fossil indicates that the animal was a strong digger and highly adapted to an underground lifestyle, 'the fact that this individual was preserved in lacustrine [lake] sediments and in a lateral position raises the possibility that it may also have had some aquatic locomotion abilities,' Linares added. 'We can't confirm this with certainty yet, but there are modern moles that are powerful diggers and also excellent swimmers.' The name Vulcanoscaptor ninoti means 'the Camp dels Ninots volcano digger' in reference to where it was discovered. Camp dels Ninots is an important paleontological site in the crater of an ancient volcano near Girona in northeastern Spain. An eruption about 3.1 million years ago created ideal conditions for the preservation of fossils. In fact, the researchers claim that V. ninoti is also the most complete known Pliocene mole fossil from Europe, presenting an excellent opportunity to investigate the evolutionary history of the small mammals. [ Related: These moles may have been hiding for 3 million years. ] 'Despite its clearly fossorial morphology, this mole is closely related to extant North American species of the genera Scapanus and Scalopus, which points to a far more intricate evolutionary history for these animals than we had imagined,' said Marc Furió, co-lead of the study and a geologist at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona. 'Its presence in Europe suggests past transcontinental migrations of moles, challenging the assumption that they are mammals with low dispersal capacity.' It seems like both prehistoric and modern mole species still have a lot of surprises in store for paleontologists. Solve the daily Crossword
Yahoo
17-07-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Major change off Aussie coast linked to 'worrying' event thousands of kilometres away
Watching the migration of whales up Australia's east coast, researchers have documented something 'worrying'. Humpbacks are leaving their northern breeding grounds for Antarctica three weeks early. While smaller fluctuations in their departure are normal, researchers from the University of Queensland have observed a 'clear and sustained change' since 2021 and published their findings in the journal Scientific Reports. Lead author, Associate Professor Rebecca Dunlop, believes there is likely a connection to warming waters around Antarctica, as it causes: A depletion of sea ice Which leads to a reduction in algae And this means less food for krill As a result, krill numbers drop, and there's less food for humpbacks 'Post 2020, there has been a significant decline in sea ice, and it's during that period that they changed their migration,' Dunlop told Yahoo News Australia. "It seems they're returning to those feeding grounds earlier.' Why whales must accumulate huge amounts of blubber To carry out their 10,000km migration, humpbacks need to build up an enormous amount of blubber. Females face an even bigger challenge because they're normally pregnant as they travel to their winter breeding grounds, and then have to give birth and produce milk to sustain the calf. During their time in the tropical north, they generally don't eat except for during the odd temporary stopover, adding pressure on them to return home to Antarctica as their energy runs out. 'If they've got less energy... then obviously that's going to change how they behave and how they migrate,' Dunlop said. If the oceans keep warming and the sea ice keeps declining, then that has massive impacts, not just for whales, but for everything else that lives down Professor Rebecca Dunlop Two separate events could increase pressure on food resources East Antarctic whale numbers plummeted to around 300 individuals in the 1960s, primarily due to hunting by the Soviets. After whaling was banned a decade later, numbers rebounded and in 2025 they're estimated to be close to 40,000. 🥺 Emotional decision looms as ancient site faces extreme storm 📚 Backlash over radical climate change plan for Aussie schools 🪱 Aussies warned as brain worm spike detected following extreme weather event Today, the population is thought to exceed pre-hunting numbers, which were thought to be roughly 30,000. There are concerns that vanishing krill combined with increasing humpback numbers could create a 'perfect storm' of pressure on their food resources. 'You've got this train crash happening where you've got more whales trying to feed on less krill,' Dunlop said. 'We have no idea what the carrying capacity is in the Antarctic, because we don't know what the krill density is. We don't know if the numbers have overshot, or what's going to happen in the future. Numbers might start to decline, or they might absolutely crash.' Love Australia's weird and wonderful environment? 🐊🦘😳 Get our new newsletter showcasing the week's best stories.
