The Earthquake Museum - Recent Quakes

10/23/2011 Turkey Quake

2011-10-24T19:24:00.001-07:00

Updated 11/9/2011

Eastern Turkey was hit with a 7.2 M earthquake at 10:41 UTC (1:41 PM local time) 10/23/11. The Epicenter was 577 miles east of Ankara, 500 miles northwest of Tehran, Iran and approximately 150 miles north of Mosul, Iraq. 600 people have been reported dead, over 1300 were injured, with many still missing. 2000 buildings collapsed in the quake. Another 3700 have been declared unfit for habitation. People are scared to return to their homes, for fear of the many aftershocks. There have been 1400 aftershocks with several of them greater than 5.5 M, strong enough to cause substantial damage. Temperatures are near freezing in the area and are expected to remain cold as winter sets in. An aftershock on October 25, caused panic and a riot in the Van prison as prisoners reacted to being kept indoors. A 5.7M aftershock on November 11 caused two hotels and 21 other buildings to collapse, killing 3 and injuring 100 people.

1,000 building were destroyed, including a part of a hospital in the city of Ecris, with a population of 75,000 on the shore of Lake Van, near the epicenter. Patients were being treated in the hospital's garden. Power and natural gas were knocked out for a couple of days in the city. Rescue teams arrived the day after the quake and have been hard at work digging victims from the rubble. 80 buildings collapsed in Ecris, most of them apartments buildings. Some help arrived from neighboring countries. Turkey initially said that they were capable of responding on their own but after a couple of days they decided to accept international aid.

In this area the Arabian Plate is pushing northward into the Eurasian Plate, raising the Caucasus mountains to the north. It is causing stress in the surrounding crust as it is squeezed between these two plates and the Anatolian Plate, which is itself being squeezed between the African and Eurasian Plates. There have been many earthquakes in this area, including the 1999 Izmet quake 600 miles to the west of this one. 17,000 people were killed in that quake. The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake.

See also the following news stories:

*279 reported dead in Turkey earthquake; 1300 more hurt (CNN 10/24/11)
*Turkey earthquake, survivors outdoors on freezing night(BBC 10/24/11)
*Death toll rises in Turkey quake (Voice of America 10/24/11)
*Turkish Earthquake: Aftershock 'sparks jail riot'
*Earthquake hits eastern Turkey (Aljazeera 11/10/11)

9/18/2011 Sikkim, India Quake

2011-09-18T11:39:00.000-07:00

Updated 9/30/2011

Sikkim, in Northeastern India, was hit with a 6.9 M earthquake at 12:40 UTC (6:10 PM local time. The Epicenter was 169 miles east of Kathmandu, Nepal and approximately 500 miles east of New Delhi, India. It was felt in Kathmandu, New Delhi, Bhutan, Tibet and Bangladesh. Parliament in Nepal interrupted their session due to the quake. The quake sent people running out of buildings throughout the region, as far away as New Delhi. Buildings in Sikkim and Nepal collapsed, including a wall of the British Embassy in Kathmandu, which killed 3 people. 108 were killed and 10,000 buildings collapsed throughout the region affected. Gangtok, the capital of Sikkim state, with a population of 50,000 was hard hit. Power was out in Sikkim and the neighboring state of West Bengal, including the city of Darjeeling. Many areas were cut off by landslides in this remote, mountainous area of the Himalayas.

This quake is a result of the collision between the Indian Plate, which is moving north into the Eurasian Plate (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) This collision is crumpling the crust, raising the Himalayan Range. This quake is apparently took place as a result of stresses within one of the two plates. The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake.

See also the following news stories:

* Strong Quake Hit Northeastern India: 9 dead(USA Today 9/18/11))
*Several Killed as Earthquake Hits India, Nepal(BBC 9/18/11)
*NE experiences strongest earthquake in 20 years (Hindustan Times 9/19/11)
*Quake Rescue Teams Scour Bhutan (BBC 9/22/11)

8/23/2011 Virginia Earthquake

2011-08-23T13:51:00.000-07:00

Updated 8/25/2011

A 5.8M earthquake was felt in eastern Virgina, 40 miles from Richmond and 88 miles from Washington DC, on 8/23/2011 at 17:51 GMT (1:51 PM local time). The quake was felt over a wide area of the East Coast of the United States, as is typical of quakes in that region. It was one of the largest recorded quakes in that region. Because quakes are rare, there was a bigger reaction than there might have been to the same quake in another area. The energy released by the Japanese 9.0M quake was 60,000 times that released in this quake. There were aftershocks measuring M4.2 and M4.5 in the two days following the quake.

Many buildings were evacuated, including the White House, the Capitol and New York skyscrapers. Some cell phone service was disrupted and some public infrastructure, including the Holland tunnel,transit systems and airplanes were closed or delayed as a precautionary measure while they were checked for damage. It was felt as far away as Detroit. There have been no reports of deaths, although there were some injuries and some buildings sustained damage near the epicenter. Among the worst damaged buildings was the National Cathedral in Washington, DC, which had some of its pinnacles and statues broken. There was a crack in the Washington Monument. Bricks fell from some buildings and items were knocked off of store shelves.

This quake was typical of east coast quakes in that it was felt over a much wider area than a similar quake elsewhere. Earthquakes in this area are shallow and magnitudes are typically no greater than this one but the crust is denser than in the western US, so it propagates the earthquake waves better, over as much as 10 times the area as the same magnitude quake in the west. Earthquakes usually occur on the boundaries of tectonic plates that make up the Earth's crust. This area is not near a plate boundary. However, 300 - 500 million years ago, the plates were different than they are now. Faults in this area are not well understood but may be boundaries of ancient plates that have since been joined into the North American Plate. Eastern US faults are buried under newer geological formations and in places were covered by glacial till after the Ice Ages, making them difficult to study. The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake. See also the US Geological Survey (USGS) summary of one of the aftershocks for a discussion of this issue.

See also the following news stories:

* US earthquake leads to evacuation of White House(The Guardian 8/23/11))
* Aftershock rattles US east coast(BBC 8/25/11))
* Why Virginia Quake Shook Entire Coast(Live Science.com 8/23/11))

5/11/2011 Lorca, Spain Quake

2011-05-11T18:19:00.000-07:00

Updated 5/15/2011

Southeastern Spain felt two earthquakes near the town of Lorca, 30 miles SW of Murcia. The larger one,at 5.1M caused the most damage hit at 16:47 UTC (6:47 pm local time). There was a foreshock of 4.5M. The 2nd, and larger, one was 5.1M. Several buildings in downtown Lorca were severely damaged and the streets were covered in bricks from the damaged buildings. Dozens were injured, thousands were afraid to sleep in their homes for fear of aftershocks and nine people were killed.

Lorca is a city of 90,000 in the Murcia district of southeastern Spain in Murcia Province. Murcia Province constitutes one of Spain's Autonomous Communities, a level of government that reflects Spain's various historically and culturally different regions and nationalities. Murcia Province has 1.4 million people, 500,000 of whom live in the city of Murcia, 30 miles from the quake. There are no reports of damage very far outside of Lorca. However the quake was felt as far away as Madrid, 218 miles away. A 5.1M quake is capable of significant damage near the epicenter but we would not expect to see much damage at any distance. The buildings damaged appear to have been mostly historic structures dating back to the 17th century, build without knowledge of how to protect against earthquakes. Quakes this large do occur in this area from time to time but not very frequently. A quake in 1956 killed 12 people.

This quake is a result of the motions of the African and Eurasian Plates in this vicinity. The boundary between the plates runs through the Strait of Gibraltar and extends into the Mediterranean Sea. Earthquakes in this area are shallow and magnitudes are typically no greater than this one. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake.

See also the following news stories:

* Lethal Double Quake Hits Spanish Town(Sky News 5/11/11))
*Spain: Earthquake rocks Lorca, Murcia, killing 10 (BBC 5/12/11) Includes dramatic film of a church belfry falling during the quake.
* Spain quake kills 10, topples buildings (AFP 5/12/11)
* Two Earthquakes Rock Southeastern Spain (New York Times 5/11/11)

3/24/11 Burma Earthquake

2011-03-24T13:55:00.000-07:00

Updated 3/27/2011

Northern Burma was hit by a 7.0M earthquake Thursday, March 24, 2011 at 13:55 UTC (8:25 pm local time). 74 people were reported killed and 111 injured. 413 buildings were damaged and one bridge destroyed. The epicenter was 365 miles NE of Rangoon in the remote northern part of the country near the border of Laos, Thailand and China. The quake was felt as far away as Hanoi and Bangkok.

This quake follows a 5.4M quake just across the border in southern Yunaan Province in China that caused extensive damage. Initial reports were that 24 people were killed, 207 injured and over 1,000 buildings damaged in that quake.

The quake was caused by the movement of the Indian Plate NNE into the Eurasian Plate at the rate of 45mm(1.77 inches)/yr. This is the collision that has made the Himalayas the tallest mountains on earth. Burma is on the eastern edge of this zone. It is subject to earthquakes as India slides past. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake.

See also the following news stories:

* Death toll of Myanmar's earthquake rises to 74, 111 people injured (Xinhua 3/26/11))
* Burma earthquake hits faded drug area (Christian Science Monitor 3/24/11)

3/11/2011 Sendai, Japan Earthquake

2011-03-11T05:46:00.000-08:00

Updated 5/14/11
The east coast of Japan was hit by a 9.0 Magnitude earthquake on March 11,2011 at 05:46UTC (2:46 pm local time), that caused major damage in the northeastern part of the country. Severe shaking lasted over 2 1/2 minutes. The epicenter was undersea off the coast of Honshu, Japan's largest island, 230 miles northeast of Tokyo, 80 miles from the city of Sendai, which sustained the worst damage. Sendai is the largest city in the area, with over 1 million people. The northeastern prefectures of Miyagi, Iwate and Fukushima were the worst hit. Over 300 bodies were found along the coast in that city alone immediately after the tsunami. The final number killed is estimated at about 25,000. As of May 13, 2011 the official toll is 15,019 dead, 9056 missing two months after the quake,5,282 injured,88,873 houses damaged. 440,000 people were evacuated. Two months later 100,000 were still in shelters. Damage from the quake is expected to reach $230 billion. The Japanese economy will suffer from the disaster, but as reconstruction efforts, which could last 5 years, get underway it should provide a stimulus.

Strong shaking and some damage in Tokyo was dwarfed by the damage further north. Initial relief assistance was provided by the military. A Japanese relief team that had been helping after the quake in New Zealand was called home. International teams are offering their help in rescue efforts. The US military has many bases in Japan and has mobilized resources to help. Much of the initial rescue work was done with helicopters, since many roads were impassable and many areas were submerged in seas of mud and standing water left from the tsunami. Temperatures were near or below freezing at night in the days after the quake, with many left homeless. Then it got colder and started snowing. It took days for rescue crews to reach some areas. 380,000 were living in shelters in school gymnasiums with little heat due to fuel and electricity shortages and short rations food. People remained generally calm even under very difficult circumstances. It was difficult to get supplies into these areas and the government is overwhelmed. People are being urged to leave the northeast and go to other parts of Japan but with transportation systems inoperable and little available fuel, it is unclear how large numbers can be evacuated.

According to the USGS list of the largest earthquakes, this was the 4th largest earthquake in the world since 1900. A tsunami was generated that flooded coastal areas of Japan and caused tsunami warnings throughout the Pacific. Damage from the tsunami was extensive with 30 foot waves reaching sometimes as far as 6 miles inland. There was little warning, 15 to 30 minutes, for the areas nearest the epicenter. Many of the dead and missing are believed to be from the tsunami. News cameras show a wall of water, churning with mud and debris advancing inexorably over the land, swallowing everything in its path. Fishing boats, cars, lumber, even whole houses are caught up and carried along. Once caught in the fierce currents, it is almost impossible to escape. A giant whirlpool was filmed off the coast, that dwarfed a boat caught in it. Afterwards all that was left was mud, standing water and debris that is hardly recognizable as having been a city.

Although the destruction in the quake area is very bad, it will not rival the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami for destructiveness. In that case, there were large populations living on the coast of the Indian Ocean, all of which were in range of the destructive tsunami waves. Tsunami warnings were sent throughout the Pacific and people in the Philippines, Indonesia and as far away as the west coast of the United States were evacuated from coastal areas. The tsunami waves in Hawaii were about 6 feet and caused some damage but no injuries. There was damage to boats in marinas in Santa Cruz and Crescent City, California and Seaside Oregon. One man in Crescent City was swept out to sea while he was photographing the waves at a beach during the second tsunami surge two hours after the first one hit. Crescent City was also hit hard, with 11 people killed, by the 1964 tsunami after the Anchorage, Alaska quake.

The Japanese transportation system was brought to a halt with buses and trains unable to operate. Four trains in the northeast are unaccounted for, with fears that they were swept away by the tsunami. A ship with 100 passengers was reported missing. Power was knocked out over large areas. Over 1 million people are without drinking water. Store shelves are bare as people bought what they could get and suppliers are unable to deliver more. Roads became impassable with large cracks from the quake or clogged with traffic as hundreds of thousands tried to leave the affected area. The government advised people to stay where after the quake they were if they were in a safe place. Large numbers of people were stranded in Tokyo and other cities unable to get home. many slept in shelters. Oil refineries caught fire, as were parts of the hardest hit cities. Under these circumstances, there is little that firefighters can do. Large areas of the city of Kesennuma, a city of 74,000 were burning. One third of that city was submerged. Iwate, with 23,000 people was largely destroyed. Whole villages have been reportedly washed away. Millions of people lost power and 4 days later 850,000 were still without electricity and 1.5 million still had no water.

Earthquakes are common in Japan, although this is the strongest one in recorded history there. Buildings are designed to sway, rather than collapse, with building codes reflecting the latest anti-quake techniques. The results of these efforts could be seen in Tokyo, where most buildings rode out the strong shaking without structural damage. An earthquake warning system gave a few precious seconds warning to many before the quake struck, allowing people to take cover. Two days after the quake, transportation was moving again in Tokyo and life was returning to normal. It will be a long time before the same can be said of the north.

Despite the severity of the quake, most of the deaths were from the tsunami. Building codes designed to protect against earthquakes worked very well despite the unprecedented size of this one. Many less powerful earthquakes have killed many times the number that died in this one because buildings were not built to resist them.

The scale of destruction from the tsunami was tremendous. The areas it hit were covered with mud and the debris of the cities that were inundated. One estimate said that the disaster produced a century worth of garbage. The government is struggling to figure out how to dispose of it all. There are many challenges including where to dump it all. New dump sites were established but they are filling up quickly. Nobody seems to be prepared to salvage ships that have been washed up on top of the debris of the cities. The clean up is expected to take years.

Five nuclear reactors at two power plants in Fukushima Prefecturate shut down automatically following the quake but the combination of the quake and tsunami cut off power needed to keep the cooling systems operating and disabled the backup diesel generators, which were located in the basement and flooded in the tsunami. A week after the quake, emergency crews may have a new power line in operation. This may help efforts to cool the stricken reactors. The worst hit plant is the Fukushima Daiichi plant, which has 6 reactors. They have all seen serious damage to their cooling systems. The scope and strength of this quake has strained the ability to recover. In the week following the quake there were hydrogen explosions at these plants and at least 2 fires. 170,000 people in a 12 mile radius around the Fukushima plants were evacuated. Those within 19 miles were advised to stay indoors. The US government advised Americans within 50 miles to leave the area if possible, or remain inside. The government attributes the explosions to hydrogen buildup in the cooling system and denies reports of a core meltdown. However, it has become apparent that parts of the reactor cores did melt. Radiation levels outside the plant are many times the normal background level, limiting the ability of workers to bring the reactors or spent fuel under control. the greatest danger is from spent fuel stored at the plant because it is not contained as well as the reactor core. Despite heroic efforts by plant workers radiation releases continued in the weeks following the quake. In the worst case scenario, there is a danger of a meltdown of fuel in any of these reactors that would release large amounts of radiation, as bad as, or worse than Chernobyl. Iodine tablets were distributed to those nearest the plants as a precaution to ameliorate the effects of larger radiation exposure, should that occur. Iodine taken before exposure can prevent the absorption of radioactive iodine, especially important for children. There has been a run on iodine pills worldwide amid fears of large scale radiation releases, despite government statements saying that this is not necessary for people far away. Workers were flooding the cores and spent fuel with sea water in a last ditch effort to cool it down. This has led to radioactive water leaking both within the plant and escaping into the sea. In all 11 of the 54 nuclear reactors in Japan have been shut down, leading to shortages of electricity, even in area that did not lose power. The accident is causing Japan to re-evaluate its heavy reliance on nuclear power. 30% of Japan's energy comes from nuclear. Power is being slowly restored to cities but smaller towns will have to wait longer. Some companies have curtailed production to conserve power. Foreign countries urged their citizens to leave Japan.

