Eye in the sky: Saving lives after an earthquake with drones
When most people think of drones, they think of privacy issues and hobbyists that get in the way. However, as technology continually improves scientists are now using drones to save lives.
Temblor Earth News
San Francisco at risk from Seawall damage in a major earthquake
The San Francisco Seawall was a key factor in turning San Francisco into the extremely prosperous city it is today. However, it is at risk from a serious threat, earthquakes.
Papua New Guinea Earthquake: Did the M=7.9 shock trigger a distant M=5.6?
Perhaps the most remarkable feature of yesterday’s Mw=7.9 mainshock was the occurrence of a M=5.6 earthquake 180 km (110 mi) to the southwest of the mainshock, just 15 minutes after the mainshock struck.
Is Seattle prepared for a Cascadia Megathrust or Seattle Fault earthquake?
Recent findings show that the state of Washington lags far behind California, Oregon, and British Columbia in its earthquake preparedness
Earthquake triggers deadly avalanche in Italy
As many as 30 people are feared missing following a large avalanche in Central Italy
Italy aftershocks bring Rome metro to a halt
At 11:14 a.m. local time, a M=5.7 earthquake shook the already devastated city of Amatrice, Italy, and was followed 11 minutes later by a M=5.6 quake.
Chile’s M=7.7 earthquake Christmas gift: A ferocious start, but it fizzled
The Christmas quake was extremely fast out of the gate, but ran out of gas within 8 seconds, coasting to a stop just 10 seconds later. This saved Chile from suffering a giant quake, but is nevertheless troubling news for Earthquake Early Warning systems.
Regalo de Navidad con terremoto M=7.7 de Chile: Un inicio feroz, pero que se desvaneció
El terremoto durante la Navidad tuvo un inicio extremadamente rápido, pero perdió su fuerza durante los primeros 8 segundos, deteniéndose justo 10 segundos después. Esto salvó a Chile de sufrir un terremoto inmenso, pero, sin embargo, es una noticia preocupante para los sistemas de Advertencia Sísmica Temprana.
Guantanamo, Cuba shaken by M=5.9 earthquake
At 4:08 a.m. local time, a M=5.9 earthquake shook Cuba, including the cities of Guantanamo and Santiago de Cuba.
Ecuador, Peru, and Colombia faults hint where large earthquakes could strike
Faults for much of northwest South America are now visible on Temblor
Football fans create earthquakes?
Scientists are now using sports to prepare for large earthquakes
Earthquake rate controlled by wastewater?
According to year-end data from the Oklahoma Corporation Commission, there was a 23% drop from 2015 to 2016 in the amount of wastewater injected into the region’s areas of interest for triggered seismicity.
Temblor adds faults for 50 countries
Faults spanning Europe, the Middle East, Southeast Asia, Japan, Taiwan, and New Zealand have just been added to Temblor.
Italy drone footage reveals earthquake damage following winter blast
Drone footage released yesterday by Italy’s fire service has revealed images of the small town of Amatrice, which was severely damaged in the 24 August 2016 M=6.2 earthquake.
The Rodgers Creek and Hayward Faults are revealed to be one fault, capable of a Magnitude=7.4 earthquake
A new finding by Janet Watt and her USGS coauthors appeared this month in Science Advances, heralding a “Missing link between the Hayward and Rodgers Creek faults.”
Why have there been so many large earthquakes in Ecuador?
Why have there been so many large earthquakes in Ecuador so close together in time? A team of geophysicists aims to answer that question.
M=7.0 earthquake off of Fiji might have triggered a M=5.6 aftershock 1,000 km away
A M=7.0 earthquake shook off the coast of Fiji yesterday, and possibly triggered a remote aftershock over 1,000 km away.
Southern extension of San Andreas Fault lights up in a seismic swarm
Over the last several days, a seismic swarm has been taking place on the Brawley Seismic Zone which is the southernmost extent of the San Andreas Fault.
The 28 Dec 2016 M=5.7 couplet strikes Nevada, but a sparse seismic network leads to ‘phantom’ remote aftershocks
There is a clear need to densify the Nevada Network, and to install telemetry at all stations.
