Western Embassy officials were on stand by in case any of their nationals were caught up in the disaster
March 4, 2016 - INDONESIA - A major rescue operation is underway after a ferry carrying 51 people capsized between the Indonesian islands of Bali and Java.
Dramatic footage shows the vessel rolling over in calm waters, throwing passengers into the sea, after it was believed to have sprung a leak.
It was not immediately known if tourists were aboard the vessel, but Western embassy officials were on stand by in case any were caught up in the disaster.
Rescue officials said they were confident that most people – if not all – on board had been rescued.
Many are understood to have been picked up by other vessels that were in the vicinity.
The footage shows the ferry on its side after capsizing in calm waters in Bali Strait
But amid confusing reports, it was suggested that up to 10 people were missing including two crew members.
It was not known if anyone had been trapped inside.
'This will not be known until we can send divers down to check the ship,' said Lieut-Col Wahyu Endriawan head of the local naval base.
Rescuers now face the prospect of searching for survivors in the dark.
Added to the confusion was uncertainty as to just how many people were on board the vessel, named the Rafelia II.
Many of those rescued had suffered injuries jumping or falling into the sea, said local media.
The ferry that runs between Gilimanuk port in north west Bali and Banyuwangi on the eastern tip of the main Indonesian island of Java carries both cars and passengers.
The ship was en route from Gilimanuk port in Bali to Banyawangi on Java when it capsized in the Bali Strait
While it is not a route popular with tourists, the ferry is sometimes used by adventurous backpackers island-hopping across the Indonesian archipelago.
Bali is particularly popular among Western tourists at this time of the year, now that most of the severe mid-summer storms have passed.
Over the years, hundreds of people have died in ferry disasters in Indonesia, which has a poor reputation for travellers on land, sea and in the air.
Ferries are often poorly maintained and frequently sail when they are overloaded. - Daily Mail.
WATCH: Dramatic footage - Ferry sinking caught on cam, people jump off deck.
March 2, 2016 - INDONESIA - A 7.8 magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Indonesia,
according to the US Geological Survey (USGS). The country has issued a
tsunami warning, the National Meteorolgical Agency reported.
The shallow quake, which hit southwest of the island of Sumatra on Wednesday, had a depth of 10 kilometers (six miles).
The epicenter was located 808 kilometers (502 miles) southwest of Padang.
There were no immediate reports of damage or casualties. However, shallower earthquakes are more likely to cause damage.
USGS shakemap intensity.
The USGS originally categorized the quake as a magnitude 8.2, and later an 8.1, before lowering it to a 7.8.
Indonesia has issued a tsunami warning for West Sumatra, North Sumatra,
and Aceh, according to the National Meteorological Agency.
A tsunami watch has also been issued for parts of Western Australia, according to the Joint Australian Tsunami Warning Centre.
The tremors could be felt in parts of Singapore, a witness told AFP, noting that the ground shook for about 15 seconds.
"I could feel my bed moving and I saw the wind chimes swaying even
though my windows were shut. I suspected it's tremor from a quake in a
neighboring country because this was what happened some years back
during the Sumatra earthquake," W. Ong, who lives in Sengkang, told the
agency.
WATCH: CCTV Visuals - Powerful quake strikes off Indonesia.
In 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck 160 kilometers (99 miles) off
the western coast of northern Sumatra, resulting in a tsunami. A total
of 230,000 people were killed across a dozen countries, including
Thailand.
Indonesia straddles the so-called 'Pacific Ring of Fire,' a highly
seismically active zone where neighboring tectonic plates violently
clash, resulting in a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes. - RT.
Tectonic Summary
The March 2, 2016 M 7.8 earthquake, 800 km off the west coast of
southern Sumatra, Indonesia, occurred as a result of strike-slip
faulting within the oceanic lithosphere of the Indo-Australia plate.
This event is located 600 km to the southwest of the major subduction
zone that defines the plate boundary between the India/Australia and
Sunda plates offshore Sumatra. At this location, the India/Australia
plates move north-northeast relative to the Sunda plate at a velocity of
about 55 mm/yr. The deformation zone defining the defuse boundary
between the India and Australia plates is nearby the March 2 earthquake.
Large strike-slip earthquakes are not unprecedented in the diffuse
boundary region separating the India and Australia plates, southwest of
the Sumatra subduction zone. In 2012, two events of M 8.6 and M 8.2 on
the same day (04/12/2012) ruptured a series of oceanic strike-slip
structures 650-850 km to the north of the March 2, 2016 event. On June
18, 2000, a M 7.9 earthquake ruptured an oceanic strike-slip structure
about 1000 km southeast of the March 2, 2016 earthquake. The focal
mechanisms of the all of these earthquakes are consistent in implying
that each event could have occurred as the result of left-lateral slip
on an approximately north striking fault or right-lateral slip on an
approximately west striking fault. The two different orientations of
strike-slip faulting are both possible under the same tectonic stress
field; perpendicular strike-slip faults that are both compatible with
the same stress field are called "conjugate faults". In 2012, in-depth
studies of those major events showed that faults of both orientations
were involved in their rupture processes, breaking a network of
conjugate faults over an area of ~ 200x200 km in size in the Wharton
Basin. Because of the remote locations of these oceanic earthquakes,
such events rarely cause shaking-related fatalities (the 2012 M 8.6
event caused two). Similarly, strike-slip earthquakes do not typically
generate tsunamis.
Seismotectonics of the Sumatra Region
USGS plate tectonics.
The plate boundary southwest of Sumatra is part of a long tectonic
collision zone that extends over 8000 km from Papua in the east to the
Himalayan front in the west. The Sumatra-Andaman portion of the
collision zone forms a subduction zone megathrust plate boundary, the
Sunda-Java trench, which accommodates convergence between the
Indo-Australia and Sunda plates. This convergence is responsible for the
intense seismicity and volcanism in Sumatra. The Sumatra Fault, a major
transform structure that bisects Sumatra, accommodates the
northwest-increasing lateral component of relative plate motion.
