A new study found that earthquake lights are more likely to occur on or near rift environments and adjacent to subvertical faults. The study analyzed 65 documented cases of earthquake lights, finding that 85% appeared spatially on or near rifts and 97% appeared adjacent to subvertical faults.
Researchers found that the southern segment of the Longmenshan fault zone is complex and still only moderately understood. The study suggests a possible link between the 2013 Lushan earthquake and the 2008 Wenchuan earthquake, with a 62% probability that Lushan is a strong aftershock of Wenchuan.
Researchers accurately predicted the magnitude 7.6 Nicoya earthquake in Costa Rica, allowing for improved building codes and reduced damage. The study used GPS data to map out the likely extent of an earthquake rupture along a subduction megathrust, providing valuable insights into plate tectonics.
Researchers have developed a new global map to predict giant earthquakes at subduction zones, including the Australian region. The study identified several regions capable of producing massive earthquakes, while others are not predicted to experience such events.
An international team of scientists has measured the 'frictional heat' generated during the rupture of Japan's 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake in 2011. The study found that the fault is more slippery than previously thought, with a friction coefficient of 0.08.
Researchers find remarkably low frictional heat produced by fault slip during magnitude 9.0 Tohoku-Oki earthquake, which triggered devastating tsunami. The low resistance to slip may explain the large amount of slip that occurred during the earthquake.
A team of international scientists has published studies revealing a submarine earthquake caused the devastating 2011 tsunami in Japan's Tohoku region. The findings suggest that other zones in the northwest Pacific may be at risk of similar huge earthquakes due to unusually thin and slippery geological faults.
Google Street View scans help identify damage caused by the 2009 L'Aquila quake, distinguishing it from building maintenance issues. Researchers suggest using this tool for future earthquake surveys.
A new study suggests upgrading technology and relocating seismic stations in California can improve the warning time, particularly in areas poorly served by the existing network. In Taiwan, a low-cost sensor experiment has created a high-density network that can issue early warnings within 20 seconds of an earthquake detection.
A new study suggests Seattle is prone to significant landslides from earthquakes, potentially affecting hundreds of buildings and transit routes. The study's refined framework simulates ground motion and geological features to better understand the extent of potential damage.
A $451,000 US grant will fund research on the Chaman Fault in Western Pakistan to improve earthquake prediction and mitigation. The study aims to determine fault movement speed and activity levels to reduce casualties and economic losses.
A magnitude 8.3 earthquake struck deep beneath the Sea of Okhotsk, with seismic waves detected by thousands of stations worldwide. The event released three times as much energy as the next largest recorded earthquake and involved rapid shear faulting.
An Iranian telegraph operator named Yusef proposed an earthquake early warning system in 1909, suggesting a local warning system to save lives. He noticed anomalies in the magnetic needle and used it to urge fellow dwellers to evacuate during a six-second warning period.
Researchers develop new tomographic approach to image shallow seismic velocity structure, revealing subducting continental crust for the first time. This allows for early detection of landslides and earthquakes in Central Asia.
Researchers at Penn State have found a precursor signal to slow earthquakes, which can potentially foretell larger events. By studying the mechanisms behind slow earthquakes, they identified a transition in fault zone properties that supports slower velocities.
A recent study examined post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a group of 1,040 rescue workers who participated in the Wenchuan earthquake relief. The findings indicate that PTSD was diagnosed in 64% of the participants, primarily due to factors such as near-death experience, severe injury or mental trauma, and low social support.
Researchers discovered that large waves in Norwegian fjords were triggered by a powerful Japan earthquake, while disposal of Marcellus Shale fracking waste caused earthquakes in Ohio. The Arctic region is also sensitive to black carbon emissions, which can have devastating effects on the environment.
Researchers from UT Austin conducted field research in Christchurch, New Zealand to develop new ground improvement methods for inhibiting liquefaction triggering. The study's goal is to determine the most cost-effective methods for improving residential structures' resiliency.
Researchers at Johns Hopkins University are testing a two-story building made of cold-formed steel to determine its seismic resistance. The tests aim to improve nationwide building codes and make future buildings less expensive to construct.
A new study has found that online tools, such as NEEShub and the project warehouse, are helping to accelerate progress in earthquake engineering and science. These platforms provide a centralized repository for experimental results, making them accessible to researchers, practitioners, and educational communities.
Purdue University researchers have demonstrated the effectiveness of real-time hybrid simulations for testing magnetorheological-fluid dampers, which can reduce structural damage during earthquakes. The simulations allow for reliable and efficient testing of these devices, enabling the optimization of building design and construction.
