Wednesday, April 30, 2008

Recent Southern California Quakes Map and Info

Update time = Wed Apr 30 9:00:12 PDT 2008
Here are the earthquakes appearing on the map, most recent at top...
Magnitude 2.0:
2008/04/29 22:08:14 40.875N 123.445W 17.3
21 km (13 mi) E of Willow Creek, CA
Magnitude 2.4:
2008/04/29 20:54:38 40.838N 123.490W 26.3
18 km (11 mi) ESE of Willow Creek, CA
Magnitude 2.0:
2008/04/29 20:08:05 40.899N 123.390W 5.0
25 km (16 mi) E of Willow Creek, CA
Magnitude 5.2:
2008/04/29 20:03:06 40.837N 123.499W 28.5
18 km (11 mi) ESE of Willow Creek, CA
http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/FaultMaps/124-41_eqs.htm
As in the days of Noah....

5.2-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Northern California

WILLOW CREEK, Calif.-A moderate earthquake hit a mountainous region of Northern California on Tuesday night. There are no immediate reports or injury or damage.A magnitude 5.2 temblor struck at 8:03 p.m., centered about 11 miles southeast of the town of Willow Creek in the Shasta-Trinity National Forest, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.The quake originated about 11 miles below the surface on an unmapped fault, said USGS seismologist David Oppenheimer.Because of its depth, few aftershocks were felt, scientists said. About three were recorded, with the largest measuring a magnitude 2.4, the USGS reported.Officials in Shasta, Trinity and Humboldt counties said there were no immediate reports of injury or damage, although many residents said they felt the shaking.The quake was felt as far north as Crescent City near the Oregon state line and as far south as San Francisco, 320 miles away, according to citizen reports posted on the USGS Web site.Mary Daher, owner of the Bigfoot Motel in Willow Creek, said the quake lasted 10 seconds or less."It was pretty quick and it was pretty strong," she said. "It wasn't like one of those rolling earthquakes. It was just a jolt."She said she and her guests headed outside quickly but she was not aware of any damage. One guest said the quake sent his soda sliding across a table.The town of 1,800 sits on Highway 299, the main conduit between Redding and Arcata, home of Humboldt State University. It has long been a draw for college students escaping the coastal fog to sunbathe along the nearby Trinity River.The quirky hamlet, surrounded by thick forests, also markets itself as California's "Bigfoot capital" and displays numerous wood carvings of the mythical creature.The last significant earthquake in the region was on April 25, 1992, when a magnitude 7.2 temblor struck on the Humboldt County coast near Petrolia, setting off a minor tsunami, according to the USGS.No tsunami warning was issued for the quake Tuesday night.

Monday, April 28, 2008

Shaky Reno, Nev., is jiggled by another moderate quake

RENO, Nev.-The area around Reno, Nev., continues to shake as another moderate earthquake has been recorded in the region.The Seismology Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno, says a magnitude 4.2 tremor shook the city early Monday and has been followed by at least a dozen aftershocks.No injuries or damages have been reported.It's the latest in a two-month swarm of earthquakes that started in February, and scientists say this is unusual because the tremors are getting stronger, instead of weaker.The strongest shock so far was a magnitude 4.7 quake that shook cans off shelves on Friday.

As in the days of Noah...

Series of quakes takes toll on rattled residents of Reno

RENO, Nev.-Dozens of minor earthquakes shook Reno on Sunday as a series of temblors entered its third month and prompted some frazzled residents to leave their homes.More than 150 aftershocks have been recorded on the western edge of northern Nevada's largest city after a magnitude-4.7 quake hit Friday night, the strongest quake in a sequence that began Feb. 28. There were no reports of injuries or widespread damage.Scientists have urged residents to prepare for worse, saying the recent activity is unusual because the quakes started out small and continue to build in strength.After being awakened as many as four times a night by quakes, retiree Sandra Petty decided to spend nights 10 miles away at the Sparks home of her daughter, Stefanie McCaffrey."The quakes have sent her emotions and nerves into a tailspin," McCaffrey said Sunday. "She was exhausted, and she couldn't relax or unwind. She just needed to get away so she could have a good night's sleep."Keith Phillips said he's going to live somewhere else, possibly with his children, until the activity settles down. He lives about a block from the epicenter of Friday night's quake, which cracked walls in his house and pushed one of his garages off its foundation."I grew up in the Bay Area and went through some major quakes down there," Phillips told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "Since we're right on top of the epicenter, I've never felt anything like this."The strongest aftershock Sunday measured 3 and was recorded shortly before 11 a.m.Three other quakes larger than magnitude 3 have struck areas scattered hundreds of miles apart across northern Nevada since Friday night's 4.7 quake in Reno.The quakes around Reno began a week after a magnitude 6 one in the northern Nevada town of Wells, near the Utah border. The Feb. 21 quake has been followed by hundreds of aftershocks.Scientists said they're unsure whether the seismic activity across the state, unusual for its basin-and-range topography, is related."Not enough is known about the faults and their history and what their role is," said Ken Smith of the seismological laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno.The Reno temblors have prompted a flood of calls from homeowners to insurers about quake insurance.MetLife placed a 30-day moratorium on new coverage after a 4.2 quake jolted Reno on Thursday. Until then, the strongest quake in the sequence had been 3.6 on April 16.Other insurers were expected to follow suit."It probably will be extended, unfortunately, because of the one (Friday) night," MetLife agent Charlotte Eckmeyer said, adding that quake coverage just about doubles premiums.Nevada is the third most seismically active state in the nation behind California and Alaska. Reno's last major quake measured 6.1 on April 24, 1914.
By MARTIN GRIFFITH
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080427/D90AFSV01.html
As in the days of Noah...

Sunday, April 27, 2008

5.8 Mb - GUERRERO, MEXICO

Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude
5.8 Mb
Date-Time
28 Apr 2008 00:06:31 UTC
27 Apr 2008 19:06:31 near epicenter
27 Apr 2008 18:06:31 standard time in your timezone
Location
18.101N 99.892W
Depth
87 km
Distances
28 km (17 miles) S (189 degrees) of Teloloapan, Guerrero, Mexico
45 km (28 miles) ESE (116 degrees) of Arcelia, Guerrero, Mexico
47 km (29 miles) SW (234 degrees) of Iguala, Guerrero, Mexico
139 km (86 miles) N (1 degrees) of Acapulco, Guerrero, Mexico
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 4.6 km; Vertical 9.8 km
Parameters
Nph = 224; Dmin = 999.9 km; Rmss = 0.80 seconds; Gp = 133°M-type = Mb; Version = 7
Event ID
US 2008ricc ***This event supersedes event AT00934119.
For updates, maps, and technical information, see:
Event Page or
U.S.G.S. Earthquake Hazards Program
National Earthquake Information CenterU.S. Geological Survey
http://neic.usgs.gov
As in the days of Noah...