Relative plate motion between the Indo-Australia and Sunda plates is
rapid, decreasing from roughly 63 mm/year near the southern tip of
Sumatra (Australia relative to Sunda) to 44 mm/year north of Andaman
Islands (India relative to Sunda) and rotating counterclockwise to the
northwest, so that relative motion near Jakarta is nearly trench-normal
but becomes nearly trench-parallel near Myanmar. As a result of the
rotation in relative motion along the strike of the arc and the
interaction of multiple tectonic plates, several interrelated tectonic
elements compose the Sumatra-Andaman plate boundary. Most strain
accumulation and release occurs along the Sunda megathrust of the main
subduction zone, where lithosphere of the subducting Indo-Australia
plate is in contact with the overlying Sunda plate down to a depth of 60
km. Strain release associated with deformation within the subducting
slab is evidenced by deeper earthquakes that extend to depths of less
than 300 km on Sumatra and 150 km or less along the Andaman Islands. The
increasingly oblique convergence between these two plates moving
northwest along the arc is accommodated by crustal seismicity along a
series of transform and normal faults. East of the Andaman Islands,
back- arc spreading in the Andaman Sea produces a zone of distributed
normal and strike-slip faulting. Similar to the Sumatran Fault, the
Sagaing Fault near Myanmar also accommodates the strike-slip component
of oblique plate motion. Plate-boundary related deformation is also not
restricted to the subduction zone and overriding plate: the subducting
Indo-Australian plate actually comprises two somewhat independent plates
(India and Australia), with small amounts of motion relative to one
another, that are joined along a broad, actively-deforming region
producing seismicity up to several hundred kilometers west of the
trench. This deformation is exemplified by the recent April 2012
earthquake sequence, which includes the April 11 M 8.6 and M 8.2
strike-slip events and their subsequent aftershocks.
Paleoseismic studies using coral reefs as a proxy for relative land
level changes associated with earthquake displacement suggest that the
Sunda arc has repeatedly ruptured during relatively large events in the
past, with records extending as far back as the 10th century. In
northern Simeulue Island, the southern terminus of the 2004 megathrust
earthquake rupture area, a cluster of megathrust earthquakes occurred
over a 56 year period between A.D. 1390 and 1455, resulting in uplift
substantially greater than that caused by the 2004 event. Studies that
look at large sheeted deposits of sand on land interpreted as the
transport of debris from a tsunami wave also indicate that this region
has experienced significant tsunamis in the past centuries, albeit
infrequently.
Prior to 2004, the most recent megathrust
earthquakes along the Sumatran-Andaman plate boundary were in 1797 (M
8.7-8.9), 1833 (M 8.9-9.1) and 1861 (M8.5). Since 2004, much of the
Sunda megathrust between the northern Andaman Islands and Enggano
Island, a distance of more than 2,000 km, has ruptured in a series of
large subduction zone earthquakes - most rupturing the plate boundary
south of Banda Aceh. The great M 9.1 earthquake of December 26, 2004,
which produced a devastating tsunami, ruptured much of the boundary
between Myanmar and Simeulue Island offshore Banda Aceh. Immediately to
the south of the great 2004 earthquake, the M 8.6 Nias Island earthquake
of March 28, 2005 ruptured a 400-km section between Simeulue and the
Batu Islands. Farther south in the Mentawai islands, two earthquakes on
September 12, 2007 of M 8.5 and M 7.9 occurred in the southern portion
of the estimated 1797 and 1833 ruptures zone, which extends from
approximately Enggano Island to the northern portion of Siberut Island.
Smaller earthquakes have also been locally important: a M 7.6 rupture
within the subducting plate caused considerable damage in Padang in
2009, and a M 7.8 rupture on October 25, 2010 occurred on the shallow
portion of the megathrust to the west of the Mentawai Islands, and
caused a substantial tsunami on the west coast of those islands.
In addition to the current seismic hazards along this portion of the
Sunda arc, this region is also recognized as having one of the highest
volcanic hazards in the world. One of the most dramatic eruptions in
human history was the Krakatau eruption on August 26-27, 1883, a volcano
just to the southeast of the island of Sumatra, which resulted in over
35, 000 casualties.
Subduction and seismicity along the plate
boundary adjacent to Java is fundamentally different from that of the
Sumatran-Andaman section. Relative motion along the Java arc is
trench-normal (approximately 65-70 mm/year) and does not exhibit the
same strain partitioning and back-arc strike- slip faulting that are
observed along the Sumatra margin. Neither has the Java subduction zone
hosted similar large magnitude megathrust events to those of its
neighbor, at least in documented history. Although this region is not as
seismically active as the Sumatra region, the Java arc has hosted low
to intermediate-magnitude extensional earthquakes and deep-focus
(300-700 km) events and exhibits a similar if not higher volcanic
hazard. This arc has also hosted two large, shallow tsunami earthquakes
in the recent past which resulted in high tsunami run-ups along the
southern Java coast. - USGS.
March 2, 2016 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and catastrophic storms.
Brazil – 2 Dead After Floods and Landslide in São Paulo – Rio de Janeiro Flooded After 100 mm of Rain
Heavy rain in south eastern Brazil has caused a deadly landslide in São Sebastião, São Paulo State, and widespread flooding in the streets of Rio de Janeiro city, where some areas saw over 90mm of rain in 4 hours.
São Paulo
The heavy rain began to fall on 28 February 2016. Two people died after they were buried in a landslide in the Boicucanga neighbourhood of São Sebastião on 29 February. The landslide destroyed several homes, leaving at least 11 people homeless. A total of 27 people were evacuated.
Agência Brasil say that a total of 7 people have died in landslides in the state since December.
The heavy rain also caused surface flooding in Baixada Santista on the coast of São Paulo state. Local civil defence personnel were called in to help carry out some evacuations.
Rio de Janeiro
Agência Brasil are also reporting that torrential rain on 29 February caused widespread surface flooding in many parts of Rio de Janeiro, paralysing traffic and disrupting flights at Santos Dumont Airport.
The worst affected areas include the favela of Rocinha, which recorded 96 mm of rain in just 4 hours. The news agency says that Alto da Boa Vista saw 93.8 mm of rain, Jardim Botânico 77.8 mm and Urca 74.8 mm.
Warning Sirens
No deaths or injuries have been reported. The Civil Defence for Rio de Janeiro municipality sounded emergency sirens in the districts of Chapéu Mangueira and Babilônia. The sirens are used once rainfall levels reach above 50 mm or more in one hour, and warn residents of potential floods and landslides, and to prepare to evacuate their homes. Civil defence say that rainfall levels reached 62.4 mm in one hour in affected areas.
