ScienceDaily: Natural Disaster News

Seismic gap outside of Istanbul: Is this where the expected Marmara earthquake will originate from?

Tue, 18 Jun 2013 11:37:37 EDT

Earthquake researchers have now identified a 30 kilometers long and ten kilometers deep area along the North Anatolian fault zone just south of Istanbul that could be the starting point for a strong earthquake. The group of seismologists say that this potential earthquake source is only 15 to 20 kilometers from the historic city center of Istanbul.

New 'embryonic' subduction zone found

Mon, 17 Jun 2013 10:46:46 EDT

A new subduction zone forming off the coast of Portugal heralds the beginning of a cycle that will see the Atlantic Ocean close as continental Europe moves closer to America.

When will the next megathrust hit the west coast of North America?

Wed, 12 Jun 2013 13:31:31 EDT

A new study presents our first glimpse back in geologic time of the recurrence interval of large and megathrust earthquakes impacting the vulnerable BC outer coastline.

Amazon forest fire risk to increase in 2013

Fri, 07 Jun 2013 15:39:39 EDT

University and NASA researchers predict that the severity of the 2013 fire season will be considerably higher than in 2011 and 2012 for many Amazon forests in the Southern Hemisphere. The outlook is based on a fire severity model that produced a successful first forecast in 2012.

Earthquake acoustics can indicate if a massive tsunami is imminent

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 15:51:51 EDT

Scientists have identified key acoustic characteristics of the 2011 Japan earthquake that indicated it would cause a large tsunami. The technique could be applied worldwide to create an early warning system for massive tsunamis.

'Caldas tear' resolves puzzling seismic activity beneath Colombia

Thu, 06 Jun 2013 10:17:17 EDT

Colombia sits atop a complex geological area where three tectonic plates are interacting, producing seismicity patterns that have puzzled seismologists for years. Now seismologists have identified the "Caldas tear," which is a break in a slab that separates two subducting plates and accounts for curious features, including a "nest" of seismic activity beneath east-central Colombia and high grade mineral deposits on the surface.

Irish chronicles reveal links between cold weather and volcanic eruptions

Wed, 05 Jun 2013 23:08:08 EDT

Medieval chronicles have given researchers a glimpse into the past to assess how historical volcanic eruptions affected the weather in Ireland up to 1500 years ago. Researchers have successfully linked the climatic aftermath of volcanic eruptions to extreme cold weather events in Ireland over a 1200-year period from 431 to 1649.

New explanation for slow earthquakes on San Andreas

Mon, 03 Jun 2013 14:23:23 EDT

New Zealand's geologic hazards agency reported this week an ongoing, "silent" earthquake that began in January is still going strong. Though it is releasing the energy equivalent of a 7.0 earthquake, New Zealanders can't feel it because its energy is being released over a long period of time, therefore slow, rather than a few short seconds.

Two volcanoes erupting in Alaska: Scientists are monitoring and providing alerts on Pavlof and Cleveland volcanoes

Fri, 24 May 2013 18:02:02 EDT

Two of Alaska's most active volcanoes -- Pavlof and Cleveland -- are currently erupting. At the time of this post, their activity continues at low levels, but energetic explosions could occur without warning. Located close to the western end of the Alaska Peninsula, Pavlof is one of the most active volcanoes in the Aleutian arc, having erupted more than 40 times since the late 1700's.

Volcanoes cause climate gas concentrations to vary

Wed, 22 May 2013 08:53:53 EDT

Trace gases and aerosols are major factors influencing the climate. With the help of highly complex installations, such as MIPAS on board of the ENVISAT satellite, researchers try to better understand the processes in the upper atmosphere. Now, scientists have completed a comprehensive overview of sulfur dioxide measurements.

Slow earthquakes: It's all in the rock mechanics

Mon, 20 May 2013 11:40:40 EDT

Earthquakes that last minutes rather than seconds are a relatively recent discovery, according to an international team of seismologists. Researchers have been aware of these slow earthquakes, only for the past five to 10 years because of new tools and new observations, but these tools may explain the triggering of some normal earthquakes and could help in earthquake prediction.

