The Earthquake/Seismic Activity Log

11/14/2012 -- Global Earthquake Overview -- Multiple points of unrest

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kZV4dHFtN9k


Love Always
mudra

DATE LAT LON MAG DEPTH km REGION
15-NOV-2012 09:20:23 18.41 -100.37 6.0 60.8 GUERRERO, MEXICO
15-NOV-2012 08:21:49 -3.25 148.18 5.7 9.9 BISMARCK SEA
14-NOV-2012 19:02:05 -29.16 -71.27 6.1 61.8 NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL CHILE
14-NOV-2012 09:15:51 -30.07 -174.54 4.8 32.5 KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
14-NOV-2012 07:41:58 -20.67 -174.05 5.0 39.6 TONGA ISLANDS
14-NOV-2012 07:24:28 35.67 29.93 4.2 10.1 EASTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEA
14-NOV-2012 05:21:43 9.99 122.43 5.6 46.4 NEGROS, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
14-NOV-2012 03:04:46 51.82 -130.56 4.7 15.2 QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS REGION
14-NOV-2012 00:43:00 17.42 -93.39 4.6 10.0 CHIAPAS, MEXICO
14-NOV-2012 00:09:43 14.71 -91.20 4.3 89.2 GUATEMALA
14-NOV-2012 00:01:59 37.31 37.12 4.3 12.0 TURKEY
14-NOV-2012 00:00:44 -27.28 -69.00 4.8 86.2 NORTHERN CHILE
13-NOV-2012 23:55:48 37.27 37.11 4.7 13.0 TURKEY
13-NOV-2012 23:50:03 40.45 -125.80 4.1 10.0 OFF COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
13-NOV-2012 23:43:35 51.63 177.02 4.4 56.2 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
13-NOV-2012 23:24:10 42.55 19.02 4.6 17.0 NORTHWESTERN BALKAN REGION
13-NOV-2012 23:23:48 -21.06 -175.98 5.2 24.4 TONGA ISLANDS
13-NOV-2012 18:28:14 22.83 95.94 4.9 21.8 MYANMAR
13-NOV-2012 12:42:50 0.27 122.31 4.3 155.0 MINAHASSA PENINSULA, SULAWESI
13-NOV-2012 12:13:18 -16.67 -175.75 5.1 176.5 TONGA ISLANDS
13-NOV-2012 12:12:08 -4.89 103.02 4.6 67.4 SOUTHERN SUMATERA, INDONESIA
13-NOV-2012 09:08:01 13.87 -92.33 4.8 34.8 OFF COAST OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO
13-NOV-2012 07:34:19 52.82 -132.44 4.6 10.1 QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS REGION
13-NOV-2012 07:17:02 11.97 -86.42 4.3 140.6 NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA
13-NOV-2012 07:06:33 38.23 15.90 4.4 81.9 SICILY
13-NOV-2012 06:48:19 29.72 -42.60 4.9 10.1 NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
13-NOV-2012 06:44:17 -3.01 139.60 4.3 48.3 IRIAN JAYA, INDONESIA
13-NOV-2012 06:21:32 29.84 -42.80 4.8 10.1 NORTHERN MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
13-NOV-2012 05:31:57 13.77 -92.05 4.8 36.4 OFF COAST OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO
13-NOV-2012 04:55:48 52.82 -132.01 5.4 9.8 QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS REGION
13-NOV-2012 04:31:27 -45.74 -77.14 6.0 9.7 OFF COAST OF SOUTHERN CHILE
13-NOV-2012 03:11:26 -20.47 -69.01 4.6 91.5 NORTHERN CHILE
13-NOV-2012 01:56:45 -1.78 -81.59 5.0 34.8 OFF COAST OF ECUADOR
13-NOV-2012 01:52:20 19.24 96.08 4.8 18.2 MYANMAR
13-NOV-2012 00:12:00 10.36 -85.55 4.0 39.6 COSTA RICA
12-NOV-2012 23:18:42 42.56 19.02 4.6 14.0 NORTHWESTERN BALKAN REGION
12-NOV-2012 23:02:24 -37.76 77.92 4.8 9.9 MID-INDIAN RIDGE
12-NOV-2012 22:21:01 57.99 -143.93 4.2 19.7 GULF OF ALASKA
12-NOV-2012 22:20:53 57.64 -142.80 4.2 18.3 GULF OF ALASKA
12-NOV-2012 22:18:46 57.55 -142.80 4.2 11.8 GULF OF ALASKA
12-NOV-2012 20:42:14 57.85 -142.91 6.0 0.4 GULF OF ALASKA

November 15, 2012 – SANTIAGO – A magnitude 6.1 earthquake hit central-north Chile on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey said, causing buildings to sway in capital Santiago but causing no damage. The USGS said the quake struck on the coast, 54 miles (88 km) north of Coquimbo, at 4:02 p.m. (1902 GMT). It was initially reported as a magnitude 6.0 quake. Chile’s state emergency office, Onemi, said there were no reports of injuries, disruptions to basic services or infrastructure damage as a result of the tremor. The navy said the quake did not meet the conditions needed to trigger a tsunami. World No.1 copper producer Codelco said its operations were normal, and no mines in the metal-producing country reported damages. Seismically active Chile was battered in February 2010 by an 8.8 magnitude quake and ensuing tsunami, which caused billions in damage and killed hundreds. Today’s 6.1 quake is the fifth 6.0+ magnitude quake to rattle the planet in three days. –Reuters GMA


November 15, 2012 – INDIAN OCEAN – A shallow magnitude 4.8 earthquake occurred today under or near Boomerang Island, about 35 km NE from Amsterdam island (French territory) in the southern Indian Ocean. It is unknown if the quake is caused by or related to volcanic activity, or whether some activity is actually occurring at the undersea volcano. The basaltic volcano rises to within 650 m of the sea surface and has a 2-km-wide summit caldera that is 200 m deep. Rift zones extend SE and north. Boomerang Seamount is one of several active volcanoes on the axis of the Southeast Indian Ridge. The quake can be taken as a reminder that many volcanic eruptions from volcanoes on the sea floor go unnoticed. A submarine eruption from Boomerang volcano in this extremely remote location in particular would probably only be recorded if it is a major one, and even that is not to be relied upon: A probably large submarine eruption occurred in July / August this year from the until then unknown Havre Seamount in the Kermandec island chain NE of New Zealand. It was only discovered some weeks later, due to the appearance of large pumice rafts and by careful analysis of past satellite images, which revealed a plume. The eruption of Havre, by the way, had also been closely preceded or were accompanied by a series of earthquakes of magnitudes around 5.0. –http://www.volcanodiscovery.com