UK Floods – 2013 to 2014 Winter Floods Caused £1.3 Billion Damage
An official report by the Environment Agency in the UK reveals that
the winter floods of 2013 to 2014 caused damage in England and Wales
costing around £1.3 billion.
Residential properties, making up 25%
of total damages, suffered the greatest proportion of flood damages. As
many as 10,465 properties suffered flood damage, with estimated
incurred costs of £320 million. Furthermore, an estimated £50 million
was spent on temporary accommodation for 7,000 households forced from
their homes by the floods. As many as 4,897 businesses also suffered,
incurring costs of around £270 million.
But it wasn’t just
buildings and property that suffered damage. According to the report,
the 2013 to 2014 winter floods caused damage to 5,400 motor vehicles,
including boats and caravans, with estimated costs of £37 million.
Damage
to roads cost £180 million and railway damage around £110 million.
Costs to to air transport, which included flooding and disruption to
flights at Gatwick airport, are estimated at £3.2 million. Damage to local authority and government infrastructure costs around £58 million.
2013 to 2014 Winter Floods Between
December 2013 and March 2014, the UK witnessed heavy and prolonged
rainfall, including the wettest January on record in parts of the
country and around twice the average monthly rainfall in other
locations.
The East Coast was also affected by the largest coastal surge since 1953. These events resulted in significant coastal damage and prolonged fluvial and groundwater flooding, particularly in some southern counties
and south western areas of England. During these 4 months many
properties, crucial transport infrastructure and farmland were flooded.
About the Report
The report is the result of research commissioned by the Environment
Agency’s Evidence Directorate and funded by the joint Flood and Coastal
Erosion Risk Management Research and Development Programme.
The
project aimed to identify the range of impacts of the floods, and to
calculate the resulting financial and economic damages but also
calculate damages that were avoided. Over 600 organisations were
contacted for information and over 500 data sources were reviewed.
The
project used methodologies developed in response to the floods of
summer 2007 flood, and also the rapid flood cost calculator devised by
the Environment Agency in 2012.
However, the characteristics and
impacts of the 2013 to 2014 floods differed in many ways from those of
the 2007 floods, prompting an in-depth review. In particular, a better
assessment was needed of the impacts resulting from coastal surge and
extreme waves that were a feature of the winter floods for many coastal
areas. The long duration floods in areas such as the Somerset Levels was
also a key feature of the winter 2013 to 2014 floods. Rivers in the area were later dredged as a result of the damage caused by the floods.
See the full report, The costs and impacts of the winter 2013 to 2014 floods, here.
Haiti – Floods in Nord and Grand’Anse Departments Leave 1 Dead, 10,000 Homes Damaged
Flooded streets of Cap-Haitian. Photo: Jean-Junior JOSEPH / Twitter
A cold front caused heavy rain on Sunday 28 February in northern and western parts of Haiti, causing flooding in Grand’Anse Department, and also in Cap-Haitien and Limonade in Department of Nord.
Haiti Civil Protection say that at least 1 person has been killed in the floods. The victim was thought to have been swept away while attempting to cross a swollen river in the small village of Dame Marie, Anse-d’Hainault, Grand’Anse Department. A person who was with the victim at the time of the incident is still missing. Three fishermen from Anse-d’Hainault are also missing.
Haiti Civil Protection say that flooding has damaged at least 2,000 houses in Limonade, and a further 8,000 in Cap-Haitien, both in Nord Department. The worst hit areas are those along the Mapou River, especially Haut-Du-Cap.
A landslide in Port-de-Paix has totally destroyed one house and left 3 others damaged.
Haiti Civil Protection say that damage assessments are still being carried out.
Early February Floods
Nord Department suffered severe flooding just a few weeks ago when heavy rain affected the northern part of the Caribbean island of Hispaniola between 09 and 11 February 2016.
Port-de-Paix and Cap-Haïtien were affected by the severe weather and more than 200 houses have been damaged, forcing families to leave their home. Several neighbourhoods of Cap-Haïtien, including Carénage, Cité Lescot, Sainte Philomène and Charrier, suffered flooding on the 11 February.
Drought, Floods and Food Security
Earlier this month, the World Food Programme said that Haiti is in its third year of drought exacerbated by the global El Nino weather phenomenon in 2015.
“3.6 million Haitians are currently facing food insecurity, among them 1.5 million are severely food insecure. This is a doubling of the severe food insecurity in the last 6 months.
“The 2015 spring harvest fell below average with losses of up to 70 percent in some areas. This is a severe blow to food security in Haiti, where agriculture employs half of the working population and is generally a very important source of income among poor households”.
The recent floods in northern areas have done little to help the food situation. In fact, the heavy rain may have made the situation worse.
Commenting on the floods of early February, Haiti with Love, a charity working in Haiti, said:
“One of the things we don’t think about when we see the flooding happening is a point very important to the people experiencing it. Their primary diet is rice and beans –
not the canned kind. With wet charcoal, rain and flooding everywhere they can’t cook and therefore cannot eat. We are talking about some folks who don’t eat every day normally so this becomes very serious very fast.
“… another serious point to make about these heavy, damaging rains and all the flooding is what it will have done to the future food supply. Any trees or plants budding or blooming will have lost this crop of fruit or citrus; any gardens planted will have been washed away so there is going to be major hunger until these things can grow and produce again. As you may have been reading the drought before these rains already were causing starvation.”
Indonesia – Floods Leave 1 Dead in Jakarta, 35,000 Affected in Sampang, East Java
Floods in Sampang, Indonesia, February 2016. Photo: BNPB
Parts of East and West Java, including Jakarta, Indonesia,
experienced heavy rain that began on 25 February 2016, causing floods
in the two provinces that have left one person dead and affected over
35,000.
Jakarta recorded 119 mm of rain in 24 ours between 25 and
26 February. The city of Surabaya in West Java saw 74 mm of rain during
the same period.
Further heavy rain has fallen since then. Curug,
in Tangerang Regency, Banten province, recorded 79.1 mm of rain in 24
hours to 01 March, 2016. Bogor, a city south of Jakarta, in West Java,
saw 74.1 mm during the same period.
In Jakarta, flooding was
reported in as many as 46 different locations across the city between 27
and 28 February. Indonesia disaster management officials (Badan
Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana – BNPB) say that the heavy rain caused
the Cengkareng river to overflow in the Cengkareng district of the city.
