Earthquake

'Climate change triggers landslide, sent tremors across Earth for 9 days'

A landslide in Greenland, triggered by glacier melting due to climate change, caused an earthquake, vibrations from which reverberated throughout the planet for nine straight days and damaged infrastructure, according to a new study. In September 2023, a 1.2 kilometre-high mountain peak in an East Greenland fjord -- a narrow inlet of sea between two steep cliffs -- collapsed, causing a tsunami about 200 metres tall. Researchers said the giant wave rocked back and forth across the fjord for nine days, which sent seismic shocks reverberating throughout Earth's crust, baffling scientists around the world. While no one was hurt, the shocks destroyed infrastructure worth nearly USD 2,00,000 at an unoccupied research station on Ella Island in eastern Greenland, the international team, including researchers from the University College London, UK, said. According to them, the landslide was a result of the melting of glacier at the foot of the mountain, becoming thinner and unable to hold u

Islamabad, parts of Pakistan jolted by 5.7 magnitude earthquake: Met Dept

A 5.7 magnitude earthquake on Wednesday jolted parts of Pakistan, including the capital Islamabad, according to the country's meteorological department. The quake's epicentre was situated near the Dera Ghazi Khan region in the southwestern part of the Punjab province at a depth of 10 kilometres, Geo News reported, citing the Pakistan Meteorological Department (PMD). There were no immediate reports of any casualties or damage. The earthquake originated at 12:28 pm Pakistan Standard Time (PST) and was recorded at magnitude 5.7 on the Richter scale, according to the Met Department. It was felt in several parts of the Khyber Pakhtunkhwa and Punjab provinces, including the capital Islamabad. Meanwhile, the earthquake's tremors were felt across Delhi and the neighbouring regions in India. India's National Center for Seismology said the earthquake was of magnitude 5.8. Authorities in the Punjab province were on alert "to deal with the aftershocks of the earthquake", a spokesperson of t

5.8-magnitude earthquake jolts Pakistan, tremors felt in Delhi NCR

Delhi earthquake: After Afghanistan, a 5.8-magnitude earthquake has shaken Pakistan. Tremors felt in many Northern regions of India, including Delhi NCR

7.0 magnitude quake hits off far east coast of Russia, no reports of damage

A powerful earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 7.0 struck in the Pacific off the far eastern coast of Russia near a major naval base early Sunday, but there were no early reports of damage or injuries. The quake prompted a tsunami warning that was later lifted. The earthquake occurred 18 miles (29 kilometres) below the surface and its epicenter was about 63 miles (102 kilometers) east of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, the US Geological Survey said. Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky is a port city of more than 181,000 people surrounded by volcanoes and sits across a bay from an important Russian submarine base. The US National Weather Service's Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Honolulu initially warned that hazardous tsunami waves were possible for coasts within 300 miles (480 kilometres) of the earthquake epicentre, but later announced the threat had ended. The centre said minor sea level fluctuations could occur in some coastal areas near the earthquake site for several hours.

Istanbul, Turkey's biggest city, worries next earthquake will be a big one

Earthquakes are unpredictable but also inevitable, and experts say Istanbul might be due one

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

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.

Magnitude 7.0 earthquake hits Peru's Arequipa region, no deaths reported

Small artisanal gold mines operate in the town of Yauca and other neighboring towns near the coast, but there was no information available so far about any impact

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

'Unusual temperatures, gas levels seen in days before Turkey earthquakes'

Unusually high land temperatures and levels of greenhouse gases in the air were observed in Turkey days before two earthquakes struck the country on February 6, 2023, a new research has found. Analysing satellite data from November 1, 2022 to February 10, 2023, Mehdi Akhoondzadeh from the University of Tehran, Iran, said that monitoring the ground and atmosphere for unusual physical and chemical parameters -- known as earthquake precursors -- could be part of an early warning system for earthquakes. The earthquakes that hit Turkey and Syria were each of at least 7.6 magnitude and about nine hours apart. The death toll is said to be more than 50,000 and the earthquakes were the deadliest ones in modern history. Even though researchers are aware of earthquake precursors, it has so far been difficult to conclusively identify a pattern of such "red flags" that could foretell an impending earthquake, said the author of the study published in the Journal of Applied Geodesy. This is becau

Quake of 4.8 magnitude in South Korea cracks walls, leaves minor damage

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake cracked walls, spilled items from store shelves and and caused other minor damage in a fishing community in southwestern South Korea on Wednesday, but no injuries have been reported. The earthquake in Buan, which had an estimated depth of 8 kilometres, was the strongest detected in South Korea this year. The National Fire Agency said it so far confirmed eight minor cases of property damage in Buan and the nearby city of Iksan, including cracked walls at homes and a warehouse, at least two broken wall tiles and at least one broken window. It was also strong enough to knock items off store shelves. Jo Yoo-jin, an official at the North Joella province fire department, said officials received nearly 80 calls from area residents who felt the shaking. More than 200 other similar calls were placed by residents in other regions, including 38 in the central North Chungcheong provide and seven in the country's capital, Seoul, according to the National Fire ...