GPS solution provides three-minute tsunami alerts

Fri, 17 May 2013 08:58:58 EDT

Researchers have shown that, by using global positioning systems (GPS) to measure ground deformation caused by a large underwater earthquake, they can provide accurate warning of the resulting tsunami in just a few minutes after the earthquake onset. For the devastating Japan 2011 event the analysis of the GPS data and issue of a detailed tsunami alert would have taken no more than three minutes.

How should geophysics contribute to disaster planning?

Thu, 16 May 2013 18:20:20 EDT

Earthquakes, tsunamis, and other natural disasters often showcase the worst in human suffering – especially when those disasters strike populations who live in rapidly growing communities in the developing world with poorly enforced or non-existent building codes. Scientists now illustrate how nearly identical natural disasters can play out very differently depending on where they strike.

Research helps paint finer picture of massive 1700 earthquake

Tue, 14 May 2013 19:06:06 EDT

In 1700, a massive earthquake struck the west coast of North America, but a lack of local documentation has made studying this historic event challenging. Now, researchers have helped unlock this geological mystery using a fossil-based technique. Their work provides a finer-grained portrait of this earthquake and the changes in coastal land level it produced, enabling modelers to better prepare for future events.

Satellites see double jeopardy for Southern California fire season

Mon, 13 May 2013 17:45:45 EDT

New insights into two factors that are creating a potentially volatile Southern California wildfire season come from an ongoing project using NASA and Indian satellite data by scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory, Pasadena, Calif.; and Chapman University, Orange, Calif.

Using earthquake sensors to track endangered whales

Mon, 13 May 2013 15:24:24 EDT

Oceanographers used data from seafloor seismometers to analyze more than 300,000 fin-whale calls. By triangulating the position they created more than 150 tracks off the Pacific Northwest coast.

Western Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami hazard potential greater than previously thought

Mon, 13 May 2013 10:37:37 EDT

Earthquakes similar in magnitude to the 2004 Sumatra earthquake could occur in an area beneath the Arabian Sea at the Makran subduction zone, according to recent research.

Improving communication during disasters

Mon, 13 May 2013 08:30:30 EDT

A small armband which can be attached to the injured. An information board containing a complete visual record of events. This is technology helping to improve communications during major national disasters.

Landsat thermal sensor lights up from volcano's heat

Mon, 06 May 2013 18:17:17 EDT

As the Landsat Data Continuity Mission satellite flew over Indonesia's Flores Sea April 29, it captured an image of Paluweh volcano spewing ash into the air. The satellite's Operational Land Imager detected the white cloud of smoke and ash drifting northwest, over the green forests of the island and the blue waters of the tropical sea. The Thermal Infrared Sensor on LDCM picked up even more.

Hearing the Russian meteor, in America: Sound arrived in 10 hours, lasted 10 more

Fri, 03 May 2013 10:50:50 EDT

How powerful was February's meteor that crashed into Russia? Strong enough that its explosive entry into our atmosphere was detected almost 6,000 miles away in Lilburn, Ga., by infrasound sensors -- a full 10 hours after the meteor's explosion. A researcher has modified the signals and made them audible, allowing audiences to "hear" what the meteor's waves sounded like as they moved around the globe on February 15.

Scientists retrieve temperature data from Japan Trench observatory

Wed, 01 May 2013 10:13:13 EDT

With the successful retrieval of a string of instruments from deep beneath the seafloor, an international team of scientists has completed an unprecedented series of operations to obtain crucial temperature measurements of the fault that caused the devastating Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011.

Finding a sensible balance for natural hazard mitigation with mathematical models

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 15:16:16 EDT

Uncertainty issues are paramount in assessing risks posed by natural hazards and in developing strategies to alleviate their consequences. A new model estimates the balance between costs and benefits of mitigation following natural disasters, as well as rebuilding defenses in their aftermath.

Canada's distinctive tuya volcanoes reveal glacial, palaeo-climate secrets

Tue, 30 Apr 2013 13:14:14 EDT

Deposits left by the eruption of a subglacial volcano, or tuya, 1.8 million years ago could hold the secret to more accurate palaeo-glacial and climate models, according to new research. The detailed mapping and sampling of the partially eroded Kima' Kho tuya in northern British Columbia, Canada, shows that the ancient regional ice sheet through which the volcano erupted was twice as thick as previously estimated.

