New sediment core data from ancient Lake Cahuilla extends the lake's history back 7000 years, providing insights into potential connections between lake filling events and earthquakes on the Southern San Andreas Fault. The research aims to shed light on possible triggering mechanisms and improve earthquake rupture histories.
Researchers found a slow, shallow magnitude 8.16 subevent that contributed over 70% to the seismic moment of the 2021 South Sandwich Island earthquake. The event was 'invisible' at first glance and had unusual features, including a massive aftershock area and tsunamis across three oceans.
Studies of deep diamonds provide evidence of fluids carried by subducted slabs, suggesting that fluids can no longer be ignored in the story of deep earthquake generation. The diamonds' distinctive chemistry and inclusions indicate a connection to organic material and serpentinized mantle peridotite.
Researchers deployed a fiber-optic-based sensing system to track sea ice formation in the Beaufort Sea, demonstrating a new method for near-real-time monitoring. The technology used distributed acoustic sensing (DAS) to observe changes in seismic waves caused by sea ice formation and break-up, providing insights into the Arctic's health.
Researchers from InSight's Marsquake Service have detected two massive marsquakes on Mars' far side, with magnitudes 4.2 and 4.1. The events provided unique insights into the planet's core-mantle boundary and offered a glimpse into previously unexplored regions of Mars.
A new device, Superconducting Earthquake Early-warning Device (SEED), could detect minute gravity fluctuations caused by earthquakes, potentially speeding up earthquake early warning systems. The device aims to detect large earthquakes within 5-10 seconds, complementing existing seismic wave-based systems.
A regional collaboration has successfully installed earthquake early warning algorithms in four Central American countries, including Nicaragua, Guatemala, El Salvador, and Costa Rica. The system can produce warnings seconds before strong ground-shaking S waves arrive from offshore shallow subduction zone earthquakes.
Scientists are working on balloon-borne instruments that can detect seismoacoustic signals in Venus' atmosphere, helping to learn more about the planet's interior structure and formation history. The instruments aim to detect strong signals from ground motion on Venus due to the planet's thick atmosphere.
Scientists are tracking changes in seismic wave velocity around the Mexico City Basin using ambient noise generated by urban activity. The study found a long-term increase in velocity at stations over compacting lake clay deposits, which can affect building stability during earthquakes. Additionally, seasonal variations and post-seismi...
Sediment cores suggest 15m of megathrust slip occurred offshore during the massive 1700 Cascadia earthquake, leading to 1m+ coastal subsidence. This finding will refine seismologists' understanding of this event and constrain coastline impact predictions.
Aftershocks form spatial clusters around mainshocks, with rates decreasing further from mapped faults and increasing with strain rate. Hardebeck's study improves models but falls short of capturing clustering density. Future research may incorporate crustal properties for better forecasts.
The Urban Seismology Project successfully installed a geophone array in Yangon, Myanmar despite the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic. The project aimed to build geophysics capacity in the nation and monitored a potentially locked subduction zone and major strike-slip fault.
Seismic and acoustic data from a research reactor can accurately predict its power state, with up to 98% accuracy. Machine learning models applied to this data also enable the estimation of power levels, with around 66% accuracy.
Researchers mapped stress changes before and during an earthquake induced by hydraulic fracturing in Alberta, Canada. The study used seismic anisotropy to monitor the processes that occur when hydraulic fracturing causes induced earthquakes, revealing a network of tensile fractures created during fluid injection.
A recent study by USGS and UPR Mayagüez researchers documented over 300 landslides and severe liquefaction in southern coastal regions after the magnitude 6.4 earthquake. The data provides a valuable resource for Puerto Rico, which lacks an island-wide hazard map for earthquake-triggered landslides or liquefaction.
Researchers deployed a seismic array in unused telecom fiber optic cable to detect dozens of aftershocks missed by permanent stations after a magnitude 5.1 earthquake in Tangshan, China. The findings demonstrate how 'dark fiber' can be used for ultra-dense seismic monitoring in urban areas.