25 December 2016 Magnitude 7.7 Chile shock might be a late aftershock of the world’s largest recorded earthquake
Almost anywhere else in the world, a M=7.7 earthquake would be considered large and rare, but today’s shock is exceptional
Earthquake forms the Great Wall of New Zealand
In last month’s M=7.8 Kaikoura, New Zealand earthquake, at least 9 separate faults ruptured in the largest quake in New Zealand since the 1855 M=8.2-8.3 Wairarapa earthquake.
M6.5 Earthquake stresses offshore San Andreas Fault (AKA Mendocino Fault Zone)
Thursday’s M=6.5 earthquake should have increased the stress on the Mendocino Fault Zone west and east of the rupture zone. These stress increases nominally would have the potential to trigger more earthquakes.
New satellite imagery reveals sinking Millennium Tower
The European Space Agency (ESA) recently released new satellite imagery, that reveals which parts of the Bay Area are subsiding and those that are being uplifted.
Mw 6.9 ‘aftershock’ of 2011 M=9 event strongly shakes crippled Fukushima reactor—but it could have been worse
This most recent Mw 6.9 extensional event was actually caused by the Tohoku earthquake which happened over 5 years ago.
M=6.9 earthquake shakes Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture
At approximately 6 a.m. local time on Tuesday November 22, a M=6.9 earthquake shook the eastern coast of Japan’s Fukushima Prefecture, and caused a tsunami warning to be issued.
New Zealand Earthquake: Watch drone footage that reveals amazing fault rupture
GNS Science just released drone footage of fault rupture along the Kekerengu and Papatea faults.
New Zealand earthquake damage map: Images reveal massive destruction
The 14 November 2016 M=7.8 New Zealand earthquake caused significant damage, and left many people isolated. Images now coming in show the scale of the devastation.
San Francisco’s ship cemetery: The Financial District
Few people know that much of the Financial District is literally built on top of old ships
14 November 2016 Mw=7.8 New Zealand earthquake shows an uncanny resemblance to the 2015 Nepal shock
At 12:02 a.m. local time, a Mw=7.8 (per USGS), Mw=7.5 (per GNS Science, NZ) earthquake struck New Zealand’s South Island, and caused tsunami warnings to be issued for all of New Zealand’s east coast.
Want to be tsunami ready? Follow this town’s example
Imagine a 40-foot high wall of water. There’s nothing you can do to stop it, you don’t have time to grab possessions, all you can do is run.
M=6.4 earthquake hits deep below Curico, Chile
At 12:20 pm local time Friday afternoon, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake hit 25 km ESE of Curico, Chile.
Listen: Italy earthquakes resemble “falling dominoes”, says Ross Stein on BBC
Ross Stein was on the BBC’s Science in Action podcast yesterday with Roland Pease to discuss the recent earthquakes in Italy.
Italy Earthquakes after today’s M=6.6: What’s next?
In our judgment, the Norcia, Gorzano, Capitignano Faults could now be the next domino pieces to fall.
Italy Earthquakes: Second damaging shock rips north from Amatrice
A M=5.5 shock preceded the M=6.1 earthquake by little over 2 hours, and so might be deemed a foreshock. After the Amatrice earthquake, the INGV posted a calculation of the stress transferred from the M=6.2 to surrounding faults.
Damaging Japan earthquake strikes between two recent large shocks
It is likely that earthquakes in 1943 and 2000 contributed stress that brought the fault which ruptured today, closer to failure.
How to prepare for an earthquake
October 20th marks the 9th official Great ShakeOut earthquake drill.
Hurricane Matthew causes record flooding, matching FEMA flood maps
Even though Hurricane Matthew has long departed the eastern seaboard, various parts of the East Coast are still suffering from record flood conditions not seen since Hurricane Floyd in 1999.
Where will Hurricane Matthew cause the worst flooding?
By Gabriel Lotto, Temblor Check your hazard rank in Temblor Hurricane Matthew is bearing down on Florida, prompting governments to declare states of emergency and forcing millions of residents to …
California Earthquake Advisory ends without further rumbling
The one-week California Earthquake Advisory ended, following a week of increased seismicity near the southern portion of the San Andreas Fault.