Earthquake rocks southern Mexico, no injuries

ACAPULCO, Mexico-A moderate earthquake of magnitude 5.8 hit southern Mexico on Sunday, startling tourists and residents on the Pacific coast and shaking Mexico City, but there were no immediate reports of injuries.The earthquake hit north of the Pacific resort of Acapulco just after 7 p.m. (0000 GMT, Monday) at a depth of 55 miles (88 km), the U.S. Geological Survey said.It was felt strongly in Acapulco but there were no signs of damage, witnesses said. The quake also shook the capital Mexico City, some 100 miles away.Emergency workers said there was no immediate effect in the capital, home to some 18 million people. An earthquake of 5.8 magnitude is capable of causing considerable damage.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSN2740103820080428
As in the days of Noah....

Saturday, April 26, 2008

Quake rocks southern New Zealand

An earthquake measuring 6.1 on the Richter Scale struck southern New Zealand on Sunday, officials said.New Zealand government research body GNS Science said the undersea quake hit at 11:34 am (2330 GMT Saturday) some 430 kilometres (267 miles) southwest of the southern city of Invercargill.The quake was 10 metres deep, according to the US Geological Survey.The tremblor was felt in Queenstown, and was likely felt throughout the southern end of the South Island, the New Zealand Press Association reported.No tsunami warning was issued.
http://www.breitbart.com/article.php?id=080427050443.4kn6p4g6&show_article=1&catnum=0
As in the days of Noah....

6.1 Mw - AUCKLAND ISLANDS, N.Z. REGION

Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude
6.1 Mw
Date-Time
26 Apr 2008 23:34:49 UTC
27 Apr 2008 10:34:49 near epicenter
26 Apr 2008 17:34:49 standard time in your timezone
Location
49.057S 164.164E
Depth
10 km
Distances
215 km (134 miles) NW (321 degrees) of Auckland Island, New Zealand
430 km (267 miles) SW (225 degrees) of Invercargill, New Zealand
594 km (369 miles) SW (231 degrees) of Dunedin, New Zealand
1198 km (744 miles) SW (220 degrees) of WELLINGTON, New Zealand
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 12.1 km; Vertical 0.0 km
Parameters
Nph = 25; Dmin = 664.3 km; Rmss = 1.20 seconds; Gp = 104°M-type = Mw; Version = 7
Event ID
US 2008rhda ***This event supersedes event AT00925289.
For updates, maps, and technical information, see:

U.S.G.S. Earthquake Hazards Program
National Earthquake Information CenterU.S. Geological Survey


As in the days of Noah...

NEVADA LATEST QUAKES

There have been at least 9 quakes this past week above mag.,4.0 in Nevada,including the last one that most of people in the area felt.
4.7 Ml - NEVADA
Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude
4.7 Ml
Date-Time
26 Apr 2008 06:40:10 UTC
25 Apr 2008 22:40:10 near epicenter
26 Apr 2008 00:40:10 standard time in your timezone
Location
39.517N 119.926W
Depth
1 km
Distances
3 km (2 miles) E (84 degrees) of Verdi-Mogul, NV
9 km (6 miles) W (263 degrees) of Reno, NV
16 km (10 miles) SW (236 degrees) of Sun Valley, NV
171 km (106 miles) NE (51 degrees) of Sacramento, CA
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: ; Vertical
Parameters
Nph = 16; Dmin = ; Rmss = ; Gp = 0°M-type = Ml; Version = 2
Event ID
NN 00242554


4.9 Ml - NEVADA
Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude
4.9 Ml
Date-Time
26 Apr 2008 06:39:59 UTC
25 Apr 2008 22:39:59 near epicenter
26 Apr 2008 00:39:59 standard time in your timezone
Location
39.529N 119.964W
Depth
0 km
Distances
2 km (1 miles) NNW (340 degrees) of Verdi-Mogul, NV
12 km (8 miles) W (271 degrees) of Reno, NV
16 km (10 miles) S (179 degrees) of Cold Springs, NV
169 km (105 miles) NE (50 degrees) of Sacramento, CA
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: ; Vertical
Parameters
Nph = 46; Dmin = ; Rmss = ; Gp = 0°M-type = Ml; Version = 1
Event ID
NN 00242527 ***This event supersedes event AT00919201.
For updates, maps, and technical information, see:


U.S.G.S. Earthquake Hazards Program
Nevada Seismological LaboratoryUniversityof Nevada, Reno


As in the days of Noah...

Reno NEVADA Quakes Map

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsus/Maps/US2/39.41.-121.-119.php
As in the days of Noah...

Reno urged to prepare for worse as earthquakes continue

RENO, Nev.-Scientists urged residents of northern Nevada's largest city to prepare for a bigger event as the area continued rumbling Saturday after the largest earthquake in a two-month-long series of temblors.More than 100 aftershocks were recorded on the western edge of the city after a magnitude 4.7 quake hit Friday night, the strongest quake around Reno since one measuring 5.1 in 1953, said researchers at the seismological laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno.The latest quake swept store shelves clean, cracked walls in homes and dislodged rocks on hillsides, but there were no reports of injuries or widespread major damage. Seismologists said the recent activity is unusual because the quakes started out small and continue to build in strength. The normal pattern is for a main quake followed by smaller aftershocks. "A magnitude 6 quake wouldn't be a scientific surprise," John Anderson, director of the seismological lab, said Saturday. "We certainly hope residents are taking the threat seriously after last night."But Anderson stressed there was no way to predict what would happen, and said the sequence of quakes also could end without a major one.Reno's last major quake measured 6.1 on April 24, 1914, and was felt as far away as Berkeley, Calif., said Craig dePolo, research geologist with the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology.A rockslide triggered by Friday night's quake was blamed for causing a 125-foot breach in a wooden flume that carries water to one of two water treatment plants in Reno, a city of about 210,000.A backup pump was used to divert water to the plant, and the breach was not expected to cause any water shortages, said Aaron Kenneston, Washoe County emergency management officer.The U.S. Geological Survey said Friday night's quake was centered around Mogul, just west of Reno. The area of upscale homes along the eastern Sierra was rattled by more than 100 quakes the day before, the strongest a magnitude 4.2 that caused high-rise casinos to sway in downtown Reno.The strongest aftershock measured 3.7 and was recorded after noon Saturday.Mike Lentini of Reno said Friday night's quake felt "like a big truck hit the building" and awakened his family."It's the unknown. It's shaking, and when's it going to stop?" he said Saturday. "And when stuff starts falling off the shelves it's a whole other ballgame."Jars of mayonnaise and bottles of ketchup and shampoo fell from shelves at a Wal-Mart store in northwest Reno. Overhead televisions swayed at a sports bar in neighboring Sparks, 11 miles east, where bartender Shawn Jones said the rumble was significantly stronger than Thursday's event."The bottles were shaking, so I sent everybody outside," he said.Hundreds of mostly minor quakes have occurred along one or possibly more faults since the sequence began Feb. 28, said Ken Smith, a seismologist at the Reno laboratory. The quakes have occurred along an area about 2 miles long and a half-mile wide."We can't put a number on it, but the probability of a major earthquake has increased with this sequence," Smith said Saturday. "People need to prepare for ground shaking because there's no way to say how this will play out."Among other things, scientists urged residents to stock up on water and food, to learn how to turn off water and gas, and to strap down bookshelves, televisions and computers."It's getting a little bit frightening," Daryl DiBitonto of Reno told the Reno Gazette-Journal. "I'm very concerned about this increase in not only activity, but also in magnitude."The quakes around Reno began a week after a magnitude 6 temblor in the northern Nevada town of Wells, near the Utah border. The Feb. 21 quake caused an estimated $778,000 in damage to homes, schools and historic downtown buildings, dePolo said.Scientists said they're unsure whether the seismic activity at opposite sides of Nevada is related.Nevada is the third most seismically active state in the U.S. behind California and Alaska. The Wells quake was the 15th of at least magnitude 6 in the state's 143-year history.A magnitude-7.4 quake south of Winnemucca in 1915 is the most powerful in state history.
By MARTIN GRIFFITH
On the Net:
U.S. Geological Survey:
http://www.usgs.gov/
University of Nevada, Reno, seismology lab:
http://www.seismo.unr.educ/
http://apnews.myway.com/article/20080426/D909QLNG0.html

As in the days of Noah....

