Page 2 - Earthquakes

Japanese worried after first-ever megaquake advisory. What does it mean?

Japan, one of the most earthquake-prone nations on earth, issued its first-ever megaquake advisory last week after a powerful quake struck off the southeastern coast of the southern main island of Kyushu. The magnitude 7.1 quake caused no deaths or severe damage but the advisory has led to widespread confusion and a lingering sense of worry in a country well accustomed to regular quakes about when the next big one will hit. The Associated Press explains what the advisory means, what people are being told to do, and what could happen if a massive quake hits Japan. What is a megaquake advisory? The Japan Meteorological Agency issued the advisory after concluding that the magnitude 7.1 quake that struck on August 8 on the western edge of the Nankai Trough increased the likelihood of another big one. There is a 70-80 per cent chance of a magnitude 8 or 9 quake associated with the Nankai Trough within the next 30 years, and the probability is now higher than normal after the latest .

4.4 magnitude quake felt in LA, San Diego; buildings sway, no big damage

A 4.4 magnitude earthquake was strongly felt from the Los Angeles area all the way to San Diego, swaying buildings, rattling dishes and setting off car alarms, but no major damage or injuries were immediately reported. Monday's quake was centred near the Los Angeles neighbourhood of Highland Park, about 6.5 miles (10.5 kilometres) northeast of Los Angeles' City Hall, and about 7.5 miles (12.1 kilometres) below the surface, the US Geological Survey said. The quake was felt from greater Los Angeles south to San Diego and east to the Palm Springs desert region, according to the USGS community reporting page. A small number of reports were filed from the southern San Joaquin Valley about 100 miles (160 kilometres) northwest of LA. It shook a medical building, a live interview on ESPN was interrupted, and the ground swayed in Anaheim, where Disneyland is located in Orange County. Dishes rattled in the storied LA neighbourhood of Laurel Canyon, home to many celebrities, and photos on soci

Japanese PM cancels Central Asia visit due to mega earthquake advisory

Japan Met department said a higher-than-usual probability of a megaquake is predicted around the Nankai Trough

Japan issues its first 'megaquake' warning after powerful tremors in Kyushu

A megaquake in what's known as the Nankai trough could surpass the damage from the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami that devastated the northern coast of the main island of Honshu

Japanese govt issues its first 'megaquake' warning after powerful tremor

Defined as a major tremor occurring in 100- to 150-year cycles, a megaquake could surpass the damage from the March 2011 earthquake

Earthquake of 4.2 magnitude jolts Taplejung region in eastern Nepal

An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 struck the Taplejung district in eastern Nepal on Sunday, authorities said. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage, they added. According to the National Earthquake Monitoring Centre, the epicentre of the quake was at Ankhop. The tremor, recorded at 4:04 PM, was also felt in neighbouring Panchthar district, it said.

Can we predict earthquakes? China says it has found an AI-powered solution

Scientists in China have developed a first-of-its-kind AI-model designed to analyse extensive datasets to enhance the accuracy and speed of detection of seismic signals and predict earthquakes

Earthquake 2,500 years ago could have changed Ganga's course: Study

An earthquake around 2,500 years ago could have caused the Ganga river to abruptly change course, according to a new study published. Researchers said the "undocumented" quake, possibly of magnitude 7-8, rerouted the main channel of the river in present day Bangladesh, a country vulnerable to big seismic shocks. "I don't think we have ever seen such a big one (earthquake) anywhere," said study co-author Michael Steckler, a geophysicist at Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia Climate School, US. "It could have easily inundated anyone and anything in the wrong place at the wrong time," Steckler said. The study was published in the journal Nature Communications. Originating in the Himalayas, the river Ganga eventually combines with other major rivers, including the Brahmaputra and the Meghna, before culminating in the Bay of Bengal. The rivers form the world's second-largest system, the Amazon being the largest. Many river-course changes, called 'avulsions', including some tha

Earthquakes shake Japan, collapse five homes damaged in January quake

Earthquakes early on Monday again struck Japan's north-central region of Ishikawa, still recovering from the destruction left by a powerful quake on January 1, but the latest shaking caused only minor damage. A magnitude 5.9 temblor on the northern top of the Noto Peninsula was followed minutes later by a 4.8 and then several smaller quakes within the next two hours, the Japan Meteorological Agency said. There was no danger of a tsunami. Two houses that had been damaged in the January 1 quake collapsed in Wajiima city but no injuries or other damage was reported so far, according to the Fire and Disaster Management Agency. JMA seismology and tsunami official Satoshi Harada said Monday's quakes were believed to be aftershocks of the magnitude 7.6 earthquake on January 1. Seismic activity has since slightly subsided but Harada urged people to be cautious, especially near buildings that were damaged earlier. Shinkansen super-express trains and other train services were temporarily ..

Taiwan hit by dozens of earthquakes; sees no major damage, casualties

Taiwan's Central Weather Administration said the spate of earthquakes starting Monday afternoon - which it put at about 180 - were aftershocks from the large April 3 quake

Taiwan's strongest earthquake leaves 9 dead, 934 injured, dozens stranded

Taiwan is regularly jolted by quakes and its population is among the best prepared for them, but authorities said they had expected a relatively mild earthquake and accordingly did not send out alerts

India-Taipei Association condoles loss of lives in Taiwan earthquake

They further prayed for the speedy recovery of those injured and extended support for the people of Taiwan during these difficult times

Strong quake hits Taiwan, buildings collapse; Japan issues tsunami alert

A powerful earthquake struck off Taiwan early Wednesday, rocking the entire island and collapsing buildings. Japan issued a tsunami alert for the southern Japanese island group of Okinawa. Japan's meteorological agency forecast a tsunami of up to 3 metres (9.8 feet). Taiwan's earthquake monitoring agency gave the magnitude as 7.2 while the US Geological Survey put it at 7.5. Television showed buildings in the eastern city of Hualien shaken off their foundations. The quake came at 7:58 am and could be felt in the capital Taipei.

