Tag: earthquake

Quake strikes Turkish coast and Greek island, killing 19

ZEYNEP BILGINSOY and ELENA BECATOROS – October 30, 2020

ISTANBUL (AP) — A strong earthquake struck Friday in the Aegean Sea between the Turkish coast and the Greek island of Samos, killing at least 19 people and injuring over 700 amid collapsed buildings and flooding, officials said.

A small tsunami struck the Seferihisar district south of Izmir, the city in western Turkey that was the worst affected by the quake, said Haluk Ozener, director of the Istanbul-based Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute.

At least 17 people were killed in Izmir, Turkey’s third-largest city, including one who drowned, and 709 were injured, according to Turkey’s Disaster and Emergency Management Presidency, or AFAD.

Among the dead were the wife and two children of the secretary-general of the Turkish Medical Association’s Izmir branch, the group said.

On Samos, two teenagers died after being struck by a wall that collapsed. Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis tweeted condolences, saying “Words are too poor to describe what one feels before the loss of children.”

At least 19 people were injured on the island, with two, including a 14-year-old, being airlifted to Athens and seven hospitalized on the island, health authorities said.

https://apnews.com

Intense earthquake swarm near Salton Sea, California

–

An intense earthquake swarm started near Salton Sea, California on September 30, 2020, with 421 earthquakes detected by 07:00 UTC on October 1.

  • The swarm is centered just southeast of Salton Sea, near Westmorland in Imperial Valley, in an area with a history of intense swarms. The most notable earthquakes in the region include M5.8 in 1981 and M5.4 in 2012.
  • During this earthquake swarm, the probability of larger earthquakes in this region is significantly greater than usual, the USGS said.
  • The swarm is taking place in Brawley Seismic Zone, a network of small faults that connect the San Andreas and Imperial faults.

The USGS registered a total of 440 earthquakes from 10:06 UTC on September 30 to 07:33 UTC on October 1, 2020, with the largest M4.9 at 00:31 UTC on October 1, followed by M4.5, M4.4, M4.2, and two M4.1.

“This earthquake [M4.9] and the associated swarm are located in an area of diffuse seismic activity between the San Andreas fault in the north and the Imperial fault to the south,” USGS seismologists said in a statement.

“This area has also seen swarms in the past – notably the 1981 Westmorland swarm, which included a M5.8 earthquake, and the 2012 Brawley swarm, which included a M5.4 earthquake. Past swarms in this region have remained active for 1 to 20 days, with an average duration of about a week. The current swarm is occurring about 40 kilometers (25 miles) to the south of the swarm that occurred near Bombay Beach in August 2020.”

According to the USGS, there is approximately a 3 in 10 000 chance of a magnitude 7+ earthquake in the vicinity of this swarm in a typical week.

“[This is] one of the largest swarms we have had in the Imperial Valley,” seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones said.

https://watchers.news

Sinabung volcano erupts again just hours after twin M6.8 and M6.9 quakes hit off the coast of Sumatra, Indonesia – M6.6 earthquake the day before in Malaysia

Strange Sounds – August 20, 2020

A pair of powerful earthquakes has rocked the Indonesian coast on August 19, 2020.

The M6.8 and M6.9 quakes shook the island of Sumatra maybe triggering the latest eruption of Sinabung volcano just hours later.

The two quakes struck off Sumatra’s western coast on Wednesday morning, with an estimated depth of 22km (13 miles) and 26km (16 miles) respectively. The first tremor impacted an area some 144km (89 miles) away from Bengkulu, while the second came closer to the city at 130km (80 miles).

There are no reports of injuries as of yet, however local media said the quakes shook the homes of island residents “as if a truck had passed” and did “minor damage,” particularly to buildings with “poor construction.”

Though the jolts were strong and shallow, Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysical Agency (BMKG) reported that there was “no tsunami potential” in the quakes’ aftermath.

In addition to being prone to quakes, Indonesia also features some of the most active volcanoes in the Ring – including Krakatoa, whose infamous 1883 eruption became one of the most deadly volcanic blasts in recorded history.

But a few hours after the two big jolts, the Sinabung volcano started erupting again – and not the Krakatoa.

