and our ideals for a better world...
No one will bomb us into silence;
no one will shoot us into silence.**
Jens Stoltenberg, Norwegian Prime Minister
LARGEST QUAKES -
This morning -
5.1 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
5.6 GULF OF CALIFORNIA
5.4 NEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G.
5.2 MID-INDIAN RIDGE
5.1 MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES
5.7 NEAR EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA
5.4 OFF EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA
5.0 NORTHEASTERN IRAN
Yesterday -
7/25/11 -
5.0 HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION
5.1 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.5 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.0 NEAR EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN
5.3 NORTHERN PERU
5.0 WESTERN TURKEY
6.0 LUZON, PHILIPPINES
5.5 BIO-BIO, CHILE
5.3 TONGA
5.1 NEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G
6.3 NEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G.
JAPAN - Among the new information gathered by researchers since the rare magnitude 9 quake in March is what is believed to be the first study of how a shock this powerful affects the rock and soil beneath the surface. The quake weakened subsurface materials by as much as 70 percent. That non-linear response from the top layer of the Earth’s crust affected how the movement of faults deep beneath the surface was delivered to buildings, bridges and other structures.
Understanding how the soil responds to powerful earthquakes could be important to engineers and architects designing future buildings to withstand the level of acceleration measured in this quake. The information will also help seismologists develop new models to predict the effects of these rare and extremely powerful events.
“The degree of non-linearity in the soil strength was AMONG THE LARGEST EVER OBSERVED. This is perhaps not too surprising because the GROUND SHAKING generated by this earthquake – acceleration as much as three times the Earth’s gravity – is also AMONG THE HIGHEST EVER OBSERVED.”
By comparing data on the acceleration of motion from sensors on the bedrock to comparable information from surface sensors, they were able to study how the properties of the soil changed in response to the shaking. “The shear modulus of the soil was reduced as much as 70 percent during the strongest shaking. Typically, near the surface you have soil and several layers of sedimentary rock. Below that, you have bedrock, which is much harder than the surface material. When seismic waves propagate, the top layers of soil can amplify them.” Non-linear response from soils is not unusual, though it varies depending on their composition. Similar but smaller effects have been seen in other earthquake-prone areas such as California and Turkey. The shallow layers of the Earth’s upper crust can be complex, composed of varying types of soil, clay particles, gravel and larger rock layered in sediments.
Because the March 11 quake lasted an UNUSUALLY LONG time and generated a wide range of ground motions of greatly varying strengths, it provided an unprecedented data set to scientists interested in studying non-linear soil behaviour. Beyond the immediate effect of the strongest shock, the researchers were interested in how the soils recover their strength after the shaking stops. That recovery time can vary from fractions of a second to several years. “It is still not clear whether there could be longer recovery times at certain sites. This is a function of soil type and other factors.” If the soils are very porous, water can lengthen the recovery. “For porous media, the ground shaking could cause water to go into the pores, which will also reduce the shear modulus of the soil. If water is involved, the recovery time will be much longer.” Soil response to aftershocks, which ranged up to magnitude 7.9 after the main Tohoku earthquake, was also studied. Knowing how soils respond to strong shaking is also important to predicting how motion deep within the Earth will be translated to structures built on the surface. “Understanding how soil loses and regains its strength during and after large earthquakes is crucial for better understanding and predicting strong ground motions. This, in turn, would help earthquake engineers to improve the design of buildings and foundations, and could ultimately help to protect people in future earthquakes.” (map)
VOLCANOES -
Signs Of Cleveland Volcano Eruption In Alaska - Through a satellite some images of the Cleveland volcano, which is situated in Alaska, have been captured. According to scientists, there are signs of the first big eruption of this volcano in ten years. After observing the signs of volcano eruption, an eruption advisory has been issued by the Alaska Volcano Observatory. The Cleveland Volcano has a height of nearly six thousand feet and it is located at a distance of nine hundred and forty miles from the south-west of Anchorage. According to the observatory, the advisory has not just been issued on an assumption. It is based on the thermal anomalies which are detected by a satellite. As judged from the signs of the expected volcano eruption, the ash clouds will spew up to twenty thousand feet above the sea level.
Cleveland Volcano lies below the flight path of a commercial air line path between Asia and North America. The last major eruption of this volcano occurred in the year 2001 and at that time the ash blasted more than five miles in the sky. It spilled lava from summit crater. Since then the Cleveland Volcano has experienced many smaller eruptions.
TROPICAL STORMS -
TROPICAL DEPRESSION 11W (ELEVEN) was LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 320 NM SOUTH-SOUTHWEST OF ANDERSEN AIR FORCE BASE, GUAM.
TROPICAL STORM 10W (NOCK-TEN) was LOCATED APPROXIMATELY 110 NM EAST OF MANILA, PHILIPPINES.
Philippine storm - One person has drowned while thousands have fled their flooded homes as a tropical storm hit the Philippines, causing heavy rains and rough seas that disrupted aviation and shipping.
Tropical storm Nock-ten also left two fishermen missing, while six others were rescued at sea as it approached the main island of Luzon. Classes were called off in Manila and surrounding provinces and at least a dozen local flights were cancelled as the storm, packing 80km/h winds, brushed past Bicol, Luzon's southeast tip, unleashing floods there. "This storm is dangerous, especially for low-lying and flood-prone areas. The winds are not that powerful but the rains are very strong and they will cause our rivers to overflow."
The National Disaster and Risk Reduction and Management Council has advised local officials to order evacuations of areas deemed at risk in the disaster-prone Bicol peninsula. More than 70,000 families fled their homes in Albay province in Bicol due to the rising waters. The government weather service said the storm was moving northwest and was expected to continue to bring heavy rains in Manila and nearby areas as it crosses northern Luzon from Wednesday.
UPDATE - Nine die, thousands flee Philippines storm - NINE people were killed and 25 went missing as tropical storm Nock-ten struck the Philippines, causing floods and landslides.
