Well, turn your back for part of a quiet lunar cycle and just see what happens
In comments we’ve got a notice from George that volcanoes in the Philippines are erupting and while I’m looking at how the Iceland “cumulative seismic moment” is ‘going vertical’ and figure this means an erruption in Iceland Real Soon Now, I notice that the quake map has a big red splotch on New Zealand (in addition to all the blue spots I’d put in comments on the last Quake Page including a 6.4 in Fiji.
I do recommend that you look at that Iceland link again, it’s spooky how the red line continues to climb toward…
At this point the Southern Hemisphere is lighting up and the Northern looks like it’s on base… Here are a couple of static views, then the live views will follow:
Static Maps of State At The Moment of Posting
And the whole southern hemisphere:
Live Maps
This is a map of the Australia / Indonesia / New Zealand area:

Australia / Indonesia / New Zealand Quake Map
Original with clickable regions to zoom in
Here is a “live view” of South America so you can watch anything “new” that develops:

Southern South America Hemispheric View
South America with “clickable” areas for more details.
Southern Hemisphere

A view of Earthquakes from the South Pole
Original Image with Clickable Details
Northern Hemisphere

North Polar Earthquake Map
Original Image with Clickable Details
If you click the links to the originals you can not only ‘click through’ to any given area or quake, but by clicking on the little blue diamonds you can rotate the globe to different points of view. It’s kind of fun…
FWIW, at 185 quakes as I post this in the N.H. it doesn’t have a lot of “big ones” right now, but it is sure making up for it in volume…
Also, I find this view rather interesting. It lets you see a bit better how Japan and the Philippines are getting more quake action too and it’s all part of a common active line. That’s where the volcanoes are spouting off too.

Asian Edge Ring of Fire
Original Image with Clickable Details
This page:
http://pangea.stanford.edu/~dsinnett/Pages/Links.html has a nice collection of links to volcano monitor pages. Just click the pictures for the different volcano observatories.
The Smithsonian page:
http://www.volcano.si.edu/reports/usgs/
is listing new activity in Guatemala and Kyushu, but is only updated on Wednesdays… while
http://www.geo.mtu.edu/~jaherric/Observatories.html
claims to have an exhaustive list of observatories that does include a Phlippino one. That link tells you the orginal site no longer exists… but assuming the rest of the links are valid, it’s still a nice list to have.
I put that link into a google search and got what I think is the new, valid, address:
http://www.phivolcs.dost.gov.ph/
FWIW, it has some nice maps and general information, but does not look to be oriented toward “breaking news”…
At any rate, there’s some volcano links, but looks like the general news is a better source for “It JUST Blew UP!”…
North America

North America and Mid Atlantic Ridge Quake Map
Original with clickable details
California Map
Action Closer to Me
As I live in California, it makes it easier for me if I keep them in the list where I can see what’s shaking near me.

Current quake map in California
Original Image, with captions and description. The original is interactive with clickable regions for ‘close ups’.
6.5 earthquake in Christchurch NZ. Death and injury has occurred. Major buildings down.
Things are moving in the Philippines too:
Magnitude 5.3 – LUZON, PHILIPPINES
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 5.3
Date-Time Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 02:10:24 UTC
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 10:10:24 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 14.150°N, 120.589°E
Depth 137 km (85.1 miles)
Region LUZON, PHILIPPINES
Distances 65 km (40 miles) SW of MANILA, Philippines
65 km (40 miles) NW of Batangas, Luzon, Philippines
80 km (50 miles) SSE of Olongapo, Luzon, Philippines
110 km (65 miles) NW of Calapan, Mindoro, Philippines
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 14.4 km (8.9 miles); depth +/- 5 km (3.1 miles)
Parameters NST= 82, Nph= 82, Dmin=960.7 km, Rmss=0.74 sec, Gp= 32°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=7
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Just keep in mind that the Iceland cumulative is just that; cumulative so it can never go down, it can only go up. It is also increasing at a slower rate than the older trace did. And since we really don’t have any history, we don’t know if where it erupted in 2004 means anything or not. The current trace might get to twice or even six times the 2004 trace for all we know.
Found a link to a News station in NZ with some videos of the Quake up:
http://www.3news.co.nz/Christchurch-quake-updates-Deaths-confirmed/tabid/309/articleID/199310/Default.aspx
Just watched images from Christ Church.
Lot’s of damage.
@George:
Look at that red line again. At about the 3.0 point it starts going more vertical. It’s increasing slope. It doesn’t matter that it WAS slower, nor that we don’t know exactly when it goes off (same height? 50% more?). Once you “go verticle” it’s just a short matter of time…
(Though on Geologic time scales “short” is measured in years or decades, sometimes centuries… In this case, I’d put it at about 2 years to ‘parity’ at the present slope. 4 years to a “double” of the prior energy. A large volcanic event in 2 to 4 years seems worth noticing… That it’s starting off slower, and may rise higher, before letting loose does not give me warm fuzzy feelings. It makes me think ‘larger and longer’ when it does go.)