BNPB reported on 28 February that a young child had died in the ensuing
floods. Over 250 people were evacuated from the area.
The heavy
rain also affected the neighbouring cities of Bogor, Depok and Bekasi in
West Java. The Cimanceuri river in Tangerang, Banten province,
overflowed forcing hundreds to evacuate, according to local media.
In East Java province, areas around Sampung were also badly affected on 26 February, 2016.
BNPB
say that flooding was reported in 13 villages, affecting A total of
11,468 households or 34,225 inhabitants. Much of the flooding was a
result of the overflowing Kemuning river.
Bolivia – Heavy Rainfall in Beni and Santa Cruz, Landslide in La Paz
Intense rain affected northern areas of Bolivia on Saturday 27
February 2016. A landslide in an area of La Paz has damaged several
houses and forced almost 30 people from their homes.
In Beni Department, 151.4 mm of rain recorded in 24 hours at Rurrenabaque. During the same period, high levels were also recorded in San Borja (57.6 mm), San Ignacio de Moxos (72 mm) and Trinidad (61.9 mm), all in Beni Department, while 58 mm was recorded in Viru-Viru, in the bordering Santa Cruz Department.
Area of the February 2011 La Paz landslide. Photo: Senorhorst Jahnsen Under CC BY 2.0
Torrential rain affected the city once again, this time on Saturday 27 February, resulting in a landslide in Jupapina-Mallasa, a less urbanised district in the southern area of La Paz Municipality.
The city is well known to be prone to major hydro-geological issues, given its peculiar geomorphological conformation (a canyon created by the Choqueyapu River) and its rapid urbanisation on or near to steep slopes.
According to the Municipal Secretary of Risk Management of the city of La Paz (Secretaria Municipal de Gestión de Riesgos de La Paz) the landslide occurred on Saturday 27 at 21:00.
As many as 15 houses have been damaged by the landslide, affecting 29 people who have been evacuated by the local authorities.
Landslide are common in La Paz. One of the worst in living memory struck in February 2011, which was described as a “mega-mudslide” when as many as 500 homes were destroyed and 5,000 people evacuated.
February 29, 2016 - EARTH - The following list constitutes the latest reports of high tides, heavy rainfall, flash floods, widespread flooding, sea level rise and catastrophic storms.
Malaysia – Flash Floods in Kuching, Sarawak, After 300 mm of Rain in 24 Hours
Heavy rainfall in Malaysia has caused the third wave of flooding in the state of Sarawak on the island of Borneo.
A
torrential downpour that began early on Saturday 27 February caused
severe flooding in and some landslides in the district of Serian. Other
areas affected included Padawan, Penrissen and Bau-Lundu.
The state’s capital city, Kuching, was also badly affected, with some streets under 70 cm of water at the peak of the floods.
Photo: Bomba Malaysia
Photo: Bomba Malaysia
Photo: Bomba Malaysia
Local media say
that much as 300 mm of rain fell in Kuching in 24 hours between 27 and
28 February, 2016. The city’s drainage system is designed for a maximum
of 180 mm of rain and was unable to cope. However, much of the flood
water had subsided by late morning of Sunday 28 February.
Local
media said that at one point 631 people had evacuated their homes and
were staying in two flood evacuation centres.
WATCH: Flash flooding in Kuching.
Malaysia disaster
management authorities say that the number of displaced people has since
dropped to 60.
No deaths or injuries have been reported.
Severe Weather Affects Italy From North To South – 5 Deaths Reported
Terra Satellite (NASA) image of the severe weather affecting Italy
The low pressure Atlantic front “Golia” has affected the whole of Italy since the 27 February 2016, causing intense storms and torrential rainfall, with snow in the north and rain and storm surge in the south.
As many as 5 deaths have been reported as a result of the severe weather, including 2 people who drowned in flood water. Damage to houses, infrastructures and communications routes have also been reported.
According to the National Aeronautic Meteorological Service (Servizio Meteorologico Aeronautica Militare), the severe weather will last until later today, Monday 29 February, 2016, with intense storms expected in the north and along the Tyrrhenian coast.
River levels and soil saturation are increasing, increasing the risk of hydro-geological issues with the potential of further damages and loss of life.
Fatalities
A car fell in a river under flood in Sant’Angelo in Pontano (Marche Region), resulting in 1 person reported dead. In Veneto Region a man drowned as he fell into the Tione River near Villafranca di Verona.
The intense storms in the South of Italy were accompanied by severe gusts of wind, causing the fall of several trees and resulting in 1 casualty in Candidoni (Calabria Region) and 2 casualties in Sessa Aurunca (Campania Region).
Damage to Infrastructures and Transport
Damage to infrastructures has been reported throughout Italy, including the derailment of a train in Piedmont Region.
In the North of Italy (Piedmont Region), communications routes to France suffered interruptions and critical issues due to the high amount of snow fallen, up to 90 cm at the Tende pass linking Cuneo Province to Alpes-Maritimes Department in France.
A landslide caused by the severe precipitations caused the derailment of a regional train connecting Biella to Novara, in Piedmont Region. The passengers are reported unharmed.
The mountain part of the Savona Province in Liguria suffered several electric service issues and blackouts, among with road interruptions, due to the falling of trees caused by intense snow affecting the area.
In the South of Italy, the intense wind and resulting storm surge caused the interruption in the maritime links between Naples and the Phlegraean Islands. As a result, Ischia, Capri and Procida are currently isolated from the mainland. Social Media
Indonesia – 43 Killed in Floods and Landslides Since Start of Year
Floods in Riau Province, Indonesia, February 2016. Photo: Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana
Indonesia’s Nasional Disaster Management Authority (Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana – BNPB) says that the influence of El Niño delayed the start of this year’s rainy season. January would normally see the peak of the rainy season, but this year the worst may yet be still to come.
Despite the later onset of the rains, BNPB report that between 01 January and 12 February, there have been floods, landslides, and tornadoes in 290 districts or cities in Indonesia.
The severe weather events have left 45 people dead, 48 injured, nearly one million displaced, and thousands of homes destroyed.
The list include 122 flood events across 23 of the country’s 34 provinces. Floods alone resulted in the deaths of at least 14 people and the destruction of 1,767 homes. As many as 65 landslides have been recorded since between 01 January and 12 February, leaving 29 people dead.