California Issues One-week Earthquake Advisory for San Andreas Fault
The California Office of Emergency Services (CalOES) issued an advisory stating the recent earthquake swam may have slightly increased the probability of additional earthquakes over the next week.
How long does it take to recover from an earthquake?
When large earthquakes strike, media outlets flock to the scene to cover devastation. However, we rarely get a glimpse of how areas or people are doing months or even years after an event.
Google Earth reveals damage extent of Japan earthquake
In April, Kumamoto, Japan was devastated by a series of large earthquakes. Now, Google Earth has updated 3D imagery, revealing the extent of damage.
M=4.3 Bombay Beach swarm lights up the southernmost tip of the San Andreas Fault
At 7:31 a.m. local time, a M=4.3 earthquake shook the southern section of the San Andreas Fault, within the Brawley Seismic Zone.
M=4.3 earthquake shakes northern Oklahoma
At 11:59 p.m. local time, a M=4.3 earthquake shook northern Oklahoma, and was widely felt throughout large parts of Kansas. Located near the town of Wakita, just south of the …
Shallow M=3.5 Hayward Fault earthquake shakes Bay Area
A M=3.5 earthquake on the Hayward Fault shook the East Bay and Peninsula at 12:50 a.m. local time.
M=4.2 earthquake strikes beneath Mount Baldy Ski Resort in British Columbia, Canada
The earthquake stuck at a relatively shallow depth of 5-7 km (3-4 mi) and was felt over an area about 100 km (60 mi) wide; the closest town is Oliver, 15 km to the west, where it was strongly felt.
What do the destructive Ecuador, Japan, Burma, and Italy quakes—and the Louisiana flood—all have in common?
Answer: They are the ‘one percent.’
Oklahoma earthquake: M=5.6 quake shakes seven states
At 5:02 Saturday morning, a Magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck 14km NW of Pawnee, Oklahoma. This was a fairly shallow quake occurring about 6.59 km below Earth’s surface, and it caused strong shaking.
Based on early reports, the USGS estimates that there will be no casualties or major damage. However, some injuries or economic losses may still be possible.
熊本地震: M6地震がM7地震を誘発し，その後周辺の活断層にも影響が
熊本での地震続発を報告してから４ヵ月が経過しました．本年４月14日に発生した最初のM6.5地震から28時間後の16日には，同じ断層帯でM7.3地震が発生しました．この地震で，熊本市，益城町，西原村，南阿蘇村など，日奈久断層帯，布田川断層帯に沿った地域で甚大な被害がもたらされました．以下では，これまで得られたいくつかの知見を紹介します．
How a M=6 earthquake triggered a deadly M=7 in Japan
It’s been over four months since we wrote about the powerful Kumamoto quake sequence: The 15 April 2016 Mw=6.2 (Mjma 6.5) Kumamoto, Japan, shock, which was succeeded 28 hours later by the very damaging Mw=7.0 (Mjma 7.3) shock on the same fault system. We can now give you a preview of crucial new discoveries by Japanese and other researchers.
New Zealand earthquake causes tiny tsunami
At 4:37 am Friday morning, a M=7.1 earthquake struck off the east coast of New Zealand, 166 km northeast of Gisborne. This was a moderately deep quake, occurring about 20 km below Earth’s surface, and it caused moderate to strong shaking on land.
Italy earthquake: NASA radar maps reveal massive damage
Last week’s M=6.2 Italy earthquake left many parts of the medieval city of Amatrice in ruin. In the old part of the city, most buildings were made of unreinforced masonry, leaving them susceptible to collapse [Guidoboni and Valensise, 2015]. Amatrice was all but destroyed in three large shocks over 19 days in 1703, and so the part of the town that was highly damaged on 24 August 2016 was composed of buildings largely constructed about 300 years ago. In contrast, the newer construction in the east side of the town came through the M=6.2 quake relatively unscathed.
Italy earthquake leaves seismic gaps that were last filled by three large earthquakes in 1703
Could this happen again now? As with precursory swarms, progressive earthquake sequences are uncommon.
