seismology

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In One Chilean City, Quake Causes Flashbacks

Valdivia suffered strongest quake in history in 1960

(Newser) - For some Chileans, the massive earthquake that struck Saturday was terrifyingly familiar. Almost 50 years ago, Valdivia was rocked by a 9.5-magnitude quake, the biggest in recorded history. “We were sleeping, and then the house began to rise up,” says one Valdivia resident, recalling how the quake...

2nd Large Quake Rattles N. Calif.

No major damage reported after 6.0 quake

(Newser) - Northern California was shaken by a second large earthquake in less than a month yesterday but there were no immediate reports of damage or injury. The 6.0 magnitude quake was centered offshore in the same region as the 6.5 quake that damaged hundreds of buildings in Humboldt County...

Geologists Warned of Haiti Earthquake

Calculations predicted temblor of up to 7.2 magnitude—but not timing

(Newser) - Scientists have known for years that the fault Haiti sits on was due for a large-magnitude quake—they just didn’t know when. A 2008 paper predicted a quake registering up to 7.2, but “it could have been the next day, it could have been 10 years, it...

Centuries of Fault Stress Unleashed Haiti Hell

Devastating 7.0 quake brewing since 1760

(Newser) - The catastrophic earthquake that hit Haiti yesterday had been brewing along a fault line for hundreds of years, experts say. Geologists believe the tectonic plates beneath the Caribbean had been pushing against each other along the fault ever since a major quake in 1760, finally rumbling into cataclysm yesterday. The...

6.0 Quake Shakes Mexico City
 6.0 Quake Shakes Mexico City 
Apr 27, 2009 12:40 PM CDT

6.0 Quake Shakes Mexico City

(Newser) - A strong earthquake struck central Mexico today, causing tall buildings in the capital to sway and sending office workers into the streets. The 6.0-magnitude quake was centered near Chilpancingo, about 130 miles southwest of Mexico City, and 50 miles from the resort of Acapulco, according to the US Geological...

Italy Squelched Scientist Who Predicted Quake

Researcher cited for 'spreading alarm,' forced to retract findings

(Newser) - An Italian scientist had predicted the quake that killed at least 92 early this morning near L’Aquila, but was silenced by the authorities, Reuters reports. Gioacchino Giuliani found evidence a month ago that a strong quake was brewing and organized a public-awareness campaign—which earned him a reprimand from...

Dam May Have Triggered China Quake

Weight of water may have triggered the earthquake early

(Newser) - The damming-up of 320 million tons of water in a reservoir above a geological fault line may have contributed to the earthquake that left 80,000 dead or missing last year in China’s Sichuan province, US and Chinese geologists say. Whether or not the scientists are right, the suggestion...

Swarm of Quakes Jolts Yellowstone

Scientists closely monitoring unusual rash of shakers

(Newser) - Wary scientists are keeping a close eye on developments in Yellowstone National Park after some 250 small quakes jolted the park within three days, AP reports. Yellowstone is no stranger to seismic activity but experts say the number of the quakes is hghly unusual and could signal something bigger brewing...

How to Detect Earthquakes From Your Desk

A SETI-like network of laptops can trump seismometers

(Newser) - Seismologists have found a way to harness the power of a built-in feature of many laptops and create a new wide-ranging earthquake-detection system, the Economist reports. The "Quake-Catcher Network" capitalizes on laptops' accelerometers, little devices that detect when the computer is falling or shaken, to provide widespread—and highly...

New Clues May Help Predict Earthquakes

Team detects seismic waves up to 10 hours before Calif. tremor

(Newser) - Researchers could be closer to predicting earthquakes hours before they happen, with an article in the journal Nature detailing how scientists detected seismic changes in rocks as much as 10 hours before two small California temblors. “Hurricane [warnings] give you an idea of what could be done,” one...

China Quake Beat the Odds
 China Quake Beat the Odds 
Jun 30, 2008 4:06 PM CDT

China Quake Beat the Odds

Unusual seismic conditions led to disaster, scientists say

(Newser) - The earthquake that leveled parts of China’s Sichuan province last month was a geological oddity arising from usually inactive faults, LiveScience reports. The bizarre seismological coincidences behind the quake explain why no one was able to predict the event, which claimed 69,000 lives.

China Ignored Scientists' Quake Warnings

Seismologists told of a major upcoming shake-up

(Newser) - Chinese officials ignored warnings from leading scientists of an upcoming earthquake in Sichuan Province, including one that almost pinpointed the date of the quake, the Times of London reports. Four seismologists predicted a blast of 6.7 or higher magnitude this year, while another suggested the rumble would occur within...

Big Quakes Beget More Shakes Worldwide

Study of large tremors finds spikes in activity directly afterward

(Newser) - Massive earthquakes like this month's in China's Sichuan province can quite literally make waves on the other side of the Earth, a new seismology study finds. The surface tremors resulting from events like Indonesia's tsunami-triggering quake in 2004 lead to increased seismic activity around the globe—from two to five...

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