The April 11, 2012 quake was THE LARGEST STRIKE-SLIP SHAKE-UP (which moves horizontally) EVER RECORDED. Although the quake triggered earthquakes worldwide for up to six days, however, once the triggered quakes stopped, there was a sharp drop in moderate earthquakes for more than three months. Seismic monitors detected no earthquakes bigger than magnitude 6.5 for 95 days. Normally, quakes of this size hit every 10 days. "That is quite a RARE occurrence. The chance of that happening is about 1 in 10,000."
The Indian Ocean earthquake's unusually energetic seismic waves, which traversed shallowly through Earth's crust for long distances, could have shifted stresses on faraway faults, delaying earthquakes. "Usually, these dynamic seismic waves only increase the chance of an earthquake at any distance. We've documented, for the first time, that they can also decrease the chance of an earthquake. We need to go back and look at these other earthquakes and see if this is a general pattern of a temporary increase and a longer-term decrease."
The quake may have had a rare calming effect after some time had passed, it did, however, spark a global furry of quakes immediately, as many massive quakes often do. "Every time we have a magnitude 7 or something larger, should the whole rest of the planet be concerned about the increase in hazard?" Researchers analysed hundreds of earthquakes of at least magnitude 7.0 in the past 30 years. Only 24 of the 260 big earthquakes triggered large earthquakes globally. The study found that risk of earthquakes bigger than magnitude 5.0 is one or two percent in the hours following a large earthquake.
Milton Berle
LARGEST QUAKES -
Live Seismograms - Worldwide (update every 30 minutes)
This morning -
None 5.0 or higher.
Yesterday -
4/24/13 -
5.3 EASTERN SICHUAN, CHINA
5.2 VANUATU
5.3 SOLOMON ISLANDS
5.5 HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN
4/23/13 -
6.5 NEW IRELAND REGION, P.N.G.
Afghan quake - Seven people were killed, dozens injured (69) and many homes destroyed when a powerful earthquake struck eastern Afghanistan on Wednesday. The quake, measured at a magnitude of 5.5 by the US Geological. The U.S. Geological Survey said the earthquake was 65 kilometers deep and struck 25 kilometers northwest of Jalalabad, the main town in eastern Afghanistan which is close to the Pakistani border. Pakistan’s meteorological office put the magnitude at 6.2.
The quake was also reported to be 40 miles deep with an epicenter 11 km (seven miles) from Mehtar Lam, the capital of Afghanistan's eastern province of Laghman. Its tremors were felt in Kabul, Islamabad and as far away as New Delhi. Buildings swayed in New Delhi and panicky people ran into the street in the disputed northern region of Kashmir. A quake killed about 75,000 people in Kashmir in 2005, most on the Pakistan side. Wednesday's quake was also felt in the Pakistani capital. A large number of structures in Nangahar province have been damaged.
Last week a powerful 7.6-magnitude earthquake killed 41 people in the Baluchistan region of Pakistan, and just a few days later a 6.6-magnitude earthquake killed about 600 people in southeastern China.
Hong Kong opposes Sichuan quake aid over corruption fears - Hong Kong lawmakers fiercely opposed a plan Wednesday to donate money to a Chinese provincial government for earthquake victims, underlining widespread public concerns about mainland corruption. Hong Kongers were especially miffed after learning early last year that a Sichuan secondary school built in 2010 with $2 million in quake relief funds donated by Hong Kong was later torn down to make way for a luxury housing development.
Report urges Haiti to protect quake victims from forced evictions - The human rights group Amnesty International accused the Haitian government on Tuesday of failing to stop the forcible eviction of thousands of displaced people living in tent camps set up after the huge earthquake that rocked the capital in 2010. Some 65,000 people were forcibly evicted from 175 camps between July 2010 and the end of March 2013, Amnesty said in a report, warning that more than a quarter of the 320,000 people still living in camps face possible eviction.
People who most suffered from the earthquake were those living in extreme poverty. They have been living in camps with appalling living conditions. And, as if this were not enough, they are threatened with forced evictions and, eventually, made homeless again." The report said such evictions were mostly carried out by landowners and municipal authorities, sometimes with police in support. While the number of homeless camp dwellers has fallen steadily since the earthquake, it has not been fast enough for some landowners who are anxious to get their property back.
The 2010 earthquake left more than 200,000 dead and another 2 million homeless. The Haitian government and international relief agencies have not been able to come up with solution for those still homeless, largely due to a lack of jobs, extreme poverty and lack of housing.
VOLCANOES -
Volcano Webcams
TROPICAL STORMS -
No current tropical storms.
SEVERE RAIN STORMS, FLOODING, LANDSLIDES -
Flash floods in northern Afghanistan killed at least 13 people. The flooding deaths occurred in Balkh province.
16 tornadoes tallied so far this year in Mississippi - The National Weather Service reported Monday (April 22) that three tornadoes were confirmed from severe storms last Thursday in the Mississippi Delta region. Those tornadoes were described as brief and weak with only minor damage.
EXTREME HEAT & DROUGHT / WILDFIRES / CLIMATE CHANGE -
India - For drought-hit states, monsoon this year may be too little, too late. India may be heading for another bumper grain harvest, if the first forecast for this year's monsoon proves correct, but the rain may be too little – and too late – for southern and western states already parched by THE WORST DROUGHT IN FOUR DECADES.
Drought forces wild animals to come out of forest - The UNPRECEDENTED drought situation in the region has pushed wild animals to come out of their habitat in search of water.
Continuing Texas drought puts pressure on state's water supply - Don't let the recent spring showers fool you. It's dry out there, historically dry, parched enough around Dallas that even normal levels of rainfall this year might not make a big difference in the drought.
DuPont profit doubles as drought boosts farm sales - Chemicals maker DuPont's quarterly profit more than doubled as THE WORST DRY SPELL IN DECADES encouraged U.S. farmers to buy its drought-hardy seeds and crop-protection products to boost yields.