A day before, a M6.6 earthquake hit the Philippines on Tuesday, killing at least one person and damaging roads and buildings.

It was the strongest earthquake in eight months in the Philippines, which, like Indonesia, lies on the “Ring of Fire,” a seismically active belt of volcanoes circling the Pacific Ocean.

https://strangesounds.org

Bang, Bang, Bang! M7.0, M6.0 and M6.1 Earthquakes Hit the Ring of Fire in Papua New Guinea, Chile and India Within 12 Hours

Strange Sounds – July 17, 2020

3 strong quakes hit within 12 hours this major area in the basin of the Pacific Ocean where many earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur.

A magnitude 7.0 earthquake struck just off Papua New Guinea in the southwestern Pacific on Friday.

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the quake occurred at 02:50 a.m. UTC, 114 kilometers north of Popondetta, the capital of Oro Province, at a depth of 79.8 km.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center briefly issued a warning for hazardous tsunami waves for Papua New Guinean coastlines located within 300 km of the epicenter.

A strong M6.0 earthquake hit 2 km SSE of Iquique, Chile on July 17, 2020 at 5:40 UTC and at a depth of 73,8 km.

It was reported by many on social media and on the USGS website.

An M6.1 earthquake hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on Friday at 2:03 p.m. UTC with an epicenter 250 kms east of Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands in India.

The shallow earthquake struck at a depth of 10 kms.

https://strangesounds.org

Powerful Magnitude 7.4 Earthquake Strikes Off Coast Of New Zealand

ETH – June 18, 2020

(ETH) – A powerful magnitude 7.4 earthquake has struck off the coast of New Zealand with a depth of about 2o miles according to a report.  An alert was released from the UNESCO/IOC Pacific Tsunami warning and mitigation system stated: “Hazardous tsunami waves from this earthquake are possible within 300km of the epicenter.” More information will come as we receive it.

https://endtimeheadlines.org

Magnitude 5.5 quake hits shaky California desert region

Associated Press – June 3, 2020

RIDGECREST, Calif. (AP) — A magnitude 5.5 earthquake has jolted the region of California desert where a powerful quake last summer was followed by thousands of aftershocks.

The U.S. Geological Survey says Wednesday’s quake hit at a fairly shallow depth shortly after 6:30 p.m. and was centered 13.6 miles (22 kilometers) north of the small city of Ridgecrest.

A dispatcher with the Ridgecrest Police Department said there were no immediate reports of damage or injury.

The quake was felt as a bump and rolling motion in a high-rise building in downtown Las Vegas. Local television news broadcasts stopped as anchors reported seeing lights sway in their studios.

It also shook buildings in downtown Los Angeles.

A magnitude 7.1 quake on July 5, 2019, and a magnitude 6.4 foreshock the day before strongly shook the region.

Damage from those quakes occurred to facilities on the sprawling Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake as well as in the nearby communities of Trona and Ridgecrest.

Seismologist Lucy Jones tweeted that Wednesday’s quake was “a large late aftershock” of last July’s activity. Among the many aftershocks, a handful have reached the magnitude-5 level.

https://news.yahoo.com

More than 500 earthquakes rattle western Nevada after 6.5 hit less than a week ago

Amy Graff – May 20, 2020

The ground has come alive in a pocket of western Nevada.

A magnitude-6.5 earthquake rocked a remote region 35 miles west of Tonopah on May 15 and hundreds of aftershocks have followed — an event this corner of the county hasn’t seen in over half a century.

The initial big quake struck at 4:03 a.m. last Friday east of the Sierra Nevada, roughly halfway between Reno and Las Vegas, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. It was the largest to hit Nevada in 66 years and caused cracking along US 95 in Esmeralda County and broke some windows in Tonopah but, because this area is mostly unpopulated, damage was minimal.

A dozen aftershocks of 4.5 and above — and 500 quakes of 2.5 and above — have been recorded near Tonopah since the 6.5 quake. As recently as Wednesday morning, a 5.0 temblor struck.

“This is your classic shock-aftershock sequence,” said Dr. Graham Kent, director of the Nevada Seismological Laboratory. “This is similar to what you’d expect in the aftermath of the big quake.”