LATEST ILLINOIS QUAKES

4.2 M - ILLINOIS
Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude
4.2 M
Date-Time
25 Apr 2008 17:31:00 UTC
25 Apr 2008 11:31:00 near epicenter
25 Apr 2008 11:31:00 standard time in your timezone
Location
38.450N 87.870W
Depth
13 km
Distances
8 km (5 miles) NNE (25 degrees) of Bellmont, IL
10 km (6 miles) WNW (294 degrees) of Mount Carmel, IL
11 km (7 miles) E (88 degrees) of Bone Gap, IL
60 km (37 miles) NNW (332 degrees) of Evansville, IN
207 km (129 miles) E (95 degrees) of St. Louis, MO
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 1.3 km; Vertical 1.1 km
Parameters
Nph = 15; Dmin = 7.9 km; Rmss = 0.14 seconds; Gp = 86°M-type = M; Version = B
Event ID
NM hwb0425c ***This event has been revised

4.2 M - ILLINOIS
Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude
4.2 M
Date-Time
25 Apr 2008 17:30:58 UTC
25 Apr 2008 11:30:58 near epicenter
25 Apr 2008 11:30:58 standard time in your timezone
Location
38.499N 87.863W
Depth
5 km
Distances
12 km (8 miles) NW (319 degrees) of Mount Carmel, IL
13 km (8 miles) E (101 degrees) of West Salem, IL
13 km (8 miles) ENE (64 degrees) of Bone Gap, IL
64 km (40 miles) NNW (335 degrees) of Evansville, IN
207 km (129 miles) E (93 degrees) of St. Louis, MO
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 4.9 km; Vertical 0.0 km
Parameters
Nph = 49; Dmin = 33.2 km; Rmss = 1.41 seconds; Gp = 25°M-type = M; Version = 7
Event ID
US 2008rgbr


4.0 Mw - ILLINOIS
Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude
4.0 Mw
Date-Time
21 Apr 2008 05:38:29 UTC
20 Apr 2008 23:38:29 near epicenter
20 Apr 2008 23:38:29 standard time in your timezone
Location
38.483N 87.857W
Depth
10 km
Distances
11 km (7 miles) NW (315 degrees) of Mount Carmel, IL
12 km (7 miles) NNE (23 degrees) of Bellmont, IL
13 km (8 miles) ENE (72 degrees) of Bone Gap, IL
62 km (39 miles) NNW (335 degrees) of Evansville, IN
208 km (129 miles) E (94 degrees) of St. Louis, MO
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 4.1 km; Vertical 0.0 km
Parameters
Nph = 95; Dmin = 34.9 km; Rmss = 1.36 seconds; Gp = 25°M-type = Mw; Version = 8
Event ID
US 2008rcar ***This event has been revised.
For updates, maps, and technical information, see:


U.S.G.S. Earthquake Hazards Program
National Earthquake Information CenterU.S. Geological Survey


As in the days of Noah....

Thursday, April 24, 2008

NEVADA 4.1 Magnitude Location Map


As in the days of Noah...

Series of minor earthquakes shakes Reno; no major damage

RENO,Nev.-A swarm of earthquakes rattled Reno on Thursday afternoon, causing downtown buildings to sway and cracking windows in residential areas.The strongest quake, with a magnitude of 4.2, was centered 6 miles west of Reno, the U.S. Geological Survey said.It shook downtown for about 30 seconds just before 4 p.m. and followed a 4.1-magnitude quake minutes earlier. No injuries or major damage were reported."It shook the whole house real good," said Rick Dinoso, a resident of the northwest part of town that has been rattled by dozens of smaller earthquakes since the end of February."This was the strongest one in the last two months. I was wondering whether I should grab the kid and get under the table," he said. "You could see the sides of the house swaying."The Geological Survey recorded more than 30 smaller earthquakes over about a two-hour period, including seven registering 2.4 and above.Only the two largest quakes were felt throughout Reno's downtown casino and business district.The University of Nevada, Reno's seismology laboratory reported the two largest quakes were "widely felt" throughout Reno and neighboring Sparks. It said aftershocks could be expected for several days.Stuart Smith, the head golf pro at Somersett Country Club near the epicenter, reported "pretty violent shaking.""Anytime you get a rattling like that, you are going to strike fear in some people," he said. "A couple of my employees were scared."Earthquake magnitudes are calculated according to ground motion recorded on seismographs. An increase in one full number-from 6.5 to 7.5, for example-means the quake's magnitude is 10 times as great.A quake with a magnitude of 6 can cause severe damage, while one with a magnitude of 7 can cause widespread, heavy damage.
On the Net:
University of Nevada, Reno, seismology lab: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_re_us/storytext/reno_earthquake/27228681/SIG=10s8j39h5/*http://www.seismo.unr.educ
U.S. Geological Survey: http://us.rd.yahoo.com/dailynews/ap/ap_on_re_us/storytext/reno_earthquake/27228681/SIG=10lpqe6r2/*http://www.usgs.gov
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20080425/ap_on_re_us/reno_earthquake;_ylt=And2z5ty5_Zizk3Rn0QE2KJH2ocA
As in the days of Noah....

Wednesday, April 23, 2008

Hawaii Volcano Forces Park Evacuation for 2nd Time in Month

VOLCANO, Hawaii-Elevated levels of sulfur dioxide pouring from Kilauea volcano Wednesday forced the evacuation of Hawaii Volcanoes National Park for the second time this month.About 2,000 people were forced to leave the park when a lack of wind kept the noxious gas from Halemaumau Crater lingering over the Big Island volcano park, spokeswoman Mardie Lane said. "Right now we have little to no wind," Lane said. The plume from the volcano's main crater was lingering over the area rather than getting blown away by trade winds the way it had been earlier in the week."When you step outside, definitely your eyes tear, you have that feeling that you'd like to cough or clear your throat," Lane said.A rare two-day park closure earlier this month was caused by a shift in wind direction that prevented the gas from being blown out to sea."Our primary concern is for the health and safety of visitors and employees," said Joe Molhoek, the park's incident commander. "We're in close contact with the National Weather Service and look forward to favorable winds by week's end."The closure included evacuation of the 42-room Volcano House hotel and the Kilauea Military Camp, a vacation facility for military families.Hawaii County Civil Defense said no evacuations were ordered for communities outside the park. Residents of nearby Volcano Golf and Country Club Estates, however, were encouraged to leave if they were experiencing respiratory problems. Kilauea, one of the world's most active volcanoes, has been erupting since Jan. 3, 1983.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,352374,00.html
As in the days of Noah...