The videos from Christchurch … I don’t know what to say…
Felt the ChCh one from the other side of the South Island. The city is in grid-lock. Seems it may have been more damaging than the bigger but deeper one a few months back.
You may be interested in this site:
http://www.geonet.org.nz/
As you can see we are a pretty shaky country that makes visiting Australians very nervous. In the last 100 years there have been lots of shakes of similar magnitude but most have been in relatively unpopulated areas.
Before the shake in September, everyone regarded Christchurch as a low risk area.
On the same site: http://www.geonet.org.nz/var/storage/images/media/images/earthquake/deep_seismicity.png/36831-1-eng-GB/Deep_Seismicity.png.png
It shows when the Alpine Fault moves (and statistically it is overdue) it will be a really big one.
The only good thing is all the earthquakes stop people worrying about the volcano risk, both little ones in the biggest city Auckland and massive eruptions like Taupo 1800 years ago. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Taupo_Volcano
The earlier Oruanui eruption was even bigger. If the latter occurs again (and the return cycle is about 1000 years), that will have a real impact on the climate.
This is MAJOR planet activity, is it not?
You are to be congratulated, EM, for your insight and reporting on this issue.
Nowhere else, to my knowledge, has there been public revelations of this, even in technical literature.
Certainly noy in the MSM.
Admittedly, there have been plenty of other issues of public interest, most of them not getting much exposure either.
Together with magnetic pole shifts, volcanic turbulance, sun activity anomolies and weather extrordinaire, there is much to ponder over.
CO2 pales into insignificance.
Let’s hope we are not in for a catastrophic global upheaval.
PS. Sympathy and condolences to you NZ guys.
We recently enjoyed a great holiday in your beautiful country. Christchurch included. A wonderful city. We are deeply saddened by the devestation, injuries, and loss of life. Best wishes. Ken and family.
A NZ link:
http://www.geonet.org.nz/
Near real-time shaking intensity from New Zealand’s network of seismographs.
I go along with Ken McMurtrie condolences to New Zealanders and thanks for the post.
Do you think it has anything to do with the recent large solar flare and magnetic field changes?
One thing that might add to the explanation of the damage. The New Zealand building code is similar to California. It is about 0.6g horizontal and 0.4g vertical. The first earthquake in September had about 0.8g. It is rumoured that this one was 1.0g horizontal.
Looks to me like Japan and Philippines continue to pick up more 5.x scale quakes.
Do I think this is “major”? Yes, but I don’t have the needed 100 year trend data to base it on anything more than a ‘hunch’. So:
@Ken McMurtrie:
I’m sure other folks are noticing and reporting it too. I can’t be the only one. MSM? No way. They will as a geologist who will just say the party line “We can’t predict quakes, they are random, nothing to see, move along move along… Oh, and send funding for more studies, please.”
My only real contribution is looking at the graph that others have made, noticing the same correlation they have seen, and then asking: Is it happening this time? Maybe I ought to keep an eye on it…
https://chiefio.wordpress.com/2010/12/01/of-quakes-and-climate/4-gtemps-2/
Though even there I’ve not done the work of getting actual statistical data on “seismic moment per year” and plotting it for all time to see if there are any trends. (IF the needed data exist… I suspect they don’t. At least not for a long enough time.)
IFF the thesis is correct (that solar changes / plentary AM changes cause solar output and crustal deformation to arrive together in time, leading to cold, quakes, and volcanoes): Then this is just the beginning.
Better minds than mine have said we’re headed into a Grand Minima that will be at it greatest depth in about 2040. While it’s admittedly tenuous, look at the 4-gtemps graph. Notice that there are MORE volcanoes on the ‘climb out’ than on the ‘fall in’? Yes, the “cold half” always has more than the warm half (and we’ve just come through a very unusual 50 years of low volcanic activity, IMHO), but inside the cold half, they skew to the climb out (or the data are just too sparse and giving false ‘trend’…)
If that’s got any merit, this is the “small start” of more quakes and volcanoes waking up. The “big guns” are not even warming up yet.
BTW, that’s the kind of thing that I’d really rather be wrong about… but it’s not up to me. “Reality just is. -E.M.Smith”
So I’m in “watchful waiting” mode, but really hoping for “gee, bad data in the ancient past”…
Then again, how many times has N.Z. been hit in the last 5 years? And in the prior 50? Are they really in a 1:10 ratio?…
How many quakes on Fiji and Tahiti and??? in the last 5 years? And not much to remember in the prior 20?
Now some of that may just be selective listening skills, so it really needs a real data mining exercise. But I’m already swamped, so that will have to fall to someone else.
