The National Science Foundation awarded the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign a $300,000 grant to lead a national partnership in planning and designing the NEESgrid, a virtual laboratory for earthquake engineering. This grant could potentially lead to a $10 million integration grant.
The National Science Foundation-funded project aims to improve seismic design of buildings and infrastructure in the US. Researchers will collaborate using high-performance networking, shared databases, computer modeling, and simulation tools.
Researchers developed a model that relates seismic velocity differences to properties of the mantle, shedding light on mantle evolution and its impact on plate movement, volcanism, and earthquakes. The study suggests temperatures high enough to cause melting in some regions, potentially explaining volcanic activity.
A new analysis by University of Colorado at Boulder professor Karl Mueller indicates a high threat of large earthquake in the New Madrid seismic zone. The study gathered evidence on a pivotal 'blind-thrust' fault and found a slip rate of nearly 45 feet over 2,300 years, posing significant risks to Memphis and St. Louis.
The USGS has been monitoring a series of large earthquakes around the world since August 17. The seismic activity is believed to be related to stress buildup in the Earth's crust. Scientists will discuss their findings and lessons learned from recent earthquakes, including those in Turkey, Greece, Taiwan, and Mexico.
A report on a June 15 earthquake in Mexico highlights the need for enforcing special seismic design standards for critical buildings like schools, hospitals, and fire stations. The study found that these buildings are often constructed with heavier materials than recommended, increasing the risk of damage during earthquakes.
A team of scientists will conduct seismic experiments along a 600-mile route, using specialized instruments and explosions to create detailed profiles of the Earth's crust. The project aims to gain insight into the formation of the Rockies and improve knowledge of earthquake hazards, natural resources, and water resources.
Scientists have used seismic reflection profiling to reveal an ancient river valley one mile wide and 250 feet deep beneath Portland, Ore. The study suggests that earthquakes ruptured the surface in the past 15,000 years and that two suspected fault zones are active.
USGS scientists will present findings on prehistoric earthquakes, seismic hazards, and the structure of the Seattle basin. The presentations will provide insights into the probabilities for future earthquakes in the Seattle area and the current seismic hazards of the Pacific Northwest.
New study using GPS satellites tracks ground motions in Midwest seismic zone, revealing little to no motion across the area. The results suggest National Seismic Hazard maps should be revised to reflect lower estimates of earthquake risk, potentially leading to cost savings for new construction.
Researchers have discovered two distinct rock types at the base of the mantle, which are moving laterally and interacting with the liquid iron outer core. This finding has significant implications for plate tectonics and our understanding of the Earth's geological history.
The Cornell team will monitor seismic waves produced by local and distant earthquakes using temporary recording stations set up in eastern Turkey. They aim to determine how the Arabian plate is being supported and what specific earthquake hazards exist in the region, shedding light on the early stages of continental collision.
Researchers at Carnegie Institution use X-ray diffraction to determine iron's elasticity at high pressures, which could explain seismic anisotropy in the inner core. The findings suggest the inner core is close to melting and may contain additional components with low shear-wave velocities.
Scientists have provided direct evidence that the Earth's innermost core is solid, contradicting a long-held assumption of a liquid core. This finding was made possible by advances in instrumentation and computer capabilities, allowing researchers to detect the characteristic vibrations of a solid core.
Using a mathematical approach similar to that used for measuring seismic activity, researchers have pinpointed characteristics of abnormal cardiac activity in pigs. The study's findings may lead to the development of better antiarrhythmic drugs and more intelligent pacemakers.
Researchers Xiaodong Song and Don Helmberger found two distinct layers in the inner core: a spherical lower part and an uneven upper layer with different material properties. The findings may affect the formation of the Earth's magnetic field.
Scientists discover African Superswell is caused by hot mantle material rising from the core-mantle boundary, elevating southern Africa and driving tectonic plates. This phenomenon, known as dynamic topography, reveals a link between deep mantle dynamics and surface features.
A solar flare on July 9, 1996, generated a massive seismic wave that resembles those created by terrestrial earthquakes. The seismic wave contained about 40,000 times the energy released in the San Francisco earthquake of 1906.
Recent USGS research reveals little difference in ground motions on Mississippi River bluffs vs nearby floodplain. This suggests areas underlain by rock may experience less shaking than those with alluvium, such as valleys.
The USGS has released a new seismic hazard map for the Western Hemisphere, providing a comprehensive tool for assessing potential earthquake damage. The map is the result of nearly a decade of cooperative work by scientists from around the world and will be available online and in various publications late this year.