Monday, April 21, 2008

Experts Hope Earthquake Is Wake Up Call

Scientists at the National Earthquake Information Center in hope earthquake serves as a wakeup call to Americans.
To watch this video click on the URL below:
Experts hope earthquake is wakeup call
Source:KMOV Channel 4 St. Louis
As in the days of Noah....

4.5 Magnitude-ILLINOIS

Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude
4.5 M
Date-Time
21 Apr 2008 05:38:30 UTC
20 Apr 2008 23:38:30 near epicenter
20 Apr 2008 23:38:30 standard time in your timezone
Location
38.473N 87.823W
Depth
10 km
Distances
8 km (5 miles) NW (324 degrees) of Mount Carmel, IL
12 km (7 miles) WSW (238 degrees) of Allendale, IL
12 km (8 miles) NE (38 degrees) of Bellmont, IL
60 km (37 miles) NNW (337 degrees) of Evansville, IN
211 km (131 miles) E (94 degrees) of St. Louis, MO
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 6.1 km; Vertical 0.0 km
Parameters
Nph = 44; Dmin = 37.6 km; Rmss = 1.27 seconds; Gp = 46°M-type = M; Version = 7
Event ID
US 2008rcar
For updates, maps, and technical information, see:

U.S.G.S. Earthquake Hazards Program
National Earthquake Information CenterU.S. Geological Survey


As in the days of Noah....

Magnitude-4.5 aftershock reported from Midwest earthquake

WEST SALEM,Ill.-A strong aftershock shook Southern Illinois on Monday, three days after a magnitude 5.2 quake rattled the region. Geologists say the temblor just before 12:40 a.m. registered 4.5 magnitude at its epicenter about 5 miles northwest of Mount Carmel. The location is in the same area as Friday's early morning earthquake, which shook a wide area of the Midwest and caused minor damage.The Monday morning aftershock was the 18th since Friday and the second strongest, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The strongest was a 4.6 magnitude shaker about 5 1/2 hours after the original quake Friday morning.
On the Net:
Geological Survey: http://www.usgs.gov/

As in the days of Noah...

Saturday, April 19, 2008

Scientists say Midwest quakes poorly understood

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. - Scientists say they know far too little about Midwestern seismic zones like the one that rumbled to life under southern Illinois Friday morning, but some of what they do know is unnerving.The fault zones beneath the Mississippi River Valley have produced some of the largest modern U.S. quakes east of the Rockies, a region covered with old buildings not built to withstand seismic activity.And, when quakes happen, they're felt far and wide, their vibrations propagated over hundreds of miles of bedrock.Friday's quake shook things up from Nebraska to Atlanta, rattling nerves but doing little damage and seriously hurting no one. It was a magnitude 5.2 temblor centered just outside West Salem in southeastern Illinois, a largely rural region of small towns that sit over the Wabash fault zone. The area has produced moderately strong quakes as recently as 2002.But it hasn't been studied to nearly the degree of quake-prone areas west of the Rockies, particularly along the heavily scrutinized Pacific coast."We don't have as many opportunities as in California," said Genda Chen, associate professor of engineering at the University of Missouri-Rolla, which sits near the well-known and very active New Madrid fault zone."We cannot even borrow on the knowledge they learn on the West Coast" because quakes that happen in California-where tectonic plates beneath the Earth's surface collide-are so different from Midwestern quakes that happen far away from the edges of the nearest plates.It isn't entirely clear, for instance, whether the Wabash faults are related to the New Madrid faults or not.Some scientists say they are related, noting that the Wabash faults, which roughly parallel the river of the same name in southern Illinois and Indiana, are a northern extension of the New Madrid zone. Others say they're not.The New Madrid fault zone produced a series of quakes in 1811 and 1812 that reached an estimated magnitude 7.0, putting them among the strongest known quakes to have occurred east of the Rockies. The quakes changed the course of the Mississippi River and were felt in New England.That distance of well over a thousand miles sounds impressive, but experts say quakes that happen in the Midwest commonly radiate out for hundreds of miles because of the bedrock beneath much of the eastern United States."Our bedrock here is old, really rigid and sends those waves a long way," said Bob Bauer, a geologist with the Illinois State Geological Survey who works in Champaign.He compared the underground rock, which in much of the Midwest lies anywhere from a few thousand feet to just a few feet below the earth's surface, to a bell that very efficiently transmits seismic waves like sound."California is young bedrock," he explained. "It's broken up ... like a cracked bell. You ring that, the waves don't go as far."The question of whether Friday's quake was centered along a branch of the New Madrid zone or not is of more than academic interest. The area even now produces smaller, very regular quakes, and experts say it still has the potential to produce a quake that could devastate the region.The Wabash faults have the potential to do the same, at least based on distant history, said Columbia University seismologist Won-Young Kim.The strongest quake produced in recent history by the Wabash was a magnitude 5.3 in southern Illinois in 1968, but researchers have found evidence that 4,000 to 6,000 years ago, much stronger quakes shook the region, Kim said, as strong as magnitude 7.0 or more.A similar quake is still possible, if the region is given time to build up enough energy, Kim said. But knowledge about the area is too thin to say whether that's likely, he added.

As in the days of Noah....

Friday, April 18, 2008

Strong Earthquake Rocks Part of East Timor

JAKARTA,Indonesia-A meteorological official says a powerful earthquake has rocked part of East Timor,causing residents to panic.There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage. The U.S. Geological Survey put Saturday's tremor at a magnitude 6.0, while the Indonesian Geophysics Agency registered a more powerful 6.4.The agencies said it struck 55 miles north of the capital, Dili, at a depth of 7 miles.Witnesses said people fled outdoors in panic.
As in the days of Noah....