FWIW, the place to watch is Auckland / Taupo:
http://news.mongabay.com/2006/1224-nz.html
Nothing like a ‘double tap’ from a supervolcano to mess up your whole day…
As long as that sucker is quite, things are “OK” in N.Z. If it starts to rumble and burp, book a long vacation in Texas…
The Caldera is that very large lake in the center:
http://www.virtualoceania.net/newzealand/regions/taupo.shtml
If you look on that shake link from John F. Hultquist, you will notice a lot of small shakes in the center of north island… around a white dot. That white dot is the lake…
You do not want to see increasing size of shakers there.
@cementafriend:
I think causality runs the other way. What causes the sun to go sleepy and then burp, causes the earth to cool and our quakes to shivver and our volcanos to burp.
That this flare was close in time to a 6 scale quake is not at all out of the ordinary. There is almost always a 6.x somewhere inside a month (at least, the last few years…).
So if it had not been N.Z. it would have been Japan or Fiji or Turkey or Iraq or maybe even California…
FWIW, I usually don’t comment at all on 4.x and 5.x quakes unless they are near me, or near a particularly big problem spot like a supervolcano or stuck subduction zone (i.e. Cascadia). A 6.x only rates a posting if there is something “special” about it. Damage done, number in a cluster, particular place. So ‘yet another 6’ in Indonesia? Well, that’s just a regular old week in the neighborhood. A 6 in London? Font Page. And Christchurch has just had some activity, so a ‘double dip’ is interesting. It’s also a place I love and people who were the best on the planet. A place I almost emigrated to (back when they would have me).
I have cherished memories of a long car drive all around North Island ( Including a stop at Taupo… ) and Wellington is just a delight. On my ‘someday’ list is a skiing trip to Christchurch, yet to be made. So I watch it and fantasize… Then see a quake and buildings down, and my heart aches. So it gets a posting.
There are some folks who think that electrical activity and flares cause quakes. I don’t ‘poo poo’ it, but I’m not convineced either. I could just as easily see the quake stresses causing abnormal electrical activity. Jury is out. But the betting is that change of spin is a bigger factor…
At any rate, it’s something to keep an eye on for the next decade or so.
There is an interesting site here:
http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/recent_quakes.html
It shows a long sequence of smaller quakes leading up to The Big One…
Why I watch for a pattern of activity…
And in response to the question about electrical involvement:
http://www.predictweather.com/ArticleShow.aspx?ID=306&type=home
has a combination of lunar / electrical ideas. This is per the 7 Sept 2010 quake:
and at the bottom:
This link has the “Civil Defense” info:
http://www.civildefence.govt.nz/
As they will likey get high traffic, I’ve reproduced most of the info here:
They seem to be calling this the “Canterbury earthquake”:
That site has:
Sorry, I said a 6.5. It was 6.3
More links to videos here http://www.theaustralian.com.au/
I lived in and near christchurch for 30 years from birth before leaving in 2003. In all that time I only ever recall feeling one earthquake of about 4.5 intensity (though there may have been others) – most quakes are centered under the Alps 100-300km away, and so have little impact.
Now 7.1 in september 2010 about 30km away, followed by 6.3 underneath the city at only 5km depth (shallow is the killer). They have had at least 20x 4+ and a few 5+ aftershocks today as well,
Ironically Christchurch is the ‘safe’ major New Zealand city. These are 1 in 1000-10000 year events.
Auckland with 1 million people has a very big active volcano (iconic rangitoto island is only 700 years old) in its harbour, with another 56 volcanos scattered around under the city – pretty much every little hill.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rangitoto_Island
Wellington (capital) is an accident waiting to happen with a large number of very active faults directly underneath – far worse than San Andreas. Most New Zealanders expect it to be smashed by a big one within the next half century.
And in the central north island the taupo supervolcano gave us the world’s biggest volcanic eruption in recorded history (1800 years ago), though it is fairly irregular.
That’s why we call it the shaky isles.
Just a coincidence, but it is worth noting.
http://www.vukcevic.talktalk.net/gms.htm
Moonquakes, Earthquakes, Volcanoes, Solar Flares, Sunspots, CME’s, Intra/Intergalactic Gravity Waves, Supernova, Blackhole Feeding Binges, Galactic Arms, millions of years of recurring glacial events, millions of years of tropical climates worldwide, etc. There’s just too much of this kind’a thing going on for it to be a coincidence or happenstance. One day the truth will tell. One day we’ll evolve and be as smart as Watson. (maybe?;-)
Watching the damage in Christchurch I am increasingly amazed by the relative low death tole of 65 now.
As for the observed increase in seismic and volcanic events I retrieved some reports and statistical evaluations from the web.
There seems to be a link between solar minimum and increased activity.
There is this claim that we had up to five times more volcanic a (Cat. VEI 5 + events per century) during the Little Ice Age than we had during the past century. Today almost every volcanic activity of land based volcano’s is observed thanks to all the wonderful technology we have available and today most active volcano’s can be observed by one or more web cams. See: http://bigthink.com/ideas/26619
That could very easily trigger the idea that we have more volcanic activity.
