November 30 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Alaska, 1987 – Magnitude : 7.8
Damage (VI) at Yakutat from earthquake and tsunami. Felt (V) at Anchorage, Copper Center, Gakona, Haines, Homer, Juneau, Levelock, Petersburg, Seward and Skwentna. Also felt (V) in sections of Whitehorse, Yukon Territory, Canada. Felt (IV) throughout southern Alaska from the Ketchikan area to Glennallen and Kodiak Island and (III) as far away as Bethel and Fairbanks. Also felt at Sand Point and (II) at Anaktuvuk Pass. Some damage caused to 2 ships at sea in the epicentral area; felt strongly on 3 other ships in the area. Tsunami generated with wave heights (peak to trough) 85 cm. at Yakutat and 25 cm. at Sitka, Alaska; 15 cm. at Hilo, 12 cm. at Nawiliwili and 5 cm. at Honolulu, Hawaii; and 5 cm. at Presidio, California. Complex event, with major subevent occurring about 15 seconds after onset of the foreshock, observed on broadband displacement seismograms.

The deepest place on earth
The Mariana Trench, located in the Pacific Ocean just east of the Mariana Islands, is the deepest part of the Earth’s oceans, with a maximum depth of about 11 km (6.8 miles). This is the deepest location on the surface of the Earth. The bottom of the trench is farther below sea level than Mount Everest is above it.

November 29 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Indonesia, 1998 – Magnitude : 7.7 – 34 people killed
At least 34 people killed on Mangole and 153 people injured on Mangole and Taliabu. Seven people killed, 8 injured and several buildings damaged at Manado, Sulawesi. A timber factory sustained extensive damage and dozens of houses destroyed on Mangole. Landslides blocked a highway on Mangole. Felt (VI) at Luwuk and (I) at Palu, Sulawesi. Also felt (IV) on Ternate and (III) on Ambon.

November 28 2012

The first seismograph or better seismoscope
The first seismoscope was developed by Chang Heng, the Royal Astronomer of the Bureau of Astronomy and Calendar in the year 132 A.D. during the Han Dynasty period. Initially made of bronze, with a diameter of about six feet, the seismoscope resembled a large urn, on the outside of which were eight dragon heads facing the eight principal directions of the compass. Below each dragon head was a toad with its mouth opened toward the dragon. The seismoscope would vibrate when an earthquake occurred, causing a ball to drop out of a dragon’s mouth and be caught by a toad below. The noise produced by the dropping ball served notice of the earthquake, and the particular ball which fell gave the azimuthal direction of the earthquake. The internal mechanism of the seismoscope is unknown, but probably employed either a pendulum or inverted pendulum connected to levers that ejected the balls when the instrument moved. The instrument is reported to have detected an earthquake 400 miles away that was not felt at the location of the seismoscope.

Image courtesy cultural-china.com

November 27 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
India, 1945 – Magnitude : 8.0 – 4000 people killed
4,000 persons reported killed. One of the world’s deadliest earthquakes.
Severe damage at Pasni and Ormara. A large tsunami was generated that caused damage at Karachi and damage and casualties in the Mumbai (Bombay) area, India. Four new islands appeared off the coast near Hinglaj. The quake was felt as far away as Dera Ismail Khan and Sahiwal.

November 26 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Vanuatu, 1999 – Magnitude : 7.5 – 5 people killed
At least five people killed and forty injured by collapsed buildings and landslides on Pentecost. Extensive damage to roads and telephone lines on Pentecost. At least five people killed at Mortelli Bay by a local tsunami, which was also recorded at Suva, Fiji. Damage and landslides also occurred on Ambrym, Epi and Paama. Felt strongly in much of Vanuatu.

Will California eventually fall off into the ocean?
No. The San Andreas Fault System, which crosses California from the Salton Sea in the south to Cape Mendocino in the north, is the boundary between the Pacific Plate and North American Plate. The Pacific Plate is moving northwest with respect to the North American Plate at approximately 56 millimeters per year (the rate your fingernails grow). The strike-slip earthquakes on the San Andreas Fault are a result of this plate motion. The plates are moving horizontally past one another, so California is not going to fall into the ocean. However, Los Angeles and San Francisco will one day be adjacent to one another (in approximately 15 million years)!

More news about the recent M7.7 Haida Gwaii (Queen Charlotte islands) earthquake (Canada)
A team of federal government scientists that descended on Haida Gwaii following last month’s 7.7 magnitude earthquake is getting new insights into the fault that caused it — and the fear it generated.
Seismologist Alison Bird is one of about a dozen experts from Natural Resources Canada who were dispatched to the archipelago when the shaking started.
“My heart was in my throat until I started reading the reports, and started realising that everyone’s fine,” Bird said. $$$$$ Read more …

Image courtesy USGS

November 25 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Quebec (Canada), 1988 – Magnitude : 5.9
Damage in the Chicoutimi-La Malbaie area and in the Quebec City area. Maximum intensity VII. Landslides reported in the La Tuque area. Felt in Canada from southern Ontario to Nova Scotia and western Labrador. Felt (V) in parts of Maine, Vermont, New Hampshire and New York. Felt in the New England states and in parts of Indiana, Michigan, New Jersey, New York, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Wisconsin and as far south as Washington, D.C.

Can the earth opening during an earthquake ?
One of man’s persistent fears about earthquakes is that the Earth will open and swallow everyone and everything nearby. Shallow crevasses can form during earthquake-induced landslides, lateral spreads, or other types of ground failures. Faults, however, do not open up during an earthquake. Movement occurs along the plane of a fault, not perpendicular to it. If faults opened up, no earthquake would occur because there would be no friction to lock them together.

November 24 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Iran, 1976 – Magnitude : 7.3 – at least 5000 people killed
One of the world’s deadliest earthquakes.
The earthquake was located along the Turkish-Iranian border region. It is estimated that at least 5,000 people were killed and many injured. Caldira, Muradiye, and surrounding villages near the Iranian border were completely destroyed. Snow and bitter cold weather hampered the rescue teams from reaching many of the mountainous villages. Some casualties and damage were reported in northwestern Iran. The shock was also reported felt in the area of Yerevan SSR.

What triggers a Tsunami ?
A tsunami is a large wave caused by earthquakes, submarine landslides, and, infrequently, by eruptions of island volcanoes. During a major earthquake, an enormous amount of water can be set in motion as the seafloor moves up and down. The result is a series of potentially destructive waves that can move at more than 500 miles per hour.

November 23 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Italy, 1980 – Magnitude : 6.5 – 3000 people killed
One of the world’s deadliest earthquakes. Over +3,000 people killed, about 1,900 missing, 7,750 injured, 250,000 homeless and extensive damage in a 25,000 square kilometer area of Campania and Basilicata.

Geology on the moon
Harrison (Jack) Schmitt is the only USGS geologist to do field work on another planetary body. As a member of the Apollo 17 party, he was able to conduct field surveys on the moon.

Quake rescuers faced ‘dual jeopardy’
Frontline rescue workers ”did their very best” to save lives in the aftermath of Christchurch’s earthquakes, often putting their own needs and those of their families aside, early results from a new study say. Some preliminary findings from the joint University of Otago and AUT University study of 600 frontline workers in Christchurch have been released today following recent criticisms of the emergency response to the quakes. $$$$$ Read more ….

November 22 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Egypt, 1995 – Magnitude : 7.2 – 8 people killed
At least eight people killed and 30 injured in the epicentral region, including two killed and 11 injured at Nuwaybi. Damage occurred in many parts of northeastern Egypt as far away as Cairo. One person was killed and two slightly injured at Al Bad, Saudi Arabia. Some damage occurred at Al Bad, Al Ula and Haql, Saudi Arabia. One person died of a heart attack, several people were injured and substantial damage with power outages and liquefaction occurred at Elat, Israel. Some damage also occurred at Jerusalem, Israel and Aqaba, Jordan. Felt from Sudan to Lebanon. High waves were reported along the coast at Aqaba, Jordan.

Movie about Asian tsunami shuns ‘disaster’ label
Eight years after the devastating 2004 tsunami, British actors Ewan McGregor and Naomi Watts star in a film recounting the tragedy through the eyes of a tourist family caught up in the tidal wave. But the Spanish director of “The Impossible” insisted that the film — which starts with a spectacular recreation of the huge wall of water crashing onto a beachfront resort — is far from a typical “disaster movie.” $$$$$ Read more …

Pangea ?
Pangaea was the supercontinent that began to break up about 225 million years ago, eventually fragmenting into the continents as we know them today.

November 21 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
India, 1997 – Magnitude : 6.1 – 23 people killed
Twenty-three people killed, 200 injured, and a five-story building collapsed at Chittagong, Bangladesh. Houses damaged and old trees uprooted at Alikadam, Bandarban, Lama and Nakhyaungcharipara. Felt in much of Bangladesh as far north as Rangpur and Rajshahi.

Inner and outer core of the earth
Inge Lehman was a famous Danish seismologist. Her most famous achievement was the discovery of the inner and outer cores of the Earth through the reflection of seismic waves off those surfaces. She died in 1993 at the age of 105.

November 20 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
China, 1989 – Magnitude : 5.2 – 4 people killed
Four people killed, 161 injured and at least 1,000 homes destroyed in Jiangbei County.

What is an earthquake ?
An earthquake is caused by the shaking of the ground due to an abrupt shift of rock along a fracture in the Earth, called a fault. Within seconds, an earthquake releases stress that has slowly accumulated within the rock, sometimes over hundreds of years. Most earthquakes are caused by slow movements deep in the Earth that push against the Earth’s brittle, relatively thin outer layer, causing the rocks to break suddenly.

Guatemalans Still Struggling in Quake’s Brutal Aftermath
Guatemala is still recovering from a major 7.4 magnitude earthquake last week as well as a major aftershock Sunday that claimed the lives of 44 people. Crumpled cars and collapsed building stood as testimony to the worst earthquake in Guatemala since the 1970s. $$$$$ Read more …

November 19 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Colombia, 1991 – Magnitude : 7.2 – 2 people killed
Two people killed and 28 houses damaged in Choco Department. Minor damage (VI) to buildings in the Buenaventura and Cali areas. Felt strongly in many parts of western Colombia. Felt (II) at Quito and Guayaquil, Ecuador

What do i have to expect to see in the ocean when a tsunami arrives ?
Most Tsunamis do not result in giant breaking waves. Rather, most tsunamis come onshore as very strong and fast tides.

November 18 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Canada (New Foundland), 1929 – Magnitude : 7.2 – 27 people killed
A submarine slide triggered by the earthquake caused the fracture of 12 trans-atlantic cables. In each case they were broken at several points. A tsunami resulting from displacement of the ocean floor caused considerable damage and the loss of 27 lives at Placentia Bay, Newfoundland. Small seawaves were recorded along the east coast of the United States as far south as Charleston, South Carolina. The area of maximum intensity in the United States was the southeastern half of Maine, where clocks stopped, articles were shaken from shelves, and many people were alarmed. The total area affected in the United States was approximately 80,000 square miles.

November 17 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Alaska, 1987 – Magnitude : 7.2
One of the Largest Earthquakes in the United States.

Hawaiian volcanoes on top of a hot spot
The Hawaiian Islands are the tops of gigantic volcanoes that formed above a hot spot in the Earth’s interior. As the volcanoes grew, they were carried away from the hot spot as the Pacific Plate moves northwestward at about 3 1/2 inches per year.