Indonesia's Mount Ibu erupts, spewing red lava, dark clouds into sky

Indonesia's Mount Ibu spewed red lava and thick grey ash clouds that towered 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) into the sky during a two-minute eruption Tuesday morning. The eruption spewed thick ash toward the volcano's west and northwest sides, said Muhammad Wafid, chief of Indonesia's Geology Agency. A timelapse video distributed by Indonesia's Geological agency shows red sparks at the top of the volcano followed by a thick column of ash. The video was recorded from an observation post located next to an evacuation site in a field at Gam Ici village. Several evacuation tents were erected nearby. Mount Ibu has been continually erupting almost every day since early May. Indonesian authorities raised an eruption alert to the highest level following a series of eruptions, as thousands of deep volcanic earthquakes and visual activities from Mount Ibu have significantly increased. Authorities urged people to stay at least 7 kilometers (4.4 miles) from the 1,325-meter (4,347-foot) ...

More than 100 killed by landslide in Papua New Guinea, say reports

More than 100 people are estimated to have been killed in a landslide in remote Papua New Guinea on Friday, Australian Broadcasting Corp reported. The landslide reportedly hit Kaokalam Village in Enga Province, about 600 kilometers (370 miles) northwest of the South Pacific island nation's capital Port Moresby about 3 am local time, ABC reports. Residents say current estimates of the death toll sit above 100, although authorities have not confirmed this figure. Villagers say the number of those killed could be much higher. Social media video show locals pulling out buried bodies.

Earthquake of 6.4 magnitude jolts parts of Mexico-Guatemala border

A strong earthquake shook the border of Mexico and Guatemala early Sunday, driving frightened residents into the streets. The temblor struck just before 6 am near the Mexican border town of Suchiate, where a river by the same name divides the two countries. There were no immediate reports of damage, but more mountainous, remote parts of the border are prone to landslides. The earthquake had a preliminary magnitude of 6.4, according to the US Geological Survey and a depth of 47 miles (75 kilometres).

6.1 magnitude earthquake shakes Indonesia's Java Island, felt in Jakarta

A strong magnitude 6.1 earthquake shook the southern part of Indonesia's main island of Java on Saturday, but there were no immediate reports of injury or significant property damage. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck 102 kilometers (63 miles) south of Banjar city at a depth of 68.3 kilometers (42.4 miles). There was no tsunami warning. High-rises in the capital Jakarta swayed for around a minute and two-story homes shook strongly in the West Java provincial capital of Bandung and in Jakarta's satellite cities of Depok, Tangerang, Bogor and Bekasi. The quake was also felt in other cities in West Java, Yogyakarta and East Java province, according to Indonesia's Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysical Agency. The agency warned of possible aftershocks. Earthquakes are frequent across the sprawling archipelago nation, but they are rarely felt in Jakarta. Indonesia, a seismically active archipelago of 270 million people, is prone to seismic upheaval because of its locat

Over 2,100 people evacuated as Indonesian volcano spews clouds of ash

More than 2,100 people living near an erupting volcano on Indonesia's Sulawesi Island were evacuated Friday due to the dangers of spreading ash, falling rocks, hot volcanic clouds and the possibility of a tsunami. Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation recorded at least three eruptions since Friday afternoon, with the maximum height of the eruption column reaching 1,200 meters (3,900 feet). An international airport in Manado city, less than 100 kilometers (60 miles) from the erupting Mount Ruang, is still temporarily closed as volcanic ash was spewed into the air. Satellite imagery from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency shows the ash has spread to the west, northwest, northeast and southeast, covering Manado and North Minahasa, according to a statement from Indonesia's Transportation Ministry. We are still monitoring developments in the eruption of Mount Ruang and coordinating with relevant stakeholders to anticipate the necessary acti

Earthquake of 6.4 magnitude jolts Ehime, Kochi prefectures of south Japan

The epicentre of the earthquake was Bungo Channel, a strait separating Japanese islands of Kyushu and Shikoku, the agency said, adding that no tsunami warning had been issued

Earthquake of magnitude 3.8 on Richter scale strikes Jammu & Kashmir

An earthquake of magnitude 3.8 struck the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Saturday, the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) said."Earthquake of Magnitude:3.8, Occurred on 06-04-2024, 14:53:21 IST, Lat: 33.33 & Long: 76.73, Depth: 5 Km Region: Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir," the National Centre for Seismology (NCS) posted on X.According to the National Centre for Seismology, the earthquake occurred at 2:53 pm at a depth of 5 km.Earlier on Friday, an earthquake of magnitude 3.2 struck the Kishtwar district of Jammu and Kashmir on Friday night, NCS said.According to the National Centre for Seismology, the earthquake occurred at 11.01 pm at a depth of 10 km.In a post on X, NCS said, "Earthquake of Magnitude: 3.2, Occurred on 05-04-2024, 23:01:30 IST, Lat: 33.34 & Long: 76.62, Depth: 10 km, Location: Kishtwar, Jammu and Kashmir, India.