(Reuters) - A magnitude 6 earthquake hit southwestern Mexico on Thursday, 173 km (107 miles) southwest of the capital Mexico City, the U.S. Geological Survey said, but there were no immediate reports of damage. The earthquake struck at a depth of 38 miles, revised up from an original estimate of 6.2 miles, 10 miles northwest of Arcelia, in the state of Guerrero

Jerry Lee Lewis - Whole Lotta Shakin 4:27


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WtPY_X1j14


Whole lotta shakin' goin' on - 1957 2:55

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ke9Xpzh2g10

November 16, 2012 – KURIL ISLANDS - A powerful earthquake that struck the Kuril Islands in the northwestern Pacific this morning did not generate a Pacific-wide tsunami, the US Geological Survey said. The 6.4-magnitude tremor occurred at 8:12 a.m. Hawaii time at a depth of 18 miles. Its epicenter was in an 810-mile volcanic archipelago located between Japan and Russia which separates the Sea of Okhotsk from the North Pacific Ocean. The USGS describes the area as among the most seismically active in the world. The islands mark the location of the Kuril-Kamchatka tectonic arc, a subduction zone interface between the overriding North America plate and the Pacific plate. The area has been the site of frequent earthquakes including seven since 1900 of 8.3 magnitude or greater. This is the eighth 6.0+ magnitude earthquake to rattle the planet in the last 8 days. –Big Island Now


DATE LAT LON MAG DEPTH km REGION
17-NOV-2012 10:13:48 13.19 -92.01 4.4 35.0 OFF COAST OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO
17-NOV-2012 09:09:35 -18.89 -68.99 4.7 115.7 CHILE-BOLIVIA BORDER REGION
17-NOV-2012 09:06:26 -22.24 171.64 5.1 115.1 LOYALTY ISLANDS REGION
17-NOV-2012 06:47:44 13.97 -92.48 4.5 34.7 OFF COAST OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO
17-NOV-2012 05:29:45 -20.25 -178.44 5.0 583.8 FIJI ISLANDS REGION
17-NOV-2012 05:12:56 -18.31 -172.37 4.8 9.8 TONGA ISLANDS REGION
17-NOV-2012 04:48:57 36.56 -97.49 5.6 5.0 OKLAHOMA
17-NOV-2012 04:35:58 10.83 -84.89 4.1 172.0 COSTA RICA
17-NOV-2012 03:11:29 -37.00 -95.94 4.6 10.0 SOUTHEAST OF EASTER ISLAND
17-NOV-2012 02:51:23 -15.00 167.44 5.7 123.1 VANUATU ISLANDS
16-NOV-2012 23:55:50 52.08 153.06 5.5 415.4 NORTHWEST OF KURIL ISLANDS
16-NOV-2012 21:06:48 12.90 -88.77 4.6 72.1 OFF COAST OF CENTRAL AMERICA
16-NOV-2012 18:12:39 49.27 155.47 6.4 29.1 KURIL ISLANDS
16-NOV-2012 18:11:15 19.00 -64.91 5.4 9.0 VIRGIN ISLANDS
16-NOV-2012 18:00:27 -55.86 -26.71 5.0 16.3 SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
16-NOV-2012 16:40:17 37.54 72.03 4.9 127.6 TAJIKISTAN
16-NOV-2012 13:02:01 13.88 -91.85 4.8 34.8 NEAR COAST OF GUATEMALA
16-NOV-2012 08:25:57 35.23 141.05 5.3 34.7 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
16-NOV-2012 06:24:42 -54.00 -134.68 5.3 10.1 PACIFIC-ANTARCTIC RIDGE
16-NOV-2012 06:05:41 -7.98 -74.33 4.3 151.9 PERU-BRAZIL BORDER REGION
16-NOV-2012 03:58:26 38.47 46.69 4.9 5.0 ARMENIA-AZERBAIJAN-IRAN BORD REG
16-NOV-2012 03:04:59 13.96 -92.38 4.4 65.1 OFF COAST OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO
16-NOV-2012 00:38:05 -21.51 -69.50 5.0 54.3 NORTHERN CHILE
16-NOV-2012 00:21:57 -13.28 -76.51 4.7 42.2 NEAR COAST OF PERU
16-NOV-2012 00:07:35 -25.19 179.72 4.5 502.7 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS
15-NOV-2012 23:41:02 -30.99 -71.17 4.2 65.8 NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL CHILE
15-NOV-2012 22:19:08 -20.55 -175.13 4.8 35.0 TONGA ISLANDS
15-NOV-2012 22:10:24 -0.03 123.43 4.7 155.5 MINAHASSA PENINSULA, SULAWESI
15-NOV-2012 21:55:14 -16.86 -175.04 4.7 254.8 TONGA ISLANDS
15-NOV-2012 20:32:36 -32.66 -71.82 4.8 20.9 NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL CHILE
15-NOV-2012 16:33:03 -3.51 149.72 4.8 1.0 BISMARCK SEA
15-NOV-2012 15:47:09 -25.88 178.24 4.9 642.2 SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS
15-NOV-2012 11:22:22 52.49 173.35 5.6 30.0 NEAR ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
15-NOV-2012 10:40:27 15.23 -93.20 4.3 74.2 NEAR COAST OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO
15-NOV-2012 09:20:23 18.41 -100.37 6.0 60.8 GUERRERO, MEXICO
15-NOV-2012 08:21:49 -3.25 148.18 4.3 9.9 BISMARCK SEA
15-NOV-2012 08:01:01 14.08 -91.63 4.6 35.0 GUATEMALA
15-NOV-2012 06:42:38 14.13 -92.33 4.9 35.0 NEAR COAST OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO
15-NOV-2012 04:58:59 19.12 145.82 4.9 124.6 MARIANA ISLANDS
15-NOV-2012 01:36:38 43.97 39.11 4.1 18.0 NORTHWESTERN CAUCASUS
15-NOV-2012 01:30:39 27.49 140.08 4.4 485.1 BONIN ISLANDS REGION
15-NOV-2012 00:25:52 39.63 73.52 4.2 52.6 TAJIKISTAN-XINJIANG BORDER REG.
15-NOV-2012 00:00:28 32.88 92.32 4.1 10.0 XIZANG
15-NOV-2012 00:00:06 -5.80 151.72 4.8 8.8 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
14-NOV-2012 23:41:53 -5.74 151.56 5.4 6.0 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
14-NOV-2012 19:02:05 -29.12 -71.20 6.2 59.2 NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL CHILE