Researchers at the University of Bonn used computer simulations to show that seismic waves can focus over long distances, triggering mud eruptions. The study found that a dome-shaped structure under the mud volcano focused energy into the mud layer, liquifying it and injecting it into nearby faults.
A study published in Science found a strong correlation between seismic activity and operations at the Salton Sea Geothermal Field in southern California. The researchers tracked earthquake activity with production data for the geothermal power plant and found that seismicity increased as operations expanded.
Researchers have identified a 30km-long fault zone near Istanbul as a potential starting point for a strong earthquake. The area, located just 15-20km from the historic city center, has shown no seismic activity in recent years.
A new study analyzes geologic records to predict megathrust earthquakes along Canada's west coast. The research identified 22 earthquake shaking events over the past 11,000 years, with a recurrence interval of about 500 years. This study helps Canadian coastal communities improve hazard assessments and emergency preparedness plans.
A Stanford University study reveals that sound waves from earthquakes can reach land tens of minutes before a massive tsunami, potentially providing an early warning. The research identifies a specific acoustic signature that could indicate the presence of a tsunami-generating earthquake, allowing for faster-acting warning systems.
Scientists from Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution provide a new model for understanding the geological source of silent earthquakes along California's San Andreas fault. Creep events originate closer to the surface, a shallower source along the fault, according to the study published in Nature Geoscience.
Researchers used GPS data to measure ground deformation caused by a large underwater earthquake, providing accurate warning of the resulting tsunami in just a few minutes. This method can provide fast, detailed, and accurate tsunami alerts, overcoming limitations of traditional seismological methods.
Researchers from the University of Pennsylvania used a fossil-based technique to study the 1700 Cascadia earthquake and its impact on coastal land levels. The study revealed that the rupture was heterogeneous, similar to recent major earthquakes in Japan, Chile, and Sumatra.
A recent study suggests the Makran subduction zone, beneath the Arabian Sea, has a higher potential for major earthquakes and tsunamis than previously thought. This could threaten the coastlines of Pakistan, Iran, Oman, and India.
The 2011 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami are the subject of a special issue in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America. Researchers investigated the rupture process, seismic radiation, geodetic deformations, and tsunami waves. The study sheds light on the processes at work during giant earthquakes.
Scientists successfully retrieved temperature measurements of the fault that caused the devastating Tohoku earthquake and tsunami. The recovered sensors provide critical data on frictional heat generated by fault slip during the earthquake.
A global murmur, then unusual silence: A recent study found that following a major Indian Ocean earthquake, global seismic rates increased for days but subsequently dropped to zero for over 95 days. Researchers attribute this quiet period to the event causing short-term dynamic stressing of a global faulting system.
Researchers are working to extend earthquake risk estimates globally, studying hundreds of M≥7 mainshock events in 21 regions. Initial results show that remote triggering has occurred at least once in half of the regions studied during the past 30 years.
A recent study suggests that a tsunami could affect the US East Coast due to the similarity in tectonic settings between offshore earthquakes and major Canadian earthquakes. The potential threat area stretches from New England to New Jersey, with several earthquake swarms detected off the Atlantic continental shelf.
Researchers have revised the history of large earthquakes in the area, showing that the Salt Lake City segment has been more active than previously thought. The study contributes to forecasting probabilities for future earthquakes in the Wasatch Front region.
James R. Rice, Harvard professor, will receive the Harry Field Reid Medal for his influential research on fracture mechanics and its application to earthquake processes. His work has defined standards for numerous frontiers of research, integrating theory, experiment, and observations.
Katsuichiro Goda, a renowned civil engineer, has been awarded the Charles Richter Early Career Award for his groundbreaking work in seismic risk assessment and mitigation. His research has developed new ground-motion equations and spatial correlations models to estimate seismic losses, enabling practical solutions in risk mitigation.
A UC San Diego team developed a scalable GPU-accelerated code for earthquake engineering and disaster management, achieving a five-fold speedup over CPU code and sustained performance of one petaflop per second. This breakthrough enables more accurate earthquake predictions with increased physical reality and resolution.
A new study links a magnitude 5.7 earthquake in central Oklahoma to wastewater injection, destroying homes and causing widespread damage. The researchers found that the pressure increase triggered by wastewater injection led to the largest earthquake ever recorded in Oklahoma.
Researchers tested the hypothesis that intraplate earthquakes could produce stronger ground shaking than those at plate boundaries. The study found no significant extension of the 1872 Owens Valley earthquake rupture, contradicting previous estimates. Instead, the data suggest that soil liquefaction occurred in nearby wetlands and mead...