Researchers analyze new seismic data from the Mars InSight mission to plan for future planetary seismographs. The findings provide insights into Martian seismic activity, signal processing, and instrument operation, paving the way for upcoming missions to the Moon, Mars, and Jupiter's moon Titan.
Researchers at Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory calculated moment tensors for 130 underground nuclear and 10 chemical tests to aid explosion monitoring. The study's database of carefully documented explosions will be useful for researchers, allowing them to distinguish explosions from earthquakes and estimate yield.
Researchers have discovered pictograms depicting earthquakes in the Codex Telleriano-Remensis, a 16th-century Mexican codex. The pictograms provide early written evidence of earthquakes in pre-Hispanic times, extending the region's seismic history back to the 15th century.
Earthquakes generated by controlled fluid injection at the Rangely oil field were caused by destabilizing fault pore pressure changes, according to a new mechanistic model. The study revisits data from the decades-old project in light of increased seismicity due to fluid injection.
Researchers detected seasonal variations in seismic wave velocity due to changes in shallow permafrost ice content, attributed to temperature fluctuations. A linear decreasing trend in velocity was also found between 2009 and 2011, indicating an increasingly melted permafrost layer.
A new study concludes that wastewater disposal has not significantly altered the orientation of stress in the Earth's crust in southern Kansas. The researchers analyzed shear wave splitting data and found no evidence for a significant rotation in the fast direction, contradicting previous estimates.
Researchers used gravity-defying rock formations to determine the peak ground accelerations that could topple them, setting new design ground motion values for the Clyde Dam. The new values are similar to those used when the dam was built in the 1980s, but with a reduced risk due to modern regulations.
Research suggests that earthquakes magnitude 5.0 and larger could cause ground displacement and liquefaction in Salt Lake City, increasing the risk of earthquake-related building damage. The study identified a complex zone of folding and faulting beneath downtown Salt Lake City, which may deform the ground during a large earthquake.
Researchers developed a global GNSS seismic monitoring system that can rapidly assess earthquake magnitude and fault slip distribution within seconds. This system can provide early warnings for large earthquakes and tsunamis, buying more time for evacuations and infrastructure shutdowns.
Researchers developed DeepShake, a deep spatiotemporal neural network trained on over 36,000 earthquakes, which analyzes seismic signals in real time and provides advanced warnings of strong shaking. The model was tested using the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake, sending simulated alerts up to 13 seconds prior to high-intensity ground shaking.
Researchers use fiber optic cable to detect small earthquakes in ice, offering insights into ice movement and deformation under changing climate conditions. The technique also improves monitoring of underground carbon capture and storage projects.,
The Marsquake Service has detected over 500 marsquakes, with most being high-frequency events occurring at great distances. Low-frequency events are less common and appear to decay more quickly than expected.
A high school junior has built a low-cost seismometer device that detects earthquakes with accuracy and provides users with a few seconds of warning to take action. The device, costing less than $100 to make, has been successfully tested and detected several recent earthquakes in Southern California.
Researchers used ground surveys and Damage Proxy Maps from NASA satellites to assess structural and façade damage in Beirut after the 2020 explosion. Satellite-based maps were effective at identifying severely damaged buildings but less effective for intermediate damage levels.
Researchers used machine learning to detect and alert against debris flows in the Illgraben torrent, achieving 90% accuracy in detecting early flows. The system could provide crucial warning time for nearby people and infrastructure, potentially saving lives.
Researchers are using 3D printed models to study ground motion after earthquakes, providing a novel platform for seismic experiments. The models replicate complex topographical features and allow scientists to simulate how seismic waves interact with the Earth's surface.
Researchers used stereophotogrammetry to analyze aerial photos from the 1960s and 1970s, revealing a digital elevation model of part of Datong City before urbanization. Trenching along the fault trace found evidence of five previously unknown earthquakes, increasing the risk of a large earthquake in the future.