DATE LAT LON MAG DEPTH km REGION
21-NOV-2012 21:36:22 -34.00 -71.96 6.1 15.6 NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL CHILE
21-NOV-2012 16:46:39 -11.38 117.92 5.8 16.7 SOUTH OF SUMBAWA, INDONESIA
21-NOV-2012 14:46:32 52.44 -131.77 4.0 15.5 QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS REGION
21-NOV-2012 09:59:42 -8.87 118.58 4.7 129.0 SUMBAWA REGION, INDONESIA
21-NOV-2012 09:17:42 -5.59 151.76 4.2 89.9 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
21-NOV-2012 07:05:50 -5.06 154.43 4.8 243.1 SOLOMON ISLANDS
21-NOV-2012 05:13:43 16.41 -90.89 4.2 41.9 MEXICO-GUATEMALA BORDER REGION
21-NOV-2012 03:58:26 -1.05 127.30 4.3 18.6 HALMAHERA, INDONESIA
21-NOV-2012 01:18:40 -5.90 151.71 4.2 8.4 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
21-NOV-2012 00:30:51 16.43 -98.30 4.6 13.8 NEAR COAST OF GUERRERO, MEXICO
21-NOV-2012 00:22:12 44.15 147.65 4.6 106.7 KURIL ISLANDS
20-NOV-2012 21:46:48 -5.03 102.91 4.5 39.5 SOUTHERN SUMATERA, INDONESIA
20-NOV-2012 17:56:31 39.45 39.86 4.3 6.5 TURKEY
20-NOV-2012 17:25:56 -7.66 127.61 4.6 152.8 BANDA SEA
20-NOV-2012 17:08:59 22.41 121.42 5.2 11.4 TAIWAN REGION
20-NOV-2012 16:23:51 -0.83 30.15 4.9 10.0 UGANDA
20-NOV-2012 16:23:24 -33.93 -72.28 5.4 15.1 OFF COAST OF CENTRAL CHILE
20-NOV-2012 16:10:42 -5.82 151.76 4.7 37.8 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
20-NOV-2012 15:28:00 0.83 126.06 4.9 17.6 NORTHERN MOLUCCA SEA
20-NOV-2012 15:14:13 36.20 70.42 4.1 154.3 HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
20-NOV-2012 10:38:14 -7.19 129.47 4.5 142.2 BANDA SEA
20-NOV-2012 10:15:04 33.29 141.76 4.7 10.0 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
20-NOV-2012 03:33:52 16.66 -96.72 4.2 35.2 OAXACA, MEXICO
20-NOV-2012 02:24:28 38.62 106.25 4.7 30.8 WESTERN NEI MONGOL, CHINA
20-NOV-2012 01:09:49 -21.81 -70.27 4.7 65.0 NEAR COAST OF NORTHERN CHILE
20-NOV-2012 00:59:20 13.98 -91.77 4.5 36.2 NEAR COAST OF GUATEMALA


SANTIAGO | Wed Nov 21, 2012 5:26pm EST -(Reuters) - A strong earthquake shook buildings in the Chilean capital of Santiago on Wednesday but there were no immediate reports of damage or injuries, and the country's massive copper mines were not affected.The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said the 6.1 magnitude quake struck 106 km (66 miles) south-southwest of the port city of Valparaiso. The USGS initially reported the quake as a magnitude 5.9. "There are no reports of injuries or of any disruption to basic services or infrastructure," Chile's state emergency office said.

November 22, 2012 – CHILE – A strong 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook central Chile on Wednesday, causing office buildings in the capital to sway for almost a minute but authorities said no damage was reported and ruled out the possibility of tsunami along its coast. The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake’s epicenter was 37 miles (59 kilometers) southwest of the port city of San Antonio, Chile. It struck at 6:36 p.m. local time. The USGS had reported the quake as magnitude 6.1 but revised the strength down to 5.9. Buildings swayed in Santiago and some people fled to the streets in fear. Chile’s emergency services office said no damages to infrastructure were immediately reported. The USGS reported two other temblors with magnitudes of 5.1 and 5.2 on Wednesday near San Antonio. Chile is highly earthquake-prone and residents have bad memories of other quakes that have caused widespread destruction. In 2010, a devastating 8.8-magnitude quake, one of the strongest recorded, and the tsunami it unleashed, killed 551 people, destroyed 220,000 homes and washed away docks, riverfronts and seaside resorts. The disaster cost Chile $30 billion, or 18 percent of its annual gross domestic product. –ABC News

December 2, 2012 – VANUATU - A strong 6.4-magnitude earthquake has struck off the Pacific island nation of Vanuatu, but no tsunami warning was issued. Seismologists say the quake had a relatively shallow depth of 34 kilometers. The quake struck just before midday local time, and was centered 108 kilometers northwest of the capital, Port Vila, the United States Geological Survey said. There have been no immediate reports of damage or injury. Vanuatu lies on the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a zone of frequent seismic activity caused by friction between shifting tectonic plates. It has been rocked by several large quakes in recent years, averaging about three magnitude 7.0 or above incidents every year without any major damage. –NST

Earthquake strikes Romania: An earthquake occurred on Saturday night in Vrancea region of eastern Romania, with a magnitude of 4.6 on the Richter scale, according to Romania’s National Institute for Earth Physics. There are no reports of casualties, injuries or major material damage for now. The quake struck at 10:52 p.m. local time (GMT 2052) at a depth of 67 km, near Reghiu of Vrancea County, some 210 kilometers northeast of Romania’s capital Bucharest. Yet, according to European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre, the earthquake had a magnitude of 4.8 on the Richter scale and the epicenter is at a depth of 93 kilometers. The quake was felt in Bucharest. Vrancea is one of the most active seismic areas in Europe. It is known for its intermediate-depth (70-200 kilometers) earthquakes, which can reach a magnitude of 7.0-7.8. This earthquake reminds people of the 7.6-magnitude earthquake in March 1977 that killed 1,600 people in Romania and damaged 8,500 buildings. -EE

Heavy seismicity: Alaska as also experienced it share of earthquakes over the weekend and they don’t appear to be slowing down any. A 5.1 quake struck off the coast of Central America. A 5.0 earthquake struck Tonga. A magnitude 4.5 hit Iran three hours ago, 4.6 slapped Romania, Hawaii received a very mild jolt today. Indonesia was hit with a mild 4.6 magnitude seismic, South America had a 4.5 quake, a 4.4 hit Afghanistan and Alaska took it last hit nine hours ago with a 4.1 earthquake. An earthquake also hit the Alaska region earlier on Saturday with Alaskan’s reporting that this quake seemed to last for several minutes and was one of the strongest quakes they have encountered The earth moved Saturday in the Jujuy Province of Argentina, the US Geological Survey announced in an emailed alert. China received a fair jolt near Sichuan, China, with a 4.8 ground rumble, and Baja California, near Mexico was toughed with a 2.7 quake. As it stands, there have been 20 earthquakes today, 207 earthquakes in the past 7 days, 822 earthquakes in the past month and 17,474 earthquakes in the past year. –Guardian