The 6.5 quake and following aftershocks occurred in the Walker Lane Seismic Region, a fault zone that roughly aligns with the Nevada-California border from Death Valley to Pyramid Lake.

Across time, Nevada has had an abundance of earthquakes and is considered the third most actively seismic state. The largest earthquake in state history was a magnitude 7.3 in 1915 and the next biggest was a 7.1 in 1932. In 1954 alone, the state saw five earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or greater.

“And then it just went cold for 66 years,” Kent said. “We would tell people it’s all going to end and now it has. We knew sooner or later it would break and it broke in an area that’s not that populated.”

https://www.sfgate.com

6.5 magnitude earthquake hits Nevada near Area 51; quake felt from Utah to California

Chris Irvine, Peter Aitken – May 15, 2020

A magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck in remote western Nevada early Friday, according to the U.S. Geological Service, shaking people from Utah to California — and some pointing out it happened near Area 51.

The temblor was reported at 4:03 a.m. about 35 miles outside Tonopah, just east of the Sierra Nevada range. First recorded as a 6.4 earthquake, the USGS later upgraded it to a 6.5 magnitude.

The initial quake struck about 4.7 miles deep, the USGS said, and at least six sizable aftershocks were recorded shortly thereafter, including two with estimated magnitudes of 5.4. The USGS has advised that Nevada will continue to experience more earthquakes than usual as aftershocks continue throughout the day.

Initial reactions to the earthquake were largely humorous. Most people in the area were still asleep, meaning the earthquake woke them up.

A good number of reactions, though, noted the earthquake originated around the infamous Area 51, spurring a number of jokes that the earthquake was caused by aliens. In a year that has already included a pandemic, the threat of murder hornets and heightened hurricane activity, an Area 51 earthquake seemed to be fitting.

https://www.foxnews.com

Deadly Earthquake Hits Under Sleeping Volcano Near Tehran, Iran – Panicked Residents Spill Into the Streets

Strange Sounds – May 8, 2020

The very shallow quake (7km or 4.3 miles), downgraded from M5.1 to M4.6 sent ripples across Iran’s north shortly after midnight local time on Friday.

It struck north of the city of Damavand, very close to Mount Damavand, the second-highest volcano in Asia.

The dormant volcano sits some 70 km (43 mi) north-east of the Iranian capital Tehran, where locals reported moderate to severe shaking from the Friday morning tremor.

Photos and videos have emerged on social media showing residents flooding the streets in the aftermath of the quake.

Iranian emergency services said that at least two people died and 13 were injured in the ensuing chaos.

Several stadiums and city parks were reportedly prepared to temporarily shelter people that abruptly left their homes.

https://strangesounds.org

Massive Earthquakes, Volcanoes now Erupting Worldwide

Adam Eliyahu Berkowitz– April 13, 2020

The waves of earthquakes are rocking the center of the U.S. and the sudden awakening of several volcanoes around the world may be a sign of the pre-Messiah shake-up predicted by the prophets. At the same time, several far more mild earthquakes in Israel seem to embody the Biblical concept of God’s mercy being aroused by Man’s actions.

The earth seems to be waking up as seismic activity is being reported around the globe. Last month, a 6.5 magnitude earthquake shook Idaho, generating a multitude of avalanches. The quake was the largest in the region since a 6.9 quake hit in 1983. There have been 238 earthquakes in Idaho in the last week according to the U.S. Geological Survey website. Five of those have been substantial in size rating 4.0 to 6.5. Idaho isn’t new to experiencing earthquakes.

Two weeks before Idaho felt the earth move, Salt Lake City, Utah, approximately 340 miles away from the Idaho epicenter, was hit by a 5.7 magnitude earthquake. Since that earthquake, there have been 886 smaller earthquakes and aftershocks in the Salt Lake area.

The belly of the country is clearly rumbling as the University of Utah Seismograph Station mapped a total of 980 tremors throughout Idaho, Utah and Wyoming since March 18.

Though the epicenter in Idaho was over 200 miles distant from the Yellowstone caldera, Yellowstone experienced 111 earthquakes in March. The Yellowstone Volcano Observatory released its monthly report on Wednesday, declaring its current alert level “normal” and its aviation color code “green.”

https://www.breakingisraelnews.com