No Redoubt: Volcanic eruption forecasting improved

Mon, 29 Apr 2013 13:37:37 EDT

Forecasting volcanic eruptions with success is heavily dependent on recognizing well-established patterns of pre-eruption unrest in the monitoring data. But in order to develop better monitoring procedures, it is also crucial to understand volcanic eruptions that deviate from these patterns. New research retrospectively documented and analyzed the period immediately preceding the 2009 eruption of the Redoubt volcano in Alaska, which was characterized by an abnormally long period of pre-eruption seismic activity that's normally associated with short-term warnings of eruption.

New metric to measure destructive potential of hurricanes

Thu, 25 Apr 2013 09:12:12 EDT

Researchers have developed a new metric to measure seasonal Atlantic tropical cyclone activity that focuses on the size of storms in addition to the duration and intensity, a measure that may prove important when considering a hurricane’s potential for death and destruction. Just ask the survivors of Hurricane Sandy.

Wildfires can burn hot without ruining soil

Tue, 23 Apr 2013 13:57:57 EDT

When scientists torched an entire 22-acre watershed in Portugal in a recent experiment, their research yielded a counterintuitive result: Large, hot fires do not necessarily beget hot, scorched soil.

Calculating tsunami risk for the US East Coast

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 16:07:07 EDT

The greatest threat of a tsunami for the US East Coast from a nearby offshore earthquake stretches from the coast of New England to New Jersey, according to researchers.

After major earthquake: A global murmur, then unusual silence

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:26:26 EDT

In the global aftershock zone that followed the major April 2012 Indian Ocean earthquake, seismologists noticed an unusual pattern -- period of quiet, without a large quake. Why did this period of quiet occur?

Measuring the hazards of global aftershock

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 13:26:26 EDT

The entire world becomes an aftershock zone after a massive magnitude (M) 7 or larger earthquake -- but what hazard does this pose around the planet?

Mine disaster: Hundreds of aftershocks

Fri, 19 Apr 2013 10:51:51 EDT

A new study has identified hundreds of previously unrecognized small aftershocks that happened after Utah's deadly Crandall Canyon mine collapse in 2007. The aftershocks suggest the collapse was as big -- and perhaps bigger -- than shown in another study by the university in 2008.

Superstorm Sandy shook the U.S., literally

Thu, 18 Apr 2013 21:39:39 EDT

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, researchers found.

Helping to forecast earthquakes in Salt Lake Valley

Wed, 17 Apr 2013 09:21:21 EDT

Salt Lake Valley, home to the Salt Lake City segment of the Wasatch fault zone and the West Valley fault zone, has been the site of repeated surface-faulting earthquakes (of about magnitude 6.5 to 7).

Research aims to settle debate over origin of Yellowstone volcano

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 15:14:14 EDT

A debate among scientists about the geologic formation of the supervolcano encompassing the region around Yellowstone National Park has taken a major step forward, thanks to new evidence.

The Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant accident: Two years on, the fallout continues

Mon, 15 Apr 2013 09:48:48 EDT

More than two years after the earthquake and tsunami that devastated parts of Japan, scientists are still trying to quantify the extent of the damage.

Scientists use islands to gauge rainfall's effect on landscapes

Wed, 10 Apr 2013 15:49:49 EDT

Researchers have used volcanic islands to measure how rainfall sets the pace of landscape formation.

The resilience of the Chilean coast after the earthquake of 2010

Fri, 05 Apr 2013 06:44:44 EDT

In February 2010, a violent earthquake struck Chile, causing a tsunami 10 m in height. Affecting millions of people, the earthquake and giant wave also transformed the appearance of the coastline: the dunes and sandbars were flattened, and the coast subsided in places by up to 1 m. But although the inhabitants are still affected for the long term, the shore system quickly rebuilt itself.

Rocky mountains originated from previously unknown oceanic plate

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 14:14:14 EDT

The mountain ranges of the North American Cordillera are made up of dozens of distinct crustal blocks. A new study clarifies their mode of origin and identifies a previously unknown oceanic plate that contributed to their assembly. Geologists were able to locate the remnants of several deep-sea trenches that mark subduction sites at which oceanic plates plunge at a steep angle into the mantle and are drawn almost vertically into its depths.