There have been frequent large aftershocks. In the 2 days following the quake there were over 85 quakes greater than 5.0 Magnitude, more than 20 over 6.0 M. After 4 days that number has climbed to over 100. Eyewitnesses reported quakes continuing so frequently that it seemed that they were continuous. These would all be considered large quakes capable of causing damage under any circumstances. The largest was 7.1 M. on March 11. The aftershocks continued, though not as frequently, for weeks. By April 7 there had been 136 aftershocks greater than 5.0 M. On April 7th there was another 7.1M aftershock. Even before the major quake there were foreshocks for a couple of days. On March 9, the same area was hit by a 7.1 M quake. This graphic animation shows the quake and aftershocks. The larger the circle, the larger the quake. It starts a few days before. Note the date and time at the bottom right.

The earthquake was the result of subduction of the Pacific Plate beneath the North American Plate. Japan is extremely prone to earthquakes because it is located at the intersection of four major tectonic plates, the Pacific Plate, The Eurasian Plate, The Phillipine Plate and the North American Plate. Despite its name, the North American Plate actually extends beyond Alaska north of the Pacific and into Siberia. An arm of the plate drops down to include northern Japan, sandwiched between the Pacific and the mainland of Asia, specifically the Russian Far East near Vladivostok, which is on the Eurasian Plate. Subduction quakes occur when plates, pieces of the earth's crust, collide, forcing one beneath the other. This type of quake has the potential to be among the largest earthquakes on earth. Generally, the continental plate will ride up over the oceanic plate in this situation. This earthquake resulted in the Japan's largest island of Honshu moving 8 feet to the east, overriding the floor of the Pacific Ocean. A large subduction quake will sometimes displace enough water when a large section of ocean floor suddenly slips under the over-riding plate to cause a tsunami. The size of the tsunami depends on the conditions at the epicenter and can be hard to predict. The destructiveness also depends on how close to populated areas the quake occurs. In this case there was large coastal populations nearby.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for a maps of the tectonic plates and more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake.

See also the following news stories:

* Nuclear emergency declared at quake-damaged reactor (USA Today 3/11/2011)
* Japan evacuates 50,000 after nuclear power plant explosion (LA Times 3/12/2011)
* Google Resources Page on the Japanese Earthquake and Tsunami
* Quake clean-up continues as death toll grows (ABC Australia 3/18/11)
* Cable reaches Japan nuclear plant (BBC 3/17/2011)
* Pictures (BBC 3/11/2011)
* Japan devastated by 8.9-magnitude quake, tsunami (Washington Post 3/11/2011)
* 10K dead in Japan amid fears of nuclear meltdowns (Seattle Times 3/13/2011)
* Death toll rises, stocks plunge, foreigners flee as nuclear crisis escalates (Washington Post 3/15/2011)
* Factbox: Japan disaster in figure (Reuters 3/15/2011)
* Japan begins quake relief mission (BBC 3/11/2011)
* Japan damage could reach $235 billion, World Bank estimates (LA Times 3/21/2011)
* Strongest aftershock since tsunami rattles northeast Japan; 2 dead, widespread power outages (Washington Post 4/7/2011)
* Japan earthquake: Dealing with mountains of debris (BBC 5/14/2011)
*Listen to Japan's massive quake (The Lookout-A Y News Blog 3/18/2011)
* Sendai Tsunami through Western Eyes (Facebook)

3/10/11 Yunaan, China Quake

2011-03-10T16:38:00.000-08:00

Updated 3/27/2011

At 04:58 UTC(11:58 AM local time) a 5.4M quake in southern Yunaan province in China, near the border with Burma caused extensive damage. It was centered 221 miles NE of Mandalay, Burma, 350 miles north of Rangoon, Burma. 25 people were killed, 250 injured and over 6,000 buildings damaged in that quake. The quake was widely felt throughout Southeast Asia. It is in the same general area as the subsequent March 24, 2011 quake centered in northern Burma.

The quake was caused by the movement of the Indian Plate NNE into the Eurasian Plate at the rate of 45mm(1.77 inches)/yr. This is the collision that has made the Himalayas the tallest mountains on earth. Burma is on the eastern edge of this zone. It is subject to earthquakes as India slides past. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake.

See also the following news stories:

* China earthquake kills 24 and destroys over 1,000 buildings(Christian Science Monitor 3/10/11)

2/21/11 Christchurch New Zealand Quake

2011-02-26T11:24:00.000-08:00

Updated 2/26/2011

The city of Christchurch, New Zealand was hit by a 6.3 M earthquake Monday, February 21, 2011 at 23:51:42 UTC (12:51 pm Tuesday Feb 22, 2011 local time). Damage has been extensive, with 144 confirmed dead and 200 missing and feared dead. As many as 1/3 of the buildings in downtown Christchurch may have to be demolished due to quake damage. The quake struck in the early afternoon when the city was at its busiest. Most of the worst damage was to older brick buildings. Newer construction generally fared better. The worst casualties occured when Christchurch Cathedral, the Pyne Gould Guinness building, and the Canterbury Television (CTV) building collapsed. Among the missing at CTV are a number of students at a school housed in the building. Rescuers have been searching for survivors but now, 5 days after the quake, they are saying that they are unlikely to find any more people alive.

Christchurch is New Zealand's second largest population center with a population of 390,000. The earthquake's epicenter was only 6 miles from the city center and had a shallow focus, only about 3 miles deep. Both of these facts contributed to the large amount of damage, as did the number of older brick building, which cannot withstand large quakes. International rescue teams are aiding in the search for survivors. The city lost power and five days after the quake, 62,000 homes still have no water, while 100,000 have lost their sewer connections. 800 portable toilets hardly seem like enough meet the need and counter the threat of disease. The quake damage casts doubt on the ability of Christchurch to host the Rugby World Cup in September.

According to the USGS, this quake is actually the largest aftershock of the 7.0 M September 3, 2010 Darfield, New Zealand earthquake. The September quake caused remarkably little damage, considering its size. However buildings in Christchurch had still not been repaired when the February quake occurred. The February 21 quake was so much more damaging due to its proximity to the city of Christchurch and a shallower focus. This highlights once again, as in Haiti, the difference location can have in determining the destructiveness of a quake. Since the September earthquake there have been 6 aftershocks in Christchurch with a magnitude over 5.0. Shake maps of the September 2010 andFebruary 2011 quakes show heavy to moderate shaking over a larger area for the September quake, while the February quake had very heavy shaking right in Christcurch.

New Zealand is in a very active earthquake zone. In the 15 years between 1992 and 2007, New Zealand experienced over 30 earthquakes of magnitude 6 or more. This is because the islands of New Zealand are located on the boundary of two tectonic plates. The Pacific Plate is moving towards the Northwest. You can see this movement by looking at earthquake faults on other edges of the Pacific Plate. The San Andreas Fault in California trends towards the northwest as the Pacific Plate slides along the edge of the North American Plate. In Alaska this same northwest motion causes subduction quakes in Alaska. The 1964 Anchorage quake was one result. The arc of the Aleutian archipelago is another. Finally, the Hawaiian Islands describe a line from the northwest to the southeast showing the progress of the Pacific Plate as it has passed over a hot spot that has generated a series of volcanoes that mark its passage. Meanwhile the Australian Plate is moving towards the northeast. This plate subducts beneath the Sunda Plate, which is a small continental plate next to the larger Eurasian Plate to the north and west of New Zealand, causing the devastating Sumatra earthquakes. These two plate motions result in the Pacific Plate subducting beneath the Australian Plate. The recent earthquakes have been shallow, towards the western edge of the subduction zone. As the Pacific Plate is forced under the Australian quake it descends towards the earth's mantle and earthquakes, which occur at the boundary between the plate are deeper and stronger. In the South Island, these occur along the Alpine Fault, which is capable of quakes as strong as anywhere on earth. This fault is responsible for raising the New Zealand Alps, and indeed, the islands of New Zealand. It has not seen a major rupture since 1717 and seismologists give it a high probability of a 8.0 M within the next 40 years. The recent quakes, destructive as they have been, have not relieved the strain on this fault. The destructive effects of such a quake will be mollified because it will be deeper and further to the west, away from the major population centers.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake. The New Zealand Earthquake Information Page is also loaded with information

See also the following news stories:

* Google Search Page - New Zealand Earthquake 2011

* Third of Christchurch buildings 'could face demolition' (BBC 2/26/11)

*New Zealand earthquake toll surges to 145 dead (Montreal Gazette 2/26/11)

*New Zealand – Earthquake Fact Sheet #1, Fiscal Year (FY) 2011 (USAID Reliefweb 2/25/11)

10/25/2010 Metawai, Sumatra Tsunami and Quake

2010-10-25T14:42:00.000-07:00

Updated 10/29/2010

A 7.7M Undersea earthquake triggered a 10 foot tsunami on Monday October 25, 2010 at 2:42 PM UTC (9:42 PM local time). 400 people have been confirmed dead and another 300 missing. It appears unlikely that any of these have survived. A government official said that they most likely had been swept out to sea or buried in the sand. The epicenter of the quake was off the southwest coast of Sumatra, 150 miles west of the city of Benkulu and 175 miles south of Padang. This area is 500 miles from Jakarta. The quake was felt as far away as Singapore. The tsunami was the main cause of the damage and casualties in the Mentawai Islands, a string of islands about 100 miles off the Sumatra Coast. North Pagai Island is 50 miles from the epicenter of the quake and took the brunt of the tsunami. Whole villages were leveled as the tsunami came ashore without warning. Indonesia has been installing tsunami warning systems following the 2004 tsunami that swept across the Indian Ocean killing over 200,000 people, half of them in Indonesia. However this quake was located close to shore and the tsunami arrived within minutes, before people could evacuate. It also appears that a buoy crucial to the warning system was not working at the time.

Aid has been hampered by bad weather and rough seas, which is making it difficult for rescuers to reach all the affected areas. Access is generally by sea in this island chain. Three Indonesian ships loaded with supplies arrived within three days but have had difficulty reaching those in need.

The quake was caused by the Australian plate subducting under the neighboring Sunda Plate to the Northeast. It was only the most recent of a series of quakes along the southwest coast of Sumatra that makes this the most seismically active area in the world. The current series began with the huge Acheh earthquake and tsunami in 2004 and has been working its way down the coast with major quakes every few years in different sections of this fault zone. As one area it builds up pressure on the adjoining areas. Actually this is a continual process since the motivating factor is the pressure of the Australian plate moving towards and forcing its way under the overlying Sunda plate. This will continue to create large quakes as stick and then slip past eachother. An undersea quake can displace enough of the seafloor to cause a tsunami. In general the larger the quake, the larger the tsunami, but there are a lot of factors can affect it. Theses factors are not all that well understood, especially in the immediate aftermath of a quake when the need to know whether to expect a tsunami is the greatest.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake.

See also the following news stories:

* Indonesia tsunami relief slowed by bad weather(BBC 10/29/10)

* Indonesian tsunami zone welcomes aid shipments (BBC 10/28/10)

* In Pictures: Indonesian Tsunami (BBC 10/27/10)

*Animated Guide - Tsunamis(BBC 9/8/08)

4/13/10 Quinghai, China Quake

2010-04-16T19:25:00.000-07:00

Updated 04/16/2010

The 6.9 Magnitude earthquake shook Yushu in southern Quinghai province in western China on Tuesday, April 13, 2010 at 23:49:38 UTC, 7:49 AM local time. This area is near Tibet, 1200 miles SW of Bejing. 1,144 people have been confirmed dead with 11,474 injured. Many building were completely destroyed. Residents are either afraid to spend the night in their homes, or have no homes left to return to. 15,000 houses were destroyed. Three days after the quake, tents and other aid is being distributed by the Chinese government. There were some complaints that aid was slow to arrive.

One thing that makes the rescue efforts more difficult is the high altitude, over 13,000 feet. Rescue workers from other parts of China are limited by the unaccustomed thin air. Nighttime temperatures have been dropping below freezing, with forecasts of wind and sleet. There is a small airport but it does not have refueling facilities. Planes must carry fuel for the round trip, which limits their cargo capacity.

Yushu is on the Tibetan Plateau and is populated by Tibetans. The 800 year old Taklung monastery was so badly damaged that rescue teams were unable to work there because of the danger from further collapse. The Chinese Premier, Wen Jiabao, visited the site and promised to rebuild the monastery. Monks have been prominent in the rescue effort.

This quake occurred in the interior of the Tibetan Plateau, which is being lifted and pushed to the east by the force of the collision between India and Asia. Over the past few million years, the Indian Subcontinent has been propelled across the Indian Ocean and slammed into southern Asia. The force of this collision has raised the Himalayan mountains along with the Tibetan Plateau behind them. This quake is the result of adjustments within the earth's crust as a result of the pressure of the collision a few hundred miles to the south.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake.

See also the following news stories:

*Chinese rescue effort builds after Quinghai quake (BBC 4/16/10)

*Earthquake survivors in Tibet mourn loss of treasured heritage (Guardian 4/16/10)

*China quake death toll passes 1,000 (BBC 4-16-10)

*In Pictures: China's quake (BBC)

March 8, 2010 Turkey Earthquake

2010-03-09T19:08:00.000-08:00

Updated 03/09/2010

At 02:32 UTC (4:32 AM local time) on March 8, 2010, Eastern Turkey was hit by a 6.1 M earthquake. The epicenter was near Bingol, Turkey, 390 miles east of Ankara. Although the quake was not as strong as others in the news, many houses collapsed and 51 people were killed. The main building material in the area is mud bricks, which do not stand up well to earthquakes. The government pledged to provide safer houses, but despite a long history of earthquakes and previous similar pledges, this area has yet to get any. It is customary for people to keep their livestock on the ground floor of their houses and live upstairs. When houses collapsed, there was also a toll taken on the animals, which provide a significant portion of people's income.

The quake was caused by the stresses resulting from the collision of the Arabian Plate with the Eurasian Plate. In this process much of Turkey, the Anatolian block, is being squeezed off to the west. We see the quakes as a reflection of the plates of Earth's crust being jostled, bumping into each other, rubbing against each other and in the process knocking down buildings and causing so much suffering. Turkey has seen many devastating quakes over the years. In 1999, a quake in a different part of the country showed that even good building don't help if they aren't enforced.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake.

See also the following news stories:

* Strong earthquake hits eastern Turkey(BBC 3/8/10)

*Turkey pledges safer homes after quake(AP 3/8/10)

February 27, 2010 Chile Quake

2010-02-27T06:34:00.000-08:00

Updated 03/10/2010

An 8.8 Magnitude quake shook the central coast of Chile on February 27, 2010 at 06:34 UTC, 3:34 AM local time. The epicenter was 70 miles north of the city of Concepcion, Chile and 200 mile SW of Santiago, Chile. It was followed by many strong aftershocks, as can be expected of such a large quake. In the 5 days following the quake there were over 25 aftershocks between 5.0 and 6.2 Magnitude. The quake triggered a tsunami that caused considerable damage in Chile, washing away fishing villages. People have been nervous that aftershocks might trigger more tsunamis or cause further damage to their homes.

The death toll stands at 800 from the earthquake and tsunami, with rescue efforts continuing. The most damage was in the area around Concepcion, Chile's second largest city, but Santiago and Valpariso, 200 miles to the north also experienced strong shaking and saw many damaged buildings. 1.5 million homes were damaged and as many as 2 million people affected by the quake. There has been considerable looting reported in Concepcion, especially supermarkets, but also other stores. Troops have been sent in to control it and a curfew imposed but some residents are also standing guard on their homes or businesses to protect them. Chile's President, Michelle Bachelet, has asserted that there are no shortages of food or fuel. Emergency vehicles are being given priority for fuel. Many people have simply left the area of greatest damage. The government is distributing emergency aid but many people living in the tent cities that have sprung up in Concepcion have not received any help 4 days after the quake.

The incoming President, Sebastian Pinera, says that he will make reconstruction his main priority, although the cost of $12 - $30 billion will require cutbacks in other areas.

The quake was caused by the subduction of the small Nazca tectonic plate under the South American plate. As the plates slip past each other they move haltingly, alternately sticking and slipping in different areas along the subduction zone. The largest earthquake known, the May 1960 9.5 M quake, was centered about 145 miles south of this quake. An 8.2 M quake hit 185 miles north of this one in 1906. 540 miles north of this quake there was a 8.5M quake in 1922. Different sections of the zone on both sides of this quake released the built up pressure every few decades. The pressure in this area was due to be released in a big quake. In a large subduction quake, a whole section of the subduction zone gives way at once. You can see this by looking at the location of the large aftershocks that followed the main quake. They occurred in a region 400 miles long centered at the epicenter of the main quake.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake.