In the first few weeks of February, major floods and landslides have been reported in the provinces of Central Java, West Sumatra, Bangka Belitung, Riau and Jambi.
February 26, 2016 - JAKARTA, INDONESIA - In Indonesia, Jakarta's Disaster Management Agency, BPBD, reported earlier today that heavy
rainfall in Greater Jakarta and the surrounding areas has caused
flooding across several parts of the city, causing traffic problems and
some damage to buildings.
BPBD say that most of the rain fell in just one hour during the evening of 25 February 2016. In East Jakarta, the rain left flood water up to 90cm. BPBD say that around 40 people have been evacuated from their homes in Cakung.
Flooding has also been reported in areas of West and South Jakarta, and
also in North Jakarta, in particular Kelapa Gading and Cilincing.
Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (Badan Meteorologi,
Klimatologi, Dan Geofisika - BMKG) has predicted further rain over the
weekend for Greater Jakarta, surrounding areas and across many parts of
Indonesia.
According to figures from WMO, Soekarno - Hatta International Airport recorded 119 mm of rain in a 24 hour period between 25 and 26 February 2016.
During the same period, Tanjung Priok saw 59 mm, Jakarta Observatory 89
mm and Serang in Banten province, about 70 km west of the capital,
recorded 90 mm. - Floodlist.
February 18, 2016 - INDONESIA - A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia on Wednesday, the US Geological Survey reported.
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia at 1726 GMT on Wednesday (Feb 17), the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
USGS shakemap intensity.
The epicentre of the earthquake was 178 kilometres east of Ternate in the Moluccas and about 41 kilometres deep, the USGS said. - Channel News Asia.
Seismotectonics of the New Guinea Region and Vicinity
The Australia-Pacific plate boundary is over 4000 km long on the northern margin, from the Sunda (Java) trench in the west to the Solomon Islands in the east. The eastern section is over 2300 km long, extending west from northeast of the Australian continent and the Coral Sea until it intersects the east coast of Papua New Guinea. The boundary is dominated by the general northward subduction of the Australia plate.
Along the South Solomon trench, the Australia plate converges with the Pacific plate at a rate of approximately 95 mm/yr towards the east-northeast. Seismicity along the trench is dominantly related to subduction tectonics and large earthquakes are common: there have been 13 M7.5+ earthquakes recorded since 1900. On April 1, 2007, a M8.1 interplate megathrust earthquake occurred at the western end of the trench, generating a tsunami and killing at least 40 people. This was the third M8.1 megathrust event associated with this subduction zone in the past century; the other two occurred in 1939 and 1977.
USGS plate tectonics for the region.
Further east at the New Britain trench, the relative motions of several microplates surrounding the Australia-Pacific boundary, including north-south oriented seafloor spreading in the Woodlark Basin south of the Solomon Islands, maintain the general northward subduction of Australia-affiliated lithosphere beneath Pacific-affiliated lithosphere. Most of the large and great earthquakes east of New Guinea are related to this subduction; such earthquakes are particularly concentrated at the cusp of the trench south of New Ireland. 33 M7.5+ earthquakes have been recorded since 1900, including three shallow thrust fault M8.1 events in 1906, 1919, and 2007.
The western end of the Australia-Pacific plate boundary is perhaps the most complex portion of this boundary, extending 2000 km from Indonesia and the Banda Sea to eastern New Guinea. The boundary is dominantly convergent along an arc-continent collision segment spanning the width of New Guinea, but the regions near the edges of the impinging Australia continental margin also include relatively short segments of extensional, strike-slip and convergent deformation. The dominant convergence is accommodated by shortening and uplift across a 250-350 km-wide band of northern New Guinea, as well as by slow southward-verging subduction of the Pacific plate north of New Guinea at the New Guinea trench. Here, the Australia-Pacific plate relative velocity is approximately 110 mm/yr towards the northeast, leading to the 2-8 mm/yr uplift of the New Guinea Highlands.
Whereas the northern band of deformation is relatively diffuse east of the Indonesia-Papua New Guinea border, in western New Guinea there are at least two small (less than 100,000 km²) blocks of relatively undeformed lithosphere. The westernmost of these is the Birds Head Peninsula microplate in Indonesia's West Papua province, bounded on the south by the Seram trench. The Seram trench was originally interpreted as an extreme bend in the Sunda subduction zone, but is now thought to represent a southward-verging subduction zone between Birds Head and the Banda Sea.
There have been 22 M7.5+ earthquakes recorded in the New Guinea region since 1900. The dominant earthquake mechanisms are thrust and strike slip, associated with the arc-continent collision and the relative motions between numerous local microplates. The largest earthquake in the region was a M8.2 shallow thrust fault event in the northern Papua province of Indonesia that killed 166 people in 1996.
The western portion of the northern Australia plate boundary extends approximately 4800 km from New Guinea to Sumatra and primarily separates Australia from the Eurasia plate, including the Sunda block. This portion is dominantly convergent and includes subduction at the Sunda (Java) trench, and a young arc-continent collision.
In the east, this boundary extends from the Kai Islands to Sumba along the Timor trough, offset from the Sunda trench by 250 km south of Sumba. Contrary to earlier tectonic models in which this trough was interpreted as a subduction feature continuous with the Sunda subduction zone, it is now thought to represent a subsiding deformational feature related to the collision of the Australia plate continental margin and the volcanic arc of the Eurasia plate, initiating in the last 5-8 Myr. Before collision began, the Sunda subduction zone extended eastward to at least the Kai Islands, evidenced by the presence of a northward-dipping zone of seismicity beneath Timor Leste. A more detailed examination of the seismic zone along it's eastern segment reveals a gap in intermediate depth seismicity under Timor and seismic mechanisms that indicate an eastward propagating tear in the descending slab as the negatively buoyant oceanic lithosphere detaches from positively buoyant continental lithosphere. On the surface, GPS measurements indicate that the region around Timor is currently no longer connected to the Eurasia plate, but instead is moving at nearly the same velocity as the Australia plate, another consequence of collision.
Large earthquakes in eastern Indonesia occur frequently but interplate megathrust events related to subduction are rare; this is likely due to the disconnection of the descending oceanic slab from the continental margin. There have been 9 M7.5+ earthquakes recorded from the Kai Islands to Sumba since 1900. The largest was the great Banda Sea earthquake of 1938 (M8.5) an intermediate depth thrust faulting event that did not cause significant loss of life.