But than I read this:
http://modernsurvivalblog.com/earthquakes/2010-earthquake-summary/
I have checked the data and it adds all up. We have an increase in seismic events.
What also comes to mind is the increased activity in the Rift Valley region since 2005 where a new ocean is formed.
http://notrickszone.com/2011/01/23/red-sea-about-to-flood-into-africa-as-continent-shatters/
And we also observe activity at places that have been quiet for a very long time.
Like the quakes recently registered near Koblenz in Germany.
http://theextinctionprotocol.wordpress.com/2011/02/15/is-germanys-super-…
I also found this paper which you will probably know already
http://articles.adsabs.harvard.edu//full/2003ESASP.535..393S/0000393.000…
And this one
Click to access Salzer_Hughes_2007.pdf
I am currently digging through the linked references and if I find more relevant links I post them here.
Great effort at keeping us informed, EM. Since the plates are always moving and diving and overthrusting and smashing and dividing, I wish those earthquake maps also had little arrows showing direction of movement at each quake — your “common active line” — along with how much movement. Over time I think we might (maybe) have a better “view” of what’s to come.
Re Iceland: Don’t know if you mean “non-fault located” earthquakes and their indications of potential volcanism there, but Jon Frimann’s blog (http://www.jonfr.com/volcano/) has followed earthquake activity in Iceland pretty closely. Iceland is fascinating because it is part of the Large Igneous Province magma flow due to break apart of NoAm and Eur Plates and opening of the North Atlantic; it is part of the Atlantic Mid-Ocean Ridge, or rather a small continent being formed with the Ridge on the North(east) and the South(west). Eldgja (935) and Laki (1783) had first and second largest basaltic fissure flows in historic time. Then there are all the other volcanoes in the land of fire and ice. Good place to keep an eye on during a solar minimum.
As a fellow earthquake sufferer (SoCal), I empathize with New Zealanders. Chris Morris’ comment at 10:36 pm was interesting. 1.0g horizontal movement must be something to live through. What is the crust doing there!?!
Quake shakes 30m tonnes of ice off glacier
http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=10708071
You mention above:
. . . or stuck subduction zone (i.e. Cascadia).
I’ll point you to this site:
http://www.geology.cwu.edu/centralrocks/
The host of this, Nick Zentner, summarizes the latest in PNW geology and gives public lectures in the community as well as doing his classes at the University. The relevant interviews in this series are #9 and #5 but both are somewhat dated – 2006. In #9 the Pacific Northwest Geodetic Array (PANGA) is mentioned. See this:
http://www.geodesy.cwu.edu/
Headings across the top are links, such as:
Cascadia Earthquake Rupture Model
This is on-going research and Nick’s last public update was in October. Anyhow, the main idea is that they are monitoring what at first were called “silent-earthquakes” but now are called “episodic tremor and slip” (ETS) – as they are no longer silent with the new knowledge and equipment.
The ETS events mean the subduction zone isn’t exactly stuck but is every-so-often moving and storing energy in an increasingly warped and higher elevation coast. This is anticipated to let loose at some point and cause a giant earthquake and tsunami as explained by Brian Atwater in Show #5. While Brian Atwater was the discoverer and investigator of all this a few years ago he has recently been given the role of chief bearer of the potential of large earthquakes from the Cascadia Subduction Zone. Note that just a few decades ago this region was thought not to be a source of large earthquakes. Now the idea is rare but mammoth!
Meanwhile, the folks in Seattle want to dig a tunnel underneath the Seattle waterfront:
http://www.ballardnewstribune.com/2011/01/06/news/wsdot-and-seattle-tunnel-partners-sign-contract-d
Here’s a link to more on the tunnel:
http://www.wsdot.wa.gov/Projects/Viaduct/centralwaterfront.htm
John, living close to Seattle I am in awe of their collective thinking. Someday I may reach their level of understanding. It is one of the most educated cities.
For the time being I find it more appealing from afar.
A 4.3 tracking inland a bit in California:
Magnitude 4.3 – NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 4.3
Date-Time Wednesday, February 23, 2011 at 04:49:41 UTC
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 08:49:41 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 39.496°N, 122.950°W
Depth 14.6 km (9.1 miles)
Region NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances 10 km (6 miles) N (4°) from Lake Pillsbury, CA
26 km (16 miles) SW (228°) from Alder Springs, CA
36 km (22 miles) ENE (73°) from Willits, CA
45 km (28 miles) NNE (30°) from Ukiah, CA
165 km (103 miles) NW (310°) from Sacramento, CA
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 0.3 km (0.2 miles); depth +/- 0.5 km (0.3 miles)
Parameters Nph= 58, Dmin=2 km, Rmss=0.22 sec, Gp= 36°,
M-type=regional moment magnitude (Mw), Version=5
Source California Integrated Seismic Net:
USGS Caltech CGS UCB UCSD UNR
Event ID nc71527390
so more stuff happening on that non-San Andreas part. I’m glad I don’t live in Berkeley… when it goes, it won’t be pretty and I’d not sleep well for a few days with that kind of stuff going on.