Even Bigger Quake Could Hit Midwest:Scientists

The magnitude 5.2 earthquake that rocked the Midwest on Friday was felt from Kansas to Georgia. Aftershocks could continue for months at this strange seismic zone at the nation's center and even trigger another big quake, a geophysicist said.The quake occurred on a northern extension of the New Madrid fault, about 6 miles north of Mt. Carmel, Ill.The New Madrid fault was responsible for devastating quakes in the Mississippi Valley in 1811 and 1812.With that in mind, the Friday quake and its aftershocks may be raising the blood pressure of some residents and scientists.For decades, scientists have debated whether and when the underlying fault could generate another temblor of similar and deadly strength."I think we saw a window to this possibility today in the Wabash Valley," said geophysicist Allessandro Forte of the Université du Québec à Montréal, who has studied the region's seismicity."It's to the north of the New Madrid seismic zone, but given the strength of crust, the stress can be distributed great distances," he said. "It's not clear if we could see something in the next few years or even next few months, I would say."The last earthquake in the region to approach the severity of Friday's temblor was a 5.0 magnitude quake that shook a nearby area in 2002, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.An event actually surpassing today's magnitude last occurred in 1968, a magnitude 5.3 quake that was felt in 23 states and in Ontario and Boston, said Forte.The magnitude scale is logarithmic so a change of 0.1 or 0.2 makes a big difference in terms of energy output."The $64,000 question is what this earthquake portends for the future," Forte said. "The answer is I'm afraid it can go either way."
Stress relief or hair trigger?
One scenario predicts that some stress is relieved on the local faults where this earthquake occurred and will cool things down for a few decades. The other scenario is not so happy."There is the possibility, and we can only see over next few months what will happen, that the redistribution of stress on neighboring faults might trigger further earthquakes, and we can only guess as to whether they'll be equally large as today's earthquake," Forte said.Aftershocks from the Friday quake will continue for several weeks, maybe months, he said. Already, there have been many, of magnitudes in the range of 2 and 3, radiating outward from the epicenter."If we are seeing a propagation outward of stress changes after today's 5.2, which was a big one, and those stress changes finally come up on a fault which is on a hair trigger and ready to go, those small changes are sufficient to generate another big one on a fault which is locked and ready to go," Forte said.
How much risk?
Recent estimates have downgraded the risk of a large earthquake on the New Madrid fault.In the 1980s, scientists said there was a 90 percent chance of a magnitude 6 or 7 temblor occurring in this area within the next 50 years.A 2007 USGS fact sheet, however, said there is only a 25 percent to 40 percent chance of a magnitude 6 or larger there in the next 50 years.However, a team that includes Michael Ellis of the University of Memphis estimated in 2005 that the odds of another 8.0 event in the region within 50 years are between 7 and 10 percent.These debates about the New Madrid fault are far from resolved, Forte said, with some saying the accumulated stress in area faults is weakening while others say it is not going to dissipate any time soon."This is not exactly a well-defined science as yet," he said.Forte is pessimistic, based on his research on an ancient, giant slab of Earth called the Farallon slab that started its descent under the West Coast 70 million years ago.According to one theory, the Farallon slab is now is causing mayhem and deep mantle flow 360 miles beneath the Mississippi Valley, where it effectively pulls the crust down an entire kilometer (.62 miles).[The other, not necessarily contradictory theory is that the lower Mississippi Valley is the site of a failed rift, a crack that appeared in the North American tectonic plate hundreds of millions of years ago and never fully healed.]"The stresses from the sinking Farallon slab are not going to disappear any time soon," he said.J. David Rogers agrees. The geological engineer at Missouri University of Science and Technology says Midwestern earthquakes are potentially more powerful than California quakes.
Shakier situation
Unique geology in the Midwest increases the shaking intensity of earthquakes because seismic energy moves through the dense bedrock at very high speeds, then becomes trapped in soft sediments filling river channels and valleys, Rogers said.Rogers and some of his graduate students have been modeling synthetic seismic events in the New Madrid region.Most of their scenarios are modeled after an 1895 earthquake with a magnitude of 6.4 that was centered in Charleston, Mo.The preliminary results are sobering, said Rogers.Data indicates ground shaking would be magnified about 600 percent within the flood plain of the Missouri River, a development that would cause most of Missouri’s existing long-span bridges to collapse."You don't even need a really big earthquake to do significant damage in Missouri," Rogers says. "It could happen tomorrow."The relative quake risk of the New Madrid seismic zone is a great debate that might be driven in part by competition for grant money, Forte said.Those scientists who work on West Coast quakes have an incentive to claim that the research money should be spent on that region, while the central continent-focused researchers obviously are more invested in funds coming their way.
http://www.foxnews.com/story/0,2933,351771,00.html
As in the days of Noah....

Strongest quake in 40 years rattles Midwest

5.2 Jolts Parts of Midwest

Earthquake Shakes Midwest

Earthquake Shakes News Broadcast Live On Air

Scientists Not Surprised at Midwest Quake:Southern Illinois a Hotbed of Earthquake Activity, Experts Say

As the nation marveled over a rare magnitude 5.2 earthquake that startled Illinois residents early this morning, earthquake experts weren't all that surprised by the temblor, they told ABCNEWS.com. The earthquake struck southern Illinois about six miles north of Mount Carmel, at 4:45 a.m., violently shaking people from their beds, swaying Chicago skyscrapers and vibrating the earth as far east as Georgia.As the morning wore on, at least two significant aftershocks rocked the Midwest.Astonished messages from Midwesterners flew across sites such as Twitter.com about the aftershocks seconds after they were felt, even before the U.S. Geological Survey reported them.Scientists say the earthquake likely took place on the Wabash Valley fault system, which is in the southern parts of Illinois and Indiana and is near but not related to the larger and more volatile New Madrid fault, which extends farther south.Although today's quake was felt hundreds of miles away, so far no injuries or major damage were reported. Despite the nation's shock at the quake, according to experts the Midwest has long been a hotbed of seismic activity."Southern Illinois has had earthquakes of this size throughout history," said Nano Seeber, a senior research scientist at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University. "Is this an earthquake zone? Yes."The first reported earthquake in Illinois was in 1795. The largest one, in 1909, was felt over 500,000 square miles and extended to Wisconsin and Iowa."This event is not unusual, speaking in geologic time," said Gary Patterson of the Center for Earthquake Research and Information at the University of Memphis, which is located on the New Madrid fault.A 1968 Southern Illinois earthquake that measured a magnitude 5.2 "did some damage that was very similar in this earthquake today," he said.The most recent earthquake of this size happened in 2002. It measured 5.0 and occurred in the same general area, according to Waverly Person, a geophysicist at the National Earthquake Center."It wasn't a surprise to me at all," Person said. "To the residents, they're surprised. Earthquakes are not that frequent. You forget from one to another."Although California quakes get the most news coverage, earthquake zones spread across the nation. The geological survey has designated 26 urban areas in the United States as earthquake risk areas; that list includes New York, Boston, Memphis, Chattanooga, Tenn., and Evansville, Ind.Unlike California quakes, however, today's temblor was felt hundreds of miles away, as far south as Memphis and as far east as Asheville, N.C. That's because of the particular geography of the Midwestern United States. "This was typical of earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains. All of the earthquakes are felt over very, very wide areas. This is no different," Person said.While the crust of the earth in the western United States is full of fractures, there is less geological activity in the Midwest and the Eastern landscape.The soil there is stronger, more continuous, which means that seismic waves-uninterrupted by fractures-can travel much farther and why people in Georgia felt the morning's quakes, according to Seeber. The geology, therefore, also makes the Midwest and the East more vulnerable."It's well-known the same size earthquake can do a lot more damage in the eastern U.S., where there's not geologic activity," Seeber said. "In the eastern U.S.,the rocks are stronger.The waves go through and go for a longer distance."Although the quake was felt far, it didn't cause a lot of damage. The reason, according to Seeber, is that it occurred deep in the earth and not close to the crust. The shallower the quake, according to Seeber, the more havoc it wreaks.In Champaign-Urbana, Ill., Amar Elnashai, the director of the Mid-America Earthquake Center, was literally shaken out of bed this morning."The whole city is rather tense," Elnashai said after briefing the Federal Emergency Management Agency on the quake.Like other experts, Elnashai was not surprised by the quake. The center has spent the last three years researching what kind of structural damage an earthquake could do in a region that, unlike California, doesn't have earthquake codes for its buildings."Our structures have not been designed for earthquakes ever in the East," he said.Elnashai says that existing buildings in the Midwestern and Eastern United States should be reinforced. As for the public, he encourages citizens to find out whether they live in an earthquake zone and be prepared.Even for those currently living in an earthquake zone, scientists say there's no way to predict when or where an earthquake will strike."Prediction has a very specific meaning, which is telling you of an earthquake of a particular size, time and place. That's not possible," said Seeber. "What we do is give you the probability of an earthquake in an area based on the past. Then we design structures accordingly for cost."