6.9 magnitude quake in Papua New Guinea kills 3, wrecks nearly 1,000 homes

A magnitude 6.9 earthquake has hit a remote part of western Papua New Guinea killing at least three people and causing extensive damage to around 1,000 homes, officials said. The quake rocked the East Sepik region at about 6.20 am Sunday (2020 GMT Saturday) near the town of Ambunti, about 470 miles (756 kilometres) northwest of the capital of Port Moresby, and at a depth of 25 miles (about 40 kilometres), according to reports by the Australian Broadcasting Corporation. East Sepik province Governor Allan Bird posted on Facebook Sunday that initial estimates show the earthquake had destroyed about 1,000 homes in the area which was already dealing with widespread flooding from earlier in March. The flooding actually covers an area more than 800 kilometres long, and so there's about maybe 60 or 70 villages involved all along the Sepik River, Bird told the ABC on Monday. Local emergency crews were already active in the region because of the flooding when the earthquake struck. The floo

54 people dead in landslide in gold-mining village in south Philippines

The death toll from a massive landslide that hit a gold-mining village in the southern Philippines has risen to 54 with 63 people still missing, authorities said Sunday. The landslide hit the mountain village of Masara in Davao de Oro province on Tuesday night after weeks of torrential rains. Davao de Oro's provincial government said in a Facebook post that 54 bodies had been recovered. At least 32 residents survived with injuries but 63 remained missing, it said. Among those missing were gold miners who had been waiting in two buses to be driven home when the landslide struck and buried them. The search operation has been hampered by poor weather and fears of more landslides. More than 1,100 families have been moved to evacuation centres for their safety, disaster response officials said. The area has been swamped by heavy rains in the weeks before the landslide struck. Earthquakes also damaged houses and buildings in the region in recent months, officials said.

Ram temple in Ayodhya can withstand once-in-2,500-year quake: Scientists

The CSIR-CBRI also vetted soil investigation schemes, foundation design parameters, excavation schemes and recommendations for foundation and structure monitoring

100K Afghan children in dire need of support after earthquakes, says UNICEF

Almost 100,000 children in Afghanistan are in dire need of support, three months after earthquakes devastated the country's west, the UN children's agency said Monday. A 6.3-magnitude earthquake shook Herat province on Oct. 7 and a second strong quake struck the same province days later, on Oct. 11, killing more than 1,000 people. The majority of those dead in the quakes in Zinda Jan and Injil districts were women and children, and 21,000 homes were destroyed, UNICEF said in a statement. The atmosphere in these villages is thick with suffering even 100 days after the earthquakes in western Afghanistan when families lost absolutely everything," said Fran Equiza, UNICEF representative in Afghanistan. "Children are still trying to cope with the loss and trauma. Schools and health centers, which children depend upon, are damaged beyond repair, or destroyed completely, he added. As if this was not enough, winter has taken hold and temperatures hover below freezing," Equiza said. "Childr

Tremors in Delhi-NCR after magnitude 6.1 earthquake hits Afghanistan

The epicentre of the magnitude 6.1 earthquake was near Afghanistan

Over 200 dead since Japan's New Year's quakes, seven died in shelters

As of Wednesday, 203 deaths were reported following the 7.6 magnitude quake that slammed the western coastline of Japan on New Year's. Seven of them were at evacuation centers, where rescued people died from injuries and sickness. Such deaths weren't directly caused by the quakes, fires and mudslides. They happened in alleged safety. The pressures and stress of living in a place you aren't used to lead to such deaths, said Shigeru Nishimori, a disaster official at Ishikawa Prefecture, the hardest hit region. Nearly 30,000 people whose homes were destroyed or deemed unsafe were staying at schools and other makeshift facilities. Even minor rain and snow can set off landslides where the ground is loose from the more than 1,000 aftershocks that rattled the region for more than a week. Half-collapsed homes might flatten. Deaths from the New Year's temblor centered on Noto Peninsula in Ishikawa Prefecture have climbed daily, as rescue teams drew bodies from the rubble. Of the deaths, 91

Survivors struggle to rebuild lives 3 months after Afghanistan earthquake

A 6.3 magnitude quake on October 7 killed and injured thousands of people in Afghanistan's west. Three months on, survivors are struggling to rebuild their lives. Some families are living in canvas-coloured tents in Zinda Jan district, the quake's epicentre in the province of Herat, where every home was flattened. People endure the winter conditions with the help of donations and their Islamic faith, but they're anxious about what lies ahead. Habib Rahman, 43, was watching TV at his father-in-law's home when the quake struck. The horror still rings in his ears. He can't get it out of his head. However many details he gave about that day would never be enough, he told The Associated Press. Every squat mud building in Zinda Jan collapsed within minutes. Fear, shouting, panic and shock swept through villages. People used their hands to pull the living and the dead from under the rubble. If we look at this soil and dust, we will go beyond crazy, Habib said. The children are ...