See also the following news stories:

*Strong aftershocks hit quake-devastated central Chile (BBC 3/3/10)

*Aftermath of Chile Earthquake - Photos (San Francisco Chronicle)

*Chile quake survivor tells of chaos in Concepcion (BBC 3/3/10)

*Sebastian Pinera sees Chile plans jolted by earthquake(BBC 3/10/10)

*Chile's Social Earthquake (Global Alternatives)

*Researchers: Chile earthquake moved South American cities - literally (NY Daily News 3/9/10)

January 12, 2010 Haiti Quake

2010-01-12T21:53:00.000-08:00

Updated 10/1/11

A 7.0 M Earthquake shook Haiti at 21:53 UTC (4:53 PM local time) Tuesday January 12, 2010. The epicenter was about 10 miles from the capital and major city, Port-au-Prince. Several large aftershocks occurred in the hours following the quake with a few continuing into the next couple of days. An additional aftershock a week later frightened the survivors and caused additional damage. The shallow focus (6.2 miles deep) and proximity to a large population center means that this quake affected as many as 3 million people who live in the area of strong shaking. As many as 310,000 people died, according to official sources,300,000 were injured and 1.3 million were left homeless. This quake is the second deadliest in recorded history. Many buildings, including a hospital, schools, the main prison, the cathedral, the Presidential Palace and the UN headquarters collapsed. Following the quake the streets of Port-au-Prince were lined with ruined buildings. The UN estimates that 75% of the city will have to be rebuilt. Most of the dead were buried in mass graves. For the first few days, bodies just piled up at the hospital and throughout the city.

Many government agencies were unable to function due to damage to their facilities and loss of their workers. The airport was back in operation soon, operated by the US, but the port sustained so much damage that it was impossible to unload large ships for over two weeks. The UN is now calling this quake the worst disaster it has dealt with because of the large amount of destruction and the inability of the government to respond. Most governmental functions are centralized in the capital city. Usually in a disaster the government can coordinate getting aid to the affected area. Here, the government was unable to do that because they were also affected by the quake. The UN estimates that it will take decades to rebuild.

Reports from the scene told of general devastation. Huge plumes of dust were hanging in the air. People wandered the streets, many of them bleeding looking for medical help but the hospitals were totally overwhelmed. Bodies were everywhere. There was no organized response. The government was been unable to provide much assistance. People did what they could but it wasn't enough. Aid shipments arrived at the airport but distribution systems were lacking to get food water and medical supplies where they were needed. The airport was quickly overloaded and some planes were diverted to Santo Domingo in the Dominican Republic, 200 miles away. This has led to some international tensions, notably in the case of a Doctors without Borders field hospital from France, which was not allowed to land in Haiti. Many people did not receive any food, water or medical help for days after the quake, leaving them in desperate straits. People are living in the open or in huge tent cities. The Haitian government is encouraging people to leave the city and go back to their hometowns. As many as 500,000 have done that so far. They move in with friends or relatives but there is no work, inadequate housing and insufficient food.

People dug through the rubble with farm equipment, their bare hands and anything they can find to try to save people who have been trapped. After a couple of days, international rescue teams started to arrive and help in the effort. The rescue effort lasted 10 days, until January 22, when the focus shifted to an emphasis on humanitarian aid to the survivors. However, a few people were rescued in the following days.

An international conference is to be convened with the purpose of raising money for relief. US President Obama offered an immediate $100 million, with more to come later, and logistical support. Britain has promised $30 million, Sweden $67 million, France $28 million, South American governments $300 million and many more countries have contributed. The Canadian government is matching donations from Canadians, totaling over $67 million. Private donations amount to probably hundreds of millions of dollars as well, through high profile concerts and telethons and small scale efforts and individual donations to a wide variety of charities working in Haiti. Examples include businesses that donated all their proceeds for a day and stores that put out collection jars. The UN is coordinating aid, which is arriving from around the world. Turkey, which has suffered terrible earthquakes, was one of the many countries that sent rescue workers. There will be an international donors conference in March. Ordinary people from around the world have responded with millions of dollars in donations to a wide variety of aid organizations.

There is a growing international movement to help Haiti by forgiving its international debt. For the 200 years since the revolution that freed it from French colonialism, Haiti has been crippled in its development efforts by the need to repay large debts. First it was to repay France for slaves and other property freed during the revolution, later dictators "Papa Doc" and "Baby Doc" Duvalier borrowed heavily to enrich themselves, leaving the country with the tab. The World Bank and the International Monetary Fund (IMF) not only extended loans for development projects that benefited the foreign companies that built them more than the poor people in Haiti. In addition, they imposed requirements to open trade with no restrictions. Rice farmers, for instance, were unable to compete with the cheap foreign rice that flooded in. As a result, people left their farms and moved to the cities, hoping for any kind of work. Now that they have to return to the countryside, they have lost the ability to feed themselves and are still dependent on foreign food, now in the form of charity, and in very short supply.

The US sent 10,000 armed troops to help and has assumed responsibility for air traffic control into the Port-au-Prince airport and is helping with security. Although people are grateful for the help, the sight of American troops, especially at the Parliament building, has caused some unease. The US has a long history of military intervention in Haiti, including almost 20 years of military occupation in the first half of the 20th Century. Cuba already had 300 doctors working in Haiti, who immediately started helping helping the injured. Cuba sent hundreds more medical personnel, including Haitians who had been in medical school in Cuba, and committed to a long term presence. Aid teams have arrived from around the world. UN peacekeepers already in Haiti were stretched thin but soon they were helping clear roads so supplies could get through. The UN headquarters was destroyed and many of their troops, including the head of mission were killed.

This is the largest quake to hit Haiti in 200 years and it was centered in the most heavily populated part of the country. In the hardest hit areas, most multi-story buildings collapsed. Many children were still in schools that collapsed. Buildings are not built for earthquake safety, hurricanes are a bigger concern. Most buildings are built of bricks or cement blocks, unreinforced. The materials are often produced as cheaply as possible, Haiti is the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, resulting in even weaker buildings, as builders try to keep costs down. The government is very weak and could not enforce building codes even if they had them. Shanty towns where the poorest Haitians live suffered comparatively less damage since the shanties were built of more flexible makeshift materials that rode out the quake better. When they did collapse the lighter weight meant that they caused fewer injuries than heavy cement buildings.

In the aftermath of the quake, up to 3 million people lived in makeshift camps among the rubble of their former homes. Even after aid started to arrive, it was difficult to distribute it to the people who need it most. The country became dependent on outside charities for basic food and water supplies. Existing water supplies were damaged and unfit to drink. The UN is planning to set up tent cities using up to 20,000 large heavy duty tents during the next few months. There is a great concern that there is adequate shelter by the time the rainy season starts in the spring. They expect to be feeding 2-3 million people indefinitely. Medical supplies and personnel have been in short supply ever since the day of the quake. Many people had serious injuries that were not treated for many days. With so many crushing injuries and lack of medicine to prevent infections, over 2,000 amputations were necessary, many of them under primitive conditions. Some patients were transferred to the Dominican Republic but hospitals there also filled to capacity. Some of the worst cases were airlifted to the US, stressing the healthcare systems in Florida. The airlifts were discontinued for a time when concerns over who would pay for the care led to a lack of hospitals that would accept them. Authorities in neighboring countries are concerned about being overwhelmed by refugees and are trying to discourage an exodus by boat.

Update October 30, 2010 - A cholera epidemic has broken out in Haiti, a country that has previously not suffered from that disease. Cholera is of special concern because thousands are still living in shanty towns and refugee camps without adequate sanitation or clean drinking water. Cholera is spread when sewage contaminates food or water supplies. The initial cases were around the Artibonite river in Northwest Haiti but cases have been reported nearer to Port Au Prince, where most of the camps are located. So far, over 300 deaths and 4100 cases have been reported. Aid workers are concerned that the toll could go much higher if the epidemic reaches the capital. It is not clear how the epidemic began because cholera has been rare in Haiti. There was a fear that UN peacekeeping troops from Nepal had brought the disease because cholera is common in that country. However, the UN says that the peacekeepers use sealed septic systems that could not contaminate local water supplies. However, since the quake there have been many people from many parts of the world coming to Haiti to help out who could have unwittingly spread the disease. It is also possible that it has existed in rural areas undetected for many years. Although there have not been diagnosed cases, diarrhea is not uncommon in Haiti. There is always a concern after a disaster that people living in camps under stress with damaged or non-existent systems for sewage disposal and water treatment will suffer from epidemics. The good news is that there are already teams of health workers on the scene educating people about how to avoid the disease.

This earthquake was roughly the same strength as the 1989 San Francisco quake, which killed less than 100 people. The damage was tremendously greater in Haiti. There were two main differences. The San Francisco quake's epicenter was in the mountains some 70 miles from the biggest population center. In Santa Cruz, closer to the epicenter, many of the old buildings downtown collapsed. The other difference is that in California, builders must follow stringent building codes that greatly diminish earthquake damage. Older un-reinforced masonry buildings collapsed but flexible wooden structures rode it out and reinforced buildings had the strength to withstand the shaking.

This earthquake occurred in the boundary region between the Caribbean and North American Plates. The Caribbean Plate is moving eastward relative to the North American plate. The ground shifted as much as three feet in places as the accumulated strain was released. The Caribbean Plate is located in between the larger North American and south American Plates. These plates are being created at the mid-Atlantic ridge where magma rises and spreads out in both directions pushing westward past the Caribbean Plate. Although the region is subject to earthquakes periodically, there has not been a large quake in that area since the 19th Century.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)(This article from the BBC explains how the quake occurred.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake .

See also the following news stories:

* Haiti earthquake: Day by day (BBC 1/24/10)
* Haiti earthquake feared to have killed many (BBC 1/12/10)
* Haiti earthquake death toll 'may be 50,000'(BBC 1/15/10)
* Pictures of the immediate aftermath of the quake, Not for the squeamish (Radio Tele Ginen 1/12/10)
* In Pictures - Haiti Misery Goes On(BBC 1/16/10)
*Survivor's Stories(BBC 1/16/10)
* “The Sound of Screaming Is Constant”–Haiti Devastated by Massive Earthquake, Desperate Search for Survivors Continues(Democracy Now 1/14/10)
* Report from Haiti: Desperate Call for Aid with Rescue Equipment, Medicine, Food & Water in Short Supply(Democracy Now 1/14/10)
*
Cuba's aid ignored by the media? (Al Jazeera English 2/16/10)
* Haiti revival after quake could take generations says UN chief(Guardian 1/29/10)
* By foot and bus, Haitians return to native towns(AP 1/23/10)
* Health crisis in Haiti enters a deadly new phase(AP 2/9/10)
* Haiti devastation exposes shoddy construction(BBC 1/15/10)
* Logistical nightmare hampers Haiti aid effort(BBC 1/16/10)
* Frictions between nations rise over struggle of getting aid to Haiti(Washington Post 1/17/10)
* In Haiti, Desperation Mounts As Bottlenecks Slow Aid(NPR 1/17/10)
*
Rain brings more misery to Haiti earthquake survivors(The Guardian 2/19/10)
*
Haiti cholera outbreak causes not clear experts say(BBC 10/25/10)
*
Aid Agencies Fear Cholera Moves Toward Capital(BBC 10/27/10)
* US takes charge in Haiti — with troops, rescue aid(AP 1/15/10)
* As Haiti Toll Revised to 230,000, Journalist Reed Lindsay Reports on Scarcity of Aid in Devastated Port-au-Prince(Demoracy Now 2/10/10)
* Naomi Klein Issues Haiti Disaster Capitalism Alert: Stop Them Before They Shock Again(Democracy Now 1/14/10)
* Haiti, Forgive Us(Amy Goodman on Truthdig 2/9/10)

September 30, 2009 Padang, Sumatra Quake

2009-09-30T10:16:00.000-07:00

Updated 10/17/2009

A 7.9 Magnitude quake shook southern Sumatra on September 30, 2009 at 10:16 GMT, 5:16 PM local time. The epicenter was 31 miles west of the city of Padang, Sumatra, Indonesia. Padang is the capital of West Sumatra and has a population of 900,000. the quake was felt as far away as Singapore, 200 miles to the NE. 1,110 people have been reported dead, with 300 still unaccounted for. More than 2,000 are reported injured and over 100,000 building are reported destroyed, with another 100,000 damaged. Unoffical casualty reports have given a higher number of deaths, up to 4,000, but there is no indication how reliable that figure is. Early estimates of fatalities in Padang were reduced while the figures in outlying areas increased. Rescue efforts were hampered because many roads, bridges and telephone communications systems were damaged in the quake. Among the damaged buildings are schools, apartments, offices and hospitals. In places patients were treated in parking lots due to damage from the quake. Most of the casualties are the result of people caught in collapsing buildings.

While early rescue efforts concentrated on the city of Padang, outlying villages in the area were also badly damaged. Over 600 people are thought to be dead in this area. Many buildings in the Padang Pariman district were damaged when their metal roofs collapsed. The quake caused landslides that either undermined houses, sending them crashing down the hillside or buried them under tons of earth. A wedding celebration attended by 400 guests was buried by a massive landslide.

The international press gave this quake extensive coverage for a few days before moving on to other things, with few follow up stories.

The southern coast of Sumatra is prone to very large earthquakes. In this area, the Australian
Plate is subducting under the Sunda Plate to the northeast. As the plate is forced down under Sumatra into the Earth's mantle, it heats up releasing magma, which rises to form the island of Sumatra and the volcanoes which comprise it. There have been a series of megathrust quakes of over 8.0 M on different sections of the subduction zone. The 2004 tsunami was caused by a 9.0 megathrust quake at the northwestern end of Sumatra, about 500 miles from Padang. This earthquake was deeper, at 50 miles underground, than these quakes and the USGS says that it most likely occurred within the Australian plate below the plate boundary. At 7.6 M it was also not as strong than those others. This section of the fault has not had a large quake, over 8.0M, since 1797. The USGS says that it is not clear how this quake relates to the series of stronger, shallower quakes on sections of the fault zone on either side of this area. It is likely that this quake was not large enough to relieve the pressure that has been building up on this section of the subduction zone.

This quake is unrelated to the Somoan quake of the day before, which was centered 6,000 miles to the east in the Pacific Ocean.

A second large earthquake hit the following day 135 miles SE of Padang, closer to the city of Benkulu. This earthquake, with a Magnitude of 6.6, was strong enough to cause some damage, but there have been no reports of casualties. This quake was much shallower and was on the Sumatra fault in the overlying Sunda plate.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake .

See also the following news stories:

*Indonesia quake deaths pass 1,000 (BBC 10/1/09)
* In Pictures: Indonesian rescue effort (BBC 10/2/09)
*Huge aid push in Indonesia, quake levels villages (Reuters (10/2/09)
*Padang lives with quake stress (BBC 10/1/09)
*Village deaths to lift Indonesia death toll (AP 10/3/09)
*Sumatra quake 'levelled villages'(BBC 10/3/09)
*West Sumatra loses entire hamlets under landslides (The Jakarta Post 10/3/09)
*Indonesian quake toll soars to 1,115(Brisbane Times 10/13/09)
*Diggers to help rebuild quake-hit Padang(Brisbane Times 10/17/09)
*USU to send team to overcome quake victims` trauma(Antara News 10/17/09)

September 29, 2009 Somoa Quake and Tsunami

2009-09-29T17:48:00.000-07:00

Updated 10/1/2009

The Samoa Islands were hit by a 7.9 M earthquake at 17:48 UTC (6:48 AM local time) on September 29, 2009. The epicenter was 139 miles SW of Pago Pago, American Somoa. The resulting tsunami caused considerable damage in both Somoa and in American Somoa. Over 150 people are estimated to have been killed as the coastal areas of all the Samoan islands were inundated. Casualties were reported from Somoa, American Somoa and Tonga. American Somoa is a US territory and has been declared a disaster area by President Obama.

Reports from the scene were that the quake was strong enough to rock buildings and cause rockslides in the mountains. It was distinguished more by its long duration of over a minute than by the strength of the shaking. This is indicative of a very strong quake that is distant enough to dilute its strength. Within 5 minutes the sea receded as the tsunami approached then swept ashore 10-15 feet deep. Boats were swept inland and cars were swept out to sea. Most people rushed to higher ground. A number of people were killed when they went down to the shore to gather stranded fish after the first wave receded, only to be caught by the second wave. Altogether there were 4 waves in the course of 20 minutes. There was extensive damage throughout the region. Although Somoa has a tsunami warning system, the tsunami hit too soon after the quake to allow the warning to take effect.

The earthquake occurred on the boundary between the Pacific and Australian Plates. The Pacific Plate subducts under the Australian Plate at the Tonga Trench. The epicenter was located near a bend in the plate boundary, at the northern end of the subduction zone. The magnitude has been reported as anywhere from 7.9 M to 8.3M. An earthquake of this size is catagorized as a "Great" earthquake and is capable of extensive damage. This is about the size of the 1906 earthquake that devastated San Francisco. In this case the fact that the quake occurred at sea over 100 miles from any populated area greatly reduced the damage from the quake itself. However, an earthquake of this size underwater does have the potential to create a tsunami, as this one did. The tsunami can travel great distances and in this case, the tsunami appears to have caused the most damage.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake .

See also the following news stories:

* Deadly Tsunami Strikes in Pacific (BBC 9/30/09)
*Somoa tsunami: survivors tell of giant walls of water (guardian.co.uk 10/1/09)
* Somoa tsunami lesson: Early warning system too slow (Christian Science Monitor 9/30/09)

April 6, 2009 L'Aquila, Italy Earthquake

2009-04-07T18:47:00.000-07:00

Updated 4/7/2009

A 6.3 Magnitude earthquake hit L'Aquila, Italy, 55 miles north of Rome, at 01:32 GMT on April 6, 2009, 3:32 AM, local time, causing major damage and hundreds of deaths. Several aftershocks caused additional damage, including a 5.5 M quake on the 7th.

207 people have been confirmed dead, 1500 injured and over 17,000 homeless. L'Aquila is a city of 70,000. The original walled city was built in the 13th century. Although many older buildings collapsed, modern buildings were not spared. A hospital built as recently as 2000 partially collapsed, forcing patients out into the open and making it harder to treat them. Italy has building standards for earthquake resistant buildings but it is not always observed. Most of the casualties were caused by collapsed buildings as people slept. Heavy rains since the quake has hampered rescue efforts.

Survivors whose homes have been destroyed or are feared to be unsafe are sleeping in their cars, in hotels, or in tent cities that have been set up for the refugees. People have been digging in the rubble with their bare hands, as well as with heavier equipment. Some of the earliest stories were of people digging students out of a collapsed dormitory. Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi pledged help in rebuilding the city.

Tectonically, Italy is in the center of a number of forces any one of which can cause quakes. Italy is involved in a collision to the north with Europe that is raising the Alps. At the same time a mini-plate to the east, the Adria (under the Adriatic Sea) is subducting beneath Italy, while the Tyrrhenian basin to the west (under the Tyrrhean Sea between the Italian mainland and the islands of Corsica and Sardinia) is expanding. This quake, in the middle of Italy in the Apennine mountains is related mostly Tyrrhean expansion. This area has been the site of major earthquakes in the past. In 1997 a series of earthquakes killed 11 people and caused significant damage. In 1703 a large earthquake destroyed much of the city.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake.

See also the following news stories:

* Strong Quake in Italy kills over 150, wounds 1500 (AP 4/6/09)
* Aftershocks hit Italy quake zone (BBC 4/7/09)
* Italy Earthquake deaths soar(BBC 4/7/09)
* Quake buildings 'below standard'(BBC 4/7/09)
* Did a Seismologist Accurately Forecast the L'Aquila Earthquake--Or Was It a Lucky Guess?(Scientific American 4/7/09)

10/29/2008 Pakistan Earthquake

2008-10-29T23:10:00.000-07:00

Updated 10/30/2008

A 6.4 Magnitude earthquake hit near Ziarat, Pakistan at 23:10 GMT on September 28, 2008. 4:10 AM, September 29, local time. A 2nd quake, almost as strong followed about an hour later, and there have been several strong aftershocks. The epicenter was 400 Miles West of Islamabad, 35 miles NW of Quetta and 115 miles SE of Kandahar. Quetta, the capital of Balochistan, is a city with a population of 535,000 in western Pakistan, near the border with Afghanistan. There are also an estimated million Afghan refugees in the area.

The death toll is at 215, with up to 50,000 homeless. The government is using helicopters to reach the affected areas. Some villages were cut off by landslides and many houses have been destroyed. The quake occured in the predawn hours and victims were buried as they slept. There is a great need for shelter and supplies. People have been sitting outside and are hungry and cold. The Red Cross distributed 2,300 tents with many more needed. India, the US and the UN have all pledged aid. Help is also being provided by Islamic organizations in the area, including Jamat-ud-Dawa, which also helped in the aftermath of the Kashmir quake in 2005.

The quake is caused, in the broad scheme of things by the collision, on a continental scale, of India and Asia. India was a separate land mass that has during the last few million years, moved across the Indian Ocean and is currently slamming into southern Asia. The energy from that collision raised the Himalayas and radiates out from there, causing often destructive earthquakes. In 1935 an earthquake in the same general area killed 30.000 people.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. See the USGS summary of this quake .

See also the following news stories:

10/5/08 Kyrgystan Earthquake

2008-10-05T15:52:00.000-07:00

The 6.6 Magnitude quake occurred at Sunday, October 05, 2008 at 15:52:49 UTC (9:52 PM local time)near the village of Nura, about 275 miles east of Dushanbe, Tajikistan, on the border with China. It was felt throughout the Central Asian region. 74 people were killed, 120 injured and dozens of buildings destroyed,, much of in Nura. The damage occurred on both sides of the Chinese-Kyrgystan border.

Geologically, the quake was caused by stresses in the Asian landmass resulting from the collision of India into Eurasia. India is actually a separate tectonic plate, whose head-on collision with Asia has raised the Himalayas and caused many destructive earthquakes. Although the collision is hundreds of miles south of this earthquake the crust is being deformed over a very large area, causing many earthquakes, including this year's China and Pakistan quakes. This is an unusual plate boundary in that two continental plates are hitting head-on. In other areas, one plate may be pushed under another, where they cause large subduction quakes, like the 2004 Sumatra quake that caused the destructive tsunami. Another possibility is that two plate may move sideways past each other, as happens at the San Andreas fault, causing quakes like the 1906 San Francisco quake

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes.

See the USGS summary of this quake .

See also the following news stories:

Deadly earthquake hits Kyrgyzstan (BBC 10/6/08)

70 die in Kyrgyzstan earthquake (International Herald Tribune 10/6/08)

5/12/2008 China Earthquake

2008-05-12T06:28:00.000-07:00

Updated 1/3/09

A 7.8 Magnitude earthquake hit Eastern Sichuan province in China at 06:28 GMT on May 12, 2008. 2:28 PM local time. The epicenter was 960 Miles SW of Bejing, 50 miles West of Chengdu, a city of 4 million. The nearest city is Dujiangyan, with 600,000 population, which is about 45 miles from the epicenter. Dujiangyan suffered major damage and at first is the center of the rescue efforts. 88,000 people died in the quake, including as many as 10,000 children killed when their schools collapsed. More than 5 million buildings are estimated to have collapsed.

Rescue teams had difficulty just reaching the epicenter in Wenchuan county. Landslides blocked the roads past Dujaingyan making access difficult. Fortunately the road from Dujiangyan to Chengdu was kept open for rescue vehicles. The quake was felt over a very wide area of China, as far away as Bejing.

During the first few days after the quake there were frequent aftershocks, including at least 6 over 5.5 Magnitude, strong enough to cause additional damage. Residents were afraid to go back inside, but the heavy rain made it difficult to stay outside. Government issued tents and tarps are helping a bit but many people spent days outside in the wet and cold. There are fears of illness developing from these conditions, especially among the old and young. Schools and hospitals were among the buildings destroyed, making it difficult to administer medical aid to survivors. Some schools collapsed while classes were in session, trapping students. The army has taken charge of the rescue efforts, with over 50,000 troops being deployed to the region. Heavy earthmoving equipment is being brought into the area and rescue teams are going to work in as organized a fashion as possible, Given the chaotic conditions. Traffic into the worst hit area is restricted to rescue efforts. Many residents have left the area and gone to Chengdu for shelter and services.

Another concern has been damage to dams. Soldiers were set to work trying to mend cracks to shore them up. 34 new lakes have also been formed as the result of landslides blocking rivers. These new lakes are even more unstable and there was some concern over the possibility that a dam could break in the continuing heavy rains, adding floods to the disaster. Luckily this did not happen.

The Chinese government has pledged $10 billion for earthquake relief. International aid is also flowing into the area. However the government warns that more is needed, especially tents, blankets, clothes, food and medical supplies. They estimate that 3.3 million tents are needed. 10 days after the quake 400,000 tents arrived in the region. 7 months later many are still living in temporary housing provided by the government. A group of parents are suing over alleged shoddy construction practices that they say contributed to the collapse of so many schools. This suit is the subject of a film, "Who Killed Our Children?" by Pan Jianlin, which was shown at the Pusan International Film Festival in South Korea. The government offered compensation to parents who agreed to drop their demands for an investigation of school construction.

The quake is caused, in the broad scheme of things by the collision, on a continental scale, of India and Asia. India was a separate land mass that has during the last few million years, moved across the Indian Ocean and is currently slamming into southern Asia. The energy from that collision raised the Himalayas and radiates out from there, causing often destructive earthquakes. In 1933 an earthquake in the same general area killed 9300 people.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes.

US Geological Survey page on this earthquake

See also the following news stories:

7/16/2007 Honshu, Japan

2007-09-22T10:13:00.000-07:00

Updated 9/22/2007

This 6.6 Magnitude quake hit at 10:13 AM local time (01:13 GMT), just off the west coast of the island of Honshu in central Japan. The epicenter was 45 miles west of the city of Nigata and 150 miles to the northwest of Tokyo. It was followed a couple of hours later by a 6.8 M quake nearby. Although the second quake was stronger, it was focused depper and thus cause less damage. According to the US Geological Service account of the quake, these quakes were different enough that the second one is not considered an aftershock of the first.

The earthquake caused damage to 875 buildings, especially older ones, 1,088 injuries and 11 deaths. The shaking was so strong that people said they couldn't stand during the quake. A nuclear power plant remains shut down two months after the quake due to damage that resulted in the release of radiation. This accident follows several other incidents at nuclear power plants in Japan that have called into question the safety of Japan's extensive nuclear power program.

Japan is located at the western edge of the Pacific Plate, where it interacts with the Eurasian Plate and some small tectonic plates inbetween. This results in many earthquakes as these plates interact. In 2004 a 6.6 M quake in the same general area killed 40 people and injured 3,000. The US Geological Service account of the quake describes the geology in more detail. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes.

See also the following news stories:

9/12/2007 Sumatra Earthquake

2007-09-12T11:10:00.000-07:00

Updated 9/20/2007

An 8.4 Magnitude earthquake hit southern Sumatra at 11:10GMT on September 12, 2007. 6:10pm local time. The epicenter was 80 miles SW of the city of Bengkulu. This is the same area as the June 11, 2000 7.9 magnitude quake. This is the third quake over 8.0 magnitude this year, following last month's Peruvian quake and the April Solomon Islands quake (see below). 23 deaths have been reported so far. This is quite low for a major earthquake in this area. Over 45,000 buildings have been damaged but casualties have been surprisingly low for a quake of this size. There have been numerous strong aftershocks, including one 7.9 magnitude and one 6.8. Both of these are strong enough to be considered major quakes on their own. In all, there have been 23 aftershocks greater than 5.0 Magnitude in the week following the quake.

There were fears of a tsunami throughout the Indian Ocean area. However, aside from a 3 ft wave in the local Sumatra area that didn't cause any damage, there hasn't been one. After each of the larger quakes, warnings were issued and then withdrawn when no tsunami occured. This nervousness is understandable with memories still fresh from the disastrous 2004 tsunami, which was caused by a larger (8.9 M) quake further north along the southern Sumatra coast. Tsunami predictions are difficult because the size of a tsunami following a large quake is dependent on conditions on the seabed at the epicenter. This is often not known. What we do know is that a large undersea earthquake could produce a tsunami. The larger the quake, the greater the chance of a tsunami. With a limited amount of time to get the word out, governments have been quick to issue a warning since the 2004 tsunami, which hit many areas without warning. This quake was large, although considerably smaller than the 2004 one. In fact, it was larger than any quake to hit the the US outside of Alaska in the last 300 years.

The quake is caused by the subduction of the ocean beneath the Sumatra coast. The subduction zone stretches over 2800 miles along the southern coast of Sumatra and Java. This movement created strain in the crust that is relieved by quakes in different areas of the subduction zone. That is why there have been so many large quakes along the southern edge of the Sumatra and Java coasts. Each quake relieves pressure in one section of the zone but in the process builds pressure in neighboring sections. Over a period of 150-300 years the whole zone will experience earthquakes. The process continues as the Australian Plate is being forced under the smaller plates to the north, between the Eurasian Plate and the Pacific Plate. This is certainly the most seismically active area of the world. The smaller quake 7 years ago relieved some strain but apparently not enough, especially given the other quakes on other segments of the subduction zones in the interim.

US Geological Survey Paghttp://theearthquakemuseum.weebly.com/plate-tectonics.html"> Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes.

See also the following news stories:

8/15/2007 Peruvian Earthquake

2007-08-15T23:41:00.000-07:00

Updated 8/18/2007

The 8.0 M earthquake occurred at 23:41 GMT on Wednesday August 15 (6:41 PM local time). The epicenter was on the coast 92 miles south of Lima and 68 miles NW of Ica, which sustained the greatest damage. The quake was felt as far away as Arequipa, Peru's 2nd largest city 250 miles to the south and the site of an 8.1 M quake in 2001. Shaking was reported to have lasted 2 minutes.

The death toll is over 500, with reports from some areas still not in. The cities of Ica, with 261,000 people, and Pisco, a city of 116,000, have been hardest hit. Reports talk of massive destruction. 127 bodies were recovered from one church that collapsed during a funeral service. Thousands more have been injured and tens of thousands are homeless. People have been camping out for fear of further building collapses. There have been several strong aftershocks. Three days after the quake, although aid was arriving, many people were desperate for food. There have been reports of looting. Some aid shipments have been stopped and looted by people who apparently couldn't stand to see it go by, while they were in such need. President Alan Garcia sent in the army to restore order. Aid distribution has been slowed by damage to the Pan American highway, the major transportation link in the area.

Winter temperatures in this desert region drop in the night and people camping out have been burning salvaged wood from destroyed buildings for warmth. There is a shortage of blankets and warm clothing.

680 prisoners escaped from a maximum security prison after it was damaged in the quake. Police have been trying to apprehend them, in addition to the pressing needs of maintaining order and aiding the victims. Some of the prisoners reported turned themselves in because conditions were so bad in the area that they apparently decided that prison was preferable.

The earthquake was felt strongly in Peru's capital, Lima. People ran into the streets. The power went off and there were reports of loud noise and lights in the sky at the time of the quake. One person said there was lightning caused by power surges as the grid went down.

A tsunami may have been generated in the immediate area, but widescale tsunami warnings in the Pacific were cancelled after a few hours. There have not been reports of tsunami damage.

Earthquakes over 8.0 Magnitude are classified as Great Earthquakes and are capable of wide scale devastation in a heavily populated area. They occur worldwide once every year or two. However, many occur in lightly populated areas and do not cause a lot of damage. This is the second great earthquake this year, following the April Solomon Islands quake (see below). The 2004 Sumatra earthquake and tsunami, by contrast, at 9.0M released 10 times the energy of this quake.

The USGS tectonic summary for this quake said: "This earthquake occurred at the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates. The two plates are converging at a rate of 77 mm per year. The earthquake occurred as thrust-faulting on the interface between the two plates, with the South American plate moving up and seaward over the Nazca plate. Coastal Peru has a history of very large earthquakes. The August 15 shock originated just south of the source region of the magnitude 8.1 earthquake of October 1974 and just north of the source regions of major earthquakes that occurred in August 1942 (magnitude 7.7) and 1996 (magnitude 7.7). The largest coastal Peru earthquake of the last two centuries was the magnitude 9 earthquake of 1868, which was centered about 700 km southeast of the August 15 earthquake. The 1868 shock produced a tsunami that killed several thousand people along the South American coast and also caused damage in Hawaii."

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes.

US Geological Survey page on this quake

See also the following news stories:

4/1/2007 Solomon Islands Earthquake and Tsunami

2007-04-01T20:49:00.000-07:00

Updated 4/4/2007

The 8.1 M earthquake occurred at 20:49 GMT on Sunday April 1 (7:40 AM April 2 local time), followed by a tsunami up to 30 feet high near the epicenter. Several villages were destroyed by the tsunami on the islands nearest the epicenter. At least 30 people were killed and thousands left homeless. However, the news getting out of the area is very sparse. For days the story, if any, has been that several villages have been damaged to an indeterminate degree.

Earthquakes over 8.0 Magnitude are classified as Great Earthquakes and are capable of wide scale devastation in a heavily populated area. They occur worldwide once every year or two. The Solomon Islands have only 500,000 people spread out on small islands in the South Pacific. The quake was the result of the subduction of the Australian Plate, and some smaller plates, under the Pacific Plate.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes.