A Roman mausoleum in Turkey's Pinara has been found to have been damaged by an earthquake, with researchers concluding that a magnitude 6.3 quake could have caused the damage. The study used laser scans and 3D computer modeling to analyze the structure's stability.
A recent study published in Science investigates the stress state on the fault that controls a very large slip during an earthquake. The research found that the present shear stress on the fault is nearly zero, indicating a nearly complete stress change during the earthquake.
A new map created by Japanese researchers helps identify high-rise buildings in the Osaka Basin vulnerable to long-period strong ground motions that last minutes. The map provides useful information for engineers to design earthquake-resistant buildings.
A study found that natural disasters can alter children's altruistic giving, with 9-year-olds showing increased willingness to give and 6-year-olds becoming more selfish. The research suggests that empathy plays a key role in this development, with older children better able to regulate their emotions and act pro-socially.
Researchers, led by Chris Goldfinger, admit that existing predictive models are no longer valid due to limited historical records. Paleoseismic evidence suggests that several regions previously thought incapable of producing megathrust earthquakes may be due for reconsideration.
Researchers at Caltech and JAMSTEC developed a new fault model that shows stable segments can behave differently during earthquakes, leading to larger events. This challenges current assumptions about seismic hazard in areas like the San Andreas Fault.
Dr. Thomas H. Jordan, a renowned geophysicist, received the AGI Outstanding Contribution to the Public Understanding of the Geosciences Award in 2013. He is recognized for his efforts to increase public awareness of earthquake processes, probabilities, preparedness, and risk at an international level.
Researchers found that earthquakes generate most of their sound by pumping the atmosphere like a loudspeaker. This discovery has significant implications for assessing damage in the immediate aftermath of an earthquake, as infrasound can reveal important details about ground shaking.
A magnitude-8.6 East Indian Ocean earthquake triggered a global increase in seismic activity, with unprecedented large aftershocks occurring worldwide. The study highlights the predictable changes in seismicity, shedding light on more than a decade-long debate about remotely triggered earthquakes.
A recent study by University of Utah and University of California, Santa Cruz scientists has confirmed that the April 2012 earthquake measuring 8.7 magnitude was a result of the Indo-Australian plate breaking apart. The quake caused at least four faults to break, resulting in significant changes to the tectonic plate's movement pattern.
Analysis of seismic waves from the magnitude 8.7 earthquake reveals a complicated faulting process involving at least four faults at right angles to each other. The event was the largest intraplate earthquake ever recorded and involved horizontal motion on a series of faults in the middle of the Indo-Australian plate.
A magnitude 8.6 earthquake in the East Indian Ocean triggered quakes around the world for at least a week, according to a new analysis. The study found that some faults weren't immediately affected by seismic waves but were primed to break up six days later.
A new study by the European Respiratory Society found that Christchurch residents increased their tobacco consumption following the 2010 earthquake. The study showed that 28% of non-smokers picked up the habit after the disaster, with many attributing it to anxiety and changes in lifestyle.
A University of Missouri scientist suggests that earthquake hazard maps often fail due to bad assumptions, data, physics, and luck. Developing better maps and alerting people to their limitations could potentially save lives and money in areas prone to earthquakes.
Scientists at Scripps Institution of Oceanography discovered how fault zones weaken in select locations after an earthquake tipping point, creating 'melt welts'. These regions can lead to runaway slip and massive earthquakes. The study addresses the 'low heat flow paradox' and may improve earthquake prediction models.
A study found sharp increases in heart failure and pneumonia following the Japanese earthquake, while stroke and cardio-pulmonary arrest rates followed seismic peaks. Blood pressure was also elevated, but medication disruptions may have contributed to cardiovascular events.
Scientists have created a new, harmonized earthquake catalogue for Europe and the Mediterranean that spans over 1,000 years. The catalogue, known as the European-Mediterranean Earthquake Catalogue (EMEC), covers earthquakes with magnitudes of Mw 3.5 and larger in the northern part of the region, and Mw 4.0 in the southern part.
A study by Cliff Frohlich found that most earthquakes in the Barnett Shale region occur near injection wells used for hydraulic fracturing fluids disposal. The study suggests that injection wells enhance the probability of earthquakes, with nearly all quakes being small and posing no danger to the public.
Researchers used ambient seismic noise to search for a pre-seismic signal before the 2004 Parkfield earthquake, but were unable to detect any changes. The study placed an upper limit on how large such a signal might be, depending on its duration and location.