December 1, 2012 – ALASKA – Residents on Kodiak Island and the Kenai Peninsula were shaken awake at 11:00pm on Friday night as a 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck the Alaska Peninsula/ South Central region. The quick jolt occurred 69 miles north of Larsen Bay and 238 miles southwest of Anchorage. It was generated at a depth of 52.1 miles beneath the surface on the mainland across from Kodiak Island. The location of this earthquake was equidistant between the long quiet region of Devil’s Desk and Kaguyak Volcano. Devil’s Desk is a volcanic neck of a former stratovolcano now completely surrounded by Hook Glacier. Erosion has removed most of the stratovolcano. Wes Hildreth of USGS as well as others state that Devil’s Desk was active 292,000 years ago to the Holocene. Kaguyak Volcano is another stratovolcano that had its last major eruption about 5,800 years before present, and has been largely quiet since that time with no recent eruptions or activity for at least the last 1,200 years. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s West Coast and Alaska Tsunami Warning Center issued a statement advising that there was no tsunami danger from this quake. –Alaska Native News

DATE LAT LON MAG DEPTH km REGION
07-DEC-2012 09:56:27 37.57 143.78 4.6 35.0 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
07-DEC-2012 09:23:04 37.82 144.18 4.8 35.1 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
07-DEC-2012 09:13:23 37.72 143.75 4.6 35.1 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
07-DEC-2012 09:01:53 37.74 143.54 4.7 35.3 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
07-DEC-2012 08:48:15 37.85 143.58 5.4 34.8 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
07-DEC-2012 08:31:14 37.94 143.76 6.2 29.2 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
07-DEC-2012 08:18:24 37.89 144.09 7.3 36.1 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

December 7, 2012 – JAPAN - A strong quake centered off northeastern Japan shook buildings as far away as Tokyo on Friday and triggered a one-meter tsunami in an area devastated by last year’s Fukushima disaster, but there were no reports of deaths or serious damage. The quake had a preliminary magnitude of 7.3, the U.S. Geological Survey said, and thousands of coastal residents were ordered to evacuate to higher ground, but the tsunami warning was lifted two hours after the tremor struck. The March 2011 earthquake and following tsunami killed nearly 20,000 people and triggered the world’s worst nuclear crisis in 25 years when the Fukushima-Daiichi nuclear plant was destroyed, leaking radiation into the sea and air. Workers at the plant were ordered to move to safety after Friday’s quake. Tokyo Electric Power Co, the operator of the Fukushima nuclear plant, reported no irregularities at its nuclear plants. All but two of Japan’s 50 nuclear reactors have been idled since the Fukushima disaster as the government reviews safety. The quake measured a “lower 5” in Miyagi prefecture on Japan’s scale of one to seven, meaning there might be some damage to roads and houses that are less quake resistant. The scale measures the amount of shaking and in that sense gives a better idea of possible damage than the magnitude. The quake registered a 4 in Tokyo. The one-meter tsunami hit at Ishinomaki, in Miyagi, at the centre of the devastation from the March 2011 disaster. All Miyagi trains halted operations and Sendai airport, which was flooded by the tsunami last year, closed its runway. Five people in the prefecture were slightly injured. “I was in the centre of the city the very moment the earthquake struck. I immediately jumped into the car and started running away towards the mountains. I’m still hiding inside the car,” said Ishinomaki resident Chikako Iwai. I have the radio on and they say the cars are still stuck in the traffic. I’m planning to stay here for the next couple of hours.” There are vast areas of Ishinomaki that still have not been cleaned up since last year’s tsunami. Many houses lie in ruins, full of rubble. Workers by the shore still sort through thousands of cars that were swamped and destroyed. The cars are piled up and being taken apart for parts and scrap. Narita airport outside Tokyo was back in action after a brief closure for safety checks. There were small tsunamis, measuring in the centimeters, elsewhere near the epicenter. Tokyo, with a population of 12 million, sits on the junction of four tectonic plates: the Eurasian, North American, Philippine and Pacific. The sudden bending or breaking of any plate can trigger an earthquake. –Reuters

The 7.1 earthquake, south of Indonesia, did not create a tsunami. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said it was not issuing a warning because the quake was too deep to trigger one in the Indian Ocean. http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Latest-News-Wires/2012/1210/7.1-magnitude-quake-reported-off-Indonesia-but-no-tsunami


DATE LAT LON MAG DEPTH km REGION
10-DEC-2012 16:53:09 -6.52 129.81 7.1 157.6 BANDA SEA
10-DEC-2012 09:09:35 37.79 143.61 4.9 30.5 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
10-DEC-2012 08:41:41 32.26 141.30 4.7 6.9 SOUTH OF HONSHU, JAPAN
10-DEC-2012 00:09:51 37.61 143.82 4.9 23.5 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
09-DEC-2012 23:56:34 37.52 143.82 4.9 16.5 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
09-DEC-2012 23:50:32 37.51 143.82 5.0 21.1 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
09-DEC-2012 23:13:20 1.64 89.59 4.8 10.0 NORTH INDIAN OCEAN
09-DEC-2012 21:45:34 6.72 126.18 5.6 56.0 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS
09-DEC-2012 20:52:38 -16.16 -174.22 5.2 129.7 TONGA ISLANDS
09-DEC-2012 19:09:32 52.45 -170.07 4.8 48.3 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
09-DEC-2012 18:59:48 37.91 143.91 4.8 35.0 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
09-DEC-2012 18:30:07 -3.64 141.11 5.3 58.4 NEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
09-DEC-2012 14:42:17 37.75 143.98 4.8 34.2 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
09-DEC-2012 12:38:40 -54.04 -1.94 5.0 9.9 BOUVET ISLAND REGION
09-DEC-2012 11:47:04 38.17 143.75 4.6 34.8 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
09-DEC-2012 06:03:18 9.91 -83.93 4.5 24.3 COSTA RICA
09-DEC-2012 03:09:49 29.25 139.41 4.6 393.8 SOUTH OF HONSHU, JAPAN
09-DEC-2012 02:50:48 -3.46 145.39 4.8 16.6 NEAR N COAST OF NEW GUINEA, PNG.
09-DEC-2012 02:34:18 37.77 143.60 4.2 29.8 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
09-DEC-2012 01:23:06 37.90 22.62 4.5 14.4 SOUTHERN GREECE