The US Geological Survey page on this quake

See also the following news stories:

3/6/2007 Sumatra Earthquake

2007-03-06T03:49:00.000-08:00

Updated 3/9/2007

A Magnitude 6.4 earthquake, which occurred at 3:49 GMT, 10:49 AM local time March 6, 2007 in southern Sumatra, Indonesia caused at least 52 deaths and over 500 serious injuries. Thousands are homeless. Most casulaties came when buildings collapsed, over 4,000 buildings were damaged, including homes, schools and mosques. The epicenter was 30 miles from the city of Padang and 580 miles NW of Jakarta. Buildings swayed as far away as Singapore, 250 miles away. People fled away from the coast fearing another tsunami, but this quake did not trigger one, since it was located on land, not undersea. A 6.1 Magnitude aftershock was felt 2 hours later. Thousands stayed outdoors, afraid that more aftershocks will cause more buildings to collapse,

Indonesia may be the most seismically active area of the world, with frequent earthquakes. This quake occurred on the Sumatra fault, which runs the length of the island. Unlike the powerful subduction quakes of December 26, 2004 and March 28, 2005 in which the Australian plate dives under the Sunda Plate, the Sumatra fault produces strike slip quakes in which the edge of the Sunda plate is being pulled sideways relative to the rest of the plate. The subduction quakes of 2004 and 2005 were located further up the coast, about 300-400 miles to the NW of this one.

This area is known for twin quakes, with almost identical quakes occuring within 3 hours of eachother in the same area in 1926.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes.

The US Geological Survey page on this quake

See also the following news stories:

Quake survivors afraid to return (BBC 3/7/07)

7/17/2006 Java Tsunami

2006-07-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Updated 7/18/2006

A Magnitude 7.7 earthquake, which occurred at 08:19 GMT, 15:19 local time July 17, 2006, under the ocean South of the Indonesian island of Java triggered a tsunami that hit the south Java coast barely an hour later. The epicenter of the quake was 225 miles south of Jakarta and 225 miles SW of Yogyakarta, which was hit by a earthquake on May 26 that killed more than 5800 people. This earthquake itself caused only light to moderate shaking throughout Java, however tsunami waves over 2 meters high arriving without warning most places claimed 341 lives with 250 people still missing and 42,000 displaced. Eyewitnesses reported a black wall of water that swept inland smashing boats, houses, businesses and coastside resorts.

The Indonesian government said that many people fled inland when they felt the earthquake, which is what experts advise, but many did not realize the danger of tsunami and even followed receding water out onto the seabed only to be caught when the waves came in. The water came as far as half a kilometer inland. Initial reports indicated heavy damage in the resort of Pangandaran, although likely much of the coast was affected to some degree.

According to the USGS, "The earthquake occurred as a result of thrust-faulting on the boundary between the Australian Plate and the Sunda Plate. On this part of their mutual boundary, Australian Plate moves NNE with respect to the Sunda Plate at about 59 mm/year. The Australian Plate thrusts beneath the Sunda Plate at the Java Trench, South of Java, and is subducted to progressively greater depths beneath Java and North of Java. The earthquake occurred on the shallow part of the plate boundary about 50 Km north of the Java Trench. ... This year's May 26 devastating Yogyakarta earthquake, Magnitude 6.3, occured at shallow depth within the overriding Sunda Plate."

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes.

US Geological Survey page on this quake

See also the following news stories:

5/27/06 Java Quake

2006-05-26T23:53:00.000-07:00

Updated 7/8/06

At 5:54 AM local time Saturday Morning May 27, 2006 (22:53 GMT Friday) a 6.3 Magnitude earthquake hit near the south coast of central Java in Indonesia. It was centered near the major city of Yogyakarta, 275 miles SE of Jakarta. Yogyakarta, (sometimes spelled Jogjikarta, or Jogji) is one of the major cities of Indonesia. About 5 million people live within 50 kilometers of the epicenter. A point of interest is that this is one of the few places that the pre-colonial government structure of a sultanate has survived. It is not known how the 18th Century Sultan's palace, a large architecturally significant building in the center of the city, has fared.

5,700 people have been killed and 36,300 injured according to the Indonesian government. People reported that this was by far the biggest quake that they had ever experienced. There was very extensive damage to buildings, especially in the hardest hit area south of the city in the Bantul area where the epicenter was located. Electricity and communications were been knocked out in the affected areas. The airport was closed due to damage to the runway and emergency flights had to come into the nearby city of Solo.

Hospitals were overwhelmed with the injured with temporary medical clinics set up in the streets. International aid has been offered by Russia, the Europeon Union and others. UNICEF said it is preparing emergency supplies and has sent staff to Yogyakarta. It has emergency supplies of tents, hygiene kits, health kits and school supplies available to be sent to the earthquake zone. The supplies include 9,000 tarpaulins, 850 hygiene kits, 1,165 small tents, 753 large tents, 4,000 lanterns, 160 collapsible water tanks, 1,707 school kits, 50 school tents, 152 recreation kits, and 90 school-in-a-box school supplies

Thousands of people fled inland immediately after the quake to escape a possible tsunami. This was a lesson learned after the 2004 tsunami. Although this quake was very much smaller and did not pose a tsunami threat, it was not immediately clear to people on the scene that this was the case. This self evacuation is exactly what earthquake experts recommend to people living in coastal areas who experience an earthquake. As we saw in 2004, waiting for official instructions would take too long and could prove fatal if there were to be a tsunami. They say that if you live near the coast and feel an earthquake, you should immediately move inland, as people did in this case.

The Mount Merapi volcano is just north of that area. Merapi has been erupting during the last few weeks. Many people have been evacuated from the volcano slopes for fear of a larger eruption with catastrophic landslides or lava flows. The earthquake appears to be unrelated to the eruptions, caused rather by normal tectonic processes but may be responsible for increased volcanic activity afterwards.

This quake was caused by the same plate interactions responsible for the 2004 earthquake and tsunami, although this quake was smaller (maybe 1/1000th as strong) than in 2004 and about 1200 miles to the south and east of that quake. This quake did not cause a tsunami. In general, the Indonesian archipeligo, especially Sumatra and Java, are formed by the subduction of the Australian Plate beneath the Eurasian plate. The actual situation is more complicated due to the many adjoining plates in that area of the world. These plate interactions make these islands among the most active areas of the world for both earthquakes and volcanos. Earthquakes are the result of the surface plates rubbing against eachother in a jerky fashion as one plate pushes itself beneath another. Volcanos occur as the subducting plate is forced down into the earth's interior. When it hits the mantle the rock melts into magma, some of which rises to the surface in volcanos.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes.

See also the following news stories:

10/8/2005 Kashmir Quake

2005-10-08T03:50:00.000-07:00

Updated 10/29/2005

The strongest earthquake to hit Pakistan in over a century hit in the middle of the morning on Saturday October 8 at 8:50 AM local time (03:50 UTC). With a magnitude of 7.6, it caused extensive damage and thousands of casualties throughout Kashmir. The epicenter was near the capital of Pakistani administered Kashmir, Muzaffarabad.

Death tolls have been estimated at over 79,000, with thousands more injured and, according to the UN, 3 million in need of shelter. Many villages and towns have been reduced to rubble. At least 400 children were killed when two schools collapsed. Whole families have been wiped out. An upscale apartment building in Islamabad, 60 miles away collapsed. With over a dozen aftershocks of at least Magnitude 5.5 in the first week after the quake, many were afraid to sleep inside, despite the bad weather. People have been arriving in the cities, having walked from their mountain villages where they say no aid had arrived after days of waiting.

Pakistani President Pervez Musharraf told the BBC that Pakistan needed "massive cargo helicopter support" and aid supplies. Aid has been offered from many countries. The US has offered helicopters, which are in need because rescue vehicles can't reach many areas because landslides have blocked roads. People were digging through the rubble by hand in heavy rain to try to find survivors. Ten days after the quake the Pakistani government said they had reached most, but not all the areas affected. However, they estimate that 20% of the affected area hadn't receives any shelter or supplies. Even 3 weeks afterwards, the World Food Programme estimates that 500,000 people haven't received any aid at all. The international community has provided 90 helicopters to help get supplies to remote areas and evacuate the wounded. Thousands of injured are still waiting for help in inaccessible areas. Helicopters cannot reach all of them due to high altitude, rugged terrain and bad weather. For many people, the only reliable way to get injured people out or supplies in, is on foot or mule. 30 field hospitals have been established but serious cases need to reach a major hospital in a city and that is still difficult. There are fears that people could develop gangrene due to lack of attention and that disease could spread due to lack of clean water and sanitary facilities.

An international donors conference pledged over $500 million dollars in aid, but only about 20% has been delivered so far. Meanwhile the UN is running out of funds for their efforts and will have to scale back if more money is not made available. The most serious problem, after the immediate rescue efforts, is lack of shelter. Many families are trying to stay on their land, but with the oncoming Himalayan winter, lack of adequate housing is a major problem.

Private charities who depend on individual contributions have noted a reduced level of giving from the United States, following the massive outpouring of donations for Hurricane Katrina victims last month and the tsunami last year. However, contributions and volunteers in India and Pakistan have been very substantial. In the Indian administered areas some of the first to respond were Kashmiri independence groups. Throughout the region, people have turned out to do whatever they can, even before the government has been able to reach many areas. Heavy rains have hampered relief efforts. Also hampering efforts has been a lack of coordination and organization of the relief. Mountain roads are being clogged by trucks bringing in supplies, making it difficult to evacuate the wounded. In some cases, roads that survived the quake, or had been repaired, are damaged by the heavy traffic.

One organization, Working Assets, is urging contributions specifically to rebuild schools, especially for girls, that were damaged. From their website: "One of the most heart-wrenching stories emerging from this catastrophe is that of the girls' school in the village of Ghari Habibibullah, Pakistan. There, 250 students were killed, more than 500 injured, and the school was completely demolished. Similar catastrophes happened in villages all over the region, such as Balakot. Girls' schools were often beacons of hope and implicit progress in a region dominated by fundamentalist Islam, and rebuilding these schools is likely to be at the bottom of the political agenda. So Working Assets has launched a campaign to support rebuilding girls' schools in Pakistan and India -- and we're asking for your help."

Most of the casualties have been in the Pakistani administered areas, but almost1400 have also died in Indian administered Kashmir. 5,000 were injured and 140,000 homeless. The Prime Minister and Congress Party leader, Sonia Gandhi, toured the area soon after the quake, but there have been complaints that aid was slow in coming.

The USGS reports : "Earthquakes and active faults in northern Pakistan and adjacent parts of India and Afghanistan are the direct result of the Indian subcontinent moving northward at a rate of about 40 mm/yr (1.6 inches/yr) and colliding with the Eurasian continent. This collision is causing uplift that produces the highest mountain peaks in the world including the Himalayan, the Karakoram, the Pamir and the Hindu Kush ranges. As the Indian plate moves northward, it is being subducted or pushed beneath the Eurasian plate. Much of the compressional motion between these two colliding plates has been and continues to be accommodated by slip on a suite of major thrust faults that are at the Earth�s surface in the foothills of the mountains and dip northward beneath the ranges. These include the Main Frontal thrust, the Main Central thrust, the Main boundary thrust, and the Main Mantle thrust. These thrust faults have a sinuous trace as they arc across the foothills in northern India and into northern Pakistan. In detail, the modern active faults are actually a system of faults comprised of a number of individual fault traces. In the rugged mountainous terrain, it is difficult to identify and map all of the individual thrust faults, but the overall tectonic style of the modern deformation is clear in the area of the earthquake; north- and northeast-directed compression is producing thrust faulting. Near the town of Muzaffarabad, about 10 km southwest of the earthquake epicenter, active thrust faults that strike northwest-southeast have deformed and warped Pleistocene alluvial-fan surfaces into anticlinal ridges. The strike and dip direction of these thrust faults is compatible with the style of faulting indicated by the focal mechanism from the nearby M 7.6 earthquake. "

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes.

See also the following news stories:

3/28/2005 Sumatra Quake

2005-03-28T16:09:00.000-08:00

Updated 4/2/2005

This 8.7M quake was centered off the West coast of Northern Sumatra. Earthquakes over Magnitude 8 are classified as "Great" Earthquakes. "Great" quakes are relatively rare and usually very destructive. By comparison, this earthquake was considerably larger than the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and indeed larger than any seen in the US outside of Alaska. Of course damage from any quake is due to a number of factors including density of population, building methods and materials, local geology and the duration of shaking. This quake struck at 4:09 PM (GMT) or 11:09 PM local time. Shaking lasted 3 minutes, which is a long time for an earthquake. There have been at least 518 people confirmed killed and thousands displaced. A few people were pulled alive from the rubble after 4 days. Worst hit was the island of Nias, where electricity and water supplies have been disrupted. Roads and runways across the island have large cracks across them and are in many cases unusable. Also hard hit was the nearby island of Simeulue. Fires have raged unchecked with fire fighting equipment buried in rubble.

Aid has been arriving from around the world. Some teams were already in place in nearby Aceh from the December quake and tsunami. Some of the areas devastaed then have seen more damage from this quake. Tsunami warnings went out around the Indian Ocean and people were evacuated from coastal areas in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Malaysia and Indonesia. However this time there was no tsunami.

This earthquake occured on a neighboring section of the same subduction zone that caused the December 26, 2004 tsunami. Scientists had been concerned that that quake would increase the pressure on parts of the zone that had not moved and this appears to be what happened here. This map shows the relationship between these two quakes and two other quakes that have occured in the same area in the past. You can see quite clearly how different sections of this zone will move at different times.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes. Here is the USGS report on this earthquake

See also the following news stories:

3/20/2005 Japan Quake

2005-03-20T01:53:00.000-08:00

Updated 3/20/2005

This 6.4M quake hit 570 miles west of Tokyo, off the coast of the island of Kyushu, Japan at 01:53AM (GMT) or 10:53 AM local time. Some news reports rated the quake as a Magnitude 7, which would have been much more powerful than the 6.4 Magnitude reported by the USGS. Many buildings were damaged, utilities were cut off, 1 person was killed and another 250 were injured. Tall buildings swayed in Fukuoka. Numerous aftershocks have followed the main quake. Intial fears that the quake would generate a tsunami proved unfounded.

The damage from this quake was very much less than the Iranian quake of similar size just a month before. Hundreds of people died in that quake. Both areas are subject to frequent strong earthquakes, but Japan has done a much better job of preparing for the inevitable with strong earthquake resistant building codes. Even so, a large earthquake in an urban area can cause thousands of deaths and billions of dollars worth of damage, as demonstrated in Kobe.

Japan is subject to frequent earthquakes due to the interactions of the Pacific, Phillipines, North American and Eurasian Plates in this area of the world.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes.

See also the following news stories:

2/22/2005 Kerman,Iran Quake

2005-02-22T02:25:00.000-08:00

Updated 3/20/2005

This 6.4M quake hit Central Iran Tuesday, February 22, 2005 at 02:25AM (GMT) or 5:55 AM local time.

The epicenter was:
55 km (35 miles) NNW of Kerman, Iran
185 km (115 miles) NE of Sirjan, Iran
270 km (165 miles) ESE of Yazd, Iran
745 km (465 miles) SE of TEHRAN, Iran

According to the USGS at least 602 people were killed and 991 injured. The quake hit a rural area with no large cities, lessening the impact. Five villages were reported very heavily damaged with perhaps 50 more having substantial damage. Rescue efforts were somewhat hampered by heavy rains and freezing temperatures but there were also reports that rescue units were already on alert for fear that the rain would cause damage. Roads to some of the area have been blocked by landslides, making it difficult for needed heavy equipment to reach the scene. Numerous aftershocks kept many out of doors for fear of further damage to buildings. Most of the casualties were from collapsed buildings. Gas and electricity supplies have been disrupted and the government has asked people to limit use of mobile phones to allow better communications among emergency personnel. The Iranian government declared a national day of mourning for the dead.

The earthquake was caused by stresses generated by the northward movement of the Arbaian Plate into the Eurasian Plate at about 1 inch per year. This is sufficient to cause frequent quakes throughout Iran. The February 22 earthquake is 125 km northwest of the destructive earthquakes of June 11, 1981 (magnitude 6.6, approximately 3,000 deaths) and July 28, 1981 (magnitude 7.3, approximately 1,500 deaths) and about 250 km northwest of the devastating Bam earthquake of December 26, 2003 (magnitude 6.6, over 30,000 deaths).

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.) The US Geological Survey (USGS) is an invaluable resource in understanding and tracking earthquakes.

See also the following news stories:

12/26/2004 Sumatra Earthquake and Tsunami

2004-12-26T00:58:00.000-08:00

Updated 3/20/2005

At 9.0 Magnitude, this was the largest earthquake in the world since the 1964 Alaskan quake. It struck on December 26 at 6:58 AM local time (00:58 GMT). The epicenter was 255 km (160 miles) SSE of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia 315 km (195 miles) W of Medan, Sumatra, Indonesia 1260 km (790 miles) SSW of BANGKOK, Thailand 1590 km (990 miles) NW of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia.