As in the days of Noah....

Earthquake Hits Midwest


As in the days of Noah....

5.2 earthquake rocks large area of Midwest; no major damage

WEST SALEM, Ill.-Residents across the Midwest were awakened Friday by a 5.2 magnitude earthquake that rattled skyscrapers in Chicago's Loop and homes in Cincinnati but appeared to cause no major injuries or damage. Dozens of aftershocks followed, one with a magnitude of 4.5.The quake just before 4:37 a.m. was centered six miles from West Salem, Ill., and 45 miles from Evansville, Ind. It was felt in such distant cities as Milwaukee, Des Moines, Iowa, and Atlanta, nearly 400 miles to the southeast."It shook our house where it woke me up," said David Behm of Philo, 10 miles south of Champaign. "Windows were rattling, and you could hear it. The house was shaking inches. For people in central Illinois, this is a big deal. It's not like California."In West Salem itself, a chimney on one house fell and there were reports of cracks in walls. "We're very thankful we had no one injured," said Harvey Fenton, the town's police and fire chief.He was at first unsure what to make of the sudden rumbling when it woke him up."A major shaking is the best way I can describe it," said Fenton, 58.Fifteen miles to the southeast, in Mount Carmel, a woman was trapped in her home by a collapsed porch but was quickly freed and wasn't hurt, said police dispatcher Mickie Smith. A century-old apartment building there, a former schoolhouse, was evacuated because of loose and falling bricks.Bonnie Lucas, a morning co-host at WHO-AM in Des Moines, said she was sitting in her office when she felt her chair move. She grabbed her desk, and then heard the ceiling panels start to creak. The shaking lasted about 5 seconds, she said.The quake is believed to have involved the Wabash fault, a northern extension of the New Madrid fault about six miles north of Mount Carmel, Ill., said United States Geological Survey geophysicist Randy Baldwin.The last earthquake in the region to approach the severity of Friday's temblor was a 5.0 magnitude quake that shook a nearby area in 2002.
"This is a fairly large quake for this region," Baldwin said. "They might occur every few years."
It was initially reported as a 5.4-magnitude earthquake, but the USGS later revised its estimate to 5.2."This was widely felt, all the way to Atlanta, a little bit in Michigan," said USGS geophysicist Carrieann Bedwell.In Cincinnati, Irvetta McMurtry said she felt the rattling for up to 20 seconds."All of a sudden, I was awakened by this rumbling shaking," said McMurtry, 43. "My bed is an older wood frame bed, so the bed started to creak and shake, and it was almost like somebody was taking my mattress and moving it back and forth."In Louisville, Ky., the quake caused some bricks to fall off a building near downtown. Television video showed them strewn in the street.In Chicago, officials were checking structures to ensure there was no damage. The quake also shook skyscrapers in downtown Indianapolis, about 160 miles northeast of the epicenter.The strongest earthquake on record with an epicenter in Illinois occurred in 1968, when a 5.3-magnitude temblor was recorded about 75 miles southeast of St. Louis, according the USGS. The damage was minor but widespread and there were no serious injuries.
In 1811 and 1812, the New Madrid fault produced a series of earthquakes estimated at magnitude 7.0 or greater said to be felt as far away as Boston. They were centered in the Missouri town of New Madrid (pronounced MAD rid), 140 miles southeast of St. Louis.Experts say that with the much higher population in the Midwest, another major quake along the New Madrid fault zone could destroy buildings, bridges, roads and other infrastructure, disrupt communications and isolate areas.
On the Net:
http://www.usgs.gov/

As in the days of Noah...

Wednesday, April 16, 2008

Strong quake off Guatemala, no casualties reported

GUATEMALA CITY-A strong 6.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the Pacific coast of Guatemala on Monday, sending residents into the streets in panic but there were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries."We all ran into the street because the quake wouldn't stop. We were very scared," said Flory de Estrada, 32, a resident of the southern city of Escuintla.The quake shook homes in the capital for up to a minute and residents in the city of about 2 million people reported paintings fell from walls. Small landslides hit rural roads, Guatemalan radio reported.An earthquake of 6.1 is capable of causing severe damage but the fire department said the worst initial damage reported was cracks in eight houses in the department of San Marcos. USGS reported the quake was at a depth of 49.4 miles (79.5 km). Radio stations reported electricity blackouts in Guatemala City and Escuintla.The quake struck at 9:03 p.m. (0303 GMT on Tuesday) with an epicenter 45 miles south-southeast of Escuintla, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

As in the days of Noah....

Indonesian volcano spews ash, residents evacuated

JAKARTA-About 600 people have been evacuated in eastern Indonesia after a volcano began spewing ash, a vulcanologist said on Wednesday. Mount Egon on Flores island started to erupt late on Tuesday, emitting grey ash up to 4,000 meters (13,000 feet) above the crater, said Muhammad Hendrasto, head of monitoring at the volcanology office in Bandung on Java island.Authorities immediately raised the alert to orange, one notch below the highest level, and evacuated people living about 1.8 km (1 mile) from the peak of the volcano, he said."It is not particularly dangerous but residents nearby need to wear a mask,"Hendrasto told Reuters.Egon has shown increased activity since early this month, he said.A 2004 eruption forced the closure of a small airport nearby after it was covered by ash.Indonesia has the highest number of active volcanoes of any country, sitting on a belt of intense seismic activity known as the "Pacific Ring of Fire".People often live and farm on the slopes of volcanoes because of the rich volcanic soil.In the past two years, at least three volcanoes in Indonesia-Mount Merapi, Kelud and Anak Krakatau-have shown signs of activity, but all are relatively quiet now.
http://www.reuters.com/article/worldNews/idUSJAK33273320080416
As in the days of Noah....