Anxieties rise as surge of tremors makes Navidad the shakiest town in Chile
December 13, 2012 – NAVIDAD, Chile — One jolt hit in the middle of the night. Another caught fishermen at a nearby beach. Then the ground shook at supper. And then again, and again: More than 170 tremors were felt in Navidad in just five weeks. The strongest struck during a funeral, and sent panicked mourners fleeing into the street. Navidad, a coastal farming town of 5,500 people, has become one of the shakiest spots in one of the world’s shakiest countries. And seismologists can’t say whether these were aftershocks from Chile’s devastating quake two years ago, or warnings of another huge disaster to come. Navidenos, though, have learned to take quakes in stride. In this town whose name means Christmas, some decorate Christmas trees with quakes in mind, wiring ornaments to the branches or taking extra efforts to secure the base. Restaurant owners nail wood railings panels to their shelves to keep glasses and liquor from crashing down. Some now use canned beer, shunning bottles as too risky. Children at public schools practice drills every day and everyone seems to have a quake bag with flashlights and food ready. “We were born, grew up and were raised with earthquakes,” acting Mayor Rodrigo Soto said. “It seems like the world for the first time has discovered Navidad. Everyone asks us if we’re scared and all we can say is that we need to be prepared.” Still, no amount of preparation can avoid that panicky feeling when the ground really rumbles. There’s no way to know at that moment whether the shaking will pass quickly, or become frighteningly worse. While the ground shook under the pews at the funeral, the faces of the mourners turned pale like the dead. Despite appeals for calm, the church swayed so much that people panicked and ran outside. “People were terrorized,” Carolina Jeria, recalling that 5.9-magnitude quake on Nov. 21. “In a moment like that, you lose control. We’re very worried about the quakes because the big one in 2010 caught us unprepared.” Soto says the town still has an inadequate tsunami alert system — a siren that sounds like a car alarm and lacks the volume needed to reach all the townspeople. But after so many tremors, he says Navidenos know in their bones when to run. They know they’ll barely feel a magnitude-2, but a magnitude-7 will knock them off their feet and that’s a sign to scramble for high ground in case there’s a tsunami. Aside from the quakes, life is slow in Navidad. Many farmers still use oxen to plow their land, while others cater to tourists who come for the Pacific beaches from Chile’s capital of Santiago, 170 kilometers (100 miles) northeast of town. Yet people are often on edge. –AP/WP


Restless awakening: Iceland shaken by 1,500 earthquakes in November
December 13, 2012 – ICELAND - A total of 1,500 earthquakes hit in Iceland last month. According to data from the Icelandic Met Office, the most seismic activity—or a total of 750 earthquakes—occurred in Eyjafjördur, which was also the location of the strongest earthquake, of a magnitude 3.8, mbl.is reports. In late November, a minor glacial outburst flood was reported in Grímsvötn volcano in Vatnajökull glacier. GPS data shows that the ice level had decreased, a strong indication that a flood had started. The flood reached its peak on November 26. A glacial outburst isn’t necessarily an indication of an upcoming eruption. –Iceland Review

The U.S. Geological Survey says a large earthquake has struck in the Pacific Ocean off the coast of Mexico but there are no immediate reports of damage or injuries. The quake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.4, was recorded at 2:36 a.m. (1036 GMT) Friday, 163 miles (262 kilometers) south southwest of the California city of Avalon and 167 miles west southwest of Rosarito, Mexico. No tsunami warning has been issued.
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/large-earthquake-strikes-off-mexico-coast-17971795#.UMtA0qVVNzQ
http://www.ndbc.noaa.gov

Violent pair of earthquakes strike off coast of California
December 14, 2012 – CALIFORNIA – Two violent earthquakes hit the southern cost of California this Friday morning at approximately 2:30 a.m. The first to hit was a 6.3 magnitude quake 262km SSW of Avalon, California the second quake was a 6.1 magnitude reading with an epicenter 142km SW of Avalon, California. The second earthquake was later downgraded to a 4.7 by the USGS. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the Mag: 6.3 – Depth: 10 km – off the west coast Of Baja California – and the 4.7 magnitude earthquake. 175 km from Rancho Palos Verdes, CA, United States. Witnesses in Anaheim say they felt a slow smooth whirlpool rolling shake. Another witness in Ocean Beach, San Diego, was quoted as saying “Been through many, this was the longest feeling one, my 2nd story 100 year old apt, the floor swayed and twisted. In Hillcrest they’re saying they felt a strong seemingly long quake. Inglewood says “It was crazy it didn’t wake me up but the dog did. Pico Rivera, say they felt a subtle sway and shake. Lamp and windows shook. Coronado witnesses say nothing fell off walls but certainly the house shook. here in San Diego, just felt my couch shaking from that quake a little while ago… very eerie! Folks in La Jolla say they felt a gentle shake. Spring Valley witness says it woke her up. An Anaheim witness told us she was awake for odd reason then started feeling the earthquake. She says it frightened. In her words: “I hope the world doesn’t really end. There were many more disturbed by these two quakes. Earthquake shaking in the eastern United States can travel much farther and cause damage over larger areas than previously thought, but these quakes were south west of that part of the U.S. U.S. Geological Survey scientists found that last year’s magnitude 5.8 earthquake in Virginia triggered landslides at distances four times farther—and over an area 20 times larger—than previous research has shown. There are no reports of damage or lost of life. While we were yet compiling this report another 5.1 quake hit the southern coast of California. –Guardian Express

December 17, 2012 – JAKARTA - A strong 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of central Indonesia Monday, the US Geological Survey said, sending panicked people rushing into the streets but there was no tsunami alert. The quake struck at 0916 GMT more than 160 kilometers (99 miles) south-southeast of Gorontalo in central Indonesia’s Sulawesi Island at a depth of 18 kilometers. The Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics agency (BMKG) measured it at 6.0 at a depth of 10 kilometers. “The epicenter was in the sea but it doesn’t have the potential to trigger a tsunami,” BMKG official Agung Utomo told AFP. “We haven’t received any report of damage so far.” The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said the ground shook for several seconds. “The quake was quite strong and all the guests here — about 30 people — panicked and ran out into the street,” said Rudi Gowarno, manager of Ramayana hotel in the town of Luwuk. Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where continental plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity. A deep 6.0 magnitude also earthquake struck the New Britain region of Papua New Guinea on December 15th. –Times of India



Earthquakes Worldwide
in the Last 30 Days

(of magnitude >= 4.0)