M=4.5 quake strikes 23km WSW of Hayfork, California
Click here to see the interactive earthquake map. At 14:20 Sunday afternoon, a Magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck 23km WSW of Hayfork, California, not far from Fortuna, Bayside, and Arcata. This …
M4.8 earthquake in Wyoming felt in Jackson, WY
At 13:47 Saturday afternoon, a Magnitude 4.8 earthquake struck 38km E of Hoback, Wyoming. This was a fairly shallow quake occurring about 9.99 km below Earth’s surface, and it caused …
M=3.9 earthquake in Van, Turkey – Van’da 3.9 büyüklüğünde deprem
: Aftershocks (Artçı depremler)
24 Aug 2016 M=6.8 Burma earthquake reveals how oblique plate motion is accommodated by parallel transform and subduction faults
The M=6.2 Italy earthquake dominated the seismic headlines today, but an even larger quake just a few hours later was largely ignored. While unrelated, both earthquakes are important. Today’s magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck western Burma, 200 km northwest of the capital city of Naypyitaw.
M=6.2 earthquake strikes central Italy, 35 km north of the disastrous 2009 M=6.3 L’Aquila event
Today’s earthquake, 10 km southeast of Norcia, has a shallow depth of 10 km, and lies in the Central Apennines normal faulting system. It was felt from Rome to Bologna. One can see from the Temblor map that quakes of this size are expected one or two times in a lifetime at Norcia.
A second earthquake swarm hits west of the Hilton Creek Fault, in Long Valley Caldera near Mammoth Lakes, CA
By Ross Stein, Temblor The two recent swarms are 20 km (12 mi) apart. The 13 August swarm lies on the west side of the Hilton Creek Fault, about 5 …
Flood zone maps: Louisiana deluge had less than 1% chance of occurring per year
By Gabriel Lotto, Temblor The Louisiana floods, which have killed 13 people and damaged 40,000 homes, were the result of severe rainfall that drenched the Baton Rouge area. As much …
US Flood Maps: Do you live in a flood zone?
By Gabriel Lotto, Temblor Rivers are beginning to recede after several days of devastating flooding in Louisiana. On Tuesday, we showed how FEMA’s flood maps did a pretty good job …
Louisiana floods are “historic” but not surprising
By Gabriel Lotto, Temblor This weekend, record-breaking rainfall in Louisiana and Mississippi caused extreme flooding in the region. As of this posting, eight people have died and over 30,000 have …
Earthquake Swarm off the Hilton Creek Fault, which last ruptured in 1980
Ross Stein and Volkan Sevilgen, Temblor (Click here to check your seismic risk for free) An intense swarm, so far topped by a M=3.9 shock on 13 August 2016, is …
Magnitude-5 Shock Strikes the Bartlett Springs Fault
Ross Stein, Temblor Check your home’s seismic risk The right-lateral strike-slip quake was felt in Ukiah, Yuba City, and Clear Lake. The quake struck at 18 km depth, near or …
Liquefaction and the Leaning Tower of San Francisco
By David Jacobson, Temblor Check if you are in a liquefaction zone in Temblor New satellite imagery reveals sinking Millennium Tower While most high-rise buildings in modern cities are symbols …
M 4 Ankara Earthquake (Deprem)
Turkiye’deki depremlere buradan bakabilirsiniz.
M 6.2 Chile Earthquake Map
Click here for Chilean earthquakes in Temblor App
M=4 Kailua Kona Hawaii Earthquake Map
Click here to view the aftershocks in Temblor App
Earthquake swarms do not signal that “The Big One” is coming
by Gabriel Lotto and Ross Stein, Temblor Does the name “Hollister” conjure up visions of surf-lifestyle clothing for landlocked teenagers? If so, it’s time to forget everything you know about …
Terremotos en Ecuador: Que paso y que sigue?
Click for English version by Gabriel Lotto and Ross Stein, Temblor Translated by Delvin Martinez Un día después del terremoto del 16 de Abril de 2016 (Mw=7.8), publicamos un artículo …
Ecuador earthquakes: What happened and what’s next?