Tuesday, April 15, 2008

Glowing Kilauea Vent Draws Visitors to Erupting Volcano

HONOLULU-Visitors to Kilauea's summit have a rare chance to see a red, orange, and yellow glow emanate from a vent at Halemaumau Crater, traditionally considered to be the home of Pele, the Hawaiian volcano goddess.Kilauea has been erupting continuously on the Big Island since 1983 and frequently offers views of lava oozing to the surface and flowing into the sea.But it's rare for an incandescent glow to be seen at Halemaumau Crater, said Mardie Lane, a spokeswoman for Hawaii Volcanoes National Park.The bright hot colors are not from lava.Though there is some magma underneath the ground in the area, it hasn't risen to the surface to create lava.Instead, the colorful hues are created by superheated fumes and steam plumes bursting out of a vent in the crater."It's wonderful to look into what is for Hawaiians the traditional home of Pele, and be able to see this glow and this plume rising," Lane said. "In my 27 years in this national park, I've witnessed many incredible sights. And I put this one right up there."The glow is best seen at sunset and early evening, Lane said. Jagggar Museum, a spot one half-mile from the vent within the park grounds, offers the best vantage point. Rangers have set up a telescope there for visitors who want to get an even closer look.Those who want to see lava hitting the ocean and adding to the Big Island's land area should go to the end of Highway 130 outside the park.Hawaii County has set up a viewing area from where visitors can see surface flows of lava in the distance. The site also offers views of steam plumes created by lava flowing into the ocean.Lane said the incandescent glow at Halemaumau Crater has been visible since mid-March, around the time Kilauea exploded for the first time since 1924.No lava erupted in that incident, which rained rocks across a 75-acre area, suggesting it was caused by hydrothermal or gas buildup.The crater exploded again late Wednesday.High levels of sulfur dioxide pouring out of the crater prompted officials to close the park for two days last week.But park data showed the air quality was fine around Jaggar Museum and the Kilauea Visitor Center Sunday. Sulfur dioxide levels were moderate southwest of the Kilauea caldera and Puu Oo vent but didn't reach unhealthy levels, the National Park Service Web site said.Lane advised visitors to wear warm clothes when visiting the 4,000 foot-high summit. She also suggested bringing binoculars, a telephoto lens, or other equipment to get a better view of the glowing vent.Visitors must stay on the designated overlook area. Lane said visitors should remember they're standing on the rim of a caldera, which is a giant basin-shaped depression that has steep drop-offs.

As in the days of Noah...

Thousands Evacuate as Colombian Volcano Erupts in Shower of Hot Ash

BREAKING NEWS-Colombia's Nevado del Huila volcano erupted in a shower of hot ash, prompting authorities to evacuate thousands of people and declare a state of alert.There were no reports of damage or injuries.The volcano, 150 miles southwest of Bogata, erupted at 11:08 p.m. Monday (0508 GMT Tuesday), according to the Colombian Institute of Geology and Mining.Martha Calvache, deputy director of the institute's seismic department, told Caracol Radio that authorities were unable to estimate the size of the eruption.She said the volcano was expelling ash."Other types of material could come, like lava, but we don't at the moment know the exact situation," she said.Caracol Radio reported that between 13,000 and 15,000 people who live near the volcano were being evacuated.
As in the days of Noah...

Monday, April 14, 2008

Major quake almost inevitable for California

LOS ANGELES-California will almost inevitably be struck by a major earthquake, and possibly a catastrophic quake, sometime in the next 30 years, scientists said on Monday in the most comprehensive geologic forecast for the state.
California faces a more than 99 percent chance of being hit by a magnitude 6.7 temblor-the size of the 1994 Northridge quake-in the next 30 years, according to a study using new data and analyzing earthquake probabilities across the state.The analysis found a nearly 50 percent chance that California would be rocked by a magnitude 7.5 quake, which is capable of inflicting catastrophic damage if it is centered under a big city like Los Angeles or San Francisco."We can expect that we're going to get hammered by a big earthquake and we'd better be prepared," said Tom Jordan, director of the Southern California Earthquake Center at the University of Southern California."Magnitude 7.5, that's a really big earthquake," Jordan said."If that were to hit on the San Andreas Fault it could be very destructive. You're talking about an earthquake that might span 200 miles of fault length and a displacement of 12 feet or more."If that were to take place in say, the Los Angeles region, then you would have a big problem," he said.Jordan said the chance of a 7.5 magnitude quake hitting Southern California was 37 percent, compared to 15 percent in Northern California, largely because the 1906 San Francisco earthquake relieved stress from the San Andreas Fault there.The 1906 San Francisco quake was thought to have been a magnitude of around 7.8 or higher. The last temblor of that size in Southern California was in 1857, and the southernmost section of the San Andreas Fault has not seen such an event since 1680. "Those faults have been accumulating stress all this time and that makes large earthquakes highly probable," Jordan said.The January 17, 1994, Northridge quake in Los Angeles killed 72 people, injured more than 10,000 and caused billions of dollars in damage.
The study was conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey, the Southern California Earthquake Center and California Geological Survey and is significant because it presents the probabilities statewide for the first time."This is the most comprehensive earthquake forecast ever for the state of California," Jordan said, adding that it was requested by the California Earthquake Authority and would be used by the agency as a basis for setting insurance rates.
As in the days of Noah....

Saturday, April 12, 2008

NEVADA QUAKES

There has been around 10 quakes over 3.5 magnitude in the Nevada Region since Feb.27th till today.Here are some of them:
4.2 Mb - NEVADA
Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude
4.2 Mb
Date-Time
1 Apr 2008 13:16:18 UTC
1 Apr 2008 05:16:18 near epicenter
1 Apr 2008 07:16:18 standard time in your timezone
Location
41.166N 114.773W
Depth
5 km
Distances
18 km (11 miles) ENE (69 degrees) of Wells, NV
29 km (18 miles) S (184 degrees) of Wilkins, NV
42 km (26 miles) NNW (347 degrees) of Spruce, NV
76 km (47 miles) NW (309 degrees) of West Wendover, NV
246 km (153 miles) WNW (282 degrees) of Salt Lake City, UT
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 4.6 km; Vertical 0.0 km
Parameters
Nph = 68; Dmin = 41.4 km; Rmss = 1.35 seconds; Gp = 32°M-type = Mb; Version = 7
Event ID
US 2008qhav

4.2 Ml - NEVADA
Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude
4.2 Ml
Date-Time
27 Feb 2008 07:59:39 UTC
26 Feb 2008 23:59:39 near epicenter
27 Feb 2008 01:59:39 standard time in your timezone
Location
41.123N 114.675W
Depth
5 km
Distances
25 km (15 miles) E (86 degrees) of Wells, NV
34 km (21 miles) S (169 degrees) of Wilkins, NV
36 km (22 miles) N (358 degrees) of Spruce, NV
66 km (41 miles) NW (310 degrees) of West Wendover, NV
237 km (147 miles) W (281 degrees) of Salt Lake City, UT
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 5.3 km; Vertical 0.0 km
Parameters
Nph = 57; Dmin = 49.6 km; Rmss = 1.32 seconds; Gp = 50°M-type = Ml; Version = 6
Event ID
US 2008nya9
For updates, maps, and technical information, see:
Event Page or U.S.G.S. Earthquake Hazards Program
National Earthquake Information CenterU.S. Geological Survey
As in the days of Noah...

