Just like the Himalaya Mountains, whose grand height and complex tectonics reflect the impact between the Indian and Eurasian plates, the Zagros Mountainsare a mix of different earthquake fault styles. Tuesday’s quake was a thrust fault earthquake, meaning the ground on one side of the fault moved vertically up and over the other side, shortening the distance between the two sides. The epicenter was 55 miles (89 kilometers) southeast of Bushehr, the city where Iran's only nuclear power stationis located. The quake originated 6.2 miles (10 km) below the Earth's surface and struck at 4:22 p.m. local time (7:52 a.m. EDT).
The magnitude-6.3 earthquake was not unusual for southwestern Iran. Thanks to the region's long historical record, scientists know temblors along the plate boundary typically range from magnitude 5.5 to 6.3. And small earthquakes ranging from magnitude 4 to magnitude 5 frequently shake the region. "Earthquakes are very, very common here." But poor construction means these magnitude 6 quakes are often very destructive. "When these moderate earthquakes happen close to cities, they're not prepared for this level of shaking."
The Zagros Mountains are known for their unusual rock formations, including ancient salt layers that formed in the Precambrian Era, before complex life appeared in Earth's fossil record. As the tectonic plates have slammed into each other, contorting the mountains, the salt layers have pushed to the surface like toothpaste from a tube, forming salt domes and salt glaciers called namakiers.
others whenever they go.**
Oscar Wilde
LARGEST QUAKES -
Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)
This morning -
5.4 MYANMAR
CANARY ISLANDS - 2 quakes; largest 2.8
DODECANESE ISLANDS - 1 quake; 3.7
Yesterday -
4/10/13 -
6.0 BATAN ISL REGION, PHILIPPINES
5.0 MOLUCCA SEA
5.4 HONDURAS
5.1 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
5.1 CENTRAL PERU
5.2 SOUTHERN IRAN
5.5 SOUTHERN IRAN
5.0 SOUTHERN IRAN
CANARY ISLANDS - 1 quake
DODECANESE ISLANDS - 3 quakes
VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams
Tuesday, an earthquake swarm and recent strengthening of volcanic tremor at Korovin volcano (Aleutian arc) suggests that eruptive activity is occurring or is iminent at the volcano.
TROPICAL STORMS -
In the South Indian Ocean -
Tropical Cyclone Imelda was located approximately 545 nm north-northeast of La Reunion.
Tropical Cyclone Victoria was located approximately 735 nm northwest of Learmonth, Australia.
2013 predicted to be an above-average Atlantic hurricane season with 18 tropical storms - An average season from June 1 to November 30th brings about 12 tropical storms, six hurricanes and two major hurricanes in the Atlantic, Caribbean and Gulf of Mexico. The way things are shaping up right now, the Texas gulf coast has a higher than normal chance of being hit by one of those storms.
Cyclone Victoria weakens in Indian Ocean off Western Australia - Tropical Cyclone Victoria has weakened overnight to a Category Two storm as it continues a southerly path several hundred kilometres out to sea south east of Christmas Island. A Hurricane Force wind warning has been downgraded to a Storm Force warning.
HEAVY SNOW / EXTREME COLD -
Spring storm batters US states - A large spring storm delivering heavy snow, strong wind and rain has caused travel problems from Wyoming to Chicago, closing large stretches of highways and delaying hundreds of flights.
In Wyoming, stretches of Interstates 25 and 80 were closed for parts of Tuesday, and blowing snow made driving dangerous along other highways. About 289.62km of I-25 between Cheyenne and Casper were under whiteout conditions. Eastbound I-80 from Cheyenne to Big Springs, Nebraska, was closed Tuesday night. Wyoming transportation officials said their Nebraska counterparts had warned it could be midday on Wednesday before the stretch reopens.
Meanwhile, freezing rain, snow and strong winds were hitting Kansas and South Dakota, where many local elections were postponed. Some schools in Minnesota dismissed students early as travel conditions deteriorated. I-90 was closed between Rapid City and Sioux Falls, South Dakota, as visibility dropped to zero to near-zero on snowy, icy roads.
Strong wind gusts caused 21 train cars to derail on Tuesday in eastern Nebraska, west of North Bend. No injuries were reported. In Denver, about 16.51cm of snow fell at the airport; the weather prompted nearly 500 flight cancellations and deicing planes delayed departures. Flights going to Chicago's O'Hare International Airport, meanwhile, were being delayed an average of nearly four hours because of dense fog.
Many areas of Wyoming and western Nebraska received more than a foot of snow. In western Nebraska, road crews reported 8- to 9-foot drifts. The blustery storm hit the US West Coast by blowing through California and Arizona first, then moving into Colorado on Monday night. Two tornadoes were reported near Akron on eastern Colorado's plains, though forecasters had not confirmed the twisters.
Hundreds of customers in Wyoming and Colorado lost power as the wind and wet snow downed wires. The same storm toppled trees in San Francisco, produced gusts over 80mph in southern California, fanning wildfires, and kicked up a dusty haze in Phoenix on Monday.
HEALTH THREATS -
China eyes birds as H7N9 source as human cases rise to 33 - Five more H7N9 influenza infections have been confirmed in eastern China, all in older adults, while suspicions grow that wild birds may be the source and that the disease might be spreading to people through poultry environments. The death toll remains at 9.
CDC activates emergency center over H7N9 - The US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) activated its Emergency Operations Center in Atlanta Monday to support the response to the H7N9 influenza outbreak in China.
Cambodia fights surge in bird flu deaths - Cambodia is battling a new outbreak of bird flu which has killed eight people.
RECALLS & ALERTS