November 16 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Hawaii, 1983 – Magnitude : 6.7
Six people injured and considerable damage (VIII) in parts of Kapapala, Hawaii Volcanoes National Park, Volcano, Kau and Puna Districts and Hilo. Landslides and rockfalls occurred, telephone and electrical service was disrupted and water mains were broken in several areas of the island. Total damage from the earthquake estimated at 6 to 6.5 million dollars. Also felt on the islands of Maui, Oahu and Kauai.

Image courtesy USGS

Earthquake tweet mayor Mexico City viral hit on Twitter
A strong earthquake rattled central Mexico, causing some residential buildings in Mexico City to sway like boats on a river. Mayor Marcelo Ebrard, as he does routinely, turned to Twitter. “Tenemossismo,” Ebrard tweeted at 3:23 a.m. Wednesday, translated as, “We have an earthquake,” but without any spacing. $$$$ Read more ….

Size of planet earth
The distance from the surface of the Earth to its center is 3,700 miles. The thickness of the ocean lithosphere or the relatively solid skin of the earth under oceans is only 41 miles, which in relative terms is much thinner than the skin of an apple.

November 15 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Kuril Islands, 2006 – Magnitude : 8.3
One person injured at Waikiki by a tsunami with a recorded wave height of 34 cm at Honolulu, Hawaii. One parking lot was flooded at Nawiliwili, Hawaii by a tsunami with a recorded wave height of 88 cm. Two docks destroyed and at least one damaged at Crescent City, California by a tsunami with a recorded wave height of 176 cm. Felt at Misawa and Yokosuka, Japan and at Petropavlovsk- Kamchatskiy, Russia. Recorded (2 JMA) in eastern and south- central Hokkaido. Recorded (1 JMA) in western Hokkaido and in Aomori, Iwate and Miyagi Prefectures, Honshu.

November 14 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Philippines, 1994 – Magnitude : 7.1 – 78 people killed
At least seventy-eight people killed and 225 injured on Luzon and Mindoro. A local tsunami contributed to extensive damage (VII RF) in the Calapan and Puerto Galera areas. More than 797 houses destroyed and 3,288 damaged on Mindoro. Seven houses destroyed at Batangas, Luzon. Liquefaction, sand boils and surface faulting occurred in the epicentral area. Felt (IV RF) at Batangas, Guinayangan, Manila and Tagaytay City; (III RF) at Quezon City, Luzon. Also felt (II RF) on Masbate.

Image courtesy Phivolcs, Philippines

Where do we find the oldest rocks, on the Ocean floor or on the continents ?
The oldest rocks on Earth are found on land. Since the ocean floor is being continually regenerated as the continental plates move across the Earth’s surface, the oldest rocks on the ocean floor are less than 300 million years. In contrast, the oldest continental rocks are 4,500 million years old.

New Zealand coastal survey finds new dangerous coastal faults
Seismic research off the coast of New Zealand has identified another 200 fault lines that could cause catastrophic tsunamis if a significant earthquake struck. GNS Science, along with the National Institute for Water and Atmospheric Research (Niwa), have just wrapped up a major project to revise the New Zealand National Seismic Hazard Model (NSHM). A number of newly identified faults have now been added to the model, raising the total number of known fault lines by about 200 – to nearly 530. $$$$$ Read more …

November 13 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Iran, 1998 – Magnitude : 5.4 – 7 people killed
Five people killed, 105 injured and at least 850 houses damaged by the earthquake and landslides in the Bigherd-Khonj area.

Tsunami warning policies updated for British Columbia, Canada
The B.C. government is upgrading its tsunami warning plans following delays broadcasting emergency information after a magnitude 7.7 earthquake last month.
After the quake struck off the west coast of Haida Gwaii on Oct. 27 at 8:04 p.m. PT, emergency officials in B.C. did not issue any sort of tsunami alert or advisory for 51 minutes, leaving many civic leaders in B.C. wondering what they were supposed to do.
Many communities did start evacuations based on notifications issued by U.S. officials just minutes after the quake was detected . $$$$$ Read more ….

EU funds for earthquake assistance Italy (Emilia Romagna) ready to be released
EU finance ministers in Brussels announced following an Ecofin meeting on Tuesday that 670 million euros in assistance for parts of Italy that were severely damaged by deadly earthquakes last spring will be released shortly. $$$$$ Read more …

November 12 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Turkije, 1999 – Magnitude : 7.2 – 894 people killed
At least 894 people killed and 4,948 injured, mostly in the Bolu-Duzce area. Casualties occurred as far as Eskisehir, Yalova and Zonguldak. Extensive damage occurred in the Bolu-Duzce area. Landslides in the Bolu Pass blocked the Ankara-Istanbul highway. Felt as far as Ankara, Istanbul and Izmir. Also felt (III) at Chisinau, Moldova and (III) at Sevastopol and Simferopol, Ukraine. Two events about 2 seconds apart.

The epicenter of the November 12, 1999 earthquake was at 40.8 N , 31.6 E (Strasburg Geodynamic Institute) in the Duze region, near the city of Bolu , which is about 170 Km southeast of Istanbul and approximately 45 miles east of the region hit by the August earthquake. Its magnitude was estimated at 7.2 on the Richter scale. The Strasburg Geodynamic Institute gave the magnitude as 7.3. Within a two hour period following the main quake, 69 aftershocks were recorded, five of which had magnitudes greater than 5. Of these, 30 aftershocks had magnitudes ranging from 3-3.9, 33 had magnitudes ranging from 4-4.9, and 6 ranging from 4.9-5.4 (Kandilli Observatory and Research Institute). Aftershocks continued for weeks and months. $$$$$ Read more …

Seismic wave shadow
A seismic wave shadow zone was discovered in about 1910, by measuring how P and S waves travel through the earth and out the other side. From the lack of S waves and a great slowing of the P wave velocity (by about 40%), it was deduced that the outer core is made of liquid. The shadow zone also defined the diameter of the core.

November 11 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Chile, 1922 – Magnitude : 8.5
The earthquake occurred in the southern part of Atacama Province, central Chile. Locally, the tsunami caused extensive damage. The tsunami arrived at Hilo, Hawaii in 14.5 hours. The period of oscillations was 20 minutes, and the height of the tsunami was 2.1 meters; many boats were washed away, and some damage was done. The wave reached Honolulu in 15.0 hours. The period of oscillations of the waves was 23 minutes, the height of the wave 0.3 meters.

November 10 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Peru, 1946 – Magnitude : 7.3
1,400 deaths. One of the world’s deadliest earthquakes.
Nearly all buildings were destroyed or heavily damaged in the Sihuas-Quiches-Conchucos area of Ancash Department. Many landslides occurred; one buried the village of Acobamba and another dammed the Pelagatos River. The quake was felt from Guayaquil, Ecuador to Lima, Peru. Several segments of surface faulting were seen in a zone about 18 km (11 mi) long from Quiches to Hacienda Mayas. The faulting was purely dip-slip (vertical) with as much as 3.5 m (11 ft) offset.

Origin of the name “San Andreas Fault”
The origin of the name of the San Andreas Fault is often cited as the San Andreas Lake. However, based on some 1895 and 1908 reports by geologist A.C. Lawson, who named the fault, the name was actually taken from the San Andreas Valley. Lawson likely did not realize at the time that the fault ran almost the entire length of California.

New Zealand : EQC quake insurance shortfall doubles
The Earthquake Commission will be about $1.6 billion short for Canterbury earthquake claims, which the Government will stump up for.
That is the latest firm figure in EQC’s annual report released yesterday, and a lot more than the Government estimated more than a year ago when it said EQC could be short by $800 million. But Finance Minister Bill English said in April the Government’s guarantee to EQC could be “a few billion”. $$$$ Read more …

November 9 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
USA (Illinois), 1968 – Magnitude : 5.5
The largest historical earthquake in Illinois.
This earthquake was felt over all or portions of 23 states, and included isolated reports from distant localities, such as Boston, Mobile, Pensacola, and southern Ontario. Minor damage, consisting of downed chimneys, foundation cracks, and scattered instances of collapsed parapets and overturned tombstones, was sustained in Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Tennessee.

Free oscillation of the Earth
When the Chilean earthquake occurred in 1960, seismographs recorded seismic waves that traveled all around the Earth. These seismic waves shook the entire earth for many days! This phenomenon is called the free oscillation of the Earth.

Rebuilding almost completed in Yushu, China
All the affected residents of the earthquake-hit Yushu Tibetan autonomous prefecture in Northwest China’s Qinghai province are expected to move into new homes before the end of the year, a senior official said. $$$$$ Read more …

Image courtesy China Daily

November 8 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Belgium, 1983 – Magnitude : 4.9 – 1 person killed
One person killed, one additional person died of a heart attack, 30 injured, and hundreds of buildings damaged in the Liege area. Felt (V) in the southern Netherlands. Also felt in Luxembourg and West Germany.

Which sounds create P earthquake waves ?
Human beings can detect sounds in the frequency range 20-20,000 Hertz. If a P-wave refracts out of the rock surface into the air, and has a frequency in the audible range, it will be heard as a rumble. Most earthquake waves have a frequency of less than 20 Hz, so the waves themselves are usually not heard. Most of the rumbling noise heard during an earthquake are from buildings (and their contents) moving.

Christchurch red-zone demolitions to accelerate
The clearance of Christchurch’s red-zoned suburbs is expected to accelerate next year as thousands of houses are approved for demolition. The Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority (Cera) hopes to demolish nearly 8000 residential red-zone houses over the next “couple of years”, with more than 1200 already deconstructed. Read more … $$$$$

November 7 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Iran, 1976 – Magnitude : 6.2 – 17 people killed
The earthquake was located about 270 kilometers south of Mashad in the Khorassan Province, where 17 were killed and 32 injured. Three villages in the area were completely destroyed. Because of the time of day the earthquake struck, many of the people were in the fields, and the death toll was lessened.

Early seismologists
The cause of earthquakes was stated correctly in 1760 by British engineer John Michell, one of the first fathers of seismology, in a memoir where he wrote that earthquakes and the waves of energy that they make are caused by “shifting masses of rock miles below the surface”.

November 6 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Russia (Kuril Islands), 1958 – Magnitude : 8.3
Destructive earthquake (intensity IX) on the island of Iturup (Kuriles): felt in the Kuriles, Hokkaido and northern Honshu. Intensity VII at Kushiro, VI at Nemuro, Obihiro, Urakawa, Sapporo, Hachinohe, Aomori, Morioka. Slight damage reported at Kushiro, telephone lines cut, dozens of trains brought to a standstill. A tsunami was feared, and the alert was given by the seismological service along all the coasts of Hokkaido and in some parts of Honshu: the coastal population was evacuated, but fears proved unjustified.

Which kind of soil shakes the most during an earthquake ?
It was recognized as early as 350 BC, by the Greek scientist Aristotle, that soft ground shakes more than hard rock during an earthquake.

Geologists find East Coast quakes travel farther
The U.S. Geological Survey says the 2011 Virginia-centered earthquake shows that East Coast tremors can travel much farther and cause damage over larger areas than previously thought. The agency estimates that about one-third of the U.S. population could have felt the magnitude 5.8 tremor. That’s more than any earthquake in U.S. history. $$$$$

November 5 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Italy, 1659 – Magnitude : ?? – More than 2000 people killed in the Capistrano area
One of the most cruel earthquakes in Southern Europe. Very few details can be found (some are scientific studies, but are locked behind paying walls !)
Most records show +2000 people killed and massive devastation.

Oldest earthquake record
The earliest recorded evidence of an earthquake has been traced back to 1831 BC in the Shandong province of China, but there is a fairly complete record of earthquakes starting in 780 BC, during the Zhou Dynasty in China.