LATEST PERU QUAKES

NORTHERN PERU
4.6 Mb - NEAR COAST OF NORTHERN PERU
Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude
4.6 Mb
Date-Time
16 Mar 2008 12:37:57 UTC
16 Mar 2008 07:37:57 near epicenter
16 Mar 2008 06:37:57 standard time in your timezone
Location
6.213S 79.619W
Depth
88 km
Distances
66 km (41 miles) NNE (16 degrees) of Chiclayo, Peru
155 km (96 miles) SE (134 degrees) of Piura, Peru
161 km (100 miles) NW (311 degrees) of Cajamarca, Peru
676 km (420 miles) S (191 degrees) of QUITO, Ecuador
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 10.4 km; Vertical 11.7 km
Parameters
Nph = 31; Dmin = 707.1 km; Rmss = 0.82 seconds; Gp = 118°M-type = Mb; Version = 7
Event ID
US 2008prbc

CENTRAL PERU
5.4 Mb - NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL PERU
Preliminary Earthquake Report
Magnitude
5.4 Mb
Date-Time
29 Mar 2008 12:51:24 UTC
29 Mar 2008 07:51:24 near epicenter
29 Mar 2008 06:51:24 standard time in your timezone
Location
12.104S 77.177W
Depth
41 km
Distances
14 km (9 miles) W (268 degrees) of LIMA, Peru
121 km (76 miles) SSE (157 degrees) of Huacho, Peru
188 km (117 miles) NW (323 degrees) of Chincha Alta, Peru
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 6.8 km; Vertical 0.0 km
Parameters
Nph = 145; Dmin = 38.7 km; Rmss = 0.79 seconds; Gp = 147°M-type = Mb; Version = 7
Event ID
US 2008qebd ***This event supersedes event AT00679508.

4.4 Mb - NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL PERU
Preliminary Earthquake Report

Magnitude
4.4 Mb
Date-Time
29 Mar 2008 06:41:01 UTC
29 Mar 2008 01:41:01 near epicenter
29 Mar 2008 00:41:01 standard time in your timezone
Location
11.418S 77.134W
Depth
61 km
Distances
63 km (39 miles) SE (124 degrees) of Huacho, Peru
76 km (48 miles) N (353 degrees) of LIMA, Peru
197 km (122 miles) SSW (212 degrees) of Huanuco, Peru
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 19.8 km; Vertical 0.0 km
Parameters
Nph = 23; Dmin = 70.5 km; Rmss = 0.50 seconds; Gp = 172°M-type = Mb; Version = 7
Event ID
US 2008qea1

4.9 Mb - OFF COAST OF CENTRAL PERU
Preliminary Earthquake Report

Magnitude
4.9 Mb
Date-Time
20 Mar 2008 04:43:25 UTC
19 Mar 2008 23:43:25 near epicenter
19 Mar 2008 22:43:25 standard time in your timezone
Location
11.853S 79.061W
Depth
44 km
Distances
178 km (111 miles) WSW (242 degrees) of Huacho, Peru
220 km (137 miles) W (277 degrees) of LIMA, Peru
307 km (191 miles) SSW (213 degrees) of Huaraz, Peru
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 23.5 km; Vertical 13.3 km
Parameters
Nph = 53; Dmin = 242.0 km; Rmss = 0.75 seconds; Gp = 219°M-type = Mb; Version = 7
Event ID
US 2008pvaj

4.8 Mb - NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL PERU
Preliminary Earthquake Report

Magnitude
4.8 Mb
Date-Time
8 Mar 2008 23:51:12 UTC
8 Mar 2008 18:51:12 near epicenter
8 Mar 2008 17:51:12 standard time in your timezone
Location
13.238S 76.533W
Depth
33 km
Distances
49 km (31 miles) WNW (299 degrees) of Chincha Alta, Peru
119 km (74 miles) NW (318 degrees) of Ica, Peru
138 km (86 miles) SSE (156 degrees) of LIMA, Peru
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 29.0 km; Vertical 30.1 km
Parameters
Nph = 19; Dmin = 142.2 km; Rmss = 0.58 seconds; Gp = 187°M-type = Mb; Version = 7
Event ID
US 2008pic1

SOUTHERN PERU
4.3 Mb - SOUTHERN PERU
Preliminary Earthquake Report

Magnitude
4.3 Mb
Date-Time
5 Apr 2008 17:33:19 UTC
5 Apr 2008 12:33:19 near epicenter
5 Apr 2008 11:33:19 standard time in your timezone
Location
15.137S 70.314W
Depth
162 km
Distances
42 km (26 miles) NNW (335 degrees) of Juliaca, Peru
193 km (120 miles) NE (43 degrees) of Arequipa, Peru
239 km (148 miles) NNE (16 degrees) of Moquegua, Peru
802 km (499 miles) ESE (116 degrees) of LIMA, Peru
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 46.0 km; Vertical 26.2 km
Parameters
Nph = 11; Dmin = 787.0 km; Rmss = 1.12 seconds; Gp = 165°M-type = Mb; Version = 6
Event ID
US 2008qla8

4.6 Mb - SOUTHERN PERU
Preliminary Earthquake Report

Magnitude
4.6 Mb
Date-Time
20 Mar 2008 21:08:12 UTC
20 Mar 2008 16:08:12 near epicenter
20 Mar 2008 15:08:12 standard time in your timezone
Location
14.730S 70.337W
Depth
230 km
Distances
86 km (54 miles) NNW (346 degrees) of Juliaca, Peru
219 km (136 miles) SE (128 degrees) of Cuzco, Peru
227 km (141 miles) NE (34 degrees) of Arequipa, Peru
783 km (486 miles) ESE (113 degrees) of LIMA, Peru
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 29.1 km; Vertical 13.8 km
Parameters
Nph = 39; Dmin = 766.4 km; Rmss = 0.81 seconds; Gp = 172°M-type = Mb; Version = 7
Event ID
US 2008pvb8

4.9 Mb - SOUTHERN PERU
Preliminary Earthquake Report

Magnitude
4.9 Mb
Date-Time
16 Mar 2008 10:43:06 UTC
16 Mar 2008 05:43:06 near epicenter
16 Mar 2008 04:43:06 standard time in your timezone
Location
17.268S 69.855W
Depth
84 km
Distances
92 km (57 miles) NNE (27 degrees) of Tacna, Peru
115 km (71 miles) E (94 degrees) of Moquegua, Peru
146 km (91 miles) NNE (20 degrees) of Arica, Chile
964 km (599 miles) SE (127 degrees) of LIMA, Peru
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 10.4 km; Vertical 12.7 km
Parameters
Nph = 99; Dmin = 599.4 km; Rmss = 0.94 seconds; Gp = 122°M-type = Mb; Version = 7
Event ID
US 2008praz

5.2 Mb - SOUTHERN PERU
Preliminary Earthquake Report

Magnitude
5.2 Mb
Date-Time
7 Mar 2008 22:35:05 UTC
7 Mar 2008 17:35:05 near epicenter
7 Mar 2008 16:35:05 standard time in your timezone
Location
16.918S 70.079W
Depth
109 km
Distances
96 km (60 miles) ENE (71 degrees) of Moquegua, Peru
122 km (76 miles) N (9 degrees) of Tacna, Peru
160 km (99 miles) S (177 degrees) of Juliaca, Peru
922 km (573 miles) SE (126 degrees) of LIMA, Peru
Location Uncertainty
Horizontal: 44.0 km; Vertical 28.9 km
Parameters
Nph = 85; Dmin = 909.6 km; Rmss = 0.53 seconds; Gp = 295°M-type = Mb; Version = 7
Event ID
US 2008phce
For updates, maps, and technical information, see:

Event Page or U.S.G.S. Earthquake Hazards Program
National Earthquake Information CenterU.S. Geological Survey


As in the days of Noah...