DATE LAT LON MAG DEPTH km REGION
17-DEC-2012 09:16:28 -0.71 123.84 6.1 18.5 MINAHASSA PENINSULA, SULAWESI
17-DEC-2012 00:28:55 49.77 155.89 5.3 37.0 KURIL ISLANDS
16-DEC-2012 22:46:11 -33.76 -71.43 5.9 54.9 NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL CHILE
16-DEC-2012 21:50:29 18.21 146.84 4.4 53.5 MARIANA ISLANDS
16-DEC-2012 20:39:24 -19.81 -69.51 4.9 108.5 NORTHERN CHILE
16-DEC-2012 16:49:05 5.91 -78.03 4.6 10.0 SOUTH OF PANAMA
16-DEC-2012 16:10:09 -6.63 154.89 4.6 91.1 SOLOMON ISLANDS
16-DEC-2012 15:52:00 14.18 146.73 5.3 20.4 MARIANA ISLANDS
16-DEC-2012 13:12:28 -8.40 117.74 4.3 45.1 SUMBAWA REGION, INDONESIA
16-DEC-2012 11:46:27 -24.78 -70.16 4.3 39.2 NEAR COAST OF NORTHERN CHILE
16-DEC-2012 10:29:32 39.98 77.90 5.5 8.6 SOUTHERN XINJIANG, CHINA
16-DEC-2012 10:23:42 10.53 -86.16 4.6 44.4 OFF COAST OF COSTA RICA
16-DEC-2012 10:07:12 14.75 -91.38 5.2 113.5 GUATEMALA
16-DEC-2012 09:17:17 52.72 -167.07 4.6 21.3 FOX ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
16-DEC-2012 08:04:41 29.10 140.77 4.8 99.6 SOUTH OF HONSHU, JAPAN
16-DEC-2012 07:03:13 35.22 27.69 4.0 34.8 DODECANESE ISLANDS
16-DEC-2012 06:04:17 -10.71 166.10 4.7 153.7 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
16-DEC-2012 05:52:08 -33.61 -179.30 4.7 41.5 SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS
16-DEC-2012 03:06:53 14.10 -91.90 4.9 72.3 GUATEMALA
16-DEC-2012 02:30:55 18.22 146.97 4.5 55.5 MARIANA ISLANDS
15-DEC-2012 23:46:20 -24.11 -67.01 4.2 193.6 CHILE-ARGENTINA BORDER REGION
15-DEC-2012 23:10:51 19.10 -65.34 6.1 43.0 PUERTO RICO REGION
15-DEC-2012 21:23:45 37.64 143.71 4.8 35.0 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
15-DEC-2012 19:30:03 -4.72 152.96 6.0 55.8 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
15-DEC-2012 19:16:50 -3.51 100.45 4.9 15.1 SOUTHERN SUMATERA, INDONESIA
15-DEC-2012 13:03:27 13.20 -89.86 4.5 74.4 EL SALVADOR
15-DEC-2012 12:43:30 12.26 -88.61 5.0 35.0 OFF COAST OF CENTRAL AMERICA
15-DEC-2012 11:02:14 19.40 -62.96 4.3 45.0 LEEWARD ISLANDS
15-DEC-2012 10:55:24 37.68 143.67 4.8 35.0 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
15-DEC-2012 08:53:35 -23.98 -66.82 4.5 204.9 JUJUY PROVINCE, ARGENTINA
15-DEC-2012 07:33:14 -4.92 153.38 5.2 58.2 NEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G.
15-DEC-2012 05:46:15 36.80 141.13 4.8 45.3 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
15-DEC-2012 04:49:30 52.35 173.97 5.9 29.9 NEAR ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS
15-DEC-2012 04:27:02 37.35 141.29 5.2 57.8 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
15-DEC-2012 02:53:19 13.10 -89.85 4.4 66.0 EL SALVADOR
15-DEC-2012 01:03:36 -8.62 120.42 4.5 126.4 FLORES REGION, INDONESIA
15-DEC-2012 00:40:42 55.51 -163.64 4.0 171.5 UNIMAK ISLAND REGION
14-DEC-2012 22:37:24 -6.23 130.20 4.8 131.7 BANDA SEA
14-DEC-2012 22:00:41 34.35 23.98 4.1 15.1 CRETE
14-DEC-2012 20:37:19 38.65 142.34 4.8 54.5 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
14-DEC-2012 19:18:56 12.98 -90.02 4.8 64.9 OFF COAST OF CENTRAL AMERICA
14-DEC-2012 17:46:46 -5.26 153.43 5.1 43.5 NEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G.
14-DEC-2012 16:52:38 -15.37 -178.11 5.3 10.0 FIJI ISLANDS REGION
14-DEC-2012 16:16:21 -7.80 105.78 4.8 31.6 JAWA, INDONESIA
14-DEC-2012 10:50:57 33.27 -116.09 4.1 50.2 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
14-DEC-2012 10:50:29 32.15 -119.16 4.7 10.1 OFF COAST OF CALIFORNIA
14-DEC-2012 10:50:15 31.24 -119.70 4.7 9.8 OFF W. COAST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA
14-DEC-2012 10:36:18 32.41 -119.37 5.5 11.1 OFF COAST OF CALIFORNIA
14-DEC-2012 10:36:02 31.21 -119.56 6.3 11.3 OFF W. COAST OF BAJA CALIFORNIA
14-DEC-2012 09:55:44 -19.03 169.54 4.7 9.9 VANUATU ISLANDS
14-DEC-2012 05:07:04 37.52 143.80 4.0 33.4 OFF EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
14-DEC-2012 04:58:51 14.01 -91.76 4.4 45.9 GUATEMALA
14-DEC-2012 04:21:43 13.39 -89.69 4.2 69.1 EL SALVADOR
14-DEC-2012 04:15:23 13.96 -92.04 4.1 45.6 OFF COAST OF CHIAPAS, MEXICO
14-DEC-2012 04:04:08 13.96 -91.74 5.2 45.6 NEAR COAST OF GUATEMALA
14-DEC-2012 02:34:53 -5.01 152.95 4.6 49.3 NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.
14-DEC-2012 02:17:33 22.75 95.90 4.7 23.5 MYANMAR

December 17, 2012 – NEPAL - A mega-quake in 1255 that wrecked the Nepalese capital, wiped out a third of the population of Kathmandu Valley and killed the country’s monarch, King Abhaya Malla, was of a kind that may return to the Himalayas, seismologists reported on Sunday. Experts from Nepal, France and Singapore mapped deposits of river sediment displaced along part of the fault line where the Indian subcontinent slams into the Asia tectonic plate at up to 50 millimeters (1.97 inches) per year. With the help of carbon dating, they found that the soil movement in one place was caused by a huge quake that coincided with the great event of July 7 1255. More than six centuries later, there was another surface-breaking event, correlating to a magnitude 8.2-event in 1934. The finding is important because until now there had been no evidence of surface ruptures from the collision of these plates. Surface ruptures are not only extremely violent — they also tend to release most or all of the accumulated strain. “Blind” earthquakes are ones that do not break the surface, and tend to be more frequent. The study says it takes probably takes centuries for the strain to accumulate before another bust occurs, if the evidence of the surface turnover is a guide. This long time-span is worrying as the previous event may be undocumented or poorly understood because it is so ancient. The scientists do not rule out the possibility that other potential monsters could be lurking elsewhere on the fault, as no-one has looked for the evidence for them. “Two great earthquakes 679 years apart contributed to the frontal uplift of young river terraces in eastern Nepal,” says the paper, published in the journal Nature Geoscience. “The rare surface expression of these earthquakes implies that surface ruptures of other reputedly blind great Himalayan events might exist.” -SD