Casualties have been very high, with over 283,000 dead, especially from the tsunami generated by the earthquake. The tsunami, reported as 15 - 20 feet high, fanned out over the Indian Ocean causing severe and sudden flooding in Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Indonesia and other areas. Over a million people have been reported as homeless in Sri Lanka alone, at least 5 million were left without the basic necessities of life. Over 100,000 are reported dead in Indonesia. This tsunami was one of the largest ever in terms of casualties because it hit in heavily populated low lying coastal areas that were not well prepared. The lack of a warning system meant that most people were caught by surprise. It has been a long time since there has been a tsunami in this region. Unlike the Pacific Ocean, which has a well developed warning system, the Indian Ocean has no way to warn of an impending tsunami. Scientists knew as soon as the quake happened that it posed a danger of tsunami, but there was no way to get the word to the coastal areas in time. There were only a few minutes to a couple of hours between the quake and the tsunami. Communications were not up to the task.

The scope of this disaster is well beyond what is normal for even a strong earthquake. The tsunami hit 14 different countries, with severe damage in four (Indonesia, Thailand, India and Sri Lanka), spread out over thousands of miles. India reported that they had sufficient resources to provide needed aid in their own country and send some to Sri Lanka as well. Sri Lanka has a long coastline that suffered badly needs assistance, but with the interior undamaged can mobilize fairly well to receive and distribute aid. Indonesia is much worse off. They have to cope with quake damage and tsunami damage, as well as a less well developed infrastructure that make communications and travel difficult. There are shortages of petrol and machinery, such as forklifts that would make the relief effort easier.

People reported seeing the ocean pull back, exposing the sea floor and then return as a swift rise in the sea level, like an extremely high tide, inundating villages near the coast. The wave then pulled back, sucking houses, trees, people...everything in its path out to sea. These waves have a long period, so there are many minutes until the next wave hits. The process is similar to the ripples formed when a stone is thrown into water. Each successive wave carries more debris, causing more damage. The zone of damage extends up to 2 miles inland along the entire coast. Most buildings in this zone are severly damaged or destroyed, with a thick layer of mud covering everything. Food, water, electricity, and housing are all non existant or in short supply.

The area of the quake itself in Aceh province has seen severe damage from the earthquake and from the tsunami in coastal areas. Reports suggest that there may be over 100,000 dead in Sumatra alone. There have been reports of many buildings destroyed. Large amounts of international aid were desparately needed and relief supplies were sent from throughout the world. Some of the most severely affected areas did not receive any aid for a week after the disaster due to the huge need and difficulty of reaching remote areas. Observers repeatedly reported that the scope of the disaster was unbelievable, with almost complete destruction along hundreds of miles of coastal areas.

There have been many powerful aftershocks along the whole 745 mile fault that was affected, notably in the Andaman and Nicobar islands. Three months after the initial quake, aftershocks over magnitude 5 occur every few days along the fault line.

Both Aceh province and parts of Sri Lanka have been embroiled in civil wars that have slowed the flow of information and may hinder the distribution of government aid in contested or rebel held areas. Aceh has been under military control with very little access for foreigners. An independece movement has been fighting the Indonesian government for several years. Portions of Sri Lanka that were hard hit are under the control of Tamil rebels, in a war that has lasted for many years.

The scope of the disaster made it difficult to even bury the dead. Most have been buried in mass graves, although efforts were made to photograph the dead with photos and in places take DNA samples. It is hoped that these will help relatives identify victims. The World Health Organization has warned of danger of disease outbreaks that could kill thousands more. They say that dead bodies do not pose a threat, although they are unpleasant, but contaminated water supplies do. There have already been reports of outbreaks of diarhea, but the main danger is in the next few weeks. Water supplies within the affected areas have all been contaminated. Sanitation was already precarious in some of these areas. Now they have nothing. Clean water is high on the priority list for aid. Hundreds of millions of dollars of aid have been pledged from many countries around the world. Naval vessels are on the way to help but took several days to arrive. Because of the huge area involved and the limited communications available, it took days to even get reports from many areas, especially in Indonesia.

This explanation of the quake from the BBC:
How the Quake unfolded (BBC 12/27/04)

According to the USGS "The devastating megathrust earthquake of December 26th, 2004 occurred on the interface of the India and Burma plates and was caused by the release of stresses that develop as the India plate subducts beneath the overriding Burma plate. The India plate begins its descent into the mantle at the Sunda trench which lies to the west of the earthquake's epicenter. The trench is the surface expression of the plate interface between the Australia and India plates, situated to the southwest of the trench, and the Burma and Sunda plates, situated to the northeast." The interactions of these plates, along with the Indian Plate, the Pacific Plate and the Phillipines Plate, make this one of the most seismiscally and volcanically active regions of the world. Subduction earthquakes are the largest known. The 1964 Alaskan quake and the 9.5 Magnitude Chilean quake of 1960 were both subduction quakes.

In this case the subducting plate is being forced down into the earth under an overriding plate. Heat rising as the plate hits the earth's mantle and melts rises to form a volcanic island chain - Indonesia. Since the descending plate is fairly rigid and flat, when the magma rises, it creates an arc of volcanic islands on the curved surface of the Earth, which shows the direction of the plate movement nicely. The Aleutian Islands are another nice example of this process.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

A tsumani, or tidal wave, occurs when an earthquake displaces a portion of the seafloor. In this case, according to USA Today, a section of seafloor 745 miles long was raised 100 feet by the quake. This sudden movement displaced a massive amount of water, which fanned out from the epicenter. This wave moved at 500 miles an hour across the Bay of Bengal, the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean. If you look at a map of the region you will see that the areas hardest hit were across the Bay of Bengal from the epicenter at the Western edge of Indonesia.

See also the following news stories:

12/26/2003 Iranian Earthquake

2003-12-26T01:58:00.000-08:00

Updated 1/7/2004

The 6.7 Magnitude earthquake struck at 01:58 GMT 12/26/03. This was 05:28 am local time. The epicenter was in Bam, a city of 80,000, with 200,000 in the surrounding area, in southern Iran, 620 miles southeast of Teheran. The BBC reported within hours of the quake, "A huge relief operation involving ordinary Iranians, the army, Islamic volunteer groups and local rescue teams is under way." The death toll has been estimated at over 30,000 people with over 30,000 injured. Two hospitals collapsed in the quake and remaining ones were strained to help the thousands injured. Electricity and telephone service were knocked out. Over 70% of the houses in Bam are reported to be destroyed.

The quake had been preceeded the night before by a foreshock strong enough to cause some people to sleep out of doors. Undoubtably some lives were saved as people were not inside when houses collapsed. People have continued to sleep outside due to the many aftershocks, which are typical after a major quake.

Relief efforts appear to have been well coordinated at the local level. Teams of people were working to dig out survivors soon after the quake. The dead were quickly buried in mass graves. Health and religious authorities both insisted on quick but respectful burials. Although the huge numbers of dead strained resources, this was accomplished. Trenches were dug with backhoes, groups of about 50 bodies were laid in them and covered with dirt by bulldozers. Then a new trench was started and the process repeated over and over again.

International aid arrived quickly to help survivors and help with reconstrution. Visa requirements were waived for aid workers and for the first time since the revolution 25 years ago, Americans were welcomed into Iran. There is some hope that this could be an opportunity to improve relations between the two countries.

Also destroyed was the Citadel,Arg-e-Bam, mostly dating from the Safavid period in the 16th and 17th C. This was a major historic structure, parts of which date back 2,000 years. As the largest mud brick structure in the world, and a major historic site, it was on the Unesco's list of World Heritage Sites. Bam is on major trade routes to India and the far east, as well as being an oasis in the desert has given it a special importance. The Citadel was a major tourist attraction, the loss of which will be devastating to the nation's cultural heritage and the local economy. Authorities say that it will be reconstructed, but that, of course, is far from the same as having the original.

International aid is on the way, with teams from Russia, Turkey and many other nations. Turkey has been especially responsive with aid teams, following devastating earthquakes in 1999, which raised their awareness of the need for quick aid following large quakes.

Despite frequent large quakes, Iran does not have strong building codes and many houses are built out of mud bricks and unreinforced masonry, which do not stand up well to earthquakes. Mud brick crumbles into a heavy powder without air pockets. Heavy cement roofs collapsed into houses crushing the occupants. Consequently, casualties and damage is much higher than in a similar quake elsewhere in the world. For example, the Northridge quake in Los Angeles in 1994 was a little stronger than this one but only killed about 100 people. In Kobe Japan in 1995 a similar quake killed about 5,000. There too, heavy tile roofs collapsed into many houses. Other factors contribute to the severity of a quake, but earthquake resistant buildings can make a huge different in the number of injuries.

Here is the USGS preliminary report on the causes of the quake:

This earthquake occurred as the result of stresses generated by the motion of the Arabian plate northward against the Eurasian plate at a rate of approximately 3 cm/yr (about one inch per year). Deformation of the Earth's crust in response to the plate motion takes place in a broad zone that spans the entire width of Iran and extends into Turkmenistan. Earthquakes occur as the result of both reverse faulting and strike-slip faulting within the zone of deformation. Preliminary analysis of the pattern of seismic-wave radiation from the December 26 earthquake is consistent with the earthquake having been caused by right-lateral strike-slip motion on a north-south oriented fault. The earthquake occurred in a region within which major north-south, right-lateral, strike-slip faults had been previously mapped, and the epicenter lies near the previously mapped, north-south oriented, Bam fault. However, field investigations will be necessary to determine if the earthquake occurred on the Bam fault or on another, possibly not yet mapped, fault. The December 26 earthquake is 100 km south of the destructive earthquakes of June 11, 1981 (magnitude 6.6, approximately 3,000 deaths) and July 28, 1981 (magnitude 7.3, approximately 1,500 deaths). These earthquakes were caused by a combination of reverse-motion and strike-slip motion on the north-south oriented Gowk fault.

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

See also the following news stories:

5/21/2003 Algeria Earthquake

2003-05-21T18:44:00.000-07:00

Updated 5/24/2003

The 6.7 Magniture earthquake struck at 18:44 GMT 5/21/03. This was 7:44 pm local time. The epicenter was in Bourmedes, 45 miles east of Algiers in Northern Algeria. Scores of buildings collapsed in the first seconds of the quake. Over 1,875 have died, over 1.000 in Bourmedes and over 7,000 injured. Thousands more camp out in the streets because their homes have been destroyed or out of fear of aftershocks. Accoridng to the BBC, "In Reghaia, 35km (22 miles) east of Algiers, authorities requisitioned the municipal stadium, setting up tents for families whose houses were destroyed in the earthquake. " There have indeed been many strong aftershocks. Rescuers have been desperately digging in the rubble with bulldozers and their bare hands desperately trying to find people who are still alive. After the first two days there is little hope of finding more survivors. Hospitals are totally overwhelmed with thousands of people coming in with serious injuries. Communications are difficult with phone lines down. Many roads have been damaged, huge traffic jams make access to the area difficult. Remote villages are especially cut off with roads cracked and blocked with debris. Large crowds of relatives are pouring into the area, adding to the congestion. Medical supplies are in short supply.

Algeria has requested international aid to cope with the massive damage. France has sent aid, including rescue equipment and rescue dogs. The dogs have been trained to find people under debris. Other countries are also contributing. French President, Jacques Chirac stressed historic ties between France, the former colonial power, and Algeria, in sending aid. UNICEF, the Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies and others are contributing to the effort.

Two days after the quake, crowds turned their grief and anger towards the Algerian President when he toured the disaster area. Boos and stone throwing were reported. Local Newspapers also attack the lack of preparations and response to a quake in this very seismically active region. They accuse the government of an inadequate response and of allowing substandard construction of the buildings that collapsed. The government has been accused of slow response and poor co-ordination of the rescue efforts. Foreign aid workers are finding that government security concerns are also slowing them down. They are experiencing tight checks at the border. Conflicts between government security forces and Islamic militants complicate the issue. Road crews are working with armed escorts and the government is reluctant to send rescuers into areas where they might be caught up in the conflict.

This quake was casued by the collision between the African Tectonic Plate, which is moving northward into Europe. The Northern Algerian area has been hit repeatedly by severe quakes. The USGS describes this process as follows: "The earthquake occurred in the boundary region between the Eurasian plate and the African plate. Along this section of the plate boundary, the African plate is moving northwestward against the Eurasian plate with a velocity of about 6 mm per year. The relative plate motions create a compressional tectonic environment, in which earthquakes occur by thrust-faulting and strike-slip faulting. Analysis of seismic waves generated by this earthquake shows that it occurred as the result of thrust-faulting. Algeria has experienced many destructive earthquakes. On October 10, 1980, the city of El Asnam (formerly Orleansville and today Ech-Cheliff) was severely damaged by a magnitude 7.1 earthquake that killed at least 5000 people. The site of El Asnam is situated approximately 220 km to the west of the recent earthquake. The same city, as Orleansville, had been heavily damaged on September 9, 1954, by a magnitude 6.7 earthquake that killed over 1000 people. On October 29, 1989, a magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck about 110 km to the west of the recent earthquake and killed at least 30 people."

(See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

See also the following news stories:

2/24/2003 China Earthquake

2003-02-24T02:03:00.000-08:00

Updated 2/27/2003

The earthquake was given a magnitude of 6.4 by the US Geological Survey. It struck at 02:03 GMT Monday morning. This was 10:03 local time but because the area is in the extreme west of China's one time zone, it was shortly after dawn and many people were at breakfast. Others had just started school or work. The epicenter was in Xinjiang province 65 miles from the city of Kashi. This is in the extreme west of China, 2070 miles west of Beijing. It is generally poor, sparsely populated region, inhabited by Uighurs, a Muslim people, related to those in Kyrgyzstan and other Central Asian countries nearby.

The death toll was confirmed at 266, following strong aftershocks on 2/25/03 that killed 5 more people, including some rescue workers. Estimates of injuries range from 1,000 to 4,000. Over 9,000 buildings were destroyed. Most casualties were caused when people were trapped in their collapsing houses. CNN reported: "Almost all the dead were in Bachu County, where flimsy building construction seemed to have contributed to the death toll, officials said. The neighboring county of Jiashi was closer to the epicenter but suffered little damage; its homes have been reinforced following severe quakes in recent years."

The BBC reported: "The quake had a severe effect on the local economy, which is heavily dependent on farming. Some 11,000 cattle were killed and at just one farm in Qiongkuerqiake, 190 sheep were crushed. Local residents cannot eat them because they have not been butchered according to Muslim tradition. "

The army immediately sent in rescue crews to help dig survivors out of the rubble. Dogs are also being used to locate survivors. The Chinese government is providing aid but has not issued an international appeal.

This quake was casued by the collision between the Indian Sub-continent, which is plowing northward into Asia. This collision raised the Himalayan Range and causes earthquakes throughout the whole Central Asian region. The USGS describes this process as follows:

"This earthquake occurred near the boundary between the Tarim Basin and the Tian Shan mountain range in the north-west Tarim Basin. In a broad sense, earthquakes in this region result from stresses induced by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian continental plates, even though the boundary between these plates lies about 1000 km to the south.

The Indian Plate continuously moves northward at a rate of 4.5 cm per year relative to the Eurasian Plate generating massive mountain ranges including the Himalaya and causing the uplift of the Tibetan Plateau. These stresses are transmitted to the north, through the rigid and undeforming Tarim Basin, where they generate the Tian Shan mountains and numerous earthquakes like this recent event. Several nearby mapped faults have orientations similar to the thrust fault that the earthquake occurred on, although seismologists have not yet associated the quake with a specific fault.

The region surrounding this earthquake has produced several deadly earthquakes in the past decade. The most destructive include a magnitude 6.3 event on March 19, 1996, a magnitude 5.9 on January 21, and a magnitude 6.2 on April 11, 1997. Each quake killed between 10 and 24 people, and destroyed thousands of buildings. The most recent significant earthquake occurred on August 27, 1998 killing 2 and destroying 3,600 homes. " (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

USGS Bulletin for the 2/24/03 China quake

See also the following news stories:

6/22/2002 Iran Earthquake

2002-06-22T02:58:00.000-07:00

Updated 6/30/2002

On Saturday June 22, 2002 at 7:28 AM local time (02:58 GMT) a magniture 6.5 earthquake hit northwest Iran. It was centered around the town of Bou'in-Zahra, in northern Qazvin province about 240 miles west of Teheran. The death toll was originally thought to be over 500 but within a few days was revised downwards to 245. There were an estimated 1,500 injuries and 5,000 homes were destroyed leaving 25,000 people homeless. Nearly 100 villages were badly damaged or destoyed, according to the Red Crescent. Most of the dead were buried when their unreinforced homes collapsed. Emergency services were strained, with local people complaining that the government was too slow to get help to the region and that the death toll was actually higher than the official reports. Efforts to prevent the spread of disease include spraying disinfectant.

International aid has been offered by many countries, including the US, in spite of the strained relations between the two countries. Iran has declared that it will accept some US humanitarian aid.

There have been many strong aftershocks, up to 5.1 Magnitude.

