Specialists guess at what caused 'mini-tsunami'

Boston Globe Nov 4, 08 2:19 PM CST
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Researchers are perplexed about Maine’s “waves of biblical proportion” that had residents fearing the apocalypse last week, the Boston Globe reports. Just before low tide, New England harbors were flooded with 12 feet of water, which then receded in massive whirlpools, repeating three times in 15 minutes. The occurrence—similar to a 1992 Florida storm—is so unusual it is nameless.
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6.8 quake collapses buildings 300 miles north of Tokyo

CNN Jul 24, 08 2:34 AM CDT
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A powerful earthquake jolted north-central Japan early today, injuring over 100 people, according to initial reports. The 6.8 quake collapsed 31 buildings on Japan's main Honshu island, according to CNN. Thousands of homes lost power in a blackout and landslides cut off key roads Officals have warned of aftershocks but say there is no danger of a tsunami.
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UPDATED

Associated Press Jun 14, 08 7:21 AM CDT
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A 7.2-magnitude earthquake jolted northern Japan today, killing at least 6 people and injuring more than 140 others, the AP reports. Landslides trapped another 100 bathers at a hot springs resort, but no tsunami warning was issued. At a nuclear power plant, 5 gallons of radioactive water splashed from two pools storing spent fuel, but officials said there was no leakage outside the plant.
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Burma, China donations pale compared to tsunami, Katrina charity

Associated Press May 20, 08 7:00 AM CDT
(Newser)
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Americans’ donations to disaster relief this year fall far short of money given to victims of the 2004 tsunami and Hurricane Katrina—and it’s likely due to “disaster fatigue," say experts. With tragedies like Burma’s cyclone and China’s earthquake quickly piling up, people may feel they can’t make a difference, AP reports. As of Friday, Americans had given $12.1 million to Burma, while the tsunami garnered $1.92 billion in US donations.
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No injuries reported after shaker hits Aleutians

Reuters May 2, 08 4:27 AM CDT
(Newser)
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In another of a troubling series of earthquakes to hit the US, a 6.5 magnitude shaker has struck Alaska, Reuters reports. The quake hit a sparsely inhabited section of the Aleutian island chain, and so far there have been no reports of injuries. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said the earthquake was not large enough to pose a tsunami risk. A spasm of quakes have rattled California and Nevada in recent weeks.
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Republic of Maldives sounds alarm about rising sea levels

NPR Jan 28, 08 4:18 PM CST
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The Republic of Maldives has a lot to fear from rising sea levels, but the chain of tiny islands in the Indian Ocean is doing something to protect itself. The nation has built a concrete wall around the capital, Male, and constructed an entirely new island 7 feet higher than the rest of the country—which the president wants carbon-emitting nations to pay for. NPR pays a visit.
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Officials concerned about post-aid economy, beefing up warning systems

Christian Science Monitor Dec 26, 07 11:55 AM CST
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As candles are lit today in memory of the 230,000 victims of the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, the Christian Science Monitor reports on the results of the $13.6 billion effort to help survivors. The aid has largely been used effectively, but now officials worry about the recovering economies after the rebuilding boom peaks and the aid dries up.
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Community rebounds three years after disaster

Time Dec 26, 07 8:50 AM CST
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Three years after it was hit by a devastating tsumani, Aceh is slowly returning to normal, Time r eports. The disaster killed more than 160,000 people in the Sumatran province and wiped out much of its infrastructure. In the years since, aid from all over the world has helped Aceh's people rebuild their towns and their lives.
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Technology at hand for $3B program, scientists say

Daily Telegraph (UK) Nov 26, 07 2:01 PM CST
(Newser)
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A $3 billion monitoring system for the world's oceans is vital to their survival—and to that of mankind, scientists say. A group of experts is proposing an elaborate system using satellites, stations on the sea floor, drifting robots, and electronic tags on marine life, reports the Telegraph . One benefit, the scientists say, would be better advance warnings of storms and tsunamis.
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Tremors cause brief tsunami panic
Bangkok Post (Thailand) Nov 26, 07 8:44 AM CST
(Newser)
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A series of powerful earthquakes struck in Indonesia early this morning, killing at least 3 and causing brief tsunami warnings. Some 70 others were injured, and several buildings destroyed, including a health clinic. The first quake hit off the coast of Sumbawa just after midnight, registering 6.7 on the Richter scale, and spawned aftershocks of 6.8 and 5.7 respectively, the Bangkok Post reports.
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Tsunami threat rattles coastal residents

Guardian (UK) Sep 14, 07 1:45 AM CDT
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Another quake rocked Indonesia's Sumatra island early this morning and the nation's meteorology agency has issued a tsunami warning. The quake, between 6.6 and 6.9 magnitude, was the latest to hit the island since Wednesday's powerful 8.4 tremblor set off a series of aftershocks. The latest tsunami warning has heightened tension among coastal residents, huddling in tents outside their damaged home, the Guardian reports.
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Nine dead in latest burst of seismic activity under Indian Ocean

CNN Sep 13, 07 2:47 PM CDT
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The fourth in a string of violent earthquakes and more than 60 lower-level tremors rattled Indonesia late today, at a magnitude of 6.2. With its epicenter two miles deep in the Indian Ocean, 65 miles west-northwest of Bengkulu, the government issued, then canceled, another tsunami warning. Nine have died in two days of seismic activity, CNN reports.
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Sparks new tsunami alert and causes buildings to sway in Singapore

Associated Press Sep 12, 07 9:11 PM CDT
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A 7.5-magnitude aftershock has rocked Indonesia, sparking a new tsunami alert and making buildings sway in nearby Singapore. This morning's 8.4 quake killed at least 5, injured dozens and sent people fleeing inland for safety. Governments issued alerts as far as Kenya and Tanzania warning people to abandon the beaches, the AP reports.
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Powerful tremor registers 7.9

Associated Press Sep 12, 07 7:55 AM CDT
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Indonesia has been hit by a magnitude 7.9 earthquake—triggering widespread tsunami warnings. Buildings swayed in Jakarta, and an official warning has been issued for much of the region surrounding the Indian ocean.
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Coastal areas devastated by powerful earthquake

BBC Aug 16, 07 4:59 AM CDT
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The death toll has reached at least 330, with hundreds injured, in a powerful earthquake that jolted the coast of Peru last night, the BBC reports. While buildings in LIma, 90 miles away, were rattled by the 7.9 shaker, most of the casualties were in the province of Ica, where buildings were flattened and power disrupted.
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Tsunami warning after 7.9 hits off coast; at least 15 dead

CNN Aug 15, 07 8:18 PM CDT
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A massive earthquake shook central Peru tonight, raising fears of a tsunami along the Pacific coast of Central and South America. The quake hit about 90 miles southeast of the capital of Lima, but witnesses felt it deep into the hinterlands. The country has been put on alert for deadly waves, as have several nearby countries and Hawaii.
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