Scientists at Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory used seismic data from 40,000 earthquakes to characterize the Earth's structure from crust to inner core. They found evidence of heterogeneity in the outer core, suggesting a liquid iron-nickel-sulfur compound that could help explain the Earth's magnetic field.
Researchers have found evidence of molten rock two thousand miles beneath the Earth's surface, challenging scientists' understanding of mantle convection. The discovery was made using seismic waves measured in Norway and detected a slurry of molten rock across a 300-by-600-mile region deep beneath Tonga.
A new study published in Nature has provided the first evidence of reduced sediment amplification in Southern California during large earthquakes, shifting the debate towards the engineering view. The research suggests that seismic hazard posed by local sediments may be underestimated in current engineering practices.
Researchers discover the San Andreas fault cuts straight through the crust and Moho, affecting stress buildup and earthquake hazard predictions. The study improves understanding of rock boundaries, types, and stress accumulation to better assess seismic risks.
Researchers at Cornell University have developed a network of instruments to predict and track tsunamis in real-time. The sensors will be placed on the ocean floor in strategic parts of the Pacific rim, including south of the Aleutian Islands chain and along coastal areas of Asia.
Researchers Paul Richards and Won-Young Kim analyze seismic data to verify the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, concluding the event was an earthquake with 'excellent' monitoring capability
Scientists from the National Science Foundation and IRIS have ruled out cult activities and nuclear detonations as causes of a 1993 Australian seismic event. They now believe that an iron meteorite of about two meters in diameter could have created the tremors, but no crater has been found.
Researchers analyzed seismic data to determine cause of 1993 event in Australian outback. An iron meteorite over 3 meters in diameter is suggested as possible cause.
The USGS National Earthquake Information Center lost near real-time data from the AT&T Telstar 401 satellite, but regional networks and cooperation with other seismic networks maintained earthquake monitoring. Smaller earthquakes are now harder to track due to slower reporting times.
Researchers have made a groundbreaking discovery about the structure of the Earth's mantle beneath Tibet, finding that it is not horizontal but oriented in three dimensions. This new understanding could improve models of plate tectonics and provide insights into the evolution of continents.
A team of scientists has assembled evidence on rocks and rock formations deep beneath the surface to locate an ancient strike-slip fault. If successful, this will provide opportunities to study geological processes in the lower crust during strike-slip faulting.
A multinational team of researchers, led by Syracuse University's K. Douglas Nelson, has discovered a partially molten crust beneath the Himalaya and Tibetan Plateau using seismic reflection and other techniques. This finding challenges traditional views of plate tectonics and may explain the flatness of the Tibetan Plateau.
A recent earthquake in Peru has bolstered a researcher's theory that large earthquakes will not occur in a specific region near the quake site. The study found a correlation between plate shape and seismic activity, identifying areas of low seismicity called seismic gaps.
The California Department of Conservation has released six preliminary seismic hazard zone maps, highlighting areas susceptible to landslides and liquefaction in San Francisco and Southern California. The maps will help local governments identify areas requiring geologic or soil investigation before urban development permits are issued.
Researchers from UC Berkeley have disproved the hypothesis that the Earth's inner core is a perfectly aligned mass of iron crystals. Instead, they found that the crystals align themselves like boats in a circular eddy, driven by the rise of hotter iron toward the surface. This finding has implications for modeling the Earth's magnetic ...
Researchers will use Logging While Drilling technology to sample physical and chemical properties of rocks and sediments on the ocean floor. They aim to determine the age, composition, and physical properties of the area's rocks and sediments, as well as understand why some areas have low heat flow.
A $1.5 million seismic network around Kilauea Volcano will help scientists make more accurate predictions about when volcanoes will erupt and determine potential hazards in nearby areas. The network, which contains 116 stations, is designed to understand the physical characteristics of earthquakes associated with eruptions.
The US has signed the Comprehensive Test Ban Treaty, which will be verified through a global seismic monitoring system. The treaty bans nuclear testing in all environments except underground, and the global network is being installed by IRIS and the National Science Foundation to detect seismic events of magnitude 4.25 or larger.
Researchers at UC Santa Cruz found seismic evidence suggesting a partially molten layer in the lower mantle, which could fundamentally change our understanding of the core-mantle boundary. The suspected layer, between 5-40 kilometers thick, may conduct electricity more readily than solid rock and influence the planet's magnetic field.
Despite advancements in technology, reliable short-term earthquake predictions remain nearly impossible. Experts recommend redirecting funds to disaster management plans and building codes instead.