Honorable Mention goes to a 3.x near Ridgecrest and a 3.x on the Nevada Border north of it. Not at, but near, Mammoth “Lakes”…
AND … a 4.0 down in old Mexico in the Gulf of California… why do I feel like a self of books… with bookends…
Magnitude 4.0 – GULF OF CALIFORNIA
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 4.0
Date-Time Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 09:33:05 UTC
Tuesday, February 22, 2011 at 02:33:05 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 23.773°N, 108.624°W
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region GULF OF CALIFORNIA
Distances 165 km (100 miles) NE of Cabo San Lucas, Baja Calif. Sur, Mexico
170 km (105 miles) SW of Culiacan, Sinaloa, Mexico
175 km (110 miles) ESE of La Paz, Baja California Sur, Mexico
1095 km (680 miles) WNW of MEXICO CITY, D.F., Mexico
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 31.7 km (19.7 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST= 43, Nph= 46, Dmin=630.1 km, Rmss=1.36 sec, Gp=227°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=4
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usb0001imr
The small quakes in California have moved from the hills and mountains to the fault lines. Of the ring of fire quakes the west coast is strangely quiet. I too look at the eastbay hills as a point of concern, specially where the Sacramento River flows through the hills. pg
5.7 Veracruz… working their way up Central America…
Magnitude 5.7 – VERACRUZ, MEXICO
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 5.7
Date-Time Friday, February 25, 2011 at 13:07:28 UTC
Friday, February 25, 2011 at 07:07:28 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 17.970°N, 94.979°W
Depth 132.9 km (82.6 miles)
Region VERACRUZ, MEXICO
Distances 61 km (38 miles) WSW of Coatzacoalcos, Veracruz, Mexico
62 km (38 miles) SSE of San Andres Tuxtla, Veracruz, Mexico
121 km (75 miles) E of Tuxtepec, Oaxaca, Mexico
470 km (292 miles) ESE of MEXICO CITY, D.F., Mexico
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 17 km (10.6 miles); depth +/- 0.6 km (0.4 miles)
Parameters NST=329, Nph=343, Dmin=467.5 km, Rmss=0.84 sec, Gp=122°,
M-type=”moment” magnitude from initial P wave (tsuboi method) (Mi/Mwp), Version=7
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usb0001kjt
Japan has like a half dozen 5.x scale including one relatively new, and Chile just added this one to the mix:
Magnitude 5.2 – TARAPACA, CHILE
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 5.2
Date-Time Monday, February 28, 2011 at 20:45:42 UTC
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 05:45:42 PM at epicenter
Location 20.431°S, 69.032°W
Depth 99 km (61.5 miles)
Region TARAPACA, CHILE
Distances 116 km (72 miles) E (100°) from Iquique, Chile
230 km (143 miles) N (357°) from Calama, Chile
254 km (158 miles) SSE (148°) from Arica, Chile
1260 km (783 miles) SE (138°) from LIMA, Peru
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 17.5 km (10.9 miles); depth +/- 3.1 km (1.9 miles)
Parameters NST=185, Nph=234, Dmin=82.4 km, Rmss=1.06 sec, Gp=101°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=7
Source U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center:
World Data Center for Seismology, Denver
Event ID usb0001m4j
And even Little Rock Arkasas is getting some action… in that area, a 4.7 tends to be felt and wakes folks up…
Magnitude 4.7 – ARKANSAS
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 4.7
Date-Time Monday, February 28, 2011 at 05:00:50 UTC
Sunday, February 27, 2011 at 11:00:50 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 35.265°N, 92.344°W
Depth 3.8 km (2.4 miles)
Region ARKANSAS
Distances 6 km (4 miles) NE (46°) from Greenbrier, AR
7 km (4 miles) S (187°) from Guy, AR
9 km (6 miles) SE (128°) from Twin Groves, AR
59 km (37 miles) N (359°) from Little Rock, AR
418 km (260 miles) SSW (207°) from St. Louis, MO
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 0.6 km (0.4 miles); depth +/- 0.7 km (0.4 miles)
Parameters NST= 14, Nph= 20, Dmin=3 km, Rmss=0.18 sec, Gp= 68°,
M-type=centroid moment magnitude (Mw), Version=B
Source Cooperative New Madrid Seismic Network
Event ID nm022811a
Well, a 4.5 is big enough to start getting my attention, especially when its a bit inland on the part of the fault system I think will go next and it’s not THAT far away from me…
Magnitude 4.5 – NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
2011 March 01 02:19:46 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 4.5
Date-Time Tuesday, March 01, 2011 at 02:19:46 UTC
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 06:19:46 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 38.814°N, 122.819°W
Depth 2.6 km (1.6 miles)
Region NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances 2 km (1 miles) NNW (329°) from The Geysers, CA
9 km (5 miles) WSW (254°) from Cobb, CA
12 km (7 miles) WNW (292°) from Anderson Springs, CA
17 km (11 miles) E (85°) from Cloverdale, CA
42 km (26 miles) NNW (346°) from Santa Rosa, CA
121 km (75 miles) NNW (343°) from San Francisco City Hall, CA