November 4 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
California (USA), 1927 – Magnitude : 7.1
The most severe damage to property occurred in the areas west and north of Lompoc. Chimneys were wrecked at several towns, including Arroyo Grande, Berros, Guadalupe, Halcyon, Lompoc, Los Alamos, and Nipomo. On the Roberd’s ranch, an earthquake fountain created between 10 and 20 sand craters; lurches and cracks were observed in the water-soaked soil. The Roberd ranch house was shifted on its foundation about 5 centimeters, and small outbuildings were pushed from their foundations. The walls of a poorly built block building collapsed at White Hills. At Santa Maria and other towns in the area, chimneys were damaged, old brick walls and interior walls formed cracks, and cornices fell.

Pacific Ring of Fire
The majority of the earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur along plate boundaries, such as the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American plate. One of the most active plate boundaries, where earthquakes and eruptions are frequent, is around the massive Pacific Plate, commonly referred to as the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Image courtesy Wikipedia

November 3 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Alaska (USA), 2002 – Magnitude : 7.9
Largest earthquake in 2002.
One person injured and extensive damage to roads. Items knocked from shelves in Denali National Park, Glenallen and Tok. Some supports on the trans-Alaska pipeline were damaged and operation was suspended. Damage estimated at 20 million U.S. dollars. Felt (VII) at Cantwell and Denali National Park; (VI) at Chistochina, Delta Junction, Fairbanks, Nenana, North Pole and Tok; (V) at Anchorage, Big Lake, Chickaloon, Chitina, Copper Center, Eagle River, Eielson AFB, Eureka, Fort Wainwright, Healy, Houston, Knik, Moose Pass, Palmer, Talkeetna, Tazlina, Wasilla and Willow; (IV) at Butte, Cordova, Glenallen, Kenai, Kenny Lake, Nikiski, Salcha, Skagway, Valdez and Whittier; (III) at Galena, Haines, Juneau, Kasilof, Seward and Soldotna. Felt in northern British Columbia, western Alberta and Northwest Territories. Also felt by people in high-rise buildings in Seattle, Washington. Seiches and muddied water wells observed in a number of states, including Washington, Idaho, Louisiana, Oklahoma, Missouri, Wisconsin and Pennsylvania.

Why Alaska ?
Alaska is the most earthquake-prone state and one of the most seismically active regions in the world. Alaska experiences a magnitude 7 earthquake almost every year, and a magnitude 8 or greater earthquake on an average of every 14 years (on average).

November 2 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Georgia (USA), 1875 – Magnitude : 4.3
The earthquake was strong enough to move a mirror back and forth from the wall and to shake doors and windows. Felt from Spartanburg and Columbia, South Carolina, to Atlanta and Macon, Georgia, and from Gainesville (northeast of Atlanta) to Augusta, Georgia. Several aftershocks were reported.

About deep earthquakes
The deepest earthquakes typically occur at plate boundaries where the Earth’s crust is being subducted into the Earth’s mantle. These earthquakes occur as deep as 750 km (400 miles) below the surface.

November 1 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Canada, 1935 – Magnitude : 6.2
Damage was relatively slight in the epicentral region, largely because of the sparsity of population. The earthquake was felt over an area of nearly 2,600,000 square kilometers in the United States and Canada.

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December 31, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Alaska, 1901 – Magnitude : 7.1
One of the Largest Earthquakes in the United States.
A strong volcanic eruption occurred. The accompanying earthquake caused several tsunamis.

December 30, 2012

About spreading plates in the Oceans
At spreading zones, molten rock rises, pushing two plates apart and adding new material at their edges. Most spreading centers are found in oceans. The North American and Eurasian plates are spreading apart along the mid-Atlantic ridge. Spreading zones usually have earthquakes at shallow depths (within 30 kilometers of the surface).

December 29, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Vanuatu, 1973 – Magnitude : 7.2
This earthquake struck the New Hebrides Islands about 2,000 kilometers northeast of Brisbane, Australia. The earthquake cracked concrete walls, damaged a wharf, and broke water pipes at Luganville.

About Fault Lines and accumulated and relieved stress
Earthquakes tend to reoccur along faults, which reflect zones of weakness in the Earth’s crust. Even if a fault zone has recently experienced an earthquake, however, there is no guarantee that all the stress has been relieved. Another earthquake could still occur. Further more, relieving stress along one part of the fault may increase stress in another part.

December 28, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Japan, 1994 – Magnitude : 7.8 – 2 people killed
Two people were killed, more than 200 injured and damage (VI JMA) in the Hachinohe area. Felt (V JMA) at Aomori, Morioka and Mutsu; (IV JMA) at Miyako and Ofunato; (III JMA) at Sendai. Also felt (IV JMA) at Hakodate, Obihiro, Tomakomai and Urakawa; (III JMA) at Sapporo, Hokkaido. Felt as far away as Tokyo. Local tsunami generated with maximum wave heights (peak-to-trough) recorded at the following selected tide stations: 110 cm. at Miyako, 88 cm. at Hachinohe, 54 cm. at Ofunato, 10 cm. at Choshi, Honshu; 48 cm. at Urakawa, 36 cm. at Hakodate and Kushiro, Hokkaido.

Earthquakes and landslides
Landslides triggered by earthquakes often cause more destruction than the earthquakes themselves. During the 1964 Alaska quake, shock-induced landslides devastated the Turnagain Heights residential development and many downtown areas in Anchorage.

l’Aquila, Italy fallout – School director sentenced to 4 years in jail !
(ANSA) – L’Aquila, December 28 – A judge in L’Aquila on Thursday convicted the former head of a boarding school in the the Italian city of manslaughter in the deaths of three minors in the devastating earthquake of 2009. Read the entire article ….

Image Creative Commons by http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/it:User:TheWiz83

December 27, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Australia, 1989 – Magnitude : 5.5 – 13 people killed
Thirteen people killed, more than 100 injured and estimated 1.1 billion U.S. dollars damage (VIII) caused in the Newcastle area. Damage occurred as far away as Liverpool, Scone and Gladstone. Felt in a 200,000 sq. km area of New South Wales and the Australian Capital Territory from Albury and Cooma to Coffs Harbour and Inverell and as far west as Narromine. Also felt by people in highrise buildings in Gold Coast and Melbourne. Believed to be the first earthquake in Australian history that has caused deaths.

December 26, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Indonesia, 2004 – Magnitude : 9.1 – 227898 people killed
Largest and deadliest earthquake in 2004.
This is the third largest earthquake in the world since 1900 and is the largest since the 1964 Prince William Sound, Alaska earthquake. In total, 227,898 people were killed or were missing and presumed dead and about 1.7 million people were displaced by the earthquake and subsequent tsunami in 14 countries in South Asia and East Africa. (In January 2005, the death toll was 286,000. In April 2005, Indonesia reduced its estimate for the number missing by over 50,000.) The earthquake was felt (IX) at Banda Aceh, (VIII) at Meulaboh and (IV) at Medan, Sumatra and (III-V) in parts of Bangladesh, India, Malaysia, Maldives, Myanmar, Singapore, Sri Lanka and Thailand. The tsunami caused more casualties than any other in recorded history and was recorded nearly world-wide on tide gauges in the Indian, Pacific and Atlantic Oceans. Seiches were observed in India and the United States. Subsidence and landslides were observed in Sumatra. A mud volcano near Baratang, Andaman Islands became active on December 28 and gas emissions were reported in Arakan, Myanmar.

December 25, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
China, 1932 – Magnitude : 7.6 – 275 people killed
275 deaths.
Over 1,100 houses collapsed in the Changma area. Damage occurred from Dunhuang to Gaotai. Surface rupture or deformation observed from Changma east intermittently for more than 110 km (65 mi). There were landslides, ground fissures and sandblows in the area. Also felt in parts of Qinghai (Tsinghai) and Xinjiang (Sinkiang). One source [145] lists the death toll as 70,000, but this does not seem to be confirmed by the damage descriptions nor by other sources.

December 24, 2012

What to do when an earthquake strikes when you are outdoors ?
During an earthquake: If you are outdoors, stay there.
Move away from buildings, street lights and utility wires.

December 23, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Nicaragua, 1972 – Magnitude : 6.2 – 5000 people killed
5,000 deaths.
One of the world’s deadliest earthquakes.
Thousands injured. Preliminary estimates indicate approximately $800,000,000 damages in Managua. Hundreds of aftershocks were reported, but only two exceeded magnitude 5, and these occurred within an hour of the main shock.

December 22, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Guinea (Africa), 1983 – Magnitude : 6.4 – 643 people killed
At least 443 people killed, 200 missing, 150 seriously injured and extensive damage in the Gaoual-Koumbia area, Guinea. Felt in Guinea Bissau, Senegal, The Gambia and Sierra Leone.

What to do during an earthquake when indoors ?
During an earthquake: If you are indoors, take cover under a sturdy desk, table, or bench, or against an inside wall, and hold on. Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors or walls and anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures or furniture.

December 21, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Chile, 1967 – Magnitude : 7.5 – 1 person killed
The shock caused one death and several injuries, and inflicted severe property damage at Quillagua and Tocopilla, two small villages near the earthquake’s epicenter. Eighty percent of the structures were destroyed at Quillagua; Tocopilla sustained damage to about 20 percent of its buildings. Numerous roads were damaged or blocked by earth-slides in the area.

What to do during an earthquake ?
In an earthquake, keep calm and stay where you are.
Most injuries during earthquakes occur when people are hit by falling objects when entering or exiting buildings.

Movies : Tsunami survivor’s impossible story hits the big screen
Naomi Watts and Ewan McGregor star in The Impossible, a film based on the true story of one family who were caught in the deadly Indian tsunami.
On 26 December, 2004 a powerful earthquake off the Indonesian coast triggered a tsunami that devastated countries around the Indian Ocean, killing more than 230,000 people.
The Impossible is based on the true story of one of the survivors, Maria Belon, a Spanish tourist who was lounging by a pool in Thailand along with her husband and three young sons when the tsunami hit. $? Read more ….

December 20, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Japan, 1946 – Magnitude : 8.1 – 1362 people killed
One of the world’s deadliest earthquakes.
More than 2,600 people injured and 100 missing: over 36,000 houses destroyed or severely damaged in southern Honshu and on Shikoku. An additional 2,100 houses were washed away by a tsunami, which reached heights of 5-6 m (16-20 ft) on the east coast of the Kii Peninsula, Honshu and on the east and south coasts of Shikoku. Landslides, ground fissures, uplift and subsidence were observed in the area. The quake was felt from northern Honshu to Kyushu.

Image courtesy NOAA

December 17, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Indonesia (Bali), 1979 – Magnitude : 6.3 – 27 people killed
The earthquake was centered in the water between the islands of Lombok and Bali. Twenty-seven people were reported killed, 200 were reported injured, and about 80 percent of the homes and buildings were destroyed or badly damaged in Karangasem on eastern Bali. Communications were cut off, and roads leading to Denpasar, the capital of Bali, were blocked by landslides, but only minor damage was reported in the capital area. Many foreign tourists at the Bali Beach Intercontinental Hotel were shaken by the quake, but no injuries were reported. The neighboring island of Lombok was also shaken considerably by the shock, but only minor damage was reported.