December 27, 2012 – RUSSIA – Earthquakes continue to plague a region near the Black Sea. Sochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the Black Sea coast ,near the border between Georgia and Russia. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin ordered the emergencies ministry to check the 2014 Olympic sites in the southern city of Sochi following a string of earthquakes, his spokesman said. “The President ordered the emergencies ministry to pay close attention to the shocks in Sochi and other cities,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, Interfax reported. “He asked that special attention is paid to construction sites to make sure they suffer no damage,” Peskov added. Three earthquakes were felt in Sochi since December 10. Authorities said they caused no damage, but paid special concern to the Black Sea resort city due to ongoing construction of the 2014 Olympic Games venues. A quake of 5.5 magnitude hit the future Olympic host city early Wednesday, according to the Krasnodar region branch of the emergency ministry. A quake of the same magnitude affected Sochi on Sunday. On December 10, Sochi residents also felt the 4.8 magnitude earthquake that struck near Novorossiysk, the port city over 100 kilometers northwest from Sochi. On Tuesday, rumors of a stronger earthquake in the city became so prevalent that Sochi’s administration issued a special statement urging residents “not to succumb to panic” and threatened police action against people who spread earthquake rumors. Olympic developers in Sochi are managing two giant construction sites, in the mountains and by the Black Sea, connected by a road, which is also unfinished. Although some sport events are already hosted by the city, much of the supporting infrastructure is still unfinished, while residents complain of constant power and water outages. –Space Daily

December 29, 2012 – SEATTLE - Tiny tremors, smaller than earthquakes, are shaking the Cascadia subduction zone deep beneath the Pacific Northwest. The Cascadia subduction zone is where two of Earth’s tectonic plates meet in an epic collision and one haltingly slides below the other. The Cascadia Fault stretches for almost 700 miles (1,100 kilometers) from Northern California up to Canada. The force required to shove a piece of ocean crust into Earth’s mantle can produce mega-earthquakes along the zone, as in Japan and Sumatra. But unlike its western Pacific cousins, the Cascadia subduction zone has not experienced a major earthquake since 1700, when an estimated 9.0-magnitude earthquake generated an enormous tsunami that killed trees in Puget Sound and traveled across the ocean to Japan. The slow-slip and tremors observed in the area are periodic, coming about every 15 months, said Stanford geophysics professor Paul Segall, and were first spotted in 2003. The slow-slip earthquakes creep along the fault at about 4 mph (6.4 kph), for two weeks at a time. The tremors hum about 18 miles (30 km) below Earth’s surface, deeper than the zone where big earthquakes rupture. Some scientists think the tremors are evidence of the sinking tectonic plate slowly dropping into the Earth, which may “load” the shallower, locked zone of the fault. Segall’s group uses computational models of the region to determine whether the cumulative effects of many small events can trigger a major earthquake. The research simulates the slow-slip and tremors on a computer model of the subduction zone. Segall noted that the model needs refinement to better match actual observations on the subduction zone — the decade of intriguing seismic monitoring records that revealed the tremors. He hopes to possibly identify the signature of events that could trigger a large earthquake. “You have these small events every 15 months or so, and a magnitude-9 earthquake every 500 years. We need to known whether you want to raise an alert every time one of these small events happens,” Segall said in a statement. -MSNBC

December 29, 2012 – COBQUECURA — Residents of Cobquecura and neighboring towns Concepción, Lebu and Arauco played out their regular Wednesdays, hardly noticing that the earth beneath them was twitching an average of one earthquake per hour. The strongest tremor clocked in at 5.2 on the Richter Scale. Locals barely noticed. Residents of Biobío, accustomed to frequent small shakes, gawked at media crews, shouting, “Why are you making such a big deal? Nothing special has happened here!” They must not realize that Santiaguinos are still somewhat haunted by the memories of a devastating 8.8 magnitude quake that struck in February 2010. With the three-year anniversary of the quake quickly approaching, residents of the Región Metropolitana are on edge, remembering the panic and terror of that terrible early morning. Miguel Molina, a 29-year-old resident of Santiago who hid in his bathtub on that fateful night told I Love Chile, “It really puts me on edge… so many little earthquakes means something big could be coming soon.” Dr. Jaime Quezada, of the Faculty of Earth Sciences at Universidad de Concepción, dispels the possibility of another huge earthquake. “It won’t happen again, as there is nowhere to release that much energy, he said. “But it cannot be ruled out that more moderate magnitude shakes won’t keep occurring.” Given the degree to which the recent Mayan Apocalypse was taken seriously in Chile, residents may have been singing a very different tune had all these tremors occurred only a few days ago. For those in Chile who experienced a real disaster during the 2010 earthquake, on the other hand, these small shakes may be just as nerve-wracking. –I love Chile

December 27, 2012 – RUSSIA – Earthquakes continue to plague a region near the Black Sea. Sochi is a city in Krasnodar Krai, Russia, situated on the Black Sea coast ,near the border between Georgia and Russia. Russia’s President Vladimir Putin ordered the emergencies ministry to check the 2014 Olympic sites in the southern city of Sochi following a string of earthquakes, his spokesman said. “The President ordered the emergencies ministry to pay close attention to the shocks in Sochi and other cities,” Putin’s spokesman Dmitry Peskov said, Interfax reported. “He asked that special attention is paid to construction sites to make sure they suffer no damage,” Peskov added. Three earthquakes were felt in Sochi since December 10. Authorities said they caused no damage, but paid special concern to the Black Sea resort city due to ongoing construction of the 2014 Olympic Games venues. A quake of 5.5 magnitude hit the future Olympic host city early Wednesday, according to the Krasnodar region branch of the emergency ministry. A quake of the same magnitude affected Sochi on Sunday. On December 10, Sochi residents also felt the 4.8 magnitude earthquake that struck near Novorossiysk, the port city over 100 kilometers northwest from Sochi. On Tuesday, rumors of a stronger earthquake in the city became so prevalent that Sochi’s administration issued a special statement urging residents “not to succumb to panic” and threatened police action against people who spread earthquake rumors. Olympic developers in Sochi are managing two giant construction sites, in the mountains and by the Black Sea, connected by a road, which is also unfinished. Although some sport events are already hosted by the city, much of the supporting infrastructure is still unfinished, while residents complain of constant power and water outages. –Space Daily

San Francisco tremors: Three earthquakes of 2.5 magnitude and higher hit near Pacifica in quick succession between 2:2:34 p.m. and 2:47 p.m. on Saturday according to data supplied by the United States Geological Survey. The first quake, at 2.6, hit about a mile northeast of Pacifica at 2:34:52. The second one, the strongest at 2.8, hit 16 seconds later about two miles southwest of Pacifica. A third earthquake was centered about two miles north of Montara at 2:47:34 and was recorded at 2.5. The first earthquake was 3.4 miles underground, while the other two were about 5.5 miles underground. No injuries or damage have been reported. There have been 10 earthquakes of 2.5 or higher recorded in California over the past seven days, and about 200 around the world. -Patch http://southsanfrancisco.patch.com/articles/three-small-earthquakes-hit-near-pacifica

