Significant earthquakes
this week
Every time the earth shakes somewhere ... it send a shockwave across one or more tectonic plates. Are you still checking the IRIS map every day? Click on the map ... then click again to see how earthquake activity is accelerating globally. It would appear that almost every continent is being affected and the Mid-Atlantic Ridge is shaking.
Dozens of people have been killed and hundreds injured in a powerful earthquake in rural areas of China's south-western province of Sichuan. The 6.6-magnitude quake wrecked buildings, cut power and blocked roads in Lushan county, killing more than 124 so far and injuring 2,600 so far, officials say. Rescuers are struggling to get through to the worst-affected areas because of aftershocks and landslides. Tens of thousands were killed in a quake that hit Sichuan in 2008.
The Japan Meteorological Agency said sea changes were possible. No tsunami warnings have been issued. The tremor struck around midday in the Pacific Ocean at a relatively shallow depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles). The U.S. Geological Survey measured a stronger 7.2 magnitude. Japan and Russia both claim some of the sparsely populated islands in the remote region.
6.0-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off Kuril Islands Live Science - April 19, 2013
Earthquakes of this size are considered major and can cause significant damage, especially with poorly built structures. Even well designed buildings can be damaged or, in some cases, destroyed depending on the severity of the quake and a building's proximity to the epicenter. Earthquakes of this size are sometimes followed by significant aftershocks.
Mine Disaster - Earthquakes Shed New Light on Utah Collapse Live Science - April 19, 2013
One of Utah's deadliest mine disasters may have brought down the entire Crandall Canyon coal mine, according to a new seismic study presented today (April 19) at the Seismological Society of America's annual meeting in Salt Lake City. At Crandall Canyon, a room carved from coal collapsed 1,500 feet (457 meters) below the surface on Aug. 6, 2007, trapping six workers. A tunnel collapse on Aug. 16 killed three rescuers digging toward the suspected location of the miners. The bodies of the six miners were never recovered. With new analysis techniques, researchers at the University of Utah identified up to 2,000 tiny, previously unrecognized earthquakes before, during and after the coal mine collapse.
Earthquakes Are East Coast's Biggest Tsunami Threat Live Science - April 19, 2013
The U.S. East Coast's biggest tsunami threat lurks just offshore, according to research presented today (April 19) at the Seismological Society of America's annual meeting in Salt Lake City. Recent earthquake swarms off the Massachusetts coast highlight the threat of tsunamis from nearby earthquakes, rather than faraway islands, said John Ebel, a seismologist at Boston College. The geologic setting of the quakes off the Northeast appears similar to that of a magnitude-7.3 earthquake that struck in the Grand Banks off Newfoundland in 1929, Ebel said. The resulting 32-foot (10 meters) tsunami swamped southern Newfoundland and triggered underwater landslides that severed transatlantic telephone cables.
Hurricane Sandy lit up seismometers across US MSNBC - April 20, 2013
Hurricane Sandy's fateful left turn toward the mid-Atlantic Coast in October last year lit up earthquake monitors all the way to Seattle, according to results presented at the Seismological Society of America's annual meeting Thursday. When Hurricane Sandy veered on Oct. 29, the sudden increase in crashing ocean waves sent rumbles through the Earth detectable on seismometers. The wave-on-wave collisions created what are called standing waves, doubling the energy directed at the seafloor, scientists reported today. The ocean gave the seafloor a little shove, sending seismic waves through the Earth.
Superstorm Sandy Shook the U.S., Literally Science Daily - April 18, 2013
When superstorm Sandy turned and took aim at New York City and Long Island last October, ocean waves hitting each other and the shore rattled the seafloor and much of the United States -- shaking detected by seismometers across the country, University of Utah researchers found.
Quite a Jolt: Earthquakes Heralded Opening of Sinkhole Live Science - April 17, 2013
Earthquakes signaled the opening of a giant toxic sinkhole in southeastern Louisiana last year, researchers reported here today at the Seismological Society of America's annual meeting. Strong shaking first rattled residents of Bayou Corne on June 8 and July 3 in 2012, prompting officials to install earthquake monitors near the small town. After July 14, seismometers detected 10 to 12 sharp tremors of about magnitude 2.5 jolting the region daily, said Steve Horton, a seismologist at the University of Memphis and lead study author.
Salt Lake City Could See Bigger Earthquakes Live Science - April 17, 2013
Two faults bounding Utah's biggest city may combine to produce especially powerful earthquakes, geologists will report in Salt Lake City today (April 17) at the annual meeting of the Seismological Society of America. Utah's biggest earthquake fault runs east of Salt Lake City, at the base of the steep Wasatch Mountains. About 75 percent of the state's population lives near the 240-mile-long (385 kilometers) Wasatch Fault, according to the Utah Geological Survey. Its last big earthquake hit in 1600, 247 years before Mormon settlers arrived.
Upcoming Marathons
London Marathon: Final preparations under way BBC - April 20, 2013
Final preparations for the London Marathon are under way ahead of Sunday's race. The build-up to the event has been subject to more attention than usual in the wake of bomb attacks at the Boston Marathon on Monday. The Metropolitan Police has increased officer numbers by 40% on last year to "reassure" runners and spectators. That is despite the force seeing "no link whatsoever" between what happened in the US and the London event. More than 35,000 runners are due to take part in the race, which starts in Blackheath in south-east London, and finishes near Buckingham Palace.
Boston Marathon attack: How secure are marathons? BBC - April 20, 2013
Despite the diligent efforts of security officials, marathons are among the toughest sport events to secure, analysts say. The Boston Marathon is one of America's premier sporting events. But with 26.2 miles coursing through Boston's suburbs and crowded centre, it is also one of the hardest to keep safe. "It's an outdoor event with no access control: 26 miles of open-ended opportunities for people to come in and out," says Lou Marciani, director of the National Center for Spectator Sports Safety and Security at the University of Southern Mississippi.
New York Road Runners is enhancing baggage security measures for a 4-mile race on Sunday in Central Park in response to the Boston Marathon bombings - and the New York City police department is bringing in extra cameras for added surveillance. The NYPD purchased 100 mobile cameras it will use at the race as a result of the bombings, NYPD spokesman Paul Browne said Friday. There will also be significantly increased police presence at the race as well as at a 5K run/walk to the National Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum on Sunday, he said.
6 Great Spring Races in NYC Prospect Heights - April 20, 2013
This weekend, 10,000 runners and spectators will gather at Central Park to pound the pavement in The More Magazine/Fitness Magazine Women's Half-Marathon, celebrating its 10th Anniversary. But if you didn't register in time, no worries. There are plenty of other great runs being held this spring. Here are six that take you to interesting places in Brooklyn, Queens and Staten Island.
Five-day manhunt ends
Like being caught in a strange nightmare where everything seems surreal - the world watched transfixed as events unfolded in Watertown, Mass. - culminating Friday night with the capture of Dzhokar Tsarnaev. As details now unfold about what turned two brothers into international terrorists, we will once again look at the madness in the human condition and where it is all going.
After a five-day nightmare filled with tragedy and grief, fear and anxiety, one suspect in the Boston Marathon bombings is in custody. The other, his older brother, is dead. And residents across Massachusetts are cheering the efforts of law enforcement officers who ended a week of hell. Suspect Dzhokar Tsarnaev is hospitalized in serious condition
As news emerged that the teenaged suspect was being treated in hospital, US President Barack Obama promised to seek answers on what had motivated the bombers and whether they had help.