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 0.1 km (0.1 miles); depth +/- 0.2 km (0.1 miles)
Parameters Nph= 67, Dmin=1 km, Rmss=0.07 sec, Gp= 25°,
M-type=regional moment magnitude (Mw), Version=6
Source California Integrated Seismic Net:
USGS Caltech CGS UCB UCSD UNR
Event ID nc71530230
And near Easter Island gets a nice sized shaker too:
Magnitude 6.0 – EASTER ISLAND REGION
2011 March 01 00:53:46 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 6.0
Date-Time Tuesday, March 01, 2011 at 00:53:46 UTC
Monday, February 28, 2011 at 05:53:46 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 29.605°S, 112.107°W
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region EASTER ISLAND REGION
Distances 378 km (235 miles) SW of Hanga Roa, Easter Island
3933 km (2442 miles) W of SANTIAGO, Region Metropolitana, Chile
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 17.3 km (10.7 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST=254, Nph=267, Dmin=>999 km, Rmss=1.25 sec, Gp= 50°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=9
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usb0001mfa
Another major earthquake coinciding with this morning’s geomagnetic storm. There are no reasons to believe that it is anything more than just a coincidence.
http://www.vukcevic.talktalk.net/gms.htm
NO reason? Now you are just being too careful ;-)
How about “all good causalities start as suspicions caused by a corrolation”…
And it looks like the Japan action has drifted a bit more south:
Magnitude 5.1 – MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
2011 March 01 14:05:59 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 5.1
Date-Time Tuesday, March 01, 2011 at 14:05:59 UTC
Wednesday, March 02, 2011 at 12:05:59 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 12.023°N, 142.208°E
Depth 44.2 km (27.5 miles)
Region MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
Distances 319 km (198 miles) WSW of HAGATNA, Guam
401 km (249 miles) SW of Rota, Northern Mariana Islands
517 km (321 miles) SW of SAIPAN, Northern Mariana Islands
525 km (326 miles) ENE of Yap, Micronesia
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 5.6 km (3.5 miles); depth +/- 13.3 km (8.3 miles)
Parameters NST=121, Nph=121, Dmin=336.9 km, Rmss=0.81 sec, Gp= 43°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=6
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usb0001mky
Oh, and it’s probably worth noting that Mammoth “Lakes” has one nearby that is big enough to trigger my “watch more regularly for a couple of weeks” behaviour:
Magnitude 3.0 – CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
2011 February 26 16:22:56 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 3.0
Date-Time Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 16:22:56 UTC
Saturday, February 26, 2011 at 08:22:56 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 37.499°N, 118.832°W
Depth 8.4 km (5.2 miles)
Region CENTRAL CALIFORNIA
Distances 15 km (9 miles) WSW (243°) from Toms Place, CA
20 km (12 miles) SE (140°) from Mammoth Lakes, CA
23 km (14 miles) WNW (295°) from Round Valley, CA
259 km (161 miles) ESE (116°) from Sacramento, CA
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 0.2 km (0.1 miles); depth +/- 0.7 km (0.4 miles)
Parameters Nph= 45, Dmin=10 km, Rmss=0.05 sec, Gp= 68°,
M-type=duration magnitude (Md), Version=5
Source California Integrated Seismic Net:
USGS Caltech CGS UCB UCSD UNR
Event ID nc71528995
Yes, it’s only a “3” so only just barely of interest. In any other area it would not be of interest. But what I’m now watching for is any evidence of “ramping up”. Is this a ‘one off’ 3.x? (The most common by far for a few hundred thousand years…) or is it the ‘start of something’ with some more 3.x, then a 4.x then… And yes, I fully expect to see “nothing happen” there for the rest of my life.
On the other hand, it IS a supervolcano site… so it would be kind of special to actually get to see the ramp and I’d be really p.o.’d at myself if I missed it…
Interesting… more 5.x near islands… along with the “usual” of Japan et. al. here’s one off of Africa… (Oh, and several little red dots in California… nothing big enough to merit a comment, but odd to see them as it means I hit it in the same hour they happened…)
Magnitude 5.2 – ASCENSION ISLAND REGION
2011 March 01 03:46:29 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 5.2
Date-Time Tuesday, March 01, 2011 at 03:46:29 UTC
Tuesday, March 01, 2011 at 02:46:29 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 5.583°S, 11.378°W
Depth 10.3 km (6.4 miles)
Region ASCENSION ISLAND REGION
Distances 421 km (261 miles) NE of Ascension Island
1746 km (1084 miles) SW of ACCRA, Ghana
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 18.4 km (11.4 miles); depth +/- 0.6 km (0.4 miles)
Parameters NST= 45, Nph= 45, Dmin=>999 km, Rmss=0.82 sec, Gp=101°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=4
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usb0001mgd
Update:
http://www.vukcevic.talktalk.net/gms.htm
And another one at Rat Island….