December 16, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
China, 1920 – Magnitude : 7.8 – 200,000 people killed
One of the world’s most destructive earthquakes.
Total destruction (XII – the maximum intensity on the Mercalli scale) in the Lijunbu-Haiyuan-Ganyanchi area. Over 73,000 people were killed in Haiyuan County. A landslide buried the village of Sujiahe in Xiji County. More than 30,000 people were killed in Guyuan County. Nearly all the houses collapsed in the cities of Longde and Huining. Damage (VI-X) occurred in 7 provinces and regions, including the major cities of Lanzhou, Taiyuan, Xi’an, Xining and Yinchuan. It was felt from the Yellow Sea to Qinghai (Tsinghai) Province and from Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia) south to central Sichuan (Szechwan) Province. About 200 km (125 mi) of surface faulting was seen from Lijunbu through Ganyanchi to Jingtai. There were large numbers of landslides and ground cracks throughout the epicentral area. Some rivers were dammed, others changed course. Seiches from this earthquake were observed in 2 lakes and 3 fjords in western Norway. Although usually called the Kansu (now Gansu) earthquake by Western sources, the epicenter and highest intensities are clearly within Ningxia Autonomous Region.

This is what Wikipedia tells about this earthquake

The earthquake hit at local time 20:06:53 (GMT 12:06:53), reportedly 7.8 on the Richter magnitude scale, followed by a series of aftershocks for three years. Today’s Chinese media claim the earthquake as of magnitude 8.5, although the scale is not specified. It caused total destruction (XII – the maximum intensity on the Mercalli scale) in the Lijunbu-Haiyuan-Ganyanchi area.
Over 73,000 people were killed in Haiyuan County. A landslide buried the village of Sujiahe in Xiji County. More than 30,000 people were killed in Guyuan County. Nearly all the houses collapsed in the cities of Longde and Huining. Damage (VI-X) occurred in 7 provinces and regions, including the major cities of Lanzhou, Taiyuan, Xi’an, Xining and Yinchuan. It was felt from the Yellow Sea to Qinghai (Tsinghai) Province and from Nei Mongol (Inner Mongolia) south to central Sichuan Province.
About 200 km (125 mi) of surface faulting was seen from Lijunbu through Ganyanchi to Jingtai. There were large numbers of landslides and ground cracks throughout the epicentral area. Some rivers were dammed, others changed course. Seiches from this earthquake were observed in 2 lakes and 3 fjords in western Norway.
Total casualty was reported as 200,000 in a summary published by the United States Geological Survey (USGS), 240,000 according to Ningxia Daily, a Chinese publication in the current administrative area.,[2] and 235,502 according to the Catalog of Damaging Earthquakes in the World (Through 2008) maintained by the International Institute of Seismology and Earthquake Engineering.

December 15, 2012

Japanese operator in most frank admission over nuclear disaster
The operator of a Japanese nuclear power plant that blew up after a tsunami last year said on Friday its lack of safety and bad habits were behind the world’s worst nuclear accident in 25 years, its most forthright admission of culpability. The operator, Tokyo Electric Power Co, said it accepted the findings of a parliamentary inquiry into the Fukushima nuclear disaster that accused the company of “collusion” with industry regulators. $$$$$ Read more …

December 14, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Iran, 1978 – Magnitude : 6.2 – 76 people killed
The earthquake was located about 450 kilometers southwest of Tehran in the vicinity of Izeh. Seventy-six people were reported killed, many were injured, and there was considerable damage in the areas of Izeh and Masjed-e-Soleyman.

Search conducted for missing tsunami victims in Ishinomaki
Police and Maritime Safety Agency personnel on Tuesday conducted another search for missing tsunami victims in Okawa, Ishinomaki in Miyagi Prefecture, which was one of the areas hardest hit by the tsunami on March 11, 2011. $$$$$ Read more

Opinion : Seismic risk of fracking has been wildly overstated
Hydraulic fracturing to produce oil and gas has become closely associated in the public mind with the risk of triggering man-made earthquakes. But the risk is not high and it is not confined to fracking. There may be greater danger from geothermal energy production and pumping carbon dioxide underground as part of carbon capture and storage projects. $$$ Read more …

December 13, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Italy (Sicily), 1990 – Magnitude : 5.6 – 19 people killed
At least 19 people killed, about 200 injured, 2,500 homeless and severe damage (VII) in the Carlentini area.
Damage also occurred at Augusta, Lentini and Noto and slight damage occurred as far away as Cefalu. Felt as far west as Trapani.

December 12, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Indonesia, 1992 – Magnitude : 7.8 – 2200 people killed
One of the world’s deadliest earthquakes.
At least 2,200 people killed or missing in the Flores region, including 1,490 at Maumere and 700 on Babi. More than 500 people were injured and 40,000 left homeless. 19 people were killed and 130 houses destroyed on Kalaotoa. Severe damage, with approximately 90 percent of the buildings destroyed at Maumere by the earthquake and tsunami; 50 to 80 percent of the structures on Flores were damaged or destroyed. Damage also occurred on Sumba and Alor. Tsunami run-up of 300 meters with wave heights of 25 meters was reported on Flores along with landslides and ground cracks at several locations around the island. Felt (V) at Larantuka, Flores; (IV) at Waingapu, Sumba and Ujung Pandang, Sulawesi; (II) at Kupang, Timor.

Which island is moving fastest in the world ?
Easter Island, which lies on the Nazca Plate close to the East Pacific Rise, is moving eastward toward South America by seafloor spreading at the fastest rate known in the world, more than 15 cm/yr.

December 11, 2012

Where do the Himalaya comes from ?
Among the most dramatic and visible creations of plate-tectonic forces are the lofty Himalayas, which stretch 2,900 km along the border between India and Tibet. This immense mountain range began to form between 40 and 50 million years ago, when two large landmasses, India and Eurasia, driven by plate movement, collided. Because both these continental landmasses have about the same rock density, one plate could not be subducted under the other. The pressure of the impinging plates could only be relieved by thrusting skyward, contorting the collision zone, and forming the jagged Himalayan peaks.

Image courtesy Luca Galuzzi – Creative Commons – Wikipedia

December 10, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Ecuador, 1970 – Magnitude : 7.6 – 72 people killed
This major earthquake occurred about 150 miles southwest of Guayaquil, Ecuador, on Peru’s northernmost tip. It killed 72 people and injured many in both countries. Much damage occurred at Sullana and Piura, Peru, south of the epicenter, and at Tumbes, 50 miles north of the shock’s center. Highways linking Tumbes and Piura were blocked by landslides, and telephone communications to that region were knocked out. Heaviest damage in Ecuador was reportedly in rural villages.

December 9, 2012

Can we see the activity of spreading Oceanic ridges above sea level ?
The Mid-Atlantic Ridge appears above sea-level at Iceland. This offers scientists a natural laboratory for studying on land the processes also occurring along the submerged parts of a spreading ridge. Iceland is splitting along the spreading center between the North American and Eurasian Plates, as North America moves westward relative to Eurasia.

December 8, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
South-Africa, 1976 – Magnitude : 5.2 – 4 people killed
The earthquake was centered in the gold mining area of Welkom about 300 kilometers south of Johannesburg. Four people were killed, 36 injured and considerable damage in the Wellom area.

December 6, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Iran, 1988 – Magnitude : 5.7
Seven people injured and damage to more than 21 villages in the Mamasani area. Also felt at Shiraz and Bushehr.

December 5, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Russia (Kamchatka), 1997 – Magnitude : 7.8
Felt (VII) in the epicentral area and (V) at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy and Ust-Kamchatsk. Felt (II) at Severo-Kurilsk, Paramushir. Also felt aboard the cargo ship Stepan Krasheninnikov in the epicentral area. Tsunami generated. Complex earthquake with at least one event occurring about 14 seconds after the onset.

December 4, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Mongolia, 1957 – Magnitude : 8.1 – 30 people killed
Thirty deaths.
All houses were destroyed in Dzun Bogd and Bayan Gobi. Subsidence, faulting and fissures occurred in the Bahar Uula and Ih Bogd Uul Mountains. The largest fissure was 250 km (155 mi) long with as much as 9-11 m (30-36 ft) of vertical and 3 m (10 ft) of horizontal offset. Because of the extremely sparse population in the area, this is perhaps the least damaging great earthquake to have occurred on land in the 20th Century; the direct opposite of the Agadir, Morocco earthquake of 29 Feb 1960.

Preparedness !
The risks that earthquakes pose to society, including death, injury, and economic loss, can be greatly reduced by better planning, construction, and mitigation practices before earthquakes happen and by providing critical and timely information to improve response after they occur.

December 1, 2012

Did you know this earthquake happened on the same day in history ?
Chile, 1928 – Magnitude : 7.6
225 people killed.
Severe damage at Talca and Constitucion. The earthquake was felt from Copiapo to Puerto Montt. Uplift was observed along the coast at Putu. A small tsunami was reported.

Tsunami alarm. What to do ?
What to do if a tsunami threatens your area: If you are advised to evacuate, do so immediately. Stay away from the area until local authorities say it is safe. Do not be fooled into thinking that the danger is over when a single wave has come and gone – a tsunami is not a single wave but a series of waves. Do not go to the shoreline to watch for a tsunami. When you can see the wave, it is too late to escape it.

Tsunami-warning systems installed in Pangasinan, Albay, Philippines
The Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (PHIVOLCS) and the Advanced Science and Technology Institute (ASTI) have installed tsunami detection systems that provide real-time information and warning signals in high-risk coastal communities in Pangasinan and Albay, the Department of Science and Technology (DOST) reported. $$$$$ Read More …

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The map below shows the output of the Surface Currents from Diagnostic (SCUD) model, an attempt to simulate where and how that debris would disperse. Orange and red shaded areas represent parcels of water with a high probably of containing floating debris. The deeper the red color, the higher the likely concentration. The debris field stretches roughly 5,000 kilometers by 2,000 kilometers across the North Pacific.

Image courtesy Nasa Earth Observatory

The model begins with more than 678,000 “tracers” being released from various points along the northeastern coast of Japan on March 11, 2011. The initial distribution is based on the density of population and development. The still image above shows the predicted distribution of debris by April 3, 2012.

The SCUD model was developed by Nikolai Maximenko and Jan Hafner of the International Pacific Research Center (IPRC) at the University of Hawaii. Using real satellite data on sea surface height and on ocean surface winds—as well as information from scientific drifting buoy networks—the IPRC team makes daily maps of surface currents. Hafner and Maximenko have also collected reports of debris sightings in the ocean, which have so far validated what the model tells them.

Debris was initially carried by the potent Kuroshio Current, which whips past eastern Japan much like the Gulf Stream in the North Atlantic. The Kuroshio carries surface waters northeast, before eventually turning east in the Kuroshio Extension and then the North Pacific Current. Some debris should reach the west coast of North America within a year or two, while much of it is likely to end up in the floating debris field in the middle of the North Pacific Gyre that is referred to as “the garbage patch.”

As of April 3, 2012, there had been very few reports of debris at Midway Island and Kure Atoll. North winds have been minimal in recent months, and ocean currents have favored keeping the debris from the island. But those currents may be shifting, Hafner noted, and debris should eventually wash up with greater frequency.

Observers in Canada recently detected an abandoned 150-foot Japanese fishing vessel floating offshore of British Columbia. Other reports of debris in Washington and Hawaii came in months ago. But in most cases, the objects were larger and standing above the water line, where they could be pushed like sails at higher speeds. The model shown above tracks objects sitting at or just below the water line.