This quake was casued by the movement of the Arabian Plate as it moves to the northwest relative to the Eurasian Plate. The quake had a shallow focus as the earth's crust adjusted to the strain caused by this collision. Frequent shallow focus quakes are the rule in this area. The USGS describes this process as follows: " This recent Iranian earthquake occurred in the Zagros fold-and-thrust belt. This highly seismic region forms the boundary between the Arabian and Eurasian plates. The Arabian Plate is a small plate split from the African Plate by rifting along the Red Sea. As it collides with the massive Eurasian Plate it causes uplift of the Zagros mountains and numerous damaging earthquakes. " (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

See also the following news stories:

3/25/2002 Afghan Earthquake

2002-03-25T06:18:00.000-08:00

Updated 3/28/2002

On the morning of March 25, 2002 at 6:18 GMT GMT a 6.1 magnitude earthquake was felt in Northern Afghanistan. Initial reports set the death toll at 1,800 but that has been revised downwards to about 1,000. The shallow focus of the quake led to more severe shaking at the surface and thus more damage than a deeper quake of the same magnitude. Buildings are not built to resist quakes, using stone and masonry, which are easily damaged by the frequent earthquakes. The area hit has suffered from drought, famine and war in the last few years. Whole villages are reported to have been leveled with thousands homeless. The initial quake has been followed by a series of severe aftershocks and related quakes that compounded the damage. The same general area has been hit by major earthquakes on a regular basis.

Aid was immediately rushed to the area. Roads to the affected areas are difficult under the best of circumstances and made worse by earthquake caused landslides. Aid has gotten through by helicopter, with the international peacekeeping force in Kabul helping out. Many aid workers are already in the country helping victims of famine and war. Relief efforts may be hampered by landmines and the fear of Al Quaeda attacks. A statement apparently from Al Quaeda blames the quake on God's Punishment for the war against the Taliban. This quake was casued by the movement of the Indian Plate as it moves northward into the Eurasian Plate. The quake had a shallow focus as the earth's crust adjusted to the strain caused by this collision. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

See also the following news stories:

Afghan Earthquake Toll Believed to be less than 1,000 (NY Times via Tampa Tribune 3/28/02) Afghan Earthquake Toll Believed to be less than 1,000 (NY Times via Tampa Tribune 3/28/02)
In Pictures: Afghan Quake (BBC 3/27/02)
Aid Pours in for Afghan Quake victims (BBC 3/28/02)
Aid Pouring into Afghan Quake Site (AP via Lycos 3/28/02)
Afghan Quake is God's Punishment: Al Quaeda (Hindustantimes.com 3/28/02)

2/3/2002 Turkish Earthquake

2002-02-03T07:11:00.000-08:00

Updated 2/3/2002

On the morning of February 3, 2002 at 7:11 GMT (09:11 local time) a 6.2 magnitude earthquake was felt in Western Turkey. The epicenter was 130 miles SW of Ankara, 300 miles SE of Istanbul. 45 people have been confirmed dead with at least 130 injuries.

Afyon province at the epicenter is a sparsely populated rural area. Most casualties were in industrial developments, where several buildings collapsed. Since the quake occurred on Sunday morning when most people were home, there are fewer casualties than there might have been had the quake been at a different time. The Turkish government immediately sent 3000 tents and rescue workers. President Echivit visited the area. The government had been criticized for its slow response to the much larger 1999 quake. This was a shallow quake, only 10 km deep. In general quakes at this depth are caused by lateral movements of the earth's crust. The quake occurred in an area characterized by frequent shallow quakes. The entire west coast of Turkey from the Black Sea right around the coast down to the Mediterranean is part of this zone. Istanbul is the largest city in this area and is definitely considered at risk for a major quake with thousand of casualties. This part of Turkey is located near the intersection of three major tectonic plates. The Eurasian Plate is to the north, The African and Arabian plates to the South and Southeast are moving generally northwards, squeezing Turkey in the process. Earthquakes on the Anatolian Fault are the result of these pressures. (See the http://theearthquakemuseum.weebly.com/plate-tectonics.html">Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

See also the following news stories:

6/23/2001 Peru Earthquake

2001-06-23T20:33:00.000-07:00

Updated 7/2/2001

On the afternoon of June 23, 2001 at 20:33 GMT (15:33 local time) a 8.1 magnitude earthquake struck southern Peru. The epicenter was 110 miles (180 km) SSE of Puquio, Peru,120 miles (190 km) W of Arequipa, Peru , 200 miles (325 km) SSW of Cuzco, Peru and, 375 miles (600 km) SE of LIMA, Peru. 102 people have been confirmed dead with 1,368 injuries and 46,470 estimated homeless according to Peru's Civil Defense Institute. The biggest city in the area is Arequipa, Peru's second largest. Other cities that were hard hit include Moquegua and Tacna. Portions of Bolivia and Chile also were affected with relief efforts also ongoing there. Communications following the quake have been hampered by damaged roads, mudslides and downed electric and phone lines.

Arequipa is known for beautiful colonial architecture. Many of these buildings have been severely damaged, including the cathedral, which was originally built in 1656. One of its steeples fell and the other was severely damaged. Traffic has been restricted in the central section of the city because of fears that the vibrations could cause further collapse.

Witnesses said that the ground made huge waves during the quake, which lasted over 1 minute. A tsunami caused by the quake drowned 39 people in a coastal village but tsunami warnings for the Pacific were withdrawn with no damage elsewhere.

Earthquakes over 8 Magnitude are known as "Great" Earthquakes and are capable of largescale devastation. This quake would have been much more damaging in a more heavily populated area.

The Earthquake occurred in the Nazca Tectonic Plate just off the coast. The Naca Plate and the South American Plate are moving towards eachother. At this point the Nazca Plate is just starting to descend under the South American Plate. This quake was considered shallow, only being about 20 mi (33 km) deep. As the Nazca Plate moves east it descends deeper and deeper until it hits the earth's mantle, where the heat and pressure are enough to melt and absorb it. Magma rises from this point to fuel the Andes' volcanoes. As you move east from the coast, earthquakes originate deeper and deeper in the descending plate. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

See also the following news stories:

2/28/2001 Nisqually, Washington Earthquake

2001-02-28T18:55:00.000-08:00

Updated 3/2/2001

The quake occurred at 18:55 GMT (10:55 AM Pacific Standard Time). The magnitude was 6.8. The epicenter was between Tacoma and Olympia, Washington, about 10 miles northeast of Olympia. The focus of the quake was 30 miles deep. It was felt strongly in Portland and Vancouver, British Columbia. There were also reports that it was felt in San Francisco and Salt Lake City.

320 people were injured, 4 seriously. Damage estimates are over $2 billion. There have been considerably reports of damage, especially in Olympia near the epicenter of the quake. There have been many buildings there suffering structural damage. There is a large crack in the dome of the State Capitol Building and serious damage to other state office buildings. The legislature is right in the middle of its 105 day session. Both the Governor, the legislature and the state Supreme Court have had to relocate due to serious damage to their buildings. The Governor's Mansion is uninhabitable. Governor Locke's 2 year old son just missed being hit by a television that fell over in the Governor's Mansion. Some streets and sidewalks were badly buckled. There were also cracks in the ground up to several inches wide. Seattle skyscrapers swayed violently but apparently not dangerously. Lots of windows were broken and many buildings in downtown Seattle suffered a lot of damage, especially in the historic Pioneer Square district. In many places bricks fell from building facades. Some parked cars were covered with debris. Harborview Medical Center in Seattle closed one wing and evacuated patients. About 30 people were stranded for a couple of hours in the Space Needle while the elevators were checked. Some buildings were evacuated and Sea-Tac airport was closed for 4 or 5 hours. There was considerable damage to the Control Tower, with many of the windows broken. The Air Traffic controllers were temporarily relocated to vans next to the runway. The Portland airport was also closed. Seattle Ferry traffic was disrupted while the Seattle dock was evaluated. Passengers were stranded for a few hours on ferries that happened to be on the water at the time. Some highway bridges, including the Alaskan Way Viaduct, an elevated freeway along Seattle's waterfront were closed while crews checked for damage. Landslides closed some highways in the Cascades as well as Highway 101 north of Olympia. 100,000 people lost power but most of it was restored by the end of the day. Most of the damage was in the Olympia and Seattle areas, although there was isolated damage further away. The Peninsula College Little Theater in Port Angeles was closed due to damage and one historic office building in downtown Port Townsend had several cracks in its facade. A middle school gym in Port Townsend may also have suffered structural damage.

School children throughout the area followed instructions from their earthquake drills and ducked under their desks when their teachers told them, "We are having an earthquake. Duck under your desks and stay quiet so we can hear." Most schools were undamaged and the school day continued. Some parents did pick up their children early though.

Immediately after the quake there were large crowds of people milling around in the streets of Seattle, Olympia and as far away as Portland. Many people were alarmed by the buildings swaying in the quake and ran out into the street. In general, downtown streets are the least safe place to be during and immediately after an earthquake. The most common damage is broken windows and collapse of building facades. Both of these will shower the streets below with debris. Even when buildings do collapse they often fall into the streets. (In the Indian earthquake in January 350 schoolchildren were buried under a collapsed building facade as they marched down the street in a parade.) If there had been aftershocks to this quake, it could have brought down more debris onto the crowds below. The congestion may also have interfered a bit with emergency response. Many people were sent home early leading to considerable traffic congestion throughout the day.

This quake was similar to the quakes in Seattle in 1939 and on 4/13/1949 and 4/29/1965. The 1949 7.1 quake released 3 times as much energy as this quake. The relatively deep focus of the earthquake tended to lessen the damage since it put the focus further from the surface. The relatively deep focus also spread out the effects over a large area. The quake was caused by tensional faulting in the Juan de Fuca plate, which is subducting under the North American Plate in this area. The plate is under strain as it is bent while going under the North American Plate.

The Seattle fault is a shallower fault in the North American Plate that is also thought to be a danger for an earthquake that could cause considerably more damage. The prospects for an earthquake on the Seattle fault are not thought to be affected by this quake. The prospects for a major subduction quake off the Pacific Coast are probably not affected either. A major subduction quake could have a magnitude of 8-9 causing major damage over a large area as well as a possible tsunami. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

This quake was rated as moderate. There are several quakes this large every year throughout the world. Damage from a quake of this size depends largely on how near it is to population centers and the types of buildings in the area. In an area with unreinforced masonry buildings and no building codes, a quake like this could cause hundreds, even thousands of casualties. In a relatively unpopulated area, it could cause very little damage. This quake was in a major urban area, so it affected a lot of people, but an area that was aware of earthquake risks and has had building codes in place that require quake safe building methods. Many, but not all, older buildings have been retrofitted to improve their resistance to earthquakes. This quake can also be contrasted to the 1994 Northridge earthquake, which had a 6.7 magnitude, similar to this one, but with a shallower 11 mile deep focus, That quake caused a lot more damage and killed 72 people.

See also the following news stories:

Seattle Times Earthquake Photos
Seattle Times coverage 3/1/01
Seattle tries to get back to normal, CNN 2/28/01
Seattle counts cost of quake, BBC 2/28/01
Daily Olympian Quake Photos
Dangerous ground: Hard lessons learned since the 2001 Nisqually quake A look back 10 years later. Are we better prepared?
Tracing from a Pendulum during the quake
My personal account of the earthquake as it was experienced from Port Townsend Washington, about 50 miles from the epicenter.
Arne Christensen’s Stories of the Nisqually Earthquake Blog

2/13/2001 El Salvador Earthquake

2001-02-13T14:22:00.001-08:00

Updated 2/20/2001

At 7:22 AM local time (1422 GMT) 2/13/01 an earthquake measuring 6.6 Magnitude with an epicenter 15 miles from San Salvador. The death toll is over 283 with a combined total of 1,200 dead from both recent earthquakes. Another 100,000 people were made homeless from this quake. One million people are now homeless. Damage from this quake tended to be in areas that suffered less damage in the larger January earthquake. Aftershocks from both quakes have people in a state of panic. There have been landslides and collapsed buildings. Clouds of dust billowed up from the volcano outside of San Salvador but there was no volcanic activity associated with the quake. Power and telephone service were interrupted for a while and the airport was briefly closed to check for damage. Landslides have cut off whole communities. Helicopters and heavy machinery was used to clear the debris.

Relief services in El Salvador are already stretched and thousands are still homeless from the last quake. This will make their job more difficult but President Flores called on people to pull together once more to meet the emergency. UN agencies providing relief are coming under strain from the two quakes in El Salvador and the huge Indian quake, all of which occurred in a span of a few weeks. International aid is slowing down and authorities are worried about "donor fatigue" from this string of disasters. Although this quake was smaller than either the Indian quake or January's quake, it still ranks as a major disaster in its own right. El Salvador's economy has been crippled and a large proportion of the population is unable to provide for their own needs. It will be a long time before the jobs and housing can be restored. There are concerns about sanitation and the water supply as well as the spread of disease. El Salvador was still recovering from Hurricane Mitch 3 years ago when the quakes struck.

Geologically, this quake is not considered an aftershock of January's because its epicenter was different. January's quake was a deep focus quake located in the Cocos Plate as it is subducted or pulled under the Caribbean Plate. The February quake had a shallow focus in the Caribbean Plate. The quakes may be related since they both represent the interaction of the same two plates. Similar sequences of quakes have been studied elsewhere in recent years. However, these quakes are totally unrelated to the recent earthquake in India, which involved completely different plates almost halfway around the world. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

See also the following news stories:

1/26/2001 India Earthquake

2001-01-26T03:16:00.000-08:00

Updated 2/4/2001

An earthquake measuring 7.9 Magnitude hit the city of Bhuj, a desert town of 150,000 people in Gujarat state near the Pakistani border in western India at 0316 GMT (8:46 AM local time) 01/26/01.

Over 15,000 people are confirmed dead with 55,000 injured. The death toll could go as high as 30,000 to 35,000 according to relief agencies. The official estimate puts damage at over $4.5 Billion. Descriptions of the area nearest the epicenter are of total devastation. Over 100 buildings collapsed. Medical facilities were overwhelmed by the casualties, with hospitals themselves suffering devastating damage. People are being warned to avoid going back into their houses for fear of further damage from aftershocks, which have been numerous. Some aftershocks have been has strong as 5.9 Magnitude. Nine days after the main quake, aftershocks are still powerful enough that they threaten the collapse of still more buildings and send panicked people rushing out into the streets. Authorities are worried that many buildings are in dangerous condition and have banned people from entering them. Highrises are leaning and could collapse at any time. As is usually true after a quake of this magnitude, there are aftershocks several times a day that tend to keep people on edge, even when they don't cause more damage.

The quake was felt as far away as Nepal, 1,000 miles to the north and Bangladesh, 1,200 miles to the east. Buildings swayed in New Dehli (600 miles, 966 Km away), where Republic Day(India's Independence Day) celebrations were just about to get underway. In Gujarat 350 children participating in a parade were buried as buildings collapsed on them. Most of the casualties were in Gujarat state, although there were some in other parts of India and in Pakistan. The quake was the most powerful to strike India since Aug. 15, 1950, when an 8.5 magnitude temblor killed 1,538 people in northeastern Assam state.

Electric, Gas, Telephone and Water services were knocked out throughout Gujarat. After a few days service was restored in the major cities but outages continue in the hardest hit areas. Authorities said that the 2 nuclear power plants in Gujarat were not damaged. Thousands of the dead were from Bhuj, where 90% of the buildings sustained damage and more than half the buildings have been destroyed. AP reports 1/26/01 "In Ahmedabad, a center of India's textile industry, as many as 50 multistory buildings crumbled. Hundreds of people besieged the fire station asking for help to dig out their relatives, said fire chief Rajesh Bhat" Rescue efforts used both heavy cranes and people digging by hand in a desparate attempt to save loved ones. Nine days after the quake there are very few people being found alive. Thousands are leaving the area on foot due to a lack of food, water and shelter. There have been allegations of shoddy building practices being responsible for some of the damaged buildings. the government promises to investigate this.

The Indian Government is sending 10,000 tents and shipments of grain to the region. International aid has been offered from many countries, including Pakistan, and the United Nations is sending an evaluation team. The government is treating the emergency on a war footing, asking people to rally around to help. The military is taking a leading role in getting supplies to the quake area and treating the wounded. Two naval hospital ships are being used to treat injured people. The Air Force is flying in 40 flights a day with food and medical supplies. Two days after the quake authorities are worried about the spread of disease due to inadequate sanitary facilities and thousands of unburied bodies, although the World Health Organization (WHO) states that there are no diseases transmitted by dead bodies. There is a lack of firewood for cremations but more is being brought into the area. Many small funeral pyres burn throughout the area. Contaminated water is being blamed for an increase in diarrhea but there have not been any major outbreaks of disease. There is still danger of the spread of cholera or malaria due to poor living conditions for survivors. Respiratory illness is common due to people having to live outside in cold weather. Many villages did not receive help until a week after the quake. Efforts have so far been concentrated in the cities but the Prime Minister has now called for more help for the countryside as well. The government has come in for strong criticism in the hardest hit areas for not asking for international aid sooner and for not getting help to outlying areas for days after the quake. Desperate people have clashed with police over distribution of food.