Magnitude 5.4 – RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
2011 March 01 12:50:00 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 5.4
Date-Time Tuesday, March 01, 2011 at 12:50:00 UTC
Tuesday, March 01, 2011 at 02:50:00 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 51.235°N, 179.513°E
Depth 47.7 km (29.6 miles)
Region RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA
Distances 76 km (47 miles) S of Semisopochnoi Island, Alaska
97 km (60 miles) W of Amatignak Island, Alaska
2172 km (1349 miles) WSW of Anchorage, Alaska
3007 km (1867 miles) W of JUNEAU, Alaska
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 18.8 km (11.7 miles); depth +/- 1.7 km (1.1 miles)
Parameters NST=356, Nph=386, Dmin=321.7 km, Rmss=0.83 sec, Gp=122°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=8
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usb0001mkj
Posted here:
https://chiefio.wordpress.com/2011/03/03/of-time-and-temperatures/#comment-13706
This is a very “impactful” animation:
Malaga View
Christchurch Quake Map
http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/
Let it load up… then it runs through the earthquakes in Christchurch…
shock and awe is not the right phrase…
Looks like a 5.0 on the same major fault / plate boundary, but a ways south. I’ve fixed the ‘Australia group’ link so that “clickable” part works right. (It has been .gif and I made it the .php that gets the clickable instead of the image alone…) :
Magnitude 5.0 – AUCKLAND ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND REGION
2011 March 04 15:46:12 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 5.0
Date-Time Friday, March 04, 2011 at 15:46:12 UTC
Saturday, March 05, 2011 at 02:46:12 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 49.828°S, 164.042°E
Depth 20.4 km (12.7 miles)
Region AUCKLAND ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND REGION
Distances 178 km (110 miles) WNW of Auckland Island, New Zealand
498 km (309 miles) SW of Invercargill, New Zealand
637 km (395 miles) SSW of Queenstown, New Zealand
1263 km (784 miles) SW of WELLINGTON, New Zealand
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 21.4 km (13.3 miles); depth +/- 2.3 km (1.4 miles)
Parameters NST= 36, Nph= 37, Dmin=453.1 km, Rmss=1.46 sec, Gp=133°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=4
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usb0001pg0
There is also a 4.x scale event at the top end of the Cascadia. No big, but if you are near there, perhaps time to watch it for a bit:
Magnitude 4.0 – VANCOUVER ISLAND, CANADA REGION
2011 March 03 03:55:05 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 4.0
Date-Time Thursday, March 03, 2011 at 03:55:05 UTC
Wednesday, March 02, 2011 at 07:55:05 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 50.417°N, 129.914°W
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles)
Region VANCOUVER ISLAND, CANADA REGION
Distances 180 km (112 miles) W of Port Hardy, British Columbia, Canada
229 km (142 miles) SSW of Bella Bella, British Columbia, Canada
337 km (209 miles) W of Campbell River, British Columbia, Canada
525 km (326 miles) WNW of VICTORIA, British Columbia, Canada
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 30.9 km (19.2 miles); depth +/- 0.5 km (0.3 miles)
Parameters NST= 58, Nph= 60, Dmin=508.7 km, Rmss=1.35 sec, Gp=169°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=3
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usb0001nlv
And I note a small cluster of blue at the bottom of California that is leading up into small red dots as it heads north. All too small to be of interest, but showing the energy slipping up toward my way…
A 4.5 aftershock at Christchurch… and… Iran has had 2 5.x scale quakes in about the same area. Foreshocks? We’ll have to wait and see….
