Latest news with #seismic
NHK
18 hours ago
- Climate
- NHK
Tremors shaking Japan's Tokara island chain top 2,000
Weather officials in Japan say the number of tremors that can be felt by humans has topped 2,000 around the Tokara island chain in the country's southwest. The officials are calling for people to remain vigilant for more earthquakes that could measure lower 6 on the Japanese seismic intensity scale of zero to 7. Seismic activity intensified on June 21 around the islands of Akusekijima and Kodakarajima, which are part of Toshima Village in Kagoshima Prefecture. A powerful earthquake measuring lower 6 hit Akusekijima on July 3, followed by two jolts with intensities of upper 5 on July 6. Another quake measuring lower 5 struck on July 7. The Japan Meteorological Agency says that a total of 2,046 tremors with intensities of one or higher have been observed in the sea off the Tokara islands as of 4 a.m. Tuesday. There were 83 on Sunday, 39 on Monday and two on Tuesday as of 4 a.m. The sea off the island chain went through a series of earthquakes in 2021 and again in 2023. But the current swarm has been far larger in terms of the number of jolts.
Associated Press
2 days ago
- Climate
- Associated Press
An earthquake with a preliminary 6.2 magnitude shakes Panama, with no immediate reports of damage
PANAMA CITY (AP) — An earthquake with a preliminary 6.2 magnitude struck off the Pacific coast of Panama on Monday, authorities said. No injuries or damage were immediately reported. The U.S. Geological Survey said that the quake occurred around midday about 130 miles (210 kilometers) south of Punta Burica at a preliminary depth of 10 kilometers (6 miles), in Panama's Chiriquí province near the border with Costa Rica. The temblor was felt in Chiriquí and surrounding areas in western Panama, a region known for frequent seismic activity. Local officials said that there was no threat of a tsunami. Panama's civil protection agency said it would continue monitoring the situation, but confirmed no damage to infrastructure had been immediately reported.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Science
- Yahoo
Volcanoes in multiple states have been rumbling. What's going on?
Volcanoes in Alaska, Washington state, Oregon and Hawaii have recently been rumbling and even spewing lava, enough to spark a swarm of news stories. But despite the jolts and temblors, geologists say there's no cause for alarm. "Volcanoes can be unpredictable and there's always chance that something bad will happen, but these recent seismic events along the Pacific Ring of Fire from Alaska to Washington to offshore Oregon are probably not directly related to each other," said Natalia Ruppert, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Science Center in Seattle. "This is what volcanoes do," she said. "They come to life for a while, sometimes the earthquake activity leads to an eruption and sometimes it doesn't." Most of the U.S. volcanoes that have been making themselves known since spring woke up a bit, shook themselves off and then fell back into slumber. Two, one in Hawaii and one in Alaska, are in the midst of active and ongoing – but relatively small and non-threatening – eruptions. While it all might seem ominous, it isn't. It's simply part of life on a dynamic, seismically active planet. There's no direct connection between any of these, said Ruppert. "The distance between these (seismic) activity centers is thousands of miles." While volcanoes have always been a part of the West Coast's geography, it might seem that this is an especially busy time for these mountains caused by fissures in the Earth's crust that go down to the below. But seismologists and volcanologists are keeping a careful eye on them, said Ruppert. "This is why the federal government funds earthquake and volcano monitoring efforts through the Department of the Interior and USGS." Consider these recent events: More than 300 earthquakes occurred at Washington's Mount Rainier in early July, the largest earthquake swarm ever recorded at the volcano. The swarm, a cluster of earthquakes in the same area in rapid succession, began July 8. Within two days a total of 334 earthquakes had been identified by the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network. But it's not hugely unusual for the majestic volcano about 70 miles southeast of Seattle, which registered a similar swarm of quakes in 2009. Rainier's last eruption, however, was about 1,000 years ago, said Ruppert. North of Washington state, Alaska has three volcanoes that are making themselves felt just now. As of July 10, Alaska's Great Sitkin volcano was on a Watch alert level, with lava continuing to erupt in the summit crater. Located at in the Aleutian Islands, the volcano's seismicity levels remain low with occasional small earthquakes, USGS reports. That eruption began in May 2021. There has been an ongoing eruption of lava at the summit since in July 2021. On Alaska's Kenai Peninsula, a flurry of small earthquakes shook the Iliamna volcano on June 15. However no surface activity was observed and on July 1 the volcano was set at a Normal alert code. North of Iliamna, another Alaskan volcano, Mount Spurr, has been experiencing swarms of shallow earthquakes since February. It is currently on a Normal advisory level. For now, there's little concern, Ruppert said. Heading south down the West Coast, seismologists are also monitoring the Axial Seamount, a massive undersea volcano located 300 miles off the Oregon coast. It's been attracting attention for months as scientists prepare for an eruption they expect sometime in 2025. Because it's so far underwater, only scientists using an array of instruments will know about the eruption. The volcanoes are located along what's known as the Ring of Fire, a 25,000-mile long, horseshoe-shaped string of volcanoes and seismically active areas that stretches from the southern tip of South America, up along the West coast of the United States, across the coast of Alaska, down through Japan all the way to New Zealand. It's created by the Pacific plate sinking below the North American plate and is the most seismically and volcanically active zone in the world, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Far to the west in Hawaii, Mt. Kilauea continues to erupt, though as of July 11 it has not been exhibiting the massive fountains of lava that had been taking place earlier in the month. On July 9, USGS said the most recent eruption had ended. Hawaii's volcanoes are not part of the Ring of Fire. The island chain was (and is still being) formed by a volcanic hot spot that has so far created 15 different volcanoes that stretch 3,800 miles across the Pacific. In Hawaii's case, the volcanoes are the result of a heat source deep within the Earth's mantle. The plume of magma coming from that hot spot in the ocean floor remains stationary as the Pacific Plate slowly – 2 to 4 inches a year – moves over top of it. This is why Hawaii's oldest volcanoes, on Kauai, are 5.5 million years old while the newest, on the Big Island, are only 700,000 years old and still growing. This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Volcanoes rumbling in Alaska, Washington state, Oregon and Hawaii