Text , pictures and video : courtesy Nasa Earth Observatory

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The selection of a weak Magnitude, a 24 hour delivery on a worldwide list would result in an avalanche of emails (each earthquake will generate an E-mail). A more selective Magnitude, delivery option and area of your interest will give the best result. As we have decided not to use a control panel or password, the parameters of your subscription can only be changed by canceling your subscription (link in each Email we send). To fine-tune your options, simply generate a new subscription. We will not share your E-mail with anyone else, it will be used only for earthquake alerts. Please make sure that you are white listing our emails as otherwise they may be deviated to your spam folder.
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The losses in the reinsurance domain for 2011 have been the largest cumulative annual loss in history for earthquakes. This will be seen in the following section. The table below shows the insured loss ranges for each damaging earthquake with insurance loss in 2011. Many more details are available on earthquake-report.com.

Table 5 – List of insured losses in earthquakes in 2011 so far over $1m

The Maule, Chile, earthquake in 2010 represented the 3^rd highest absolute insurance loss from an earthquake. The two major economic loss earthquakes this year (Tohoku and Christchurch) have now slotted into number 1 and number 3 on the all-time insured losses rankings in CATDAT from earthquakes.

Table 6 – List of highest insured losses (1900-2011) in 2011 Country CPI adjusted $ international

The two most impacting largest earthquakes of the year will now be compared. In comparison to last year, both Japan and New Zealand have very high development and were both able to cover their economic and social losses internally; yet much aid was still given internationally for these disasters.

Table 7 – A comparison of the Christchurch and Tohoku earthquakes in terms of numbers

• 4 A quick comparison of the 2011 Losses to the CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes Database since 1900

In the next section, a few diagrams will be shown to demonstrate the holistic comparison of the year 2011 in terms of earthquake losses compared with other years. It can be seen quite clearly that the year 2011 has eclipsed all other years in terms of loss, even beating the 2011 dollar-adjusted value of the Great Kanto earthquake in 1923. Since 1900, 2.128 trillion USD (2011) damage has occurred due to earthquakes worldwide, with 17% of it occurring in 2011.

In terms of total economic losses including indirect effects for major earthquakes, the Tohoku earthquake this year are predicted to have approximately $260 billion US of indirect losses due to global supply chain impacts, business interruption, associated losses and other indirect effects. The overall losses including indirect effects due to earthquakes are now approximately $3.14 trillion US (2011-adjusted) since 1900, of which approximately 20% has occurred in the year 2011 (around $624.5 billion US in total losses).

Figure 12 – Yearly Direct Economic Losses from CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes showing 2011 as the highest
loss year of the past 111 years.

In terms of death tolls, the approximately 20000 killed this year is about on the annual average for the past 111 years. Over the past 111 years, the average death toll has been 21800 deaths per year. The interesting fact is that this was the highest death toll year in developed nations versus developing nations.

Figure 13 – Yearly Earthquake and Secondary Effect deaths in CATDAT for developing and developed nations through time – 2011 shows the largest death toll from a developed nation (HDI (2011) > 0.8)

A figure showing the effects of worldwide earthquakes in the past in terms of direct economic losses (in this diagram, the Japanese disaster was pegged at $253.5 billion US) and also deaths can be seen.

Figure 14 – Major event losses in the CATDAT damaging earthquakes database from 1900-2011 (Daniell, 2003-2011a)

The following diagram shows the worldwide relationship of cumulative deaths versus population, and direct and total economic losses versus worldwide GDP (Purchasing Power Parity adjusted). It can be seen that, currently, the death toll from earthquakes is reducing versus increasing population, hopefully showing that better disaster mitigation, management and preparedness is occurring worldwide, as well as better building practices.

The trend in terms of economic losses was one of a reasonably linear nature until the Tohoku event of this year. The data has been 2011 adjusted in terms of economic losses. The trend now shows an increase with respect to GDP in the last year.

Figure 15 –Cumulative deaths and economic losses related to global 2011-dollar GDP (PPP) and population.

• 5 Conclusion

2011 has been the highest economic loss year on record from earthquakes and secondary effects, but a less than average year for fatalities directly from earthquake shaking. Including tsunami and secondary effects, this represents a below average year for deaths from earthquakes. With around 57.8 million people dying this year around the world, around 0.035% have been due to earthquakes and tsunamis.

In Japan, the earthquake and tsunami accounted for 1.6% of deaths in the country in 2011. In NZ, the earthquake accounted for 0.62% of deaths in the country in 2011 or 4.6% of deaths in the Canterbury region in 2011. The Turkish earthquakes of 23^rd October and 9^th November caused 5.6% of deaths in the Van Province in 2011, yet less than 0.2% of deaths nationally in Turkey.

Direct economic losses for the year totalled around $365 billion US ($335 billion US of which was from the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake). This is approximately 0.37% of the World GDP this year.

There is also much potential observed through CATDAT earthquake data from the past 110 years for further insurance potential in lower HDI locations where rapid development is occurring, leading to increasing economic losses if an earthquake occurs.

The CATDAT Damaging Earthquake database contains much data suitable for use in many sectors from earthquake loss estimation, to risk mapping, for insurance purposes and simply as a validated dataset to reduce the erratic values of socio-economic losses quoted wrongly throughout a number of sources. It has been shown that the traditional view that social and economic losses are increasing exponentially should be treated with caution. The dataset contains many more earthquakes with socio-economic data than other earthquake databases and additionally much trend analysis and hopefully this has led to more populated trends. Large natural disaster losses are extremely difficult to quantify using a single number. Thus, CATDAT utilises a lower bound, upper bound and best estimate value, using expert judgement; yet also presents all data to the user.

With the advent of earthquake-report.com reporting 24 hours a day, 365.2422 days per year, the Worldwide CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes Database is now also updated in real time. 2011 has been the first entire year that has been covered and we hope that with your support and funding that we can continue the service in 2012 and the coming years.

Over 12300 earthquakes show over 8.49 million deaths since the beginning of earthquake records. Earthquakes in the 20^th and 21^st centuries have already caused approximately $3.14 trillion (2011 HNDECI-Adjusted int. dollars) damage (of this around 20% has occurred in 2011, mostly due to Tohoku). Collection of building damage for historic earthquakes demonstrates the vulnerability of traditional building stocks such as masonry, adobe and badly constructed reinforced concrete. However, given the population increase around the world, there has been a significant reduction in loss of life due to earthquakes compared to what should be expected. This has come through a combination of country development, implementation of better building practice to resist earthquake forces and a more stable world, allowing for earthquake insurance and protection of financial assets.

Many of the references for this paper are included in associated papers and over 19000 individual sources of information have been used to create the data in the CATDAT damaging earthquakes database.

Man sagt oft : Zahlen regieren die Welt.
Sicher ist nur: Zahlen zeigen wie sie regiert wird.

It is often said: Figures rule the world. The only sure thing is: Figures show how it is ruled.

J.W. Goethe (1749-1832)

• 6 Main References

Given the fact that over 19000 individual sources of information have been used in the CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes database, only the main references will be shown in this list. Please refer to the following papers for more information or email me to get more details.

Daniell, J.E. [2003-2011a] “The CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes Database”, searchable integrated historical global catastrophe database, Digital Database, updates v1.0 to latest update v5.0328 – nb. v0.0-v0.99 refers to all work and updates done 2003 to 2007.

Vervaeck, A., Daniell, J.E. [2011] “Over 400 earthquake loss estimation related articles on earthquake-report.com related to the rapid loss estimation procedures and calibration of data from 1.01.2011 to 31.12.2011.”, www.earthquake-report.com.

Daniell, J.E. [2003-2011b] “CATDAT Global Economic Databases”, Digital Database, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Daniell, J.E. [2003-2011c] “CATDAT Global Social Databases”, Digital Database, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Daniell, J.E. [2011] “The development of socio‐economic fragility functions for use in worldwide rapid earthquake loss estimation procedures”, PhD Thesis (unpublished), KIT, Karlsruhe

Daniell, J.E., Khazai, B., Wenzel, F., Vervaeck, A. [2011a] “The CATDAT damaging earthquakes database”, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 11, 2235-2251, doi:10.5194/nhess-11-2235-2011, 2011.

Daniell, J.E. [2011b] “The CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes Database – 2010 – Year in Review”, CEDIM Research Report 2011-01, Earthquake-Report OF Report, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Daniell, J.E. [2011c] “The CATDAT Damaging Volcanoes Database – 2010 – Year in Review”, CEDIM Research Report 2011-02, Earthquake-Report OF Report, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Daniell, J.E. [2011d] “The Worldwide CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes and Damaging Volcanoes Databases: Socio-economic trends, values and analysis including 2010”, Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13, EGU2011-4909.

Daniell, J.E., Vervaeck, A. [2011e] “The 2011 Tohoku Earthquake – CATDAT Situation Reports 1-41”, Earthquake-Report.com.

Daniell, J.E., Gibson, G. [2011f] “A review of all Australian Damaging Earthquakes and their contribution to knowledge of earthquake risk in Australia.”, Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13, EGU2011-4934.

Daniell, J.E., Khazai, B., Slingby, A. and Wenzel, F. [2011g] “A Country-by-Country Building Inventory and a Building Vulnerability Index for use in different Natural Disaster applications” Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13, EGU2011-4948-1.

Daniell, J.E. [2011h] “Open Source Procedure for Assessment of Loss using Global Earthquake Modelling software (OPAL)”, Nat. Hazards Earth Syst. Sci., 11, 1885-1899, doi:10.5194/nhess-11-1885-2011, 2011. 

Daniell, J.E., Wenzel, F. and Khazai, B. [2011i] “The Economics of Earthquakes since 1900: The Hybrid Natural Disaster Economic Index, Historical Loss Conversion, Future Impacts and Insurance Takeout”, Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13, EGU2011-4923.

Daniell, J.E., Wenzel, F., Khazai, B. [2011j] “Uncovering the mystery of the Haiti death toll”, Submitted to Disaster Prevention and Management.

Daniell, J.E., Wenzel, F., Vervaeck, A. [2011k] “The Socio-economic effects of the 2011 Tohoku earthquake”, Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13, EGU2011-14270.

Daniell, J.E., Wenzel, F., Khazai, B. [2011l] “Die Kosten historischer Erdbeben : Ökonomische Analyse der weltweiten Erdbebenschäden seit 1900”, DKKV Paper, DKKV 2011 Conference, Potsdam, Germany.

Daniell, J.E., Wenzel, F. [2011m] “Deterministic Earthquake Scenarios for the Northern Rhine Region (Deterministische Erdbeben Szenarien für die nördliche Rhein-Region”, D-A-CH Tagung Proceedings, Hannover September 2011, pp. 13-24.

Daniell, J.E.; Vervaeck, A.; Wenzel, F. [2011n] “A timeline of the Socio-economic effects of the 2011 Tohoku Earthquake with emphasis on the development of a new worldwide rapid earthquake loss estimation procedure”, Australian Earthquake Engineering Society 2011 Conference, Nov 18-20, Barossa Valley, South Australia.

Daniell, J.E., Wenzel, F., Khazai, B., Vervaeck, A. [2011o] “A Country-by-Country Building Inventory and Vulnerability Index for Earthquakes in comparison to historical CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes Database losses” Australian Earthquake Engineering Society 2011 Conference, Nov 18-20, Barossa Valley, South Australia.

Daniell, J.E., Khazai, B., Kunz-Plapp, T., Wenzel, F., Vervaeck, A., Muehr, B., Markus., M., Erdik, M. [2011p] “Comparing the current impact of the Van Earthquake to past earthquakes in Eastern Turkey”, CEDIM Forensic Earthquake Analysis Group – Report #4, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Khazai, B., Daniell, J.E., Wenzel, F. [2011a] “The March 2011 Japan Earthquake – Analysis of losses, impacts, and implications for the understanding of risks posed by extreme events”, Technikfolgenabschätzung – Theorie und Praxis 20. Jg., Heft 3, November 2011.