Pyroclastic flow at Semeru yesterday. Image: Leopold Kennedy Adam @LeopoldAdam / Twitter
February 14, 2016 - EAST JAVA, INDONESIA - A pyroclastic flow (hot avalanche of fragmented volcanic material)
occurred on the volcano's southern side yesterday morning, reaching 4.5
km length and producing an ash plume that rose to 26,000 ft (8 km)
altitude. Darwin VAAC raised the aviation color code to RED.
Another, smaller flow seems to have occurred today.
Eruption at Semeru on February 13. Credit: David P / Tempo.com
The pyroclastic flow(s) were probably caused by sudden collapse of
accumulated lava on the steep upper flank - inside the volcano's
breached summit crater, a flat lava dome has been growing steadily
during the past months and overspilling as viscous flow into the upper
part of the ravine.
Semeru, the highest volcano on Java, and one of its most active, lies at
the southern end of a volcanic massif extending north to the Tengger
caldera. Semeru, a favourite mountain trekking destination, has been in
almost continuous eruption since 1967. It is known for its regular ash
explosions that typically occur at intervals of 10-30 minutes.
Eruption at Semeru volcano (East Java) in the golden morning light. Photo: Tom Pfeiffer
Background:
The steep-sided volcano, also referred to as
Mahameru (Great Mountain), rises abruptly to 3676 m above coastal plains
to the south. Gunung Semeru was constructed south of the overlapping
Ajek-ajek and Jambangan calderas. A line of lake-filled maars was
constructed along a N-S trend cutting through the summit, and cinder
cones and lava domes occupy the eastern and NE flanks.
Semeru volcano's growing dome since October 2015. Credit: Andi
Summit
topography is complicated by the shifting of craters from NW to SE.
Frequent 19th and 20th century eruptions were dominated by
small-to-moderate explosions from the summit crater, with occasional
lava flows and larger explosive eruptions accompanied by pyroclastic
flows that have reached the lower flanks of the volcano. - Volcano Discovery.
February 12, 2016 - INDONESIA - A very strong and shallow undersea-quake measuring 6.5 on the
Richter scale rocked East Nusa Tenggara in central parts of Indonesia on
Friday.
According to US Geological Survey, the quake hit 3 km south east of Adenkanot in Indonesia with a depth of 30.5 km (19.0 miles).
No tsunami warning was issued after the tremor, and Indonesia's national disaster agency said there were no immediate
reports of casualties or damage.
"The quake was felt very strongly for four seconds," disaster agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho told the AFP news agency.
USGS shakemap intensity.
"Residents panicked and rushed out of their homes." Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency registered the temblor with a 6.6 magnitude.
The Earthquake-Report monitoring website said the area has "steep
mountain ranges and its vegetation is rainforest, which means that the
chance of dangerous landslides is real".
Both Indonesian authorities and the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center
said there was no threat of any tsunami waves from the quake.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
Seismotectonics of the Java Region
The Sunda convergent margin extends for 5,600 km from the Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea, both located northwest of the map area, towards Sumba Island in the southeast, and then continues eastward as the Banda arc system. This tectonically active margin is a result of the India and Australia plates converging with and subducting beneath the Sunda plate at a rate of approximately 50 to 70 mm/yr. The main physiographic feature associated with this convergent margin is the Sunda-Java Trench, which stretches for 3,000 km parallel to the Java and Sumatra land masses and terminates at 120° E. The convergence of the Indo-Australia and Sunda plates produces two active volcanic arcs: Sunda, which extends from 105 to 122° E and Banda, which extends from 122 to 128° E. The Sunda arc results solely from relatively simple oceanic plate subduction, while the Banda arc represents the transition from oceanic subduction to continental collision, where a complex, broad deforming zone is found.
Based on modern activity, the Banda arc can be divided into three distinct zones: an inactive section, the Wetar Zone - bound by two active segments, the Flores Zone in the west and the Damar Zone in the east. The lack of volcanism in the Wetar Zone is attributed to the collision of Australia with the Sunda plate. The gap in volcanic activity is underlain by a gap in intermediate depth seismicity, which is in contrast to nearly continuous deep seismicity below all three sections of the arc. The Flores Zone is characterized by down-dip compression in the subducted slab at intermediate depths and late Quaternary uplift of the forearc. These unusual features, along with GPS data interpretations, show that the Flores Zone marks the transition between subduction of oceanic crust in the west and the collision of continental crust in the east.
USGS plate tectonics.
The Java section of the Sunda arc is considered relatively aseismic historically when compared to the highly seismically active Sumatra section, despite both areas being located along the same active subduction margin. Shallow (0-20 km) events have occurred historically in the overlying Sunda plate, causing damage to local and regional communities. A recent example was the May 26, 2006 M6.3 left-lateral strike-slip event, which occurred at a depth of 10 km in central Java, and caused over 5,700 fatalities. Intermediate depth (70-300 km) earthquakes frequently occur beneath Java as a result of intraplate faulting within the Australia slab. Deep (300-650 km) earthquakes occur beneath the Java Sea and the back-arc region to the north of Java. Similar to other intermediate depth events these earthquakes are also associated with intraslab faulting. However, this subduction zone exhibits a gap in seismicity from 250-400 km, interpreted as the transition between extensional and compressional slab stresses. Historic examples of large intraplate events include: the 1903 M8.1 event, 1921 M7.5 event, 1977 M8.3 event, and August 2007 M7.5 event.
Large thrust earthquakes close to the Java trench are typically interplate faulting events along the slab interface between the Australia and Sunda plates. These earthquakes also generally have high tsunamigenic potential due to their shallow hypocentral depths. In some cases, these events have demonstrated slow moment-release, and have been defined as ‘tsunami’ earthquakes, where rupture is large in the weak crustal layers very close to the seafloor. These events are categorized by tsunamis that are significantly larger than predicted by the earthquake???s magnitude. The most notable tsunami earthquakes in the Java region occurred on June 2, 1994 (M7.8) and July 17, 2006 (M7.7). The 1994 event produced a tsunami with wave run-up heights of 13 m, killing over 200 people. The 2006 event produced a tsunami of up to 15 m, and killed 730 people. While both of these tsunami earthquakes were characterized by rupture along thrust faults, they were followed by an abundance of normal faulting aftershocks. These aftershocks are interpreted to result from extension within the subducting Australia plate, while the mainshocks represented interplate faulting between the Australia and Sunda plates. - USGS.