This quake was caused by the movement of the Indian Plate as it moves northward into the Eurasian Plate. The quake had a shallow focus as the earth's crust adjusted to the strain caused by this collision. Gujarat is located on the Western edge of the Indian Plate near the intersection of the Eurasian Plate and the Arabian Plate. Although the collision of the Indian Plate and the Eurasian Plate has created the Himalayas, this quake was cause by the plates in the area slipping past each other. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

See also the following news stories:

1/13/2001 El Salvador Earthquake

2001-01-13T17:34:00.000-08:00

Updated 2/20/2001

At 11:34 AM local time (1734 GMT) 1/13/01 an earthquake measuring 7.6 Magnitude with an epicenter in the Pacific Ocean 65 miles 110 km) off the coast of El Salvador. The nearest town was San Miguel. Unlike the 1986 7.5 M quake that devastated the capital, San Salvador, this quake caused extensive damage mostly in the countryside. The quake was felt across El Salvador, Guatemala, Nicaragua and Honduras and as far north as Mexico City. As is common after a large quake, there have been frequent aftershocks, some of them up to 5.7 Magnitude. People are sleeping in the streets for fear of further damage to their houses. President Flores is urging calm, dismissing rumors that aftershocks could cause tsunamis or volcanic eruptions. He said that although the danger is not past there are not likely to be anything as strong as the original quake. There have been additional building collapses and landslides triggered by aftershocks.

Over 1,000 people are confirmed dead, 2500 injured and 750,000 homeless. 141,000 houses were destroyed. The homeless are living in refugee camps with no where to go. President Flores ordered 3,000 coffins from Columbia immediately following the quake. 500 of the fatalities were people trapped in a landslide in San Tecla outside of San Salvador. A hillside collapsed, covering up to 500 houses. Rescuers hurried to uncover the houses in the hope of finding survivors. The BBC reports that residents claim that construction of the houses had been done improperly, undermining the hillside. Early efforts were hampered by lack of equipment. Roads have been blocked by landslides, communications are difficult and power is out throughout the country. The airport was closed for a day or two after the quake due to heavy damage to the passenger terminal. Many buildings have collapsed, including a church over 100 years old. 50,000 people have been evacuated from dangerous areas due to fears of further landslides. According to the BBC 1/16/01 "As many as half of the country's six million people are without water supplies, the Pan-American Health Organization said. Efforts are being intensified to get food, blankets and tents to those made homeless. Improvised shelters of canvas and plastic have been erected and the army is distributing rations of rice and beans."

President Flores has declared a national disaster and called for international aid. Total damage from the quake is estimated at $1.3 billion, over 15% of the annual economic output.. Mexico was the first to send a rescue team, followed by Taiwan, Switzerland and many other countries, including the USA. Taiwan sent a rescue team formed after their 1999 disastrous quake. Relief supplies include helicopters, dogs trained to find buried victims, food, blankets and money. After about a week the focus changed from rescue to relief . Bodies were being buried as quickly as possible in mass graves to prevent the spread of disease. There is an urgent need to care for those displaced by the quake. There has been some speculation that deforestation due to extensive logging destabilized hillsides and increased the severity of the landslides.

CNN reports, "A 22-year-old man was rescued after he alerted searchers by tapping for hours on concrete debris that had fallen on him. Another trapped man escaped death by using a cellular phone to call for help and inform rescuers of his location."

Geologically the quake was caused by the subduction of the Cocos Plate under the Caribbean Plate. The Cocos Plate is one of the remnants of a larger plate to the east of the Pacific Plate. The Juan De Fuca Plate, off of the Pacific Northwest coast of the United States and British Columbia, Canada, is another remnant of that plate. These plates are subducting under the neighboring plates to the east and will eventually be entirely consumed, as it was off the California coast where the Pacific Plate is now directly against the North American Plate in the San Andreas fault zone. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

See also the following news stories:

6/4/2000 Sumatra Earthquake

2000-06-24T16:28:00.000-07:00

Updated 6/11/2000

The city of Bengkulu on the Indonesian island of Sumatra was struck by an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9 at 16:28 GMT (23:28 Local time) 6/4/00. The death toll has reached 120 one week after the quake, as rescuers continue to dig through the rubble of hundreds of collapsed buildings. In some areas as many as 80% of the houses will have to be rebuilt. The quake's epicenter was 60 miles southwest of Bengkulu, in the Indian Ocean. The affected area is about halfway between Indonesia's capital, Jakarta, and Singapore. The quake was felt strongly in both of these cities, about 400 miles from the epicenter, sending people running into the streets in their pajamas after being awakened by violently swaying highrises. There was no reported damage, however, that far from the epicenter.

Relief supplies first arrived in two Indonesian Navy ships. The Bengkulu airport was closed with extensive damage and many roads are blocked. Communications have also been down throughout the affected area. Doctors are treating patients outdoors under plastic canopies due to concern about the safety of hospitals. One hospital roof collapsed. Medical supplies and blood are running low, although relief supplies are now reaching the area. Tens of thousands of people have been spending the night out of doors, some in tent cities, as the area has been rocked by numerous strong aftershocks, several over 6 on the Richter Scale. People are afraid of being caught in buildings that may collapse in future aftershocks. The government is coming under criticism for not responding quicker. The Indonesian government has appealed for international aid and pledged help to quake victims. Help in building temporary shelter has been promised but the government may not have the resources to build permanent housing.

The quake occurred at a depth of 21 miles. This is unusually shallow for a subduction earthquake. Sumatra is located at the border of the Australian plate, which extends undr the Indian Ocean, and the Eurasian plate. The Australian plate, as it is pushed under the Eurasian plate is capable of causing very strong earthquakes as well as extensive volcanic activity. The Indonesian Archipeligo is located at the confluence of the Australian, Eurasian, Phillipines and Pacific Plates. It is one of the most seismically and volcanically active areas of the world. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

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11/12/99 Turkish Earthquake

1999-11-12T16:59:00.001-08:00

Updated 11/21/99

The city of Duzce in northwestern Turkey was struck by an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.2 at 16:59 GMT 11/12/99. The Turkish government reports 705 dead and 5,000 injured with 80,000 homeless. The government, stung by criticism of a slow response to the August quake that killed over 15,000 people in the same general region was quick to send troops to help in the rescue efforts. 750 buildings were destroyed. Cold weather is especially hard on the thousands living in tents, with temperatures near freezing. The government has distributed 24,000 tents but could use more. Over 100,000 tents are still in use following the August quake. Bolu province where the quake was centered is just 45 miles east of the areas hit hardest by the August quake. It is a mountainous region with a smaller population than the coastal area affected by the August quake, which was much more destructive.

This quake and the August Izmit quake are on the North Anatolian Fault. A release of stress on one part of the fault leads to increased pressure on neighboring sections. The section that appears to have accumulated the most stress now is near Istanbul. It is impossible to tell, however, when that quake will hit. Most of Istanbul is built on solid ground and is not likely to see the kind of damage sustained in Ismit. On the other hand it is a large city a major quake there is sure to produce considerable destruction and loss of life. The Turkish population is now very aware of earthquake danger so the long process of strengthening buildings will probably now receive a high priority from the government.

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9/21/99 Taiwan Earthquake

1999-09-20T17:47:00.000-07:00

Updated 9/26/99

A magnitude 7.6 quake struck central Taiwan about 90 miles south of Taipei at 1:47AM Tuesday September 21, 1999 local time (17:47 9/20/99 GMT). 2,031 people were killed, 8,500 injured, 6,000 buildings were destroyed and up to 100,000 people were left homeless. Many camped out for days for fear of the continuing aftershocks; over 7,100 have been recorded so far with magnitudes as high as 6.8. Some of the aftershocks caused further building collapse and casualties. Fears of illness, poor sanitation and lack of water are now the major concerns. Rescue teams from China, Japan, the United States and Turkey, among others helped with clean-up efforts and the search for survivors. 5 days after the quake hopes are dimming for finding any more alive in the rubble, although 2 more were found after being buried for 5 days.

Although many buildings collapsed, including a 12 story hotel/apartment building in Taipei, the damage was much less than in the somewhat smaller Turkish Quake in August. This can be attributed to stronger, better enforced building codes in Taiwan. However there will be investigations of code violations in the buildings that did collapse. Rapid growth has led to a number of illegal buildings that were thought to be not up to code. Some contractors have been questioned and others were told not to leave for the time being. Officials admit that the death toll would have been lower had codes been followed.

Power was out to almost 5 million of the 22 million inhabitants of the island. The stock market was closed for 5 days following the quake and is scheduled to open for limited trading on Monday September 27. Government officials have expressed concern that the market will plunge due to concerns of the economic impact of the quake on the island nation. An emergency decree limits market declines as part of a package designed to aid in the recovery. The military will work on rebuilding and have been given special powers to combat black marketeers and looting. The government will make low interest loans available to quake victims.

Taiwan is located in the "Ring of Fire" surrounding the Pacific Ocean. This is one of the most seismically active regions of the world. Taiwan in on the boundary between the Philippine Plate and the Eurasian Plate.

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9/7/99 Athens Earthquake

1999-09-07T23:56:00.000-07:00

Updated 9/9/99

A magnitude 5.8 quake struck a northern suburb of Athens at 11:56 GMT 9/7/99. 70 people were killed, 2,000 injured and 50 are still missing as rescuers dig through the rubble of over 100 collapsed buildings. Inspectors are expected to condemn thousands of damaged buildings. Most of the city's population spent the night outdoors in fear of aftershocks. The rescue efforts were hampered by heavy rain the day after the quake. The government declared a one day state of emergency. Investigations are promised into shoddy building practices, as in the much more devastating Turkish quake in August. "We will look at this with great care," said Interior Minister Vasso Papandreou. "We have some of the strictest earthquake regulations around, and if they were kept, we should not have had this much damage." See also the following news stories:

8/17/99 Turkish Earthquake

1999-08-17T00:01:00.000-07:00

Updated 9/9/99

The city of Izmet in northwestern Turkey was struck by an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 at 00:01 GMT 8/17/99. The body wave was reported at 7.8MB. The shallow focus of the quake (10km) intensified the ground motion and therefore increased the damage from the quake. 15,135 people have been confirmed dead, over 30,000 are estimated to be missing and over 23,000 injured. There have been hundreds of aftershocks, some of them over magnitude 5. International relief agencies from around the world provided aid aid, including dogs and equipment capable of locating people buried under rubble. In the days immediately after the quake aid was slow in arriving in the devastated area. Meanwhile people were clearing collapsed buildings by hand searching for survivors.

Turkey has strong earthquake building codes due to the frequency of earthquakes in the area. However, the government has not acted to enforce them and contractors have often not built to code. Investigations following the quake have found inadequate reinforcements in the concrete and inferior sea sand, resulting in weak buildings. Contractors have been charged with negligence causing death and some have fled to avoid arrest.

This area has a long history of earthquakes. There was a magnitude 8 quake in 1939 that killed 23,000 people. The quakes in this area are caused by pressure from the Arabian plate pushing north into the Eurasian plate from the southeast while the African plate pushes north from the southwest. The fault involved in this quake is a strike slip fault similar to the San Andreas Fault in California. Scientists are studying relationships between quakes in the two areas.

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3/28/99 North India Quake

1999-03-28T19:05:00.000-08:00

Updated 4/1/99

An earthquake with a magnitude of 6.3 hit the Chamoli and Garhwal districts of Uttar Pradesh in India, in the foothills of the Himalayas, at 19:05 GMT 3/28/99. The epicenter was 190 miles north of Dehli. The quake was felt over a large area, as far away as Dehli.

Over 100 people have been reported dead, 300 injured and 5,00 homeless. The worst damage was caused by extensive landslides that buried whole families in their homes. A 5.3 magnitude aftershock at 21:02 GMT Wednesday March 30 caused some further damage but no more casualties.

The quake hit a seismically active region characterized by the collision of the Indian and Eurasian Tectonic Plates. Over the past several million years, India has travelled across the Indian Ocean from the vicinity of Madagascar. The collision with Eurasia is the force that has raised the Himalayas. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

Here is the USGS Bulletin with details of magnitude and location.

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2/11/99 Afghanistan Earthquake

1999-02-11T14:08:00.000-08:00

Updated 2/18/99

An earthquake with a Magnitude of 5.9 Ms centered 36 miles to the west of Kabul caused widespread damage February 11, 1999 at 6:38 pm local time (1408 GMT). Official estimates put the death toll at over 50 with 30,000 homeless. Most of the damage came from the collapse of unreinforced earthen buildings. Relief agancies are encouraging building more earthquake resistant structures to reduce damage from future quakes.

Afghanistan is in an extremely active seismic region that runs in an east/west direction from the Mediterranian Sea through Central Asia. This area is being compressed as the Indian Plate collides with the Eurasian Plate. This collision is continuing to raise the Hindu Kush and Himalyan Mountain Ranges. To the West similar processes cause earthquakes in Iran as a result of the movement of the Arabian Plate into the Eurasian Plate. Still further West, the Alps are the result of the collision of the African and Eurasian Plates. (See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes.)

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1/25/99 Columbia Earthquake

1999-01-25T18:19:00.000-08:00

Updated 2/14/99

The Columbian cities of Armenia and Calcara were struck by a major earthquake, with a Magnitude of 5.8, at 18:19 GMT (1:19 PM local time) Monday January 25, 1999. The initial shock was followed 4 hours later, at 22:40 (5:40 PM local time) GMT by a Magnitude 5.4 aftershock. Although initially 1000-2000 people were feared killed, the confirmed death toll now stands at 938, with 4117 injuries and 400,000 homeless, according to government figures. Armenia is a city of 300,000 in the coffee growing region of Columbia, 140 miles from Bogota. Much of the city lay in ruins after the quake. Entire neighborhoods were destroyed. Many of the collapsed buildings were unreinforced concrete. Officials fear more casualties from hunger and disease. Long term damage to the coffee industry is feared. The coffee plants themselves were not damaged, for the most part, but many processing plants and roads necessary to bring the crop to market were destroyed. Repairs may be slow in coming. Coffee prices have risen on the world markets after the quake and wages in the coffee producing regions have dropped.

Distribution of emergency food and supplies has been a major problem. Supplies at first sat at the airport without the means of distribution to areas that needed it. Government officials were at first overwhelmed and ensnared in red tape as they attempt to respond. The mayor of Calcara had to go to the airport personally in order to obtain aid for his city.

Looting was widespread as desparate people tried to get food. 4,000 troops were deployed to try to control the looting, with limited success as some soldiers expressed sympathy for the looters. At least one supermarket was burned and other stores have given away food since it would have been taken anyway.

The quake's focus was unusually shallow for this region, only 10-20 miles underground. This shallow focus explains the severity of the damage, since in shallow quakes the earthquake waves reach the surface quickly with less chance to dissipate than deeper ones. This area is located near the edges of three tectonic plates, the Nazca Plate, the South American Plate and the Carribean Plate. Normally, we would expect an earthquake here to be caused by subduction of the Nazca Plate under the South American Plate. However, if this were the case, we would expect a deeper focus. See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes

Here are some news stories about the quake:
BBC pictures of the Quake

BBC report on Columbia Earthquake

AP report on Columbia Earthquake from San Francisco Examiner

11/29/98 - 7.6 Quake Rocks Remote Indonesian Islands

1998-11-29T14:10:00.000-08:00

Updated 12/3/98

The earthquake's epicenter was in the Molucca Strait near the island of Mangole about 1200 miles east of Djakarta. This is one of the more remote areas of Indonesia. The population of the island is about 38,000. There was also substantial damage but no reported deaths on the neighboring islands. News stories from the region report 25 dead. A timber factory collapsed, at least partially into the ocean, with an estimated 200 people inside. Many houses are also reported to have slid into the sea. Rescue efforts are continuing. Thousands of people are reported camping out in fear of aftershocks, which are occurring, with magnitudes up to 5.8. Many people fled to higher ground in case of a tsunami. However, there has been no tsunami. Many buildings have been reported to have been destroyed. Landslides have cut communications with much of the islands near the epicenter. There are no hospitals on the affected islands, however there have been some airlifts of supplies in and injured people out.

Indonesia is located in one of the most seismically active areas of the world. Earthquakes here are caused by the subduction of the Eastern Pacific crust under the Asian plate. This action not only causes frequent earthquakes, but is responsible for the volcanic action that created these islands. As the ocean crust dives under the continental plate, it is heated to the melting point and rises as magma to the surface where it creates the volcanic island arcs so common in this area. See the Plate Tectonics page for more information on these processes

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