Earthquakes

Afghanistan earthquakes: Taliban interference in aid efforts is affecting disaster response

Afghanistan earthquakes: Taliban interference in aid efforts is affecting disaster response: Over 1,000 people are thought to have been killed in the latest earthquake to hit Afghanistan. Humanitarian aid agencies are scrambling to help the affected villages. But the realities of Taliban rule are starting to have an impact on the ground, as relations between …

How climate change might trigger more earthquakes and volcanic eruptions

How climate change might trigger more earthquakes and volcanic eruptions: A volcanic eruption at the Reykjanes peninsula in Iceland in May 2021. Thorir Ingvarsson/Shutterstock Earth’s climate is changing rapidly. In some areas, escalating temperatures are increasing the frequency and likelihood of wildfires and drought. In others, they are making downpours and storms more intense or …

Why earthquakes happen all the time in Britain but not in Ireland

Why earthquakes happen all the time in Britain but not in Ireland: Britain experiences hundreds of earthquakes each year. Raffaele Bonadio, Author provided The village of Tean in Staffordshire, England, was hit by a 3.3-magnitude earthquake on June 28 2023. The tremors caused windows and doors to rattle in the surrounding area. Earthquakes of this …

Turkey-Syria earthquakes: shallow depth of main shocks is a key reason why they’ve been so devastating

Turkey-Syria earthquakes: shallow depth of main shocks is a key reason why they’ve been so devastating: The earthquakes that struck in Turkey and Syria in the early hours of February 6 have led to terrible destruction on a scale not seen in Europe for many decades. At the time of writing, the death toll has …

Tsunamis, earthquakes, nuclear meltdowns and COVID-19 – what Japan has and hasn’t learned from centuries of disaster

Tsunamis, earthquakes, nuclear meltdowns and COVID-19 – what Japan has and hasn’t learned from centuries of disaster: Three weeks after the 9.0 magnitude quakre and subsequent tsunami struck Japan. EPA/Stephen Morrison A decade on from 3/11 – the devastating earthquake, tsunami and nuclear catastrophe that hit Japan – the country is again amid a crisis …

Fukushima: why we need to look back thousands of years to get better at predicting earthquakes

Fukushima: why we need to look back thousands of years to get better at predicting earthquakes: The aftermath of Fukushima. Shutterstock/ Fly_and_Dive Ten years ago, on March 11 2011, a devastating earthquake occurred along part of a fault that scientists believe had not ruptured for more than a thousand years. The quake triggered a tsunami …

Pasha 89: Talking about earthquakes in South Africa

Pasha 89: Talking about earthquakes in South Africa: shutterstock Earthquakes are quite rare on the African continent. But that’s not to say that one couldn’t hit and be damaging. Recently the Western Cape region of South Africa saw some earthquake activity, though it’s unusual and was low on the scale that measures earthquakes. There is …

How medieval Europe recovered from earthquakes

How medieval Europe recovered from earthquakes: Earthquakes were a cause of devastation in medieval Europe. The 1117 earthquake in northern Italy hit what was possibly the most densely populated area in Europe at the time. An earthquake in 1456 in southern Italy caused total or almost complete destruction over an area of about 6000km² and …

Mistrust and earthquakes: why Lancashire communities are so shaken by fracking tremors

Mistrust and earthquakes: why Lancashire communities are so shaken by fracking tremors: After a month of tranquillity, fracking has resumed at the Preston New Road site near Blackpool triggering the biggest tremor to date. There have been 12 tremors over a four-day period, including the biggest so far – the 1.5 magnitude quake. In total, …

Series of earthquakes rattle Salinas, Hollister areas

Series of earthquakes rattle Salinas, Hollister areas: A swarm of earthquakes, including a magnitude 4.2 quake, rattled the Salinas area Friday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey. The 4.2 quake was reported at 5:58 a.m. near the San Benito County community of Paicines south of Hollister, formerly called Tres Pinos, with a depth …

Fracking and earthquakes: weighing up the dangers in South Africa

Fracking and earthquakes: weighing up the dangers in South Africa: There are concerns about the negative environmental and social impact of fracking in the Karoo. Martin Heigan/Flickr The South African government is looking into fracking to reduce the country’s huge reliance on coal for energy. Fracking involves pumping high pressured fluids into rock formations to …

Hurricanes, earthquakes estimated to cost industry $95B

Hurricanes, earthquakes estimated to cost industry B: This Sept. 21, 2017 file photo shows the damaged home of Ashley Toledo's mother in the aftermath of Hurricane Maria, in Punta Diamante, Puerto Rico. : Weird News Have you tried: Diving with Sharks?

This is not a drill: how 1985 disaster taught Mexico to prepare for earthquakes

This is not a drill: how 1985 disaster taught Mexico to prepare for earthquakes: Every year, on September 19, Mexico holds a public drill to mark the anniversary of the devastating earthquake of 1985, which killed 9,500 people and had a traumatic effect on the country. This year, just two hours after the annual drill, …