December 29, 2012 – Kabul, AFGHANISTAN – A 5.8-magnitude earthquake struck the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan Saturday, the United States Geological Survey (USGS) said, with the quake felt in the capital Kabul and parts of Pakistan. The earthquake struck in the late evening at a depth of 115 kilometers (70 miles), some 140 kilometers north of Afghanistan’s eastern city of Jalalabad and 130 kilometers west of Chitral in neighboring Pakistan. There were no immediate reports of casualties or damage but shaking was felt in Kabul, 180 kilometers away, as well as in northwest Pakistan and the Pakistani capital Islamabad. Northern Afghanistan is frequently hit by earthquakes, especially in the Hindu Kush mountain range, which lies near the collision of the Eurasian and Indian tectonic plates. Two quakes in June triggered landslides that killed at least 75 villagers. –Dawn

December 31, 2012 – EARTHCHANGES – In recent weeks, worldwide earthquake data indicates an increase in the magnitude and a significant increase in the frequency (magnitude 5.5+) of earthquakes. Current graphs clearly show an alarming worldwide trend of increasing earthquake strength and frequency. These results are in agreement with the USGS statistics page, which shows an increase in the frequency of stronger earthquakes (M 5.0+). These trends also show that the depth of earthquakes has diminished, they occur closer to the Earth’s surface. Shallow earthquakes occur along fault lines and are due to the accumulation of stress. Earthquake waves can also propagate far enough to trigger other earthquakes; this may explain the noted increase in earthquakes. Certain scientists have stated that the increased frequency of earthquakes is due to the increased number of detection instruments installed worldwide. This would cause more sensitive earthquakes to be measured. However, these graphs show an increase in stronger earthquakes; it is also important to note that the earthquake Richter scale is base-10 logarithmic. The fact that the world’s population has increased doesn’t help, more people are affected by these events. There is increased media availability and attention. However, due to recent events, it is now easy to convince even the average person, that there are more and more strong earthquakes occurring worldwide. –Guardianlv (excerpt)

Largest increase in 62 years: According to the Costa Rican Volcanology and Seismology Observatory (OVSICORI), after the magnitude 7.6 earthquake which occurred on September 5th, 2012, the country registered the highest level of earthquake activity it has seen in 62 years. The strongest earthquakes in Costa Rican history occurred in 1950 in Nicoya, with a 7.8 magnitude quake, followed by the 2012 earthquake that occurred in the same area, of a 7.6 magnitude. After the September 5th earthquake, OVSICORI reported 75 earthquakes that were felt by residents during the 4 months after the main event. 2010 saw a total of 6,245 earthquakes, in 2011 there were 5,483, and in 2012 the total was 11,049. –Inside Costa Rica

Japan shaking more: Japan had experienced a little over 3,000 noticeable earthquakes in 2012, nearly 60 percent of them aftershocks from last year’s massive tremor that devastated the country’s northeast, Japanese media reported on Monday. Quoting the Japan Meteorological Agency, the NHK broadcaster reported that a total of 3,134 quakes had been felt across Japan until Sunday (December 30) which is about 1,000 more than the annual average from 2001 to 2010. An analysis of seismic waves indicates that there were more than 10,000 noticeable quakes in 2011. While the number of quakes decreased from that of last year, seismologists continue to monitor frequent seismic activity. They urged people to be on the alert for possible strong quakes with a magnitude of at least 7 or those triggering tsunami. The March 11, 2011 quake and the tsunami it triggered had left more than 15,000 people dead or missing besides wreaking havoc in Japan’s northeast, including the meltdown at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear power plant that leaked radiation forcing the evacuation of more than 160,000 residents. –RTT

Over 5,000 quakes shake Mexico: In 2012, 5,043 earthquakes, including more than 1,484 with their epicenter in Chiapas, shook Mexico, according to the State Civil Protection System, local media reported. That number is likely to increase before the year’s end. In fact, two four-magnitude earthquakes in the Richter scale were reported some 67 kilometers southwest of Ciudad Hidalgo on Friday, but there was no visible damage. The State Civil Protection System noted that seismic activity is caused by the convergence of three tectonic plates in North America, Cocos and the Caribbean. Coincidently, at the onset of 2013, a 4.5 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Oaxaca Mexico. –Prensa Latina

Koreas report increase in quakes: A study has found that, including North Korea and the seas, our country experienced twice as many earthquakes this year as in the past. According to the Korea Meterological Association on the 27th, there were 56 earthquakes on the Korean Peninsula this year through last month, twice the average since record-keeping began in 1978. The highest number, 60, was recorded in 2009. It’s also over ten more than the average of 43.6 recorded each year since digital detection methods were begun in 1999. There were nine which reached at least 3.0 on the Richter scale and four which were strong enough to be felt by people. Other than in the seas the largest number, 11, were in the Daegu and Gyeongsangbuk-do area, followed by four in Jeollabuk-do and two each in Busan, Ulsan, and Gyeongsangnam-do. In North Korea seven earthquakes were recorded, and there were none in the capital region of Seoul, Gyeonggi-do, and Incheon. There were 12 in the West Sea, nine in the Sea of Japan (East Sea), and seven in the South Sea. The strongest earthquake of the year so far occurred on May 11th at 12:46 pm, five kilometers east-northeast of Muju-gun in Jeollabuk-do, registering a 3.9 on the Richter scale. Houses and windows shook in Muju and Namwon, at an intensity level of IV. In Daegu and Daejeon the intensity was of level II but there was no damage. The increased number of earthquakes in recent years is likely due to the effects of the Great East Japan Earthquake of 2010, the KMA said. In this country there were 42 earthquakes in 2010, 52 last year, and 56 as of Christmas of this year. Kim Yeong-shin of the KMA said that “around the world in recent years there has been an increasing number of earthquakes… since the Great East Japan Earthquake there has been a slight decrease as energy levels seem to have been adjusted.” –Asian Correspondent

Fivefold increase in Peru: Peru has been shocked by a total of 225 sensitive earthquakes, during 2012, Geophysical Institute of Peru (IGP) reported Monday. Hernando Tavera, head of IGP’s Seismology said in statements to Andina news agency that the highest percentage of earthquakes, probably 70 percent, was centered off the coast of Peru. He noted that mostly the cities of Arequipa, Ica and Lima, in Peru’s central region and southern Peruvian coast, were the most affected by the several earthquakes. Tavera added that recent earthquakes occurring off the coast, from Tumbes to Tacna, which is the area of highest risk to be affected by a major earthquake and where the subsurface tectonic plates are constantly moving. “It happens that offshore is exactly where the Nazca plate colliding head-on with the South American plate, and there is the problem,” he told Andina news agency. The IGP only reports the tremors sensitive to the population, but the not sensitive are usually two to three daily. According to Lima Easy, only 45 seismic events were listed for all of 2011. –Andina, Limaeasy