The Black in Geoscience Week aims to increase representation and raise visibility among Black researchers, fostering networks and connections worldwide. The event has generated discussions on the importance of community and awareness among Black geoscientists, highlighting severe underrepresentation in the field.
A network of off-the-shelf smartphones deployed in Costa Rica detected and alerted on five earthquakes, outperforming scientific-grade warning systems. The system, called ASTUTI, uses accelerometers built into phones to provide early warnings for potential disasters.
A new study by Rebecca Salvage and David Eaton found that hundreds of small earthquakes occurred in the Kiskatinaw area after oil and gas recovery shut down. The researchers suggest aseismic slip driven by trapped fluid from previous hydraulic fracture injections may be causing these latent earthquakes.
Researchers suggest that the 1700 Cascadia earthquake could be part of a longer-lived sequence of earthquakes, potentially spanning many decades. This hypothesis has significant implications for how earthquake hazard maps are created for the region, and may help explain why there is little geologic evidence of the event in some areas.
A shallow locked region south of Cartagena city suggests significant earthquake and tsunami hazard, with a magnitude 8.0 earthquake capable of occurring every 600 years. Researchers urge continued densification of the GPS network to better understand and evaluate this hazard potential.
Researchers identified eight California faults with higher rates of magnitude 4 earthquakes before a magnitude 6.7 quake, predicting their likelihood for future large earthquakes. So far, only one such event has occurred since the forecast was made in 2017.
Researchers found that Cascadia intraslab earthquakes produce fewer aftershocks, with rates lower by more than half the global average. The study suggests a 'clock-advance' model, where mainshock causes tectonically loaded fault patches to slip earlier.
Researchers used coda wave interferometry to determine the location of underground chemical explosions and characterize damage caused by an explosion. The technique can improve estimates of larger explosion locations and put a limit on damage extent.
The SIIOS team successfully tested its technology on Greenland's surface, detecting seismic waves comparable to those from ground-based seismometers. The findings could aid NASA's future missions to Europa and Enceladus, where subsurface liquid oceans are believed to exist.
The US Intermountain West region experienced four significant earthquake sequences in 2020, with research characterizing the tectonics of the area and gaining insights into fault systems. The focus section papers discuss the Magna, Stanley, Monte Cristo, and Lone Pine earthquakes, providing new knowledge on seismic activity.
The 2021 SSA Annual Meeting will showcase the latest seismological research globally, with sessions on recent earthquakes and new technologies for monitoring glacier change. Journalists can register for free access to technical presentations and events.
A new study reveals common seismological equipment is vulnerable to cyberattacks, posing risks to data collection and processing. Seismic networks may be exposed to security breaches if devices use non-encrypted data, insecure protocols, and poor user authentication mechanisms.
A new study highlights the impact of socioeconomic factors on eyewitness accounts of earthquake shaking reported through online systems like DYFI. The research found complex trends in California and India, with differences in self-reported reports based on neighborhood income levels and literacy rates.
During the 2018 eruption of K?lauea Volcano, Hawaiian researchers leveraged pre-assembled stations with virtual machines to continue monitoring data despite instrument destruction and network failures. This enabled quick deployment and rerouting of data to scientists and decision-makers.
Research suggests that some parts of the Alpine Fault, particularly around Hokitika and Greymouth, may experience strong ground shaking more often than previously thought. The study found evidence of a 19th-century earthquake along the fault's northeastern end, indicating that smaller earthquakes could occur between large rupture events.
Research finds smaller earthquakes (magnitude 5.5 and below) are the main source of strong shaking at a 60-kilometer distance. These 'little earthquakes with ambition' produce more shaking than expected, often causing significant damage.
Paleoseismic trenching reveals three surface-rupturing earthquakes occurred approximately 8,800, 4,200, and 1,000 years ago on the Gales Creek fault. The study suggests that earthquakes occur about every 4,000 years on the fault, posing significant seismic hazard to the Portland metro area.