Khazai, B., Vangelsten, B., Duzgun, S., Braun, J., Daniell, J.E. [2011b] “Social Impacts of Emergency Shelter Provision in the aftermath of Earthquakes: Integrating Social Vulnerability in Systemic Seismic Vulnerability Analysis”, Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13, EGU2011-7374.

Kunz-Plapp, T., Khazai, B., Daniell, J.E. [2011] “Social Impacts of Earthquakes on Health and Health Care Systems: Integrating Social Vulnerability in Systemic Seismic Vulnerability Analysis”, Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13, EGU2011-7561.

Slingsby, A., Daniell, J.E., Dykes, J., Wood, J. [2011] “Sharing insights on the impact of natural disasters using Twitter”, Geophysical Research Abstracts Vol. 13, EGU2011-9171.

Daniell, J.E. [2010a] “Deterministic Earthquake Scenarios for the Northern Rhine Region (Deterministische Erdbeben Szenarien für die nördliche Rhein-Region)”, CEDIM Earthquake Loss Estimation Series, Research Report No. 10-02, CEDIM, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Khazai, B., Daniell, J.E., Apel, H. [2010b] “Risk Analysis Course Manual”, The World Bank Institute, Washington DC.

Daniell, J.E. [2010c] “Open Source Procedure for Assessment of Loss (OPAL Project)”, European Geosciences Union General Assembly, Vienna, Austria.

Daniell, J.E. [2010d] “The socio-economic damage of historical earthquakes and secondary effects on the Asia-Pacific region infrastructure”, Paper No. 0431, 5^th CECAR Conference Proceedings, Sydney, Australia.

Daniell, J.E., Daniell, K.A., Daniell, T.M., Khazai, B. [2010e] “A country level physical and community risk index in the Asia-Pacific region for earthquakes and floods”, Paper No. 0392, 5th CECAR Conference Proceedings, Sydney, Australia.

Daniell, J.E. [2010f] “The CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes Database”, Paper No. 6, AEES 2010 Conference, Perth, Australia.

Daniell, J.E., Love, D. [2010g] “The Socio-economic Impact of Historic Australian Earthquakes”, Paper No. 8, AEES 2010 Conference, Perth, Australia.

Daniell, J.E., Wenzel, F., Khazai, B. [2010h] “The Cost of Historic Earthquakes Today – Economic Analysis since 1900 through the use of CATDAT”, Paper No. 7, AEES 2010 Conference, Perth, Australia.

Daniell, J.E. [2010i] “A complete country-based temporal and spatial Human Development Index – 1800-2010”, Digital Database and Report, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Daniell, J.E. [2010j] “EQLIPSE Building Practice Factor and EQLIPSE Seismic Code Index”, Digital Database and Report, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Daniell, J.E. [2010k] “EQLIPSE Individual Country Building Inventory”, Digital Database and Report, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Daniell, J.E. [2010l] “Country-based Gross Domestic Product through time (1900-2010) and space (244 discretised nations)”, Digital Database and Report, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Daniell, J.E. [2009a] “Open Source Procedure for Assessment of Loss Using Global Earthquake Modelling (OPAL Project)”, CEDIM Earthquake Loss Estimation Series, Research Report No. 09-01, CEDIM, Karlsruhe, Germany.

Daniell, J.E. [2009b] “Open Source Procedure for Assessment of Loss (OPAL Project)”, Australian Earthquake Engineering Society 20th Anniversary Conference Proceedings, Newcastle, Australia, 2009.

Other References

AFAD (2011) “Updates, Reports, Damage Statistics – Van Earthquake”, various reports and data updates from 23/10 to 2/11, URL:http://www.afad.gov.tr

AON [2011] “Annual Global Climate and Catastrophe Report – monthly reports”, Impact Forecasting-2011.

Asian Disaster Reduction Center (ADRC) [2011] “GLIDEnumber”. Asian Disaster Reduction Center. Available from http://www.glidenumber.net/glide/public/search/search.jsp

BSSA (Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America) [1911-2011] “Seismological Notes”, various years, checked against other data.

BTE [2001] “Economic Costs of Natural Disasters in Australia”, Bureau of Transport Economics Report 103, Canberra.

Catlin Group Limited [2010] “Catlin News Center”, available from URL: http://www.catlin.com/cgl/media/press_releases/pr_2010/

CERA [2011] “Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Authority”, URL:www.cera.govt.nz

ChinaLife [2011] “China Life Insurance Company News”, available from URL: www.chinalife.com.cn/

EM-DAT [2008, 2011] “Emergency Management Database”, CRED, Catholic University of Louvain, last accessed 08/2008 and 08/2010 – open data, available from URL: http://www.emdat.be.

FDMA [2011] “Situation Reports 1-142” (in Japanese), FDMA Reports from 11/03/2011 to 01/01/2012, URL:www.fdma.go.jp

Fukushima Prefecture [2011] “Damage, Casualty and Shelter Reports 1-376” (in Japanese), Reports from 11/03/2011 to 28/12/2011, URL:www.pref.fukushima.jp.

Ganse, R.A., Nelson J.B. [1981] “Catalog of significant earthquakes 2000 B.C. to 1979, including quantitative casualties and damage”, Report SE-27, World Data Center A for Solid Earth Geophysics, 145 pp.

Google News [2011] “Google News”, available from URL: http://news.google.com – includes references to all news outlets mentioned in this report.

Gu, G., Lin, T., Shi, Z. [1989] “Catalogue of Chinese Earthquakes (1831 B.C. – 1969 A.D.)”, Science Press, Beijing, China [English translation].

International Monetary Fund (IMF) [2011] “World Economic Outlook Databases (WEO)”, Online database, available from URL: http://www.imf.org/external/data.htm#data.

Iwate Prefecture [2011] “Damage, Casualty and Shelter Reports” (in Japanese), Reports from 12/03/2011 to 28/12/2011 (over 200 reports), URL:www.pref.iwate.jp.

Japanese Cabinet Office [2011] “Japan estimates quake damage at 16.9 trln yen”, Reuters,  available from URL: http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/06/24/japan-economy-estimate-idUSL3E7HN3CM20110624.

Japanese Government [2011] “Japan Sees Quake Damage Bill of Up to $309 Billion, Almost Four Katrinas”, Bloomberg, Keiko Ujikane, accessed March 23, 2011.

KOERI [2011] “Türkiye Deprem Kataloğları”, Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute, Istanbul, available from URL: http://www.koeri.boun.edu.tr/sismo

Melissen, H-J. [2010] “Haiti quake death toll well under 100,000”,  Radio Netherlands Worldwide, 23 February 2010.

Milne [1912] “Catalogue of Destructive Earthquakes A.D. 7–1899”, Report 81st Meeting, Br. Assoc. Adv. Sci., Portsmouth 1911.

Miyagi Prefecture [2011] “Damage, Casualty and Shelter Reports” (in Japanese), Reports from 12/03/2011 to 28/12/2011 (over 300 reports), URL:www.pref.miyagi.jp.

MunichRe (MRNATHAN) [2009] “Globe of Natural Disasters”, MRNATHAN DVD, Munich Reinsurance Company.

MunichRe [2010] “MunichRe Half Yearly NatCat Review”, Webinar, available from URL: http://www.munichreamerica.com/webinars/2010_07_natcatreview/MR_III_2010_HalfYear_NatCat_Review.pdf

NGDC/NOAA [2011] “Significant Earthquakes Database and Significant Tsunami Database”, 2010 online searchable catalogue at http://ngdc.noaa.gov, last accessed 08/2010.

PAGER-CAT [2008] “PAGER-CAT Earthquake Catalog” as described in Allen, T.I., Marano, K., Earle, P.S., Wald, D.J., 2009 PAGER-CAT: A composite earthquake catalog for calibrating global fatality models: Seism. Res. Lett., v. 80, no. 1, p. 50-56.

PartnerRe [2010] “PartnerRe Press Center”, available from URL: http://www.partnerre.com/news/

ReliefWeb [2011] “OCHA ReliefWeb”, available from URL: http://www.reliefweb.int.

Standard and Poor’s [2010] “Global Reinsurance Highlights: 2010 Edition”, available from URL: http://www2.standardandpoors.com/spf/pdf/fixedincome/global_reinsurance_2010.pdf

Swiss Re. [1999-2011] “Sigma”, Economic Research and Consulting, Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd.

Transparency International [2011] “Global Corruption Report 2011 – Corruption Perceptions Index”.

UN Census Round [2011] “UN Census Round 2010”, Available from URL:  unstats.un.org/unsd/census2010.htm.

UNDP [2011] “Human Development Report 2011”, Oxford University Press, New York.

University of Richmond [2010] “The Disaster Database Project [database on the internet]”, Richmond (VA): University of Richmond, available from URL: http://learning.richmond.edu/disaster/index.cfm.

Urbaninfo [2011] “UrbanInfo v2.0”, UN-HABITAT, available from URL: http://www.devinfo.info/urbaninfo.

USGS [2011] “Earthquake Hazard Programme”, available from URL: http://earthquake.usgs.gov.

USGS [2011] “Historic World Earthquakes”, available from URL: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/ – links to PDE

USGS PAGER [2011] “USGS Pager Updates”, available from URL: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/pager/

Utsu, T. [2002] “A list of deadly earthquakes in the World: 1500-2000”, in Lee, W.K., Kanamori, H., Jennings, P.C., and Kisslinger, C. (eds.), International handbook of earthquake engineering and seismology: Amsterdam, Academic Press, p. 691-717.

World Bank [2010] “GEM (Global Economic Monitor) & World Development Indicators”, online databases, available from URL: http://data.worldbank.org/data-catalog.

World Bank [2011] “The Recent Earthquake and Tsunami in Japan: Implications for East Asia”, East Asia and Pacific Economic Update 2011, Vol. 1, accessed March 21, 2011, URL: http://siteresources.worldbank.org/INTEAPHALFYEARLYUPDATE/ Resources/550192-1300567391916/EAP_Update_March2011_japan.pdf.

World Gazetteer [2011] “World Gazetteer Population Database”, online database, available from URL: http://www.world-gazetteer.com/home.htm

• Appendix A: Summary pages of each 2011 damaging earthquake

The following section contains a summary of each 2011 damaging earthquake. Much more information is included in the full database and on earthquake-report.com; however, the section below provides a useful overview. It should be noted that much discrepancy is shown in values, and the author takes no responsibility for misuse. Most data is from government sources. Should the reader require more information, much more data on each earthquake is housed in the CATDAT Damaging Earthquakes database.
Simply email me at j.e.daniell@gmail.com, or use the contact details on the back page. Again, I welcome any feedback, as there will no doubt be discrepancies, additions, possible other sources of information and unbeknown data to me. However, I have done my best to minimise errors.