La versión en español de la publicación del blog se puede encontrar aquí by Gabriel Lotto and Ross Stein, Temblor We first posted about the 16 April 2016 M=7.8 Ecuador …
M=5.2 southern California earthquake triggered a profusion of aftershocks on ‘bookshelf faults’ that link the active strands of the San Jacinto fault zone
Send me Earthquake Insights by Ross Stein (ross@temblor.net), David Jacobson, Ali Kim, and Volkan Sevilgen Temblor Today’s earthquake struck along the central San Jacinto fault, a major element of the southern …
Eastern California’s intense seismic and geothermal activity: Chicken or egg?
Send me Earthquake Insights A 13 May M=3.5 earthquake struck 30 mi (50 km) west of Death Valley at the northern tip of the Ash Hill fault. This earthquake is anything …
Is the San Andreas “locked, loaded, and ready to go”?
Send me Earthquake Insights Volkan and I presented and exhibited Temblor at the National Earthquake Conference in Long Beach last week. Prof. Thomas Jordan, USC University Professor, William M. Keck Foundation …
Kentucky Magnitude-3.5 quake highlights the liquefaction potential in the disputed New Madrid seismic zone
1 May 2016 | Quake Insights Today’s earthquake lies at the northern end of the New Madrid seismic zone, which ruptured in three Magnitude-7 or greater earthquakes in the winter …
Imperial seismic swarm lights up the southern tip of the San Jacinto fault in an area of extreme hazard
22 April 2016 | Quake Insights A seismic burst, so far topped only by a M=3.4 shock, struck beneath the city of Imperial yesterday. It’s a fascinating location, where the …
16 April 2016 Ecuador M=7.8 quake likely a repeat of a 1942 M=7.8 shock; such repeats are rare but important
La versión en español de la publicación del blog se puede encontrar aquí Click for the New Ecuador Earthquake Article 17 April 2016 | Quake Insights The event severely shook the …
The Tail that Wagged the Dog: M=7.0 Kumamoto, Japan shock promoted by M=6.1 quake that struck 28 hr beforehand
Was the M=6.1 a foreshock of the M=7.0, or was the M=7.0 an aftershock of the M=6.1?
Calaveras swarm: Something Learned and Something Lost
A burst of seventeen 1.0≤M≤3.2 earthquake struck 0.2 mi (0.5 km) east of the Calaveras fault trace, east of San José, California, on 29-30 March 2016 at about 5-6 mi …
Pair of magnitude-4 earthquakes lights up one end of a 25-mile-long fault in Oklahoma that could host a larger quake
Temblor Insight|Mar 29, 2016 The M=4.2 shock, and a M=4.1 aftershock 5 hr 26 min later, struck just 45 miles north of Oklahoma City, between the West Lawrie and Sooner …
Living with Liquefaction
During intense earthquake shaking, water-saturated sediments can turn into a slurry (liquefaction), causing buildings, cars and other heavy objects lying on top of what were formerly stiff, dry sediments or …
Magnitude-4.0 earthquake strikes 20 mi east of the magnificent Teton fault near Jackson, Wyoming
26 February 2016 | Quake Insights Today’s earthquake was strongly felt in Jackson, WY. It is a strike-slip event with the center of the rupture at a depth of about …
Magnitude-5.7 Valentine’s Day Earthquake Brings Canterbury Earthquake Sequence Back to Life
Quake Insight | Feb 22, 2016 Over 5 years since the Canterbury Earthquake Sequence started, the city of Christchurch is still being rattled by large aftershocks. The magnitude 5.7 earthquake, …
Magnitude-4.8 shock near Big Pine, CA, strikes just north the 1872 M=7.6 Owens Valley quake, recalling the contemporary account of naturalist John Muir
16 February 2016 | Quake Insights The M=4.8 Big Pine, CA quake was followed by a M=4.2 aftershock and several smaller ones; both are right-lateral ruptures at a depth of about …
Could a great quake strike on the enigmatic San Jacinto fault?