Daily Mail
3 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
Scientists on red alert as 'sleeping giant' fault threatens to snap without warning beneath 300,000 Americans
A major California fault once thought to be stable is quietly shifting beneath neighborhoods, schools, and it could lead to a powerful quake with no warning. A new US geological (USGS) survey showed that Concord Fault, a geologic fault in the San Francisco Bay Area, is active and moving due to ongoing tectonic motion between the Pacific and North American plates. A section of the fault, known as the Madigan Avenue strand, stretches 12.4 miles through Walnut Creek and Concord, from North Gate Road near Mount Diablo to Suisun Bay — areas home to more than 300,000 people. According to the study, if the Concord Fault ruptures, it could produce an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 or higher, based on its length. A fault is a fracture in the Earth's crust where land slowly shifts over time. But if that movement suddenly snaps, it can trigger a powerful and destructive earthquake. Seismologists now believe the fault lies about 1,300 feet west of where it was previously mapped, placing homes and an elementary school directly in harm's way. Sidewalks near Valle Verde Elementary have shifted nearly seven inches since they were first built, a clear sign that the ground is steadily moving beneath residents' feet. 'This was not where we thought the active part of the fault was,' the study states, a finding that means hundreds of thousands of people may be living or working directly above a ticking seismic time bomb. Experts warn the entire East Bay is at risk, especially because the fault is now proven to be creeping in urban areas with no buffer zone or open space. Jessie Vermeer, a geologist at USGS, told San Francisco Chronicle: 'Many of the people we have spoken to have noted their houses and yards being deformed, water lines being broken and other effects of the creep.' Because fault creep happens so slowly, it is easy to miss, but over decades, it causes cracked roads, damaged homes, and bent pipelines. It was long believed to creep only in the northern section near the Acme Landfill in Martinez. But this new study, published in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, proves a 4.4 miles stretch in the south is also slipping. Over the past 60 years, some concrete curbs have quietly shifted sideways, without any shaking or sound, revealing hidden ground movement in the middle of a densely populated area. Researchers also found that it is shifting at a steady rate of about three millimeters per year. That pace matches what has been recorded along the fault's northern section. To confirm the movement, USGS scientists reviewed over 30 spots where curbs, sidewalks, and roads showed visible cracks or misalignments. They used field surveys, satellite data, and historical construction records to trace where the ground had slowly moved over time. Roland Burgmann, a professor of earth and planetary science at the University of California, Berkeley, told Newsweek:'Knowing the correct fault location in such a highly urbanized area is crucial.' 'The original geological mapping missed the currently active fault strand,' he added. While creeping faults can sometimes reduce the size of a future quake by releasing pressure slowly, experts say the Concord Fault's true danger is still unclear. 'We don't know how deep the creep extends, so the seismic hazard of the fault becomes more uncertain,'said Burgmann. In 1955, a magnitude of 5.4 earthquake on the Concord Fault caused approximately $1 million in damage, which is equivalent to about $12 million in today's dollars. Currently, nearly 300,000 people live in the cities sitting on top of this 'sleeping giant,' and many more pass through daily on roads, rails, and water lines that cross the fault. Further research is underway to determine if other undocumented fault strands exist nearby, which mean the seismic hazard in the East Bay is even more complex than currently understood.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Science
- Daily Mail
BREAKING NEWS Powerful earthquake swarm rocks California sparking fears of the Big One
A swarm of earthquakes has struck Southern California near a major fault line that could unleash the infamous 'Big One' and decimate the West Coast. The US Geological Survey (USGS) said that six earthquakes struck the area around the Salton Sea Thursday night and Friday morning, a lake roughly 100 miles from San Diego. The last in the earthquake swarm, which struck at 5:55am ET Friday, was the most powerful, measuring 4.3 in magnitude. Three more earthquakes struck the same spot at the southern tip of the Salton Sea between 4:18am and 4:22am. Each quake was greater than 2.5 in magnitude, stronger enough for people to feel and cause minor damage. The first two earthquakes struck Thursday night at 8:16pm and 8:17pm on the northern side of the lake. USGS measured them at 3.7 and 3.0 in magnitude, respectively. The powerful swarm broke out right along the boundary between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates, a highly active seismic region. The string of new quakes in this area could signal the approaching mega earthquake often called 'The Big One,' which many scientists and Californians believe is inevitable. This is developing story. More updates to follow.