February 9, 2016 - INDONESIA - The eruption continues in the form of intermittent small to moderate
strombolian-type explosions and minutes-long phases of more or less
vigorous ash venting alternating with strong degassing.
Only few
incandescent ejecta are being seen at night, but ash emissions are
comparably intense and aviation color code of the volcano remains at
orange.
Crater glow from Bromo at night
Our friend Øystein Lund Andersen visited the volcano yesterday and reported:
"Heavy degassing was observed during arrival in the afternoon,
accompanied by a irregular but periodically heavy rumbling sound. ...
After these periods of calm, larger degassing plumes tend to appear,
accompanied by large rumbling sounds and in one case an eruption at
14:14.
The eruption was accompanied by a shock wave, and seconds after
an ash plume appeared that reached around 800m in height.
Sounds of
falling rocks or blocks was heard seconds after the appearance of the
eruption plume. The ash content decreased within 30min after the
eruption.
...
Next eruption happened at 15:45, and the ash-plume was sustained for
around 45minutes. ...The next eruption started at 16:50. ... Late
evening, intense crater-glow was seen minutes before a small eruption
(23:41)...
Mt. Bromo volcano in East Java is the active cone inside the giant
Tengger caldera, one of Indonesia's most scenic locations destination in
East Java, famous for its magnificient sunrise views and the panorama
over the caldera with Semeru volcano in the background.
Eruption of Bromo on June 8, 2004.
Background:
The 16-km-wide Tengger caldera is located at the
northern end of a volcanic massif extending from Semeru volcano. The
massive Tengger volcanic complex dates back to about 820,000 years ago
and consists of five overlapping stratovolcanoes, each truncated by a
caldera. Lava domes, pyroclastic cones, and a maar occupy the flanks of
the massif. The Ngadisari caldera at the NE end of the complex formed
about 150,000 years ago and is now drained through the Sapikerep Valley.
The most recent of the Tengger calderas is the 9 x 10 km wide Sandsea
Caldera at the SW end of the complex, which formed incrementally during
the late Pleistocene and early Holocene. An overlapping cluster of
post-caldera cones was constructed on the floor of the Sandsea Caldera
within the last several thousand years. The youngest of these is Bromo,
one of Java's most active and most frequently visited volcanoes.
February 8, 2016 - INDONESIA - Five bodies have been recovered and two other persons are still missing
after a landslide hit Purworejo district of Central Java on Friday,
rescuers said here Saturday.
Heavy downpours triggered the landslideat Penungkulan
village of Gebang sub-district at around 20:00 p.m. Jakarta time, at
least 2 houses being hit, said Marsudi, spokesman of the National Search
and Rescue Office.
"A rescuer team from Central Java office along with soldiers, police and
volunteers are searching for the missing now," he told Xinhua by phone.
The disaster also badly injured one villager and forced 75 others to
take shelter at safer places, said Budi Harjono, operational head in
disaster management agency in Purworejo district.
"Searching is under way now. We expect all the missing to be
found soon," he told Xinhua from the scene at Penungkulan village.
Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the National Disaster Management
Agency said over 250 personnel including those from local search and
rescue office, local disaster management agency and Red Cross, as well
as soldiers, police and volunteers, are involved in the search and
rescue operation.
"But access to the scene is hampered by crowd insisting on seeing the
accident ... Hence it disturbed vehicles to enter the area," he told
Xinhua over phone on Saturday.
Landslide is frequent in Indonesia during heavy rain that often leaves scores of casualties and damage. - Xinhuanet.
Mount Soputan has erupted 39 times in the last 600 years
February 8, 2016 - INDONESIA - Mount Soputan volcano in North Sulawesi province of Indonesia erupted
several times on Sunday, spewing a column of hot ash by up to 2.5 km
high, official of disaster management agency said.
Mount Soputan, located some 60 km from Manado, capital of the province,
has high potential for further big eruption which is indicated by
persistent tremors with amplitude of 41 mm, Spokesman of National
Disaster Management Agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho disclosed.
Several subdistricts in Minahasa Tenggara district were hit by rains of
ash and volcanic materials that the local disaster agency distributes
masks to protect local residents from the impact, he told Xinhua via
phone.
The authorities have banned villagers or visitors from entering the area
of 4 km from the crater, but at the southwest of the crater the
evacuation zone is at 6. 5 km, Mr. Sutopo said.
The 1,874- meter high Mount Soputan is one of Indonesia's active
volcanoes whose number is about 129, according to the National
Volcanology Agency.
Thousands may have to be evacuated if the situation worsens. Getty
January 19, 2016 - GLOBAL VOLCANISM
- Major evacuations have been sparked by the SIMULTANEOUS eruption of
two volcanoes - included one of the world's most feared - spewing toxic
gas and ash clouds for miles.
The two volcanoes are thousands
of miles apart but are on the edge of the same tectonic plate – the
Phillippine Plate – sparking fears of a major seismic shift, more
volcanic activity and even earthquakes and tsunamis.
More than
1,200 people have been evacuated from within a 1.9-mile containment zone
around Mount Egon in Kupang, eastern Indonesia - one of the most
volcanic parts of the globe.
It was followed moments later by the
eruption of Zhupanovsky on Russia's eastern coast which spewed lava
FIVE MILES into the air.
The latter explosion is likely to affect
air traffic in Russia, but the huge ash cloud is also drifting east
over the Pacific Ocean so the impact on flights could be much worse.
In
Asia, officials distributed thousands of gas masks to villagers around
the volcano on eastern Flores island amid fears of a major eruption as
the choking fumes worsened.
All residents living within the
containment zone have been ordered to evacuate, while roads bringing
traffic in have been closed.
Mount Egon is considered a very
active volcano and is in the top ten of the potentially deadliest in the
event of a major eruption.
More people living further from the volcano may have to also flee if the situation gets worse, disaster officials have warned.
Many climb the peak, despite it being considered a very active volcano. YouTube
In Russia, the Institute of Volcanology and Seismology in the
Kamchatka area earlier issued a "code orange" warning the eruption was
under way, and warning aircraft to avoid flying near the exploding peak.
Fortunately, the volcano is 42 miles from populated areas, and the emergency services said ash had yet to reach any homes.