Today’s magnitude-3.5 Moreno Valley, CA, quake near the San Jacinto fault begs the question The 13.5 km (8 mi) deep right-lateral strike-slip earthquake was widely, though weakly, felt in the …
Magnitude-5.1 northern Oklahoma quake produces aftershocks over a surprisingly broad 5 by 8 mi area
13 February 2016 | Revised Quake Insights The foreshock has been removed from the catalog, so perhaps this was a phantom event. Five hours after the mainshock, improved earthquake depths and locations, …
Terremoto en Taiwan, Febrero 05, 2016
Febrero 10, 2016 Con el reciente terremoto ocurrido en Taiwan (Febrero 5,2016; 6.4Mw, de acuerdo al USGS), algunas cosas interesantes pueden ser escritas. Hasta ahora los reportes oficiales indican el …
Magnitude-6.3 earthquake near Tainan, Taiwan, highlights the danger of blind thrust faults around the world
6 February 2016 | Quake Insight | Revised The 5 Feb 2016 M=6.3 event struck at a depth of 20 km (12 mi) about 40 km (25 mi) east of …
Temblor on the NASA Hyperwall
Temblor presentation on the NASA Hyperwall by Ross Stein & Volkan Sevilgen at the American Geophysical Union meeting in San Francisco. http://temblor.net
What would you do if a Japanese tsunami boat washed ashore? Students transform a tragedy into a homecoming
I attended the January meeting of the California Seismic Safety Commission, which looks out for the needs of Californians to prepare for quakes, to be resilient to their effects, and …
Why don’t the earthquakes line up with the San Andreas fault?
1 February 2016 | Quake Insights Magnitude-2.7 shock near Hollister highlights a string of quakes lighting up the San Andreas fault A M=2.7 quake occurred on 1 Feb 2016 with …
Magnitude-4.3 shock strikes on 30 Jan 2016 near Helena, Montana
31 January 2016 | Quake Insights On 30 January 2016, a M=4.3 shock struck at a shallow 5 km (3 mi) depth in central Montana. The shock was felt in …
Temblor will be presented to Gavin Newsom at a public event on Feb 11
Upcoming Event with Temblor presentation “Innovations in Earthquake Preparedness” event will be held at UC Berkeley with Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom at 1-3 pm on February 11; all are welcome Lt. …
Today’s Magnitude-4.1 Joshua Tree, CA, quake and seismic swarm appear to be delayed aftershocks of the 1999 M=7.1 Hector Mine earthquake
24 Jan 2016 | Quake Insight The M=4.1 is part of a very shallow 12-day-long seismic swarm A magnitude-4.1 shock struck at very shallow depth (2-5 km, or 1-3 mi) …
Temblor: Una aplicacion para estimar nivel de amenaza sismica y costos de reforzamiento estructural
Jan 17, 2016 Tanto en la tienda de Google, como en la de Apple se pueden encontrar varias aplicaciones, que permiten convertir nuestro smarthphone en un instrumento de medicion sismica …
California homeowners in 100 zip codes can receive up to $3,000 for a ‘brace and bolt’ retrofit, but you need to apply by February 20
Editorial|14 January 2016 The Earthquake Brace+Bolt program is offering up to $3000 in over 100 zip codes towards a retrofit of older wood-frame homes with a ‘cripple wall’ or ‘stem …
Garlock fault lights up in a Magnitude-3.5 seismic swarm in the high desert of southern California
Temblor Insight | Jan 13, 2016 A M=3.5 shock at a depth of 5 km struck on the active Garlock fault. The mainshock has a focal mechanism consistent with the …
How to shop for a safe home in earthquake country
8 January 2016: Editorial We’ve all been there You’ve finally zeroed in on a home that you can actually—somehow—afford. It’s within commute range, in a good school district, and has enough …
Jan 7, 2016 M=4.8 Oklahoma mainshock and its M=4.4 foreshock felt throughout north-central Oklahoma and southern Kansas
Jan 8, 2016: Quake Insights The Jan 7, 2016 M=4.8 event followed 30 seconds after a M=4.4 at a distance of 4 km (3 mi) to the southwest. This means …
Magnitude-4.5 Banning quake struck the San Gorgonio Pass, where the San Gorgonio thrust fault links the right-lateral San Andreas and San Jacinto faults
Jan 6, 2016: Quake Insights Today’s Magnitude-4.5 shock probably slipped the San Gorgonio fault Pass fault, which has a longterm slip rate of 1.4-1.5 mm/yr, making it active but not …