Earth is 'lazy' when forming faults like those near San Andreas

Wed, 03 Apr 2013 10:42:42 EDT

Some geoscientists have taken an uncommon, “Earth is lazy” approach to modeling fault development in the crust and it is providing new insights into how faults grow. In particular, this group is studying irregularities along strike-slip faults, the active zones where plates slip past each other such as at the San Andreas Fault of southern California.

Seismic hazards: Seismic simulation code speeds up

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 14:45:45 EDT

Scientists have developed a highly scalable computer code that promises to dramatically cut both research times and energy costs in simulating seismic hazards throughout California and elsewhere.

Second source of potentially disruptive Icelandic volcanoes found

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 12:45:45 EDT

New research has discovered another type of Icelandic volcanic eruption that could cause disruption. The team found magma that is twice as 'fizzy' as previously believed, which increases the likelihood of disruptive ash clouds from future eruptions.

NASA sends unmanned aircraft to study volcanic plume

Tue, 02 Apr 2013 10:14:14 EDT

Studying volcanos can be hazardous work, both for researchers and aircraft. To penetrate such dangerous airspace, unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), especially those with electric engines that ingest little contaminated air, are an emerging and effective way to gather crucial data about volcanic ash and gases.

Scientists image deep magma beneath Pacific seafloor volcano

Wed, 27 Mar 2013 14:41:41 EDT

Since the plate tectonics revolution of the 1960s, scientists have known that new seafloor is created throughout the major ocean basins at linear chains of volcanoes known as mid-ocean ridges. But where exactly does the erupted magma come from? Researchers now have a better idea after capturing a unique image of a site deep in the earth where magma is generated.

2011 Oklahoma temblor: Wastewater injection spurred biggest earthquake yet, study says

Tue, 26 Mar 2013 15:11:11 EDT

A new study is the latest to tie a string of unusual earthquakes, in this case, in central Oklahoma, to injection of wastewater underground. Researchers now say that the magnitude 5.7 earthquake near Prague, Okla., on Nov. 6, 2011, may also be the largest ever linked to wastewater injection. Felt more than 800 miles away, the quake -- the biggest ever recorded in Oklahoma -- destroyed 14 homes, buckled a highway and left two people injured. Earthquakes continue to be recorded in the area.

Can intraplate earthquakes produce stronger shaking than at plate boundaries?

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:52:52 EDT

New information about the extent of the 1872 Owens Valley earthquake rupture, which occurs in an area with many small and discontinuous faults, may support a hypothesis that these types of quakes could produce stronger ground shaking than plate boundary earthquakes underlain by oceanic crust, like many of those taking place along the San Andreas fault.

Roman mausoleum tested for ancient earthquake damage

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 15:52:52 EDT

A Roman mausoleum was knocked off-kilter, and the likely cause was an earthquake, according to a new detailed model.

Scientists discover 'lubricant' for Earth's tectonic plates: Hidden magma layer could play role in earthquakes

Wed, 20 Mar 2013 14:27:27 EDT

Scientists have found a layer of liquefied molten rock in Earth's mantle that may be acting as a lubricant for the sliding motions of the planet's massive tectonic plates. The discovery may carry far-reaching implications, from solving basic geological functions of the planet to a better understanding of volcanism and earthquakes.

Slabs of ancient tectonic plate still lodged under California

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 18:04:04 EDT

The Isabella anomaly -- the seismic signal of a large mass of cool, dehydrated material about 100 kilometers beneath central California -- is in fact a surviving slab of the Farallon oceanic plate, according to new research. Most of the Farallon plate was driven deep into the Earth's mantle as the Pacific and North American plates began converging around 100 million years, eventually coming together to form the San Andreas fault.

Ten times more hurricane surges in future, new research predicts

Mon, 18 Mar 2013 15:15:15 EDT

How much worse will the frequency of extreme storm surges get as temperatures rise in the future? How many extreme storm surges like that from Hurricane Katrina, which hit the U.S. coast in 2005, will there be as a result of global warming? New research shows that there will be a tenfold increase in frequency if the climate becomes two degrees Celsius warmer.