Magnitude 4.5 – SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
2011 March 05 06:34:01 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 4.5
Date-Time Saturday, March 05, 2011 at 06:34:01 UTC
Saturday, March 05, 2011 at 07:34:01 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 43.548°S, 172.788°E
Depth 6.4 km (4.0 miles)
Region SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND
Distances 9 km (5 miles) E of Christchurch, New Zealand
222 km (137 miles) SSE of Westport, New Zealand
298 km (185 miles) SSW of WELLINGTON, New Zealand
315 km (195 miles) NE of Dunedin, New Zealand
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 10.9 km (6.8 miles); depth +/- 5.3 km (3.3 miles)
Parameters NST= 25, Nph= 37, Dmin=13.4 km, Rmss=1.19 sec, Gp=140°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=6
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usb0001ptm
Magnitude 5.1 – SOUTHERN IRAN
2011 March 05 11:24:44 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 5.1
Date-Time Saturday, March 05, 2011 at 11:24:44 UTC
Saturday, March 05, 2011 at 02:54:44 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 30.021°N, 51.146°E
Depth 9.9 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region SOUTHERN IRAN
Distances 66 km (41 miles) NW of Kazerun, Iran
82 km (50 miles) SSW of Yasuj, Iran
108 km (67 miles) SE of Behbahan, Iran
627 km (389 miles) S of TEHRAN, Iran
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 15 km (9.3 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST=108, Nph=110, Dmin=752.5 km, Rmss=1 sec, Gp= 47°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=8
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usb0001pui
Magnitude 5.2 – SOUTHERN IRAN
2011 March 05 20:42:47 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 5.2
Date-Time Saturday, March 05, 2011 at 20:42:47 UTC
Sunday, March 06, 2011 at 12:12:47 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 28.316°N, 57.110°E
Depth 3.1 km (1.9 miles) set by location program
Region SOUTHERN IRAN
Distances 150 km (93 miles) NNE of Bandar `Abbas, Iran
150 km (93 miles) SW of Bam, Iran
188 km (116 miles) SE of Sirjan, Iran
976 km (606 miles) SSE of TEHRAN, Iran
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 13.1 km (8.1 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST=155, Nph=201, Dmin=384.1 km, Rmss=0.97 sec, Gp= 40°,
M-type=body wave magnitude (Mb), Version=9
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usb0001pxs
A 6.2 in Chile (again..)
Magnitude 6.2 – TARAPACA, CHILE
2011 March 06 12:31:57 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 6.2
Date-Time Sunday, March 06, 2011 at 12:31:57 UTC
Sunday, March 06, 2011 at 09:31:57 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 18.115°S, 69.391°W
Depth 101.3 km (62.9 miles) set by location program
Region TARAPACA, CHILE
Distances 92 km (57 miles) E of Tacna, Peru
108 km (67 miles) ENE of Arica, Tarapaca, Chile
193 km (119 miles) ESE of Moquegua, Peru
1704 km (1058 miles) N of SANTIAGO, Region Metropolitana, Chile
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 15 km (9.3 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST=645, Nph=674, Dmin=114.7 km, Rmss=0.84 sec, Gp= 22°,
M-type=teleseismic moment magnitude (Mw), Version=D
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usb0001q2y
and along that same ridge of mountains but out to sea to the south:
Magnitude 6.5 – SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
2011 March 06 14:32:35 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 6.5
Date-Time Sunday, March 06, 2011 at 14:32:35 UTC
Sunday, March 06, 2011 at 12:32:35 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 56.387°S, 27.019°W
Depth 84.2 km (52.3 miles)
Region SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REGION
Distances 33 km (20 miles) NNE of Visokoi Island, South Sandwich Islands
293 km (182 miles) N of Bristol Island, South Sandwich Islands
2066 km (1283 miles) ESE of STANLEY, Falkland Islands
3408 km (2117 miles) SE of BUENOS AIRES, D.F., Argentina
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 15.1 km (9.4 miles); depth +/- 0.3 km (0.2 miles)
Parameters NST=348, Nph=361, Dmin=645.7 km, Rmss=1.13 sec, Gp= 25°,
M-type=centroid moment magnitude (Mw), Version=C
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID usb0001q4l
The Iranian activity looks to have drifted over toward Anatolia (there is a long history of activity propagating from East to West across Asia / Europe) and we’ve got some activity in the islands north of New Zealand (with luck, the “action” will leave New Zealand and wonder elsewhere on the ring for a while…)
Hmmm…. Now a matching 4.5 at the OTHER end of the CSZ:
Magnitude 4.5 – OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
2011 March 06 13:46:35 UTC
This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.Magnitude 4.5
Date-Time Sunday, March 06, 2011 at 13:46:35 UTC
Sunday, March 06, 2011 at 05:46:35 AM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones
Location 40.455°N, 125.427°W
Depth 2.6 km (1.6 miles) (poorly constrained)
Region OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Distances 98 km (61 miles) W (279°) from Petrolia, CA
99 km (62 miles) W (262°) from Ferndale, CA
108 km (67 miles) WSW (254°) from Humboldt Hill, CA
113 km (70 miles) WSW (251°) from Eureka, CA
395 km (246 miles) NW (320°) from San Francisco City Hall, CA
Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 3 km (1.9 miles); depth +/- 54.6 km (33.9 miles)
Parameters Nph=106, Dmin=98 km, Rmss=0.66 sec, Gp=245°,
M-type=regional moment magnitude (Mw), Version=5
Source California Integrated Seismic Net:
USGS Caltech CGS UCB UCSD UNR
Event ID nc71538646
I’d now watch it even closer ( if I wasn’t already watching it every day or two as it is… ;-)