A
spokesman for the institute said: "Today at around 4.30pm [3.30 am
GMT), the Zhupanovsky volcano spewed ash to the height of up to five
miles above sea level.
Last autumn, Express.co.uk reported how
tests were being carried out on the impact of volcanic ash getting into a
jet engine, because the true effects are still not known despite the
global chaos caused by the Icelandic ash clouds in 2010.
WATCH: Spectacular Guatemala volcano eruption - Fuego spits lava into night sky .
"The ash column could be seen with the naked eye from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky and some other settlements.
"At the moment, the ash cloud has spread 12 miles and it continues moving towards the ocean."
Zhupanovsky is one of the least studied volcanoes in the region despite its proximity to a large city.
It is composed of four overlapping cones, the highest of which reaches 2,958 metres.
Smoke spewing from holes in the side of Mount Egon. YouTube
Silvanus Tobi, disaster mitigation official, said: "We are on a high alert and ready to evacuate any time."
There have been fears of a big eruption after the volcanic activity began a month ago.
Activity increased over the weekend, before locals began to leave the area.
The last eruption, in 2008, saw a 3.6-mile high plume of toxic ash and material blasted into the air.
There are 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia on the Ring of Fire - a belt of seismic activity running around the basin of the Pacific Ocean.
Evacuation ordered as volcano on Flores rumbles to life.
January 15, 2016 - INDONESIA - Residents living around the base of Indonesia's Mount Egon were ordered
to evacuate as the Flores Island volcano began to rumble because of
rising magma.
A 2-mile exclusion zone was established around the 4,487-foot volcano,
which last erupted in 2008, forcing more than 10,000 people to flee.
Egon is the only one of six volcanoes in Indonesia currently on an alert level of 3 or 4 that is not currently erupting.
The vast archipelago has 127 active volcanoes, more than any other country on the planet. - Earthweek.
USGS earthquake locations of 2.5 magnitude or higher over the last day.
January 12, 2016 - EARTH - The following constitutes several of the most noteworthy earthquakes to the planet over the last 24 hours, as we continue to monitor the global seismic uptick.
Earthquake reported in northern Alberta
Seismic measuring station near Fox Creek, AB. Global News
An earthquake was reported outside Fox Creek, Alta. by Natural Resources Canada.
NRC preliminary analysis has the earthquake at 4.5 in magnitude. It happened at 11:27 a.m. (MST) Tuesday about 31 kilometres west of Fox Creek.
NRC said the quake was “lightly felt” in Fox Creek and St. Albert. There were no reports of damage.
It’s not unusual for earthquakes to be reported in the Fox Creek area. There have been about 200 quakes in the area since December 2013. Alberta averages 30 earthquakes each year.Last year, there were two 4.4 magnitude earthquakes in the area. Authorities said both quakes were the result of hydraulic fracturing in the oil and gas industry.It’s too early to determine if Tuesday’s earthquake was a result of fracking, NRC said.
However, the premier is asking that an Alberta Energy Regulator review of fracking be sped up.
“My officials have been in touch with the AER to find out exactly what the situation is and where we can get more details on that,” Notley said.
“Generally speaking the AER has been engaged in a review of fracking in particular as it relates to this issue and I’ll be asking them to speed that review up a little bit more to come up with some recommendations that we can consider sooner rather than later.”
The AER announced new requirements in February 2015, after several seismic events in the Fox Creek area. If a seismic event measuring 4.0 or greater occurs within five kilometres of an operator, it must cease operations and inform the AER. If a seismic event between 2.0 and 4.0 occurs, operators must inform AER and invoke their response plan.
The AER reports three events measuring 4.0 or greater in 2015: Jan. 14 (4.23), Jan. 23 (4.61) and June 13 (4.26).
Fox Creek is 263 kilometres northwest of Edmonton. - Global News.
Small earthquake rattles Pittsburgh, third this week
A small earthquake hit north of Pittsburg early Tuesday morning, according to the United States Geological Survey.
The 2.9 magnitude quake struck around 4:24 a.m. and was centered 8
kilometers (about 5 miles) north-northwest of Pittsburg, USGS said.
The quake is centered around the same spot where two other quakes hit Monday, which is near the Grizzly Island Wildlife Area.
Another 2.9 magnitude quake hit around 8:24 p.m.
A smaller earthquake was also recorded Monday at 2:30 a.m. with a magnitude of 2.6. - KRON4.
5.9 magnitude earthquake recorded in southern Indian Ocean
USGS earthquake location.
A moderate earthquake with magnitude 5.9 was reported
Southwest Indian Ridge (0 miles) on Tuesday.
A tsunami warning has not
been issued.
The earthquake
occurred at a depth of 10 km (6 miles).
The 5.9-magnitude earthquake has
occurred at 13:45:11 / 1:45 pm (local time epicenter). Exact location,
longitude 58.1351° East, latitude -31.2719° South. - ENT.
A 5.6-magnitude earthquake jolted Afghanistan and parts of Khyber-Pakhtunkhwa (K-P) and Punjab late on Tuesday.
According to Express News, tremors were felt in Chitral, Shangla, Gilgit, Rawalpindi, Lahore, Faisalabad, Sargodha, Sahiwal and surrounding areas.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) said epicenter of the earthquake was recorded in Jurm district of northeastern Badakhshan province of Afghanistan.
There were no immediate reports regarding the casualties and damages caused. - Tribune.
Three moderate to strong earthquakes hit Indonesia
USGS earthquake location.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey a 5.2 magnitude earthquake hit Kepulauan Barat Daya at 23:39:33 UTC at a depth of 251.3 km.
At 12:27:28 UTC, another tremor measuring magnitude 5.1 struck northwest of Tobelo at a depth of 59.6 km.
Several hours later, a magnitude 4.8 also struck near the Toledo region at a depth of 10.0 km.
There were no initial reports of any damage.
4.6 magnitude earthquake strikes Iran, tremors felt in Azerbaijan
USGS earthquake location.
Tremors were also felt in Azerbaijan as an earthquake of 4.6 magnitude struck Iran Jan.12.
The earthquake was recorded in Iran 20 km north from Azerbaijan's
Yardimli district at 6:38am local time, the Republican Seismic Survey
Center of told APA.
The earthquake that occured at a depth of 27 km was also felt in 3.0-magnitude in Azerbaijan. - APA.