Fukushima, two years later

Mon, 11 Mar 2013 12:37:37 EDT

Two years have passed since the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear disaster, which followed the Tohoku earthquake and tsunami on March 11, 2011. One of the world’s foremost experts on the consequences of Fukushima as well as 1986’s Chernobyl disaster is biologist Tim Mousseau of the University of South Carolina’s College of Arts and Sciences.

Sea floor earthquake zones can act like a 'magnifying lens' strengthening tsunamis beyond what was through possible

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:48:48 EST

Until now, it was largely believed that the maximum tsunami height onshore could not exceed the depth of the seafloor. But new research shows that when focusing occurs, that scaling relationship breaks down and flooding can be up to 50 percent deeper with waves that do not lose height as they get closer to shore.

Waves generated by Russian meteor recorded crossing the US

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:45:45 EST

A network of seismographic stations recorded spectacular signals from the blast waves of the meteor that landed near Chelyabinsk, Russia, as the waves crossed the United States.

Changes in heart attack timing continue years after Hurricane Katrina

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:44:44 EST

The upheaval caused by Hurricane Katrina seems to have disrupted the usual timing of heart attacks, shifting peak frequency from weekday mornings to weekend nights, in a change in pattern that persisted a full five years after the storm, according to new research.

Higher heart attack rates continue 6 years after Katrina

Thu, 07 Mar 2013 12:42:42 EST

New Orleans residents continue to face a three-fold increased risk of heart attack post-Katrina -- a trend that has remained unchanged since the storm hit in 2005, according to new research.

Living through a tornado does not shake optimism

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 12:30:30 EST

Even in the face of a disaster, we remain optimistic about our chances of injury compared to others, according to a new study. Residents of a town struck by a tornado thought their risk of injury from a future tornado was lower than that of peers, both a month and a year after the destructive twister. Such optimism could undermine efforts toward emergency preparedness.

Study surveys impact of Leap Day Harrisburg, Illinois tornado

Fri, 01 Mar 2013 08:57:57 EST

On Leap Day last year, the largest natural disaster in Illinois in 2012 devastated a small town in Southern Illinois. Since the Feb. 29 EF-4 level tornado that tore through Harrisburg one year ago—hitting the ground with a force of 175-180 miles per hour and leaving eight people dead, injuring many others and destroying more than 250 homes.

Earthquakes in small laboratory samples

Thu, 21 Feb 2013 08:47:47 EST

Mechanical failure of materials is a complex phenomenon underlying many accidents and natural disasters ranging from the fracture of small devices to earthquakes. Despite the vast separation of spatial, temporal, energy, and strain-rate scales, and the differences in geometry, it has been proposed that laboratory experiments on brittle fracture in heterogeneous materials can be a model for earthquake occurrence.

Russian fireball largest ever detected by Comprehensive Nuclear‑Test‑Ban Treaty Organization's infrasound sensors

Tue, 19 Feb 2013 12:12:12 EST

Infrasonic waves from the meteor that broke up over Russia's Ural mountains last week were the largest ever recorded by the Comprehensive Nuclear‑Test‑Ban Treaty Organization's International Monitoring System. Infrasound is low frequency sound with a range of less than 10 Hz. The blast was detected by 17 infrasound stations in the CTBTO's network, which tracks atomic blasts across the planet. The furthest station to record the sub-audible sound was 15,000km away in Antarctica.

Preparing for climate change-induced weather disasters

Sun, 17 Feb 2013 08:43:43 EST

The news sounds grim: Mounting scientific evidence indicates climate change will lead to more frequent and intense extreme weather that affects larger areas and lasts longer. However, we can reduce the risk of weather-related disasters with a variety of measures, according to scientists.

New owl species discovered in Indonesia is unique to one island

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 17:31:31 EST

A new owl is the first endemic bird species discovered on the island of Lombok, Indonesia, according to new research.

Flood research shows human habits die hard: Few make plans to cut vulnerability

Wed, 13 Feb 2013 11:47:47 EST

New research has come up with ways to quickly assess flood damage to houses while also showing most people didn't intend to make changes to reduce their vulnerability after the devastating 2010-11 floods in Australia.