We would appreciate a donation to www.earthquake-report.com

Earthquake-Report.com is totally depending on private donations !
Contact : Armand Vervaeck, Cederstraat 21, 2800 Mechelen, Belgium – +32478299395
PAYPAL DONATION
SOS Earthquakes, Earthquake-Report.com bank account details :
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Phone: +49 721 60844609
Fax: +49 721 71173
E‐mail: j.e.daniell@gmail.com

CEDIM Head Office
Karlsruhe Institute of Technology
Geb. 6.42, Hertzstraße 16
76187 Karlsruhe
Phone: +49 721 60844436
Fax: +49 721 71173
E‐mail: cedim@gpi.uka.de

For Earthquake‐Report and CATDAT please visit:  earthquake‐report.com
For further information about CEDIM please visit: www.cedim.de
For General Sir John Monash Awards please visit: www.monashawards.org

PDF VERSION of this report

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The selection of a weak Magnitude, a 24 hour delivery on a worldwide list would result in an avalanche of emails (each earthquake will generate an E-mail). A more selective Magnitude, delivery option and area of your interest will give the best result. As we have decided not to use a control panel or password, the parameters of your subscription can only be changed by canceling your subscription (link in each Email we send). To fine-tune your options, simply generate a new subscription. We will not share your E-mail with anyone else, it will be used only for earthquake alerts. Please make sure that you are white listing our emails as otherwise they may be deviated to your spam folder.
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Iran (geothermal plant)
Iran's first geothermal pilot plant would be built in Meshkin-Shahr town–northwestern Iran. Its wells have been drilled and Iran plans to establish the first 5-megawatt power plant on one of the wells. Also Iranian engineers have drilled a 35-km deep well in Sabalan mountains – located in northwestern Iran to use geothermal sources. $$$

Hostoric tsunamis
The eyewitness accounts, written in columns from right to left, top to bottom, testify that there was no warning of the tsunami, no shaking to drive villagers to high ground before the wave hit, drowning rice paddies and swamping a castle moat. The entries, written by merchants, peasants and samurai, all clearly mark the time and date: just after midnight on Wednesday, Jan. 27, 1700. $$$

Japan (massive Tokyo quake chances)
The possibility of a huge plate-boundary earthquake amplified by simultaneous moves in two or more focal areas beneath Tokyo has been increasing since the Great East Japan Earthquake, according to the University of Tokyo's Earthquake Research Institute. $$$

New Zealand (earthquake cost)
The cost of the deadly sequence of earthquakes in the New Zealand city of Christchurch has gone up, and will now likely top $17 billion. New Zealand's government on Tuesday more than doubled its initial liability estimate of $2.6 billion to $6 billion. The rest of the cost will be borne by private insurers. The cost of the quakes equates to about 10 percent of the country's annual economic output. $$$

Indonesia (Banda Aceh tsunami tourism)
The map handed to me at my hotel in Banda Aceh was marked with tourist spots. A tsunami museum, a boat swept onto the roof of a building, mass graves … I had heard the words "tsunami tourism" and was still wondering if it wasn't a little too much when I met Mr. Rahmadhani, 40, of the Aceh Culture and Tourism Agency. $$$

QuakeSOS+ and QuakeSOS free are iPhone applications developed by Armand Vervaeck, the founder of Earthquake Report. The Application simplifies immediate group communication to friends and family members (with your exact GPS location) and is feeding the users with Earthquake Report news. The 0.99 US$ QuakeSOS+ version will support the activities of SOS Earthquakes.

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Earthquake-Report.com headlines on twitter
@OnlyQuakeNews : Get all the headlines of our earthquake-report.com articles + regular updates on ongoing events
@QuakeSOS : earthquake-report.com news + automatic earthquake notifications of USGS earthquakes of M 4.0 or higher with emphasis to earthquakes in the America's and the Pacific Ocean sphere (4 and up) and a lot of the rest of the world (5 and up). This account was created for our QuakeSOS and QuakeSOS+ iPhone applications
@ShakingEarth : earthquake-report.com news + automatic earthquake notifications of EMSC earthquakes of M 4.0 or higher with emphasis to earthquakes in European and Asian / Middle East sphere (4 and up) and a lot of the rest of the world (5 and up). This account was originally created to stimulate our Facebook account
@QuakeMaps : earthquake-report.com news with mapping notifications of ALL earthquakes M 3.0 and higher from all over the world via EMSC and USGS. This account was created for our http://www.quake-maps.com website

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USA Seismology (sampling the underground)
A team of scientists are drilling a mile and a half under the Earth and retrieving and studying rock samples that exist in fault zones in order to better understand the mechanics of earthquakes. $$$$$$

[youtube 2cLo6GoD7SU]

Japan (Tsunami preparedness)
Local communities should be more involved in outlining measures to prepare for and react to future tsunamis, experts who have studied the March 11 disaster in Japan told a conference here Monday. “The local community design in crucial” when it comes to responding to the consequences of tsunamis, Yoshiyuki Kawazoe, an industrial science professor at Tokyo University, told a seminar at the World Water Week conference in Stockholm. $$$$$$

USA (Japan quake + computers)
The Air Force says computer links with some U.S. bases in the Pacific were severed by the earthquake and tsunami that hit Japan on March 11, but one of its cyber squadrons restored them within five hours. $$$

USA, New York (vulnerable brick buildings)
New York’s older brick buildings especially vulnerable to extreme events. Gilberto Mosqueda and co-researchers are investigating how old brick buildings in New York City would stand up to an earthquake or other extreme event.  $$$

USA, Pacific coast (tsunami evacuation)
When the next devastating earthquake strikes off the Northwest coast, it is expected to send a tsunami so fast that it could leave coastal communities with perhaps 20 minutes to escape the surge of water.For small towns like Long Beach, which sits on a long spit just above sea level, the wave’s speed will leave minimal options for getting away: People can literally run for the hills, but the first elevated areas are more than a mile to the east, difficult to reach and likely unknown to tourists. $$$

QuakeSOS+ and QuakeSOS free are iPhone applications developed by Armand Vervaeck, the founder of Earthquake Report. The Application simplifies immediate group communication to friends and family members (with your exact GPS location) and is feeding the users with Earthquake Report news. The 0.99 US$ QuakeSOS+ version will support the activities of SOS Earthquakes.

a

Earthquake-Report.com headlines on twitter
@OnlyQuakeNews : Get all the headlines of our earthquake-report.com articles + regular updates on ongoing events
@QuakeSOS : earthquake-report.com news + automatic earthquake notifications of USGS earthquakes of M 4.0 or higher with emphasis to earthquakes in the America’s and the Pacific Ocean sphere (4 and up) and a lot of the rest of the world (5 and up). This account was created for our QuakeSOS and QuakeSOS+ iPhone applications
@ShakingEarth : earthquake-report.com news + automatic earthquake notifications of EMSC earthquakes of M 4.0 or higher with emphasis to earthquakes in European and Asian / Middle East sphere (4 and up) and a lot of the rest of the world (5 and up). This account was originally created to stimulate our Facebook account
@QuakeMaps : earthquake-report.com news with mapping notifications of ALL earthquakes M 3.0 and higher from all over the world via EMSC and USGS. This account was created for our http://www.quake-maps.com website

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Yes, I want to receive e-mail earthquake alerts based on the list/area below
[+] Read before you subscribe - click here

The selection of a weak Magnitude, a 24 hour delivery on a worldwide list would result in an avalanche of emails (each earthquake will generate an E-mail). A more selective Magnitude, delivery option and area of your interest will give the best result. As we have decided not to use a control panel or password, the parameters of your subscription can only be changed by canceling your subscription (link in each Email we send). To fine-tune your options, simply generate a new subscription. We will not share your E-mail with anyone else, it will be used only for earthquake alerts. Please make sure that you are white listing our emails as otherwise they may be deviated to your spam folder.
Delivery frequency	Immediately Every 60 minutes Once a day
E-mails start at Magnitude	2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6
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Japan (seismology to be blamed)
The president of the Seismological Society of Japan says his profession was partly to blame for the disaster at the Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant because of misleading forecasts of quake risks. Kazuro Hirahara, professor of seismology at Kyoto University, told The Asahi Shimbun that the March 11 temblor had driven home how little seismologists know about quakes. $$$$$$

Japan (tsunami tracked by radar)
The 8.9-magnitude (which may have been upgraded to a 9.0) earthquake that struck Japan triggered tsunamis across the region. Here, results from a computer model run by the Center for Tsunami Research at the NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory show the expected wave heights of the tsunami as it travels across the Pacific basin. $$$

China (remembering 242,769 earthquake deaths)
July 28, 1976: A deadly magnitude 7.8 earthquake occurs in Tangshan in Hebei province which is believed to be produce the largest death toll of any earthquake of the 20th century. This earthquake occurred in the northeastern part of China, near the coast. The epicenter was centered about 140 kilometers southeast of Beijing, in the vicinity of Tangshan. The first earthquake, magnitude 7.5, was followed by a major aftershock 15 hours later. According to official sources, the two earthquakes killed 242,769 people, although some estimates of the death toll are as high as 655,000. Over 799,000 people were injured. Aftershocks in the 5.0-5.5 range continued after the main shock. Damage extended as far as Beijing. The link is showing the pictures of the memorial ceremony and from the Tangshan museum. $$$

New Zealand (Christchurch building demolition)
Demolition work is being carried out on around 100 buildings in quake-stricken Christchurch‘s central business district red zone, but there is much to do and safety is top priority. Civil Defence planning and transition director Baden Ewart said today that work was being done as fast as possible. $$$

Haiti (Orphans home)
This past month, high schoolers from Wheaton Bible Church broke a sweat under the hot Haitian sun doing construction work for Kids Alive International. Kids Alive International (KAI) encourages church youth groups to join them on mission trips to some of the most impoverished countries where the message of God’s love is desperately needed. $$$

QuakeSOS+ and QuakeSOS free are iPhone applications developed by Armand Vervaeck, the founder of Earthquake Report. The Application simplifies immediate group communication to friends and family members (with your exact GPS location) and is feeding the users with Earthquake Report news. The 0.99 US$ QuakeSOS+ version will support the activities of SOS Earthquakes.

a

Earthquake-Report.com headlines on twitter
@OnlyQuakeNews : Get all the headlines of our earthquake-report.com articles + regular updates on ongoing events
@QuakeSOS : earthquake-report.com news + automatic earthquake notifications of USGS earthquakes of M 4.0 or higher with emphasis to earthquakes in the America’s and the Pacific Ocean sphere (4 and up) and a lot of the rest of the world (5 and up). This account was created for our QuakeSOS and QuakeSOS+ iPhone applications
@ShakingEarth : earthquake-report.com news + automatic earthquake notifications of EMSC earthquakes of M 4.0 or higher with emphasis to earthquakes in European and Asian / Middle East sphere (4 and up) and a lot of the rest of the world (5 and up). This account was originally created to stimulate our Facebook account
@QuakeMaps : earthquake-report.com news with mapping notifications of ALL earthquakes M 3.0 and higher from all over the world via EMSC and USGS. This account was created for our http://www.quake-maps.com website

zTime goes here

Yes, I want to receive e-mail earthquake alerts based on the list/area below
[+] Read before you subscribe - click here

The selection of a weak Magnitude, a 24 hour delivery on a worldwide list would result in an avalanche of emails (each earthquake will generate an E-mail). A more selective Magnitude, delivery option and area of your interest will give the best result. As we have decided not to use a control panel or password, the parameters of your subscription can only be changed by canceling your subscription (link in each Email we send). To fine-tune your options, simply generate a new subscription. We will not share your E-mail with anyone else, it will be used only for earthquake alerts. Please make sure that you are white listing our emails as otherwise they may be deviated to your spam folder.
Delivery frequency	Immediately Every 60 minutes Once a day
E-mails start at Magnitude	2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6
Enter your email address:

Japan (important drilling research)
An international research team will use the deep-sea drilling vessel Chikyu to bore into an area where two tectonic plates meet to study the movements of the plates that caused the Great East Japan Earthquake, according to sources. The vessel will drill about 1,000 meters through the seabed in waters off Miyagi Prefecture in an area of greatest tectonic movement at the time of the March 11 earthquake, and bedrock samples will be examined. The seabed is from 6,000 to 7,000 meters below sea level. $$$$$$

United States (alternative prediction research)
A Silicon Valley company is assembling a sprawling network of electrical contraptions across California that its investors hope will prove many seismologists wrong and become a valuable public-safety tool that reliably predicts earthquakes. $$$$$$

USA-Mexico (fault line shape)
Like scars that remain on the skin long after a wound has healed, earthquake fault lines can be traced on Earth’s surface long after their initial rupture. Typically, this line of intersection between the area where the fault slips and the ground is more complicated at the surface than at depth. But a new study of the April 4, 2010, El Mayor–Cucapah earthquake in Mexico reveals a reversal of this trend. While the fault involved in the event appeared to be superficially straight, the fault zone is warped and complicated at depth. $$$$$$

Krakatau (book)
The Krakatoa Volcano story is in Simon Winchester’s 2003 book (HarperCollins) Krakatoa, The Day The World Exploded, August 1883. It is a page turner for the clear narration of facts, the comprehensive scientific explanation of what makes Krakatoa what it is as well as a historical account of volcanoes and their volcanic activity from prehistoric times to our day. $$$

Volcano (Shiveluch)
Russia’s northernmost active volcano is churning out ash to a height of over 6,000 meters (20,000 feet) in the country’s Far East, local scientists reported on Saturday. The 3,283-meter (10,771-foot) Shiveluch volcano increased activity in May 2009 and has been periodically spewing ash from three to 10 kilometers. $$$

QuakeSOS+ and QuakeSOS free are iPhone applications developed by Armand Vervaeck, the founder of Earthquake Report. The Application simplifies immediate group communication to friends and family members (with your exact GPS location) and is feeding the users with Earthquake Report news. The 0.99 US$ QuakeSOS+ version will support the activities of SOS Earthquakes.

a

Earthquake-Report.com headlines on twitter
@OnlyQuakeNews : Get all the headlines of our earthquake-report.com articles + regular updates on ongoing events
@QuakeSOS : earthquake-report.com news + automatic earthquake notifications of USGS earthquakes of M 4.0 or higher with emphasis to earthquakes in the America’s and the Pacific Ocean sphere (4 and up) and a lot of the rest of the world (5 and up). This account was created for our QuakeSOS and QuakeSOS+ iPhone applications
@ShakingEarth : earthquake-report.com news + automatic earthquake notifications of EMSC earthquakes of M 4.0 or higher with emphasis to earthquakes in European and Asian / Middle East sphere (4 and up) and a lot of the rest of the world (5 and up). This account was originally created to stimulate our Facebook account
@QuakeMaps : earthquake-report.com news with mapping notifications of ALL earthquakes M 3.0 and higher from all over the world via EMSC and USGS. This account was created for our http://www.quake-maps.com website

zTime goes here

Yes, I want to receive e-mail earthquake alerts based on the list/area below
[+] Read before you subscribe - click here

The selection of a weak Magnitude, a 24 hour delivery on a worldwide list would result in an avalanche of emails (each earthquake will generate an E-mail). A more selective Magnitude, delivery option and area of your interest will give the best result. As we have decided not to use a control panel or password, the parameters of your subscription can only be changed by canceling your subscription (link in each Email we send). To fine-tune your options, simply generate a new subscription. We will not share your E-mail with anyone else, it will be used only for earthquake alerts. Please make sure that you are white listing our emails as otherwise they may be deviated to your spam folder.
Delivery frequency	Immediately Every 60 minutes Once a day
E-mails start at Magnitude	2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6
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New Zealand (Goldfish lucky escape)
Two goldfish, named Shaggy and Daphne after characters from the animated television show Scooby Doo, have become the smallest and hardiest survivors of the devastating February earthquake in Christchurch that killed 181 people. The fish spent four and a half months – 134 days – trapped in their tank in the city’s off-limits downtown without anyone to feed them or even any electricity to power their tank filter before they were discovered this month and rescued. $$$

Pets and earthquakes
All too often when a disaster strikes pets are left to fend for themselves and end up lost, injured or killed. The best way to avoid this tragic scenario is to have a well thought out disaster plan that includes your pet, so that you know where to go and what to take, according to the Insurance Information Institute (I.I.I.). $$$

New Zealand (irresponsible press)
Canterbury Earthquake Recovery Minister Gerry Brownlee has slammed a newspaper report which said a decision about orange zoned land in Kaiapoi would be due next week. Mr Brownlee says the “irresponsible” report in the Christchurch Press was “pure speculation” and insensitive to people living in the area. $$$

Japan (free afterlife names)
A growing number of Buddhist temples in areas devastated by the Great East Japan Earthquake are waiving fees for giving “kaimyo,” or afterlife names, to those who died in the disaster. However, some temples are complaining about the spread of the custom, fearing a decrease in their incomes. Kaimyo is given to a dead person as recognition that he or she has become a disciple of Buddha. $$$

Japan (light boxes and earthquake victims)
In the Taro district of Miyako, Iwate Prefecture, one of the hardest-hit areas by a devastating tsunami following the Great East Japan Earthquake, residents are making traditional Japanese “andon” light boxes, hoping the lights will brighten the future of their ravaged hometown. On Aug. 11, the five-month anniversary of the March 11 quake, local residents will place 3,000 andon light boxes with candles lit inside on a massive 1-kilometer coastal levee–once the symbol of protection against disasters for the district’s residents–as well as a road leading to a nearby temple. $$$

QuakeSOS+ and QuakeSOS free are iPhone applications developed by Armand Vervaeck, the founder of Earthquake Report. The Application simplifies immediate group communication to friends and family members (with your exact GPS location) and is feeding the users with Earthquake Report news. The 0.99 US$ QuakeSOS+ version will support the activities of SOS Earthquakes.

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Earthquake-Report.com headlines on twitter
@OnlyQuakeNews : Get all the headlines of our earthquake-report.com articles + regular updates on ongoing events
@QuakeSOS : earthquake-report.com news + automatic earthquake notifications of USGS earthquakes of M 4.0 or higher with emphasis to earthquakes in the America’s and the Pacific Ocean sphere (4 and up) and a lot of the rest of the world (5 and up). This account was created for our QuakeSOS and QuakeSOS+ iPhone applications
@ShakingEarth : earthquake-report.com news + automatic earthquake notifications of EMSC earthquakes of M 4.0 or higher with emphasis to earthquakes in European and Asian / Middle East sphere (4 and up) and a lot of the rest of the world (5 and up). This account was originally created to stimulate our Facebook account
@QuakeMaps : earthquake-report.com news with mapping notifications of ALL earthquakes M 3.0 and higher from all over the world via EMSC and USGS. This account was created for our http://www.quake-maps.com website

zTime goes here

Yes, I want to receive e-mail earthquake alerts based on the list/area below
[+] Read before you subscribe - click here

The selection of a weak Magnitude, a 24 hour delivery on a worldwide list would result in an avalanche of emails (each earthquake will generate an E-mail). A more selective Magnitude, delivery option and area of your interest will give the best result. As we have decided not to use a control panel or password, the parameters of your subscription can only be changed by canceling your subscription (link in each Email we send). To fine-tune your options, simply generate a new subscription. We will not share your E-mail with anyone else, it will be used only for earthquake alerts. Please make sure that you are white listing our emails as otherwise they may be deviated to your spam folder.
Delivery frequency	Immediately Every 60 minutes Once a day
E-mails start at Magnitude	2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6
Enter your email address:

United States (South Dakota quake)
South Dakota’s capital city was shaken by a mild earthquake Tuesday afternoon, and while the temblor caused no reported damage, it had some people  wondering where the explosion was. The quake, a rare occurrence in South Dakota, had a  preliminary magnitude of 3.4. It struck at 2:45 p.m. with its epicenter about a mile northwest of Pierre. $$$

New Zealand (Christchurch CTV building collapse)
One of New Zealand’s most highly respected structural engineers says there was no need for scores of people to die in a landmark Christchurch building that collapsed during February’s earthquake. Of the 181 people killed in the February 22 quake, 116 of them died in the calamitous collapse of the six-storey CTV (Canterbury Television) building. $$$

Japan (relief aid from Indian spiritual leader)
Sri Mata Amritanandamayi Devi, or Amma (Mother) to her millions of devotees across the world, announced a donation of one million U.S. dollars (Approximately 4.5 crores) towards the relief and rehabilitation of Japanese disaster victims, particularly for the education of children who lost both their parents in the devastating March 11 tsunami. $$$

Japan (architect helping Sendai)
On March 11, Abe, an architect, was at his home in Los Angeles. After a frantic few days, he finally managed to confirm the safety of his parents at his family home in Sendai. Abe’s ancestors up to his great-grandfather’s generation were samurai in the powerful Date Clan of northern Japan, which partly explains his strong connection with Sendai. “It was traumatic to learn of the damage suffered by my hometown while I was so far away. I felt a great deal of guilt over the fact that I wasn’t there,” Abe said. $$$

Japan (tsunami cars stolen and sold overseas)
In the days following the March 11 Great East Japan Earthquake, the absence of looters in the disaster-ravaged areas was viewed with amazement by the rest of the world. However, more than four months after the quake and tsunami ravaged northeast Japan, investigations have begun into allegations that unscrupulous individuals have been exporting affected vehicles–some stolen even from the municipal parking lots where they were temporarily stored. $$$

QuakeSOS+ and QuakeSOS free are iPhone applications developed by Armand Vervaeck, the founder of Earthquake Report. The Application simplifies immediate group communication to friends and family members (with your exact GPS location) and is feeding the users with Earthquake Report news. The 0.99 US$ QuakeSOS+ version will support the activities of SOS Earthquakes.

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Earthquake-Report.com headlines on twitter
@OnlyQuakeNews : Get all the headlines of our earthquake-report.com articles + regular updates on ongoing events
@QuakeSOS : earthquake-report.com news + automatic earthquake notifications of USGS earthquakes of M 4.0 or higher with emphasis to earthquakes in the America’s and the Pacific Ocean sphere (4 and up) and a lot of the rest of the world (5 and up). This account was created for our QuakeSOS and QuakeSOS+ iPhone applications
@ShakingEarth : earthquake-report.com news + automatic earthquake notifications of EMSC earthquakes of M 4.0 or higher with emphasis to earthquakes in European and Asian / Middle East sphere (4 and up) and a lot of the rest of the world (5 and up). This account was originally created to stimulate our Facebook account
@QuakeMaps : earthquake-report.com news with mapping notifications of ALL earthquakes M 3.0 and higher from all over the world via EMSC and USGS. This account was created for our http://www.quake-maps.com website

zTime goes here

Yes, I want to receive e-mail earthquake alerts based on the list/area below
[+] Read before you subscribe - click here

The selection of a weak Magnitude, a 24 hour delivery on a worldwide list would result in an avalanche of emails (each earthquake will generate an E-mail). A more selective Magnitude, delivery option and area of your interest will give the best result. As we have decided not to use a control panel or password, the parameters of your subscription can only be changed by canceling your subscription (link in each Email we send). To fine-tune your options, simply generate a new subscription. We will not share your E-mail with anyone else, it will be used only for earthquake alerts. Please make sure that you are white listing our emails as otherwise they may be deviated to your spam folder.
Delivery frequency	Immediately Every 60 minutes Once a day
E-mails start at Magnitude	2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5 6
Enter your email address: