PLANETARY TREMORS: Strong 6.0 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Off The Coast Of Mexico - At Depth Of 20km! [MAPS + TECTONIC SUMMARY]

USGS earthquake location.

April 27, 2016 - MEXICO - A strong and shallow earthquake registered by Mexico's SSN as M6.0 hit off the coast of Mexico at 12:51 UTC on April 27, 2016. The agency is reporting a depth of 20 km (12.4 miles).

EMSC is reporting M6.0 at a depth of 60 km (37.3 miles) while the USGS reports M5.8 at a depth of 35 km (21.7 miles).

USGS shakemap intensity.

According to the USGS, the epicenter was located 61 km (37.9 miles) WSW of Puerto Madero, 80 km (49.7 miles) W of Suchiate, 82 km (51 miles) WSW of Tapachula, 83 km (51.6 miles) SW of Huixtla, Mexico and 264 km (164 miles) W of Guatemala City, Guatemala.

There are 886 040 people living within 100 km (62 miles).

USGS issued a green alert for shaking-related fatalities and economic losses. There is a low likelihood of casualties and damage.

Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are a mix of vulnerable and earthquake resistant construction.

Recent earthquakes in this area have caused secondary hazards such as landslides and fires that might have contributed to losses.

USGS Seismotectonics of the Caribbean Region and Vicinity

Extensive diversity and complexity of tectonic regimes characterizes the perimeter of the Caribbean plate, involving no fewer than four major plates (North America, South America, Nazca, and Cocos). Inclined zones of deep earthquakes (Wadati-Benioff zones), ocean trenches, and arcs of volcanoes clearly indicate subduction of oceanic lithosphere along the Central American and Atlantic Ocean margins of the Caribbean plate, while crustal seismicity in Guatemala, northern Venezuela, and the Cayman Ridge and Cayman Trench indicate transform fault and pull-apart basin tectonics.

Along the northern margin of the Caribbean plate, the North America plate moves westwards with respect to the Caribbean plate at a velocity of approximately 20 mm/yr. Motion is accommodated along several major transform faults that extend eastward from Isla de Roatan to Haiti, including the Swan Island Fault and the Oriente Fault. These faults represent the southern and northern boundaries of the Cayman Trench. Further east, from the Dominican Republic to the Island of Barbuda, relative motion between the North America plate and the Caribbean plate becomes increasingly complex and is partially accommodated by nearly arc-parallel subduction of the North America plate beneath the Caribbean plate. This results in the formation of the deep Puerto Rico Trench and a zone of intermediate focus earthquakes (70-300 km depth) within the subducted slab. Although the Puerto Rico subduction zone is thought to be capable of generating a megathrust earthquake, there have been no such events in the past century. The last probable interplate (thrust fault) event here occurred on May 2, 1787 and was widely felt throughout the island with documented destruction across the entire northern coast, including Arecibo and San Juan. Since 1900, the two largest earthquakes to occur in this region were the August 4, 1946 M8.0 Samana earthquake in northeastern Hispaniola and the July 29, 1943 M7.6 Mona Passage earthquake, both of which were shallow thrust fault earthquakes. A significant portion of the motion between the North America plate and the Caribbean plate in this region is accommodated by a series of left-lateral strike-slip faults that bisect the island of Hispaniola, notably the Septentrional Fault in the north and the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault in the south. Activity adjacent to the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault system is best documented by the devastating January 12, 2010 M7.0 Haiti strike-slip earthquake, its associated aftershocks and a comparable earthquake in 1770.

USGS plate tectonics for the region.

Moving east and south, the plate boundary curves around Puerto Rico and the northern Lesser Antilles where the plate motion vector of the Caribbean plate relative to the North and South America plates is less oblique, resulting in active island-arc tectonics. Here, the North and South America plates subduct towards the west beneath the Caribbean plate along the Lesser Antilles Trench at rates of approximately 20 mm/yr. As a result of this subduction, there exists both intermediate focus earthquakes within the subducted plates and a chain of active volcanoes along the island arc. Although the Lesser Antilles is considered one of the most seismically active regions in the Caribbean, few of these events have been greater than M7.0 over the past century. The island of Guadeloupe was the site of one of the largest megathrust earthquakes to occur in this region on February 8, 1843, with a suggested magnitude greater than 8.0. The largest recent intermediate-depth earthquake to occur along the Lesser Antilles arc was the November 29, 2007 M7.4 Martinique earthquake northwest of Fort-De-France.

The southern Caribbean plate boundary with the South America plate strikes east-west across Trinidad and western Venezuela at a relative rate of approximately 20 mm/yr. This boundary is characterized by major transform faults, including the Central Range Fault and the Boconó-San Sebastian-El Pilar Faults, and shallow seismicity. Since 1900, the largest earthquakes to occur in this region were the October 29, 1900 M7.7 Caracas earthquake, and the July 29, 1967 M6.5 earthquake near this same region. Further to the west, a broad zone of compressive deformation trends southwestward across western Venezuela and central Colombia. The plate boundary is not well defined across northwestern South America, but deformation transitions from being dominated by Caribbean/South America convergence in the east to Nazca/South America convergence in the west. The transition zone between subduction on the eastern and western margins of the Caribbean plate is characterized by diffuse seismicity involving low- to intermediate-magnitude (Magnitude less than 6.0) earthquakes of shallow to intermediate depth.

The plate boundary offshore of Colombia is also characterized by convergence, where the Nazca plate subducts beneath South America towards the east at a rate of approximately 65 mm/yr. The January 31, 1906 M8.5 earthquake occurred on the shallowly dipping megathrust interface of this plate boundary segment. Along the western coast of Central America, the Cocos plate subducts towards the east beneath the Caribbean plate at the Middle America Trench. Convergence rates vary between 72-81 mm/yr, decreasing towards the north. This subduction results in relatively high rates of seismicity and a chain of numerous active volcanoes; intermediate-focus earthquakes occur within the subducted Cocos plate to depths of nearly 300 km. Since 1900, there have been many moderately sized intermediate-depth earthquakes in this region, including the September 7, 1915 M7.4 El Salvador and the October 5, 1950 M7.8 Costa Rica events.

The boundary between the Cocos and Nazca plates is characterized by a series of north-south trending transform faults and east-west trending spreading centers. The largest and most seismically active of these transform boundaries is the Panama Fracture Zone. The Panama Fracture Zone terminates in the south at the Galapagos rift zone and in the north at the Middle America trench, where it forms part of the Cocos-Nazca-Caribbean triple junction. Earthquakes along the Panama Fracture Zone are generally shallow, low- to intermediate in magnitude (Magnitude less than 7.2) and are characteristically right-lateral strike-slip faulting earthquakes. Since 1900, the largest earthquake to occur along the Panama Fracture Zone was the July 26, 1962 M7.2 earthquake.

References for the Panama Fracture Zone:
Molnar, P., and Sykes, L. R., 1969, Tectonics of the Caribbean and Middle America Regions from Focal Mechanisms and Seismicity: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 80, p. 1639-1684.

- USGS | Watchers.

 

PLANETARY TREMORS: Notable 4.0 Magnitude Temblor Rumbles Near Harrah, Oklahoma - USGS! [MAPS + TECTONIC SUMMARY]

USGS earthquake location.

April 26, 2016 - OKLAHOMA, UNITED STATES - A 4.0 magnitude earthquake rattled residents in central Oklahoma on Tuesday.

The quake struck four miles east northeast of the town of Harrah, or about 24 miles east of the Oklahoma City metro at approximately 10:44 a.m.

USGS shakemap intensity.

Its epicenter was recorded at a depth of just less than seven miles.


So far there have been no reports of damage or injuries associated with this quake.

Many residents in central Oklahoma felt the earth move Tuesday.

@kforkevinogle Felt it in Choctaw. Lots of people on twitter posting about it though.

— F'n S (@Skeetys) April 26, 2016

Well, you just knew we would have an #earthquake on a day when severe weather is anticipated.

— Don Sherry (@DonSherry) April 26, 2016

Here we go folks... An Earthquake to get things started, with severe weather/storms later today! Only in Oklahoma! #OKWX

— Phil (@philbo2011) April 26, 2016

Just felt an earthquake on our first official day of tornado season. I love Oklahoma.

— Brian Bond (@bgbond) April 26, 2016

I felt it it was strong here.
In harrah https://t.co/qDBfitN9rN

— Donna Schultz (@firgey35) April 26, 2016

4.0 earthquake in Harrah, OK!

— David Finley ️ (@CheetoFinley) April 26, 2016

@kforkevinogle Felt it in Choctaw. Lots of people on twitter posting about it though.

— F'n S (@Skeetys) April 26, 2016

According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), earthquakes with magnitudes ranging from 2.5 to 3.0 are generally the smallest ones felt by humans.

Damage is more likely with quakes at magnitudes of 4.0 and higher.

USGS Tectonic Summary - Earthquakes in the Stable Continental Region

Natural Occurring Earthquake Activity
Most of North America east of the Rocky Mountains has infrequent earthquakes. Here and there earthquakes are more numerous, for example in the New Madrid seismic zone centered on southeastern Missouri, in the Charlevoix-Kamouraska seismic zone of eastern Quebec, in New England, in the New York - Philadelphia - Wilmington urban corridor, and elsewhere. However, most of the enormous region from the Rockies to the Atlantic can go years without an earthquake large enough to be felt, and several U.S. states have never reported a damaging earthquake.

Earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains, although less frequent than in the West, are typically felt over a much broader region than earthquakes of similar magnitude in the west. East of the Rockies, an earthquake can be felt over an area more than ten times larger than a similar magnitude earthquake on the west coast. It would not be unusual for a magnitude 4.0 earthquake in eastern or central North America to be felt by a significant percentage of the population in many communities more than 100 km (60 mi) from its source. A magnitude 5.5 earthquake in eastern or central North America might be felt by much of the population out to more than 500 km (300 mi) from its source. Earthquakes east of the Rockies that are centered in populated areas and large enough to cause damage are, similarly, likely to cause damage out to greater distances than earthquakes of the same magnitude centered in western North America.

Most earthquakes in North America east of the Rockies occur as faulting within bedrock, usually miles deep. Few earthquakes east of the Rockies, however, have been definitely linked to mapped geologic faults, in contrast to the situation at plate boundaries such as California's San Andreas fault system, where scientists can commonly use geologic evidence to identify a fault that has produced a large earthquake and that is likely to produce large future earthquakes. Scientists who study eastern and central North America earthquakes often work from the hypothesis that modern earthquakes occur as the result of slip on preexisting faults that were formed in earlier geologic eras and that have been reactivated under the current stress conditions. The bedrock of Eastern North America is, however, laced with faults that were active in earlier geologic eras, and few of these faults are known to have been active in the current geologic era. In most areas east of the Rockies, the likelihood of future damaging earthquakes is currently estimated from the frequencies and sizes of instrumentally recorded earthquakes or earthquakes documented in historical records.

Induced Seismicity
As is the case elsewhere in the world, there is evidence that some central and eastern North America earthquakes have been triggered or caused by human activities that have altered the stress conditions in earth's crust sufficiently to induce faulting. Activities that have induced felt earthquakes in some geologic environments have included impoundment of water behind dams, injection of fluid into the earth's crust, extraction of fluid or gas, and removal of rock in mining or quarrying operations. In much of eastern and central North America, the number of earthquakes suspected of having been induced is much smaller than the number of natural earthquakes, but in some regions, such as the south-central states of the U.S., a significant majority of recent earthquakes are thought by many seismologists to have been human-induced.

Even within areas with many human-induced earthquakes, however, the activity that seems to induce seismicity at one location may be taking place at many other locations without inducing felt earthquakes. In addition, regions with frequent induced earthquakes may also be subject to damaging earthquakes that would have occurred independently of human activity. Making a strong scientific case for a causative link between a particular human activity and a particular sequence of earthquakes typically involves special studies devoted specifically to the question. Such investigations usually address the process by which the suspected triggering activity might have significantly altered stresses in the bedrock at the earthquake source, and they commonly address the ways in which the characteristics of the suspected human-triggered earthquakes differ from the characteristics of natural earthquakes in the region.

For More Information

• Additional earthquake information for Oklahoma

- News9 | KFOR | USGS.

PLANETARY TREMORS: "Short But Scary" - Notable 4.1 Magnitude Earthquake Felt Around Vienna, Austria; Geologists Warn That A Mega-Quake Will Hit The Region! [MAPS]

USGS earthquake location.

April 26, 2016 - VIENNA, AUSTRIA - A small earthquake hit Lower Austria and Vienna around Monday lunchtime, with residents feeling the impact across different districts in the city.

The earthquake measurement website EMSC confirmed an earthquake happened 18 kilometres south-west of Vienna at around 12.28pm. USGS registered the tremor with a 3.9 magnitude.

EMSC measured the magnitude around 4.4, although the Austrian Central Institute for Meteorology and Geodynamics said it was 4.1.

Residents writing on social media confirmed feeling the earthquake, the centre of which was in Raum Alland in Lower Austria, throughout Vienna, including the 3rd, 9th, 13th, and 19th districts.

EMSC-CSEM earthquake location - regional view

EMSC-CSEM earthquake location - local view

"Short but scary", is how Twitter user Velina Tchakarova described it. Writing on the EMSC website, witnesses described the floor and ceiling "moving some centimeters" and they felt the "chair bounce and desk move"

It is not unknown for Austria to experience small earthquakes, with the most recent one of a similar magnitude thought to have occurred in Lower Austria in 2013. Another similar quake hit Carinthia in January 2015.

Geologists warned last December, however, that the Vienna region is at risk of being hit by a strong earthquake at some point in the future.
A seismically active fault system runs deep under the Vienna Basin geological area, which covers Vienna, Lower Austria and parts of Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

USGS shakemap intensity.

Because many of the fault lines have been inactive for the last 200 or 300 years they are not thought to be hazardous.

However, geologist Dr. Kurt Decker from the University of Vienna told The Local that the risk of a large-scale earthquake occurring in the Vienna region has been underestimated and that scientists must examine historical data more closely.

"There are half a dozen known fault lines under the Vienna Basin which are moving at a very slow rate, but we believe that every 20,000 years or so they are capable of causing an earthquake on the scale of 6.0 or 7.0 on the Richter scale," he added.

Some jokers thought perhaps this time it had something to do with Austria's recent 'political earthquake' that saw the right-wing FPOe coming top in the presidential race.

Twitter user Johnito joked: "Mother nature expresses her anger about the rise of far-right."


- The Local.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Strong 5.6 Magnitude Earthquake Strikes 100km Southwest Of Suchiate, Mexico At Depth Of 10km - USGS! [MAPS + TECTONIC SUMMARY]

USGS earthquake location.

April 25, 2016 - MEXICO - A 5.6-magnitude earthquake has struck southwest of the Mexican town of Suchiate at a depth of 10 km, the US Geological Survey reported.

The tremor took place 97 kilometers from the Chiapas state town of Suchiate, which has over 35,000 residents.

The quake occurred 81 kilometers from the town of Puerto Madero, which has a population of 6,000 people, and 103 kilometers from the city of Tapachula, which has 320,000 residents.

USGS shakemap intensity.

According to EMSC (European Mediterranean Seismological Centre), the quake has a magnitude of 5.7.

Mexico is considered one of the world's most seismically active countries, with a long history of earthquakes, according to the USGS.

In July 2014, five people died after a 7.1-magnitude quake struck the southern Mexican state of Chiapas and neighboring Guatemala.

USGS Seismotectonics of the Caribbean Region and Vicinity

Extensive diversity and complexity of tectonic regimes characterizes the perimeter of the Caribbean plate, involving no fewer than four major plates (North America, South America, Nazca, and Cocos). Inclined zones of deep earthquakes (Wadati-Benioff zones), ocean trenches, and arcs of volcanoes clearly indicate subduction of oceanic lithosphere along the Central American and Atlantic Ocean margins of the Caribbean plate, while crustal seismicity in Guatemala, northern Venezuela, and the Cayman Ridge and Cayman Trench indicate transform fault and pull-apart basin tectonics.

Along the northern margin of the Caribbean plate, the North America plate moves westwards with respect to the Caribbean plate at a velocity of approximately 20 mm/yr. Motion is accommodated along several major transform faults that extend eastward from Isla de Roatan to Haiti, including the Swan Island Fault and the Oriente Fault. These faults represent the southern and northern boundaries of the Cayman Trench. Further east, from the Dominican Republic to the Island of Barbuda, relative motion between the North America plate and the Caribbean plate becomes increasingly complex and is partially accommodated by nearly arc-parallel subduction of the North America plate beneath the Caribbean plate. This results in the formation of the deep Puerto Rico Trench and a zone of intermediate focus earthquakes (70-300 km depth) within the subducted slab. Although the Puerto Rico subduction zone is thought to be capable of generating a megathrust earthquake, there have been no such events in the past century. The last probable interplate (thrust fault) event here occurred on May 2, 1787 and was widely felt throughout the island with documented destruction across the entire northern coast, including Arecibo and San Juan. Since 1900, the two largest earthquakes to occur in this region were the August 4, 1946 M8.0 Samana earthquake in northeastern Hispaniola and the July 29, 1943 M7.6 Mona Passage earthquake, both of which were shallow thrust fault earthquakes. A significant portion of the motion between the North America plate and the Caribbean plate in this region is accommodated by a series of left-lateral strike-slip faults that bisect the island of Hispaniola, notably the Septentrional Fault in the north and the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault in the south. Activity adjacent to the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault system is best documented by the devastating January 12, 2010 M7.0 Haiti strike-slip earthquake, its associated aftershocks and a comparable earthquake in 1770.

USGS plate tectonics for the region.

Moving east and south, the plate boundary curves around Puerto Rico and the northern Lesser Antilles where the plate motion vector of the Caribbean plate relative to the North and South America plates is less oblique, resulting in active island-arc tectonics. Here, the North and South America plates subduct towards the west beneath the Caribbean plate along the Lesser Antilles Trench at rates of approximately 20 mm/yr. As a result of this subduction, there exists both intermediate focus earthquakes within the subducted plates and a chain of active volcanoes along the island arc. Although the Lesser Antilles is considered one of the most seismically active regions in the Caribbean, few of these events have been greater than M7.0 over the past century. The island of Guadeloupe was the site of one of the largest megathrust earthquakes to occur in this region on February 8, 1843, with a suggested magnitude greater than 8.0. The largest recent intermediate-depth earthquake to occur along the Lesser Antilles arc was the November 29, 2007 M7.4 Martinique earthquake northwest of Fort-De-France.

The southern Caribbean plate boundary with the South America plate strikes east-west across Trinidad and western Venezuela at a relative rate of approximately 20 mm/yr. This boundary is characterized by major transform faults, including the Central Range Fault and the Boconó-San Sebastian-El Pilar Faults, and shallow seismicity. Since 1900, the largest earthquakes to occur in this region were the October 29, 1900 M7.7 Caracas earthquake, and the July 29, 1967 M6.5 earthquake near this same region. Further to the west, a broad zone of compressive deformation trends southwestward across western Venezuela and central Colombia. The plate boundary is not well defined across northwestern South America, but deformation transitions from being dominated by Caribbean/South America convergence in the east to Nazca/South America convergence in the west. The transition zone between subduction on the eastern and western margins of the Caribbean plate is characterized by diffuse seismicity involving low- to intermediate-magnitude (Magnitude less than 6.0) earthquakes of shallow to intermediate depth.

The plate boundary offshore of Colombia is also characterized by convergence, where the Nazca plate subducts beneath South America towards the east at a rate of approximately 65 mm/yr. The January 31, 1906 M8.5 earthquake occurred on the shallowly dipping megathrust interface of this plate boundary segment. Along the western coast of Central America, the Cocos plate subducts towards the east beneath the Caribbean plate at the Middle America Trench. Convergence rates vary between 72-81 mm/yr, decreasing towards the north. This subduction results in relatively high rates of seismicity and a chain of numerous active volcanoes; intermediate-focus earthquakes occur within the subducted Cocos plate to depths of nearly 300 km. Since 1900, there have been many moderately sized intermediate-depth earthquakes in this region, including the September 7, 1915 M7.4 El Salvador and the October 5, 1950 M7.8 Costa Rica events.

The boundary between the Cocos and Nazca plates is characterized by a series of north-south trending transform faults and east-west trending spreading centers. The largest and most seismically active of these transform boundaries is the Panama Fracture Zone. The Panama Fracture Zone terminates in the south at the Galapagos rift zone and in the north at the Middle America trench, where it forms part of the Cocos-Nazca-Caribbean triple junction. Earthquakes along the Panama Fracture Zone are generally shallow, low- to intermediate in magnitude (Magnitude less than 7.2) and are characteristically right-lateral strike-slip faulting earthquakes. Since 1900, the largest earthquake to occur along the Panama Fracture Zone was the July 26, 1962 M7.2 earthquake.

References for the Panama Fracture Zone:
Molnar, P., and Sykes, L. R., 1969, Tectonics of the Caribbean and Middle America Regions from Focal Mechanisms and Seismicity: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 80, p. 1639-1684.

- USGS | RT.

 

GLOBAL VOLCANISM: Seismic Activity "EXPLODING" Along The Pacific Ring Of Fire - 73 Earthquakes In 12 Hours Hit Between Two Volcanoes In Costa Rica!

Ovsicori

April 25, 2016 - COSTA RICA - At least 73 earthquakes have been recorded along a straight line between the Turrialba volcano and the Irazu volcano in less than 12 hours.Are these the two next volcanoes to explode?

The seismic and volcanic activities along The Ring of fire are currently exploding.

Between April 23 and April 24, 2016, about 73 minor earthquakes hit between two volcanoes in Costa Rica. Zoom in, just East of San Jose, the capital city, on that map to get the info about the several quakes.

The tremors form a straight line right in-between the Turrialba Volcano and the Irazu Volcano.

Last eruption of the Turrialba Volcano was on May 4, 2015. The latest eruption of the Irazu Volcano occurred on December 8, 1994.

Could this swarm of quake indicate the imminent eruptions of both colossus?


- Strange Sounds.

 

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: "Seismic Intensity" - Over 865 AFTERSHOCKS Registered In Japanese Island Kyushu After Initial Earthquake!

Collapsed houses caused by an earthquake are seen in Mashiki town, Kumamoto prefecture, southern Japan, in this photo taken by Kyodo April 15, 2016Kyodo/Reuters

April 25, 2016 - JAPAN - About 865 aftershocks have been registered in the Japanese Kyushu island after recent massive earthquake, the Japan Meteorological Agency said Sunday in a statement.

At least 865 aftershocks have been registered in the prefectures of Kumamoto and Oita on the southwestern Japanese island of Kyushu after last week's massive earthquake that hit the region, the Japan Meteorological Agency said Sunday in a statement.

A deadly 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit the Kumamoto region on April 14 and a magnitude-7.3 quake struck the southern island of Kyushu on April 16.

"Experiencing earthquakes since the earthquake on [April] 14 at 21:26, by [April] 24 at 15:00 we observed the seismic intensity more than 865 times," the statement reads.

The multiple earthquakes have claimed the lives of 48 people and injured over 2,000, with two persons still remaining missing.


- Sputnik.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Earthquake Swarm In Northwest Arizona Keeps Rolling On - 21 Tremors Along The Arizona-Nevada Border; Puzzling Geologists; Could There Be Additional Potentially Active Faults Nearby?!

(Source: Arizona Geological Survey)

April 25, 2016 - ARIZONA, UNITED STATES - More small earthquakes shook northwest Arizona Sunday adding to the list of temblors that have struck the area since March 29.

The Arizona Geological Survey said two quakes occurred, including a magnitude 2.6 quake at 12:07 a.m.

There has been a swarm of 21 quakes in an area along the Arizona-Nevada line south-southwest of Littlefield, AZ, which is also close to southwestern Utah and the frequency and span puzzles geologists.

NW Arizona earthquake swarm keeps rolling on with two events today, including M2.6 at 12:07 am. pic.twitter.com/9jYcHj9Hlx

— AZ Geological Survey (@AZGeology) April 24, 2016

The survey said the area has several active faults and that its geologic features suggest there could be additional potentially active faults just north of the largest quake.

The largest in the swarm was a magnitude 3.4 quake was reported at 2:23 a.m. on April 8.


- AZ Family.

MONUMENTAL DISASTER IMPACT: Drone Footage Reveals Scale Of Destruction By Ecuador Mega-Quake - Death Toll SURPASSES 650; Injuring 16,600 People With 58 Still Missing; 7,000 Buildings DESTROYED!

 A collapsed building is seen in Pedernales, after an earthquake struck off Ecuador's Pacific coast, April 22, 2016. Reuters/Guillermo Granja

April 24, 2016 - ECUADOR - Hovering over collapsed buildings and piles of debris, a drone has captured a scary panorama of the Ecuadorian city of Manta struck by the country’s latest deadly earthquake.

The drone flies around what seems to be a badly damaged block of flats, and then a hotel with broken windows, and curtains blown into the empty rooms by the wind.

There is a skewed building of a hotel that is almost collapsing, with very few people or cars in the empty streets.

The death toll from Ecuador's devastating 7.8 magnitude earthquake last week has risen to 654 people, the country's emergency management authority said on Saturday.

Last Saturday's quake, the worst in nearly seven decades, injured around 16,600 people and left 58 missing along the country's ravaged Pacific coast. One hundred and thirteen people were rescued from damaged buildings.

"These have been sad days for the homeland," President Rafael Correa said during his weekly television broadcast earlier on Saturday. "The country is in crisis."

The aftershocks have been striking almost daily, with the latest a 5.8-magnitude tremor that hit in the early hours of Saturday and 6.0 tremor that hit Friday.
RT Ruptly

Residents receive food from volunteers at the Reales Tamarindos airport which is used as a shelter. Reuters/Henry Romero

A girl is pictured next to a line of clothes hung out to dry outside a tent at the Reales Tamarindos airport which is used as a shelter. Reuters/Henry Romero

A resident is pictured as clothes are hung out to dry outside a tent at the Reales Tamarindos airport which is used as a shelter. Reuters/Henry Romero

A resident rests outside his damaged home in Portoviejo, after an earthquake struck off Ecuador's Pacific coast, April 22, 2016. Reuters/Henry Romero

Several strong tremors and more than 700 aftershocks have continued to shake the country since the major quake, sparking momentary panic but little additional damage. Tremors are expected to continue for several weeks.

With close to 7,000 buildings destroyed, more than 25,000 people were living in shelters. Some 14,000 security personnel were keeping order in quake-hit areas, with only sporadic looting reported.

Survivors in the quake zone were receiving food, water and medicine from the government and scores of foreign aid workers, although Correa has acknowledged that bad roads delayed aid reaching some communities.


WATCH:  Drone footage reveals scale of destruction by Ecuador quake.

Correa's leftist government, facing mammoth rebuilding at a time of greatly reduced oil revenues for the OPEC country, has said it would temporarily increase some taxes, offer assets for sale and possibly issue bonds abroad to fund reconstruction. Congress will begin debate on the tax proposal on Tuesday.

Correa has estimated damage at $2 billion to $3 billion. Lower oil revenue has already left the country of 16 million people facing near-zero growth and lower investment.

The country's private banking association said on Saturday its member banks would defer payments on credit cards, loans and mortgages for clients in the quake zone for three months, to help reconstruction efforts.


- RT | Reuters.

 

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Strong 5.8 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Ecuador As Recovery Efforts Continue - The Death Toll Rises Over 600; More Than 8,000 Injured; Over 1,100 Buildings DESTROYED, 800 Others Damaged; The United Nations Launch $72.7 MILLION To Assist; World Bank Pledges $150 MILLION; Total Damages Estimated At A "STAGGERING $3 BILLION"! [MAPS + VIDEO + TECTONIC SUMMARY]

USGS earthquake location.

April 23, 2016 - ECUADOR - A 5.8-magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Ecuador, about 16 miles west of Muisne, a town in the northwestern Esmeraldas province, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reports.

The earthquake occurred at 01:24 GMT on Saturday (20:24 p.m. local time on Friday). There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties.

On April 16, Ecuador was hit by a 7.8-magnitude earthquake, with its epicenter located near the town of Pedernales in Manabi province, which is situated south of Esmeraldas province. Over 600 people died as a result and more than 8,000 were injured.

According to the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), over 300 aftershocks have been registered after the quake.

USGS earthquake location.

More than 1,100 buildings have been destroyed in Ecuador and over 800 have been damaged, including more than 280 schools, according to OCHA.

Ecuador and the United Nations have launched a $72.7 million appeal to assist the country in dealing with the consequences of the 7.8-magnitude earthquake. The World Bank has agreed to allocate $150 million to Ecuador.

According to Ecuador's President Rafael Correa, the damage caused by the 7.8-magnitude earthquake is estimated at $3 billion.

USGS Seismotectonics of South America (Nazca Plate Region)

The South American arc extends over 7,000 km, from the Chilean margin triple junction offshore of southern Chile to its intersection with the Panama fracture zone, offshore of the southern coast of Panama in Central America. It marks the plate boundary between the subducting Nazca plate and the South America plate, where the oceanic crust and lithosphere of the Nazca plate begin their descent into the mantle beneath South America. The convergence associated with this subduction process is responsible for the uplift of the Andes Mountains, and for the active volcanic chain present along much of this deformation front. Relative to a fixed South America plate, the Nazca plate moves slightly north of eastwards at a rate varying from approximately 80 mm/yr in the south to approximately 65 mm/yr in the north. Although the rate of subduction varies little along the entire arc, there are complex changes in the geologic processes along the subduction zone that dramatically influence volcanic activity, crustal deformation, earthquake generation and occurrence all along the western edge of South America.

Most of the large earthquakes in South America are constrained to shallow depths of 0 to 70 km resulting from both crustal and interplate deformation. Crustal earthquakes result from deformation and mountain building in the overriding South America plate and generate earthquakes as deep as approximately 50 km. Interplate earthquakes occur due to slip along the dipping interface between the Nazca and the South American plates. Interplate earthquakes in this region are frequent and often large, and occur between the depths of approximately 10 and 60 km. Since 1900, numerous magnitude 8 or larger earthquakes have occurred on this subduction zone interface that were followed by devastating tsunamis, including the 1960 M9.5 earthquake in southern Chile, the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the world. Other notable shallow tsunami-generating earthquakes include the 1906 M8.5 earthquake near Esmeraldas, Ecuador, the 1922 M8.5 earthquake near Coquimbo, Chile, the 2001 M8.4 Arequipa, Peru earthquake, the 2007 M8.0 earthquake near Pisco, Peru, and the 2010 M8.8 Maule, Chile earthquake located just north of the 1960 event.

USGS plate tectonics for the region.

Large intermediate-depth earthquakes (those occurring between depths of approximately 70 and 300 km) are relatively limited in size and spatial extent in South America, and occur within the Nazca plate as a result of internal deformation within the subducting plate. These earthquakes generally cluster beneath northern Chile and southwestern Bolivia, and to a lesser extent beneath northern Peru and southern Ecuador, with depths between 110 and 130 km. Most of these earthquakes occur adjacent to the bend in the coastline between Peru and Chile. The most recent large intermediate-depth earthquake in this region was the 2005 M7.8 Tarapaca, Chile earthquake.

Earthquakes can also be generated to depths greater than 600 km as a result of continued internal deformation of the subducting Nazca plate. Deep-focus earthquakes in South America are not observed from a depth range of approximately 300 to 500 km. Instead, deep earthquakes in this region occur at depths of 500 to 650 km and are concentrated into two zones: one that runs beneath the Peru-Brazil border and another that extends from central Bolivia to central Argentina. These earthquakes generally do not exhibit large magnitudes. An exception to this was the 1994 Bolivian earthquake in northwestern Bolivia. This M8.2 earthquake occurred at a depth of 631 km, making it the largest deep-focus earthquake instrumentally recorded, and was felt widely throughout South and North America.

Subduction of the Nazca plate is geometrically complex and impacts the geology and seismicity of the western edge of South America. The intermediate-depth regions of the subducting Nazca plate can be segmented into five sections based on their angle of subduction beneath the South America plate. Three segments are characterized by steeply dipping subduction; the other two by near-horizontal subduction. The Nazca plate beneath northern Ecuador, southern Peru to northern Chile, and southern Chile descend into the mantle at angles of 25° to 30°. In contrast, the slab beneath southern Ecuador to central Peru, and under central Chile, is subducting at a shallow angle of approximately 10° or less. In these regions of “flat-slab” subduction, the Nazca plate moves horizontally for several hundred kilometers before continuing its descent into the mantle, and is shadowed by an extended zone of crustal seismicity in the overlying South America plate. Although the South America plate exhibits a chain of active volcanism resulting from the subduction and partial melting of the Nazca oceanic lithosphere along most of the arc, these regions of inferred shallow subduction correlate with an absence of volcanic activity. -

More information on regional seismicity and tectonics


- Sputnik | USGS.

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Strong 6.0 Magnitude Earthquake Hits Ecuador Amid Recovery Efforts - Death Toll Rises To Over 580; 155 Still Missing; Over 23,500 People Left Without Homes; Damages Estimated At A "STAGGERING $3 BILLION"! [MAPS + VIDEO + TECTONIC SUMMARY]

USGS earthquake location.

April 22, 2016 - ECUADOR - A 6.0-magnitude earthquake has struck off the coast of Ecuador, the US Geological Survey (USGS) has reported.

The new tremblor comes just days after a devastating 7.8 quake killed at least 587 people in the South American country and amid internationally-assisted recovery efforts.

The earthquake was centered some 33.0 kilometers (20.5 miles) north-northwest of Bahia de Caraquez and some 100 kilometers (62 miles) from the city of Portoviejo. It hit at a depth of 10 kilometers.

USGS shakemap intensity.

The latest tremblor came just days after a strong 7.8 magnitude quake hit the country on Saturday, whose death toll has already climbed to over 580 victims, the government reported on Thursday. With 155 people still unaccounted for, the death toll is expected to rise even further, however.

Soldiers stand guard next to a collapsed buildings at the village of Manta, after an earthquake struck off Ecuador's Pacific coast, April 21, 2016.
 Henry Romero / Reuters

The damage to the country’s infrastructure appears unprecedented, with over 23,500 people left without homes. The quake was followed by two aftershocks of 6.1 and 6.3 magnitudes. The country’s president, Rafael Correa, said that the damages inflicted by the disaster are estimated at a staggering $3 billion.

He has consequently announced plans to raise taxes in order to rebuild the affected areas.Correa said on Twitter that three aftershocks were registered on Thursday night, two of which were “fairly strong.” He called on residents to “keep calm”.


WATCH: Cape Verde - Russian humanitarian aid aircraft en route to Ecuador .

“We should expect about ten aftershocks of that magnitude,” he added.Russia’s Emergency Ministry has sent an airplane carrying 30 tons of humanitarian aid to Ecuador, including food, tents, and mobile electric stations on order of Russian President Vladimir Putin.

USGS Seismotectonics of South America (Nazca Plate Region)

The South American arc extends over 7,000 km, from the Chilean margin triple junction offshore of southern Chile to its intersection with the Panama fracture zone, offshore of the southern coast of Panama in Central America. It marks the plate boundary between the subducting Nazca plate and the South America plate, where the oceanic crust and lithosphere of the Nazca plate begin their descent into the mantle beneath South America. The convergence associated with this subduction process is responsible for the uplift of the Andes Mountains, and for the active volcanic chain present along much of this deformation front. Relative to a fixed South America plate, the Nazca plate moves slightly north of eastwards at a rate varying from approximately 80 mm/yr in the south to approximately 65 mm/yr in the north. Although the rate of subduction varies little along the entire arc, there are complex changes in the geologic processes along the subduction zone that dramatically influence volcanic activity, crustal deformation, earthquake generation and occurrence all along the western edge of South America.

Most of the large earthquakes in South America are constrained to shallow depths of 0 to 70 km resulting from both crustal and interplate deformation. Crustal earthquakes result from deformation and mountain building in the overriding South America plate and generate earthquakes as deep as approximately 50 km. Interplate earthquakes occur due to slip along the dipping interface between the Nazca and the South American plates. Interplate earthquakes in this region are frequent and often large, and occur between the depths of approximately 10 and 60 km. Since 1900, numerous magnitude 8 or larger earthquakes have occurred on this subduction zone interface that were followed by devastating tsunamis, including the 1960 M9.5 earthquake in southern Chile, the largest instrumentally recorded earthquake in the world. Other notable shallow tsunami-generating earthquakes include the 1906 M8.5 earthquake near Esmeraldas, Ecuador, the 1922 M8.5 earthquake near Coquimbo, Chile, the 2001 M8.4 Arequipa, Peru earthquake, the 2007 M8.0 earthquake near Pisco, Peru, and the 2010 M8.8 Maule, Chile earthquake located just north of the 1960 event.

USGS plate tectonics for the region.

Large intermediate-depth earthquakes (those occurring between depths of approximately 70 and 300 km) are relatively limited in size and spatial extent in South America, and occur within the Nazca plate as a result of internal deformation within the subducting plate. These earthquakes generally cluster beneath northern Chile and southwestern Bolivia, and to a lesser extent beneath northern Peru and southern Ecuador, with depths between 110 and 130 km. Most of these earthquakes occur adjacent to the bend in the coastline between Peru and Chile. The most recent large intermediate-depth earthquake in this region was the 2005 M7.8 Tarapaca, Chile earthquake.

Earthquakes can also be generated to depths greater than 600 km as a result of continued internal deformation of the subducting Nazca plate. Deep-focus earthquakes in South America are not observed from a depth range of approximately 300 to 500 km. Instead, deep earthquakes in this region occur at depths of 500 to 650 km and are concentrated into two zones: one that runs beneath the Peru-Brazil border and another that extends from central Bolivia to central Argentina. These earthquakes generally do not exhibit large magnitudes. An exception to this was the 1994 Bolivian earthquake in northwestern Bolivia. This M8.2 earthquake occurred at a depth of 631 km, making it the largest deep-focus earthquake instrumentally recorded, and was felt widely throughout South and North America.

Subduction of the Nazca plate is geometrically complex and impacts the geology and seismicity of the western edge of South America. The intermediate-depth regions of the subducting Nazca plate can be segmented into five sections based on their angle of subduction beneath the South America plate. Three segments are characterized by steeply dipping subduction; the other two by near-horizontal subduction. The Nazca plate beneath northern Ecuador, southern Peru to northern Chile, and southern Chile descend into the mantle at angles of 25° to 30°. In contrast, the slab beneath southern Ecuador to central Peru, and under central Chile, is subducting at a shallow angle of approximately 10° or less. In these regions of “flat-slab” subduction, the Nazca plate moves horizontally for several hundred kilometers before continuing its descent into the mantle, and is shadowed by an extended zone of crustal seismicity in the overlying South America plate. Although the South America plate exhibits a chain of active volcanism resulting from the subduction and partial melting of the Nazca oceanic lithosphere along most of the arc, these regions of inferred shallow subduction correlate with an absence of volcanic activity. -

More information on regional seismicity and tectonics


- RT | USGS.

ANIMAL BEHAVIOR: Migratory Patterns And Disaster Precursors - Giant Oarfish Emerges After Being Woken By Earthquake Off Taiwan!

The appearance of an oarfish could suggest an earthquake is imminent. CEN

April 21, 2016 - TAIWAN - A monster sea creature has surfaced from beneath the deep after being disturbed by earthquake tremors.

This giant oarfish measures a massive five metres (16ft) long - almost three times to height of the fisherman who landed the catch.

And the so-called "earthquake fish" is freaking locals out after emerging just two hours after seismic activity struck island nation Taiwan.

According to folklore, it is said to appear just before a quake hits - sending people into a panic.

Also dubbed the "king of herrings", oarfish can reach a mammoth 11 metres (36ft) in length.

CEN

The sea beast, was captured in waters off Taiwan's eastern Kangle Village, in Hualien County.

Although oarfish are traditionally a bad omen it was a lucky haul for the fisherman after he chopped up the trophy catch and turned it into soup.

The bizarre creature appeared after the southern city of Tainan experienced two quakes measuring around 4.5 on the Richter scale.

It comes just weeks after a devastating 6.4 magnitude earthquake hit Tainan City claiming the lives of 117 people and leaving 550 hurt. - Daily Star.

PLANETARY TREMORS: Powerful 6.9 Magnitude Tremor Among Two Caribbean Earthquakes In The North Atlantic Ocean - University Of The West Indies’ Seismic Research Centre (SRC); USGS Registers Temblor With A 5.8 Magnitude! [MAPS + TECTONIC SUMMARY]

USGS earthquake location.

April 20, 2016 - CARIBBEAN - Two earthquakes, one a 6.9 magnitude tremor east of Barbados, were registered in the Caribbean this morning, but neither caused damage or injury.

The larger of the two occurred around 6:52 a.m., 376 kilometres east of Bridgetown, Barbados; 532 km east of Castries, St. Lucia; and 555 km east south east of Fort-de-France, Martinique, according to University of the West Indies’ Seismic Research Centre (SRC).

The preliminary strength of the quake, given in the automated earthquake location system, was 6.4 magnitude. However, it was later put at 6.9 magnitude, at a depth of 155 kilometres, after the results were reviewed by a seismologist.

USGS shakemap intensity.

Just about two hours earlier, at 4:56 a.m., a 3.0 magnitude quake occurred 59 kilometres north northeast of St. John’s, Antigua and Barbuda; 121 kilometres east northeast of Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis; and 153 kilometres north of Point-à-Pitre, Guadeloupe.

Following the tremors, residents expressed concern on the SRC Facebook page about the frequency and intensity of earthquakes across the world.

Japan, Ecuador and Tonga were all hit by major earthquakes between last Thursday and Sunday.

Seismologist at the University of Colorado, Roger Bilham, has warned of a mega quake in the near future.

Closer home, Dr Joan Latchman of the SRC, says the region needs to prepare itself for a big earthquake, noting that the Eastern Caribbean has not seen a large quake since 1843 and people should be prepared for one to hit at any time.

USGS Seismotectonics of the Caribbean Region and Vicinity

Extensive diversity and complexity of tectonic regimes characterizes the perimeter of the Caribbean plate, involving no fewer than four major plates (North America, South America, Nazca, and Cocos). Inclined zones of deep earthquakes (Wadati-Benioff zones), ocean trenches, and arcs of volcanoes clearly indicate subduction of oceanic lithosphere along the Central American and Atlantic Ocean margins of the Caribbean plate, while crustal seismicity in Guatemala, northern Venezuela, and the Cayman Ridge and Cayman Trench indicate transform fault and pull-apart basin tectonics.

Along the northern margin of the Caribbean plate, the North America plate moves westwards with respect to the Caribbean plate at a velocity of approximately 20 mm/yr. Motion is accommodated along several major transform faults that extend eastward from Isla de Roatan to Haiti, including the Swan Island Fault and the Oriente Fault. These faults represent the southern and northern boundaries of the Cayman Trench. Further east, from the Dominican Republic to the Island of Barbuda, relative motion between the North America plate and the Caribbean plate becomes increasingly complex and is partially accommodated by nearly arc-parallel subduction of the North America plate beneath the Caribbean plate. This results in the formation of the deep Puerto Rico Trench and a zone of intermediate focus earthquakes (70-300 km depth) within the subducted slab. Although the Puerto Rico subduction zone is thought to be capable of generating a megathrust earthquake, there have been no such events in the past century. The last probable interplate (thrust fault) event here occurred on May 2, 1787 and was widely felt throughout the island with documented destruction across the entire northern coast, including Arecibo and San Juan. Since 1900, the two largest earthquakes to occur in this region were the August 4, 1946 M8.0 Samana earthquake in northeastern Hispaniola and the July 29, 1943 M7.6 Mona Passage earthquake, both of which were shallow thrust fault earthquakes. A significant portion of the motion between the North America plate and the Caribbean plate in this region is accommodated by a series of left-lateral strike-slip faults that bisect the island of Hispaniola, notably the Septentrional Fault in the north and the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault in the south. Activity adjacent to the Enriquillo-Plantain Garden Fault system is best documented by the devastating January 12, 2010 M7.0 Haiti strike-slip earthquake, its associated aftershocks and a comparable earthquake in 1770.

USGS plate tectonics for the region.

Moving east and south, the plate boundary curves around Puerto Rico and the northern Lesser Antilles where the plate motion vector of the Caribbean plate relative to the North and South America plates is less oblique, resulting in active island-arc tectonics. Here, the North and South America plates subduct towards the west beneath the Caribbean plate along the Lesser Antilles Trench at rates of approximately 20 mm/yr. As a result of this subduction, there exists both intermediate focus earthquakes within the subducted plates and a chain of active volcanoes along the island arc. Although the Lesser Antilles is considered one of the most seismically active regions in the Caribbean, few of these events have been greater than M7.0 over the past century. The island of Guadeloupe was the site of one of the largest megathrust earthquakes to occur in this region on February 8, 1843, with a suggested magnitude greater than 8.0. The largest recent intermediate-depth earthquake to occur along the Lesser Antilles arc was the November 29, 2007 M7.4 Martinique earthquake northwest of Fort-De-France.

The southern Caribbean plate boundary with the South America plate strikes east-west across Trinidad and western Venezuela at a relative rate of approximately 20 mm/yr. This boundary is characterized by major transform faults, including the Central Range Fault and the Boconó-San Sebastian-El Pilar Faults, and shallow seismicity. Since 1900, the largest earthquakes to occur in this region were the October 29, 1900 M7.7 Caracas earthquake, and the July 29, 1967 M6.5 earthquake near this same region. Further to the west, a broad zone of compressive deformation trends southwestward across western Venezuela and central Colombia. The plate boundary is not well defined across northwestern South America, but deformation transitions from being dominated by Caribbean/South America convergence in the east to Nazca/South America convergence in the west. The transition zone between subduction on the eastern and western margins of the Caribbean plate is characterized by diffuse seismicity involving low- to intermediate-magnitude (Magnitude less than 6.0) earthquakes of shallow to intermediate depth.

The plate boundary offshore of Colombia is also characterized by convergence, where the Nazca plate subducts beneath South America towards the east at a rate of approximately 65 mm/yr. The January 31, 1906 M8.5 earthquake occurred on the shallowly dipping megathrust interface of this plate boundary segment. Along the western coast of Central America, the Cocos plate subducts towards the east beneath the Caribbean plate at the Middle America Trench. Convergence rates vary between 72-81 mm/yr, decreasing towards the north. This subduction results in relatively high rates of seismicity and a chain of numerous active volcanoes; intermediate-focus earthquakes occur within the subducted Cocos plate to depths of nearly 300 km. Since 1900, there have been many moderately sized intermediate-depth earthquakes in this region, including the September 7, 1915 M7.4 El Salvador and the October 5, 1950 M7.8 Costa Rica events.

The boundary between the Cocos and Nazca plates is characterized by a series of north-south trending transform faults and east-west trending spreading centers. The largest and most seismically active of these transform boundaries is the Panama Fracture Zone. The Panama Fracture Zone terminates in the south at the Galapagos rift zone and in the north at the Middle America trench, where it forms part of the Cocos-Nazca-Caribbean triple junction. Earthquakes along the Panama Fracture Zone are generally shallow, low- to intermediate in magnitude (Magnitude less than 7.2) and are characteristically right-lateral strike-slip faulting earthquakes. Since 1900, the largest earthquake to occur along the Panama Fracture Zone was the July 26, 1962 M7.2 earthquake.

References for the Panama Fracture Zone:
Molnar, P., and Sykes, L. R., 1969, Tectonics of the Caribbean and Middle America Regions from Focal Mechanisms and Seismicity: Geological Society of America Bulletin, v. 80, p. 1639-1684.


- Caribbean 360 | USGS.

 

MONUMENTAL EARTH CHANGES: Speculation Mounts That Japan's Southern Island May Split - Over 600 EARTHQUAKES In Just 5 DAYS!

Japan woke up to scenes of devastation yesterday after a second huge earthquake struck the nation, bringing the total death count to 40 and rising.
In this aerial image, Aso Ohashi Bridge fell into the chasm 80 metres below after a massive landslide. © Asahi Shimbun/Getty Images

April 20, 2016 - JAPAN - Over the past 48 hours, our planet has been hit by literally dozens of earthquakes of magnitude 4.0 or greater, and scientists are acknowledging that what is taking place is highly unusual. This strange shaking began toward the end of last week when the globe was struck by five major earthquakes over the space of just two days, and over the weekend the seismic activity just continued to escalate. Very early on Saturday, Japan's southern island of Kyushu was hit by a magnitude 7.3 earthquake, and on Saturday night a magnitude 7.8 earthquake struck off Ecuador's Pacific coast. It was the worst earthquake that Ecuador had experienced since 1979, and it was followed by at least 163 aftershocks. Unfortunately, there are indications that what we have seen so far may be just the beginning.
Because the Ecuador earthquake was bigger, it is getting most of the headlines at the moment, but the truth is that what is going on in Japan is potentially far more dangerous.

Over the past week, Japan's southern Island of Kyushu has been rocked by a series of devastating quakes, including two major ones in less than 48 hours. The following comes from the Guardian...

A second major earthquake in less than two days has shaken Japan's southern island of Kyushu, with at least 34 people thought to have been killed, about 1,500 injured and more feared buried after building collapses and landslides.

The 7.3 magnitude earthquake struck at about 1.30am on Saturday, waking people across the island - including the thousands already in crisis centres. It caused widespread damage, with several landslides and a village evacuated over fears a dam might burst.

The mainstream media in the United States is using the term "landslides" to describe what has happened all over Kyushu, but the truth is that in many instances it would be far more accurate to say that "giant cracks" or "vast chasms" have formed. The geography of Japan's southern island has been fundamentally transformed, and this is beginning to cause huge concerns. Here is more from the Guardian...

One major landslide tore open a mountainside in Minamiaso village in Kumamoto prefecture, destroying a key bridge that could cut off food and other relief transport to the worst-hit area.

Another landslide hit a road, collapsing a house that fell down a ravine. In another part of the village, houses were left hanging precariously at the edge of a huge hole.

Island of Kyushu, southern most portion of Japan. © USGS

See the map above which comes directly from the U.S. Geological Survey. This map shows all of the earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater that have hit Japan's southern island over the past week. As you look at this map, do you see a pattern?... The dozens of earthquakes that have hit Japan's southern island over the past week appear to form something of a straight line that divides the island in two. Many are now speculating that geological forces are beginning to tear Kyushu in half, and if that is true, the earthquake activity that we have seen in Japan so far is probably just the tip of the iceberg.

We could potentially be talking about an event that could ultimately have far more of an impact on Japan than the tsunami of 2011. By the time it is all said and done, entire cities could be wiped off the map and millions upon millions of Japanese citizens could be displaced.

Already, the seismic activity that has rocked Kyushu is having quite an impact on the Japanese economy...

Earlier today Toyota was one of many Japanese companies to announce that it will suspend most car production across Japan as a result of critical supply chain disruptions caused by the recent destructive earthquake and numerous aftershocks. All of the major assembly lines will be shut down across its four directly-run plants, and Toyota will be halting production in stages at other group companies as well.

According to the Nikkei Asian Review, most of the Toyota group in Japan will be effectively shut down through at least the end of this upcoming week, with a production loss of as many as 50,000 vehicles, including brands such as Prius, Lexus, and Land Cruiser.

Our planet resembles something of a giant cracked egg, and the enormous tectonic plates that we are all living on are constantly in motion. So if Japan's southern island is in the process of slowly splitting in half, that shouldn't exactly be a surprise. After all, scientists assure us that Los Angeles and San Francisco will be directly next to one another someday.

And it isn't just Japan that we need to be concerned about. All along the "Ring of Fire", seismic activity is increasing, and this has many of the experts completely puzzled. The following comes from an excellent piece by Alvin Conway...

This has continued to baffle many of the world's leading geologists, who still attest the rise in the number of large earthquakes is merely a random natural occurrence. For instance, the number of large earthquakes doubled in 2014. However, here's what scientists had to say about it: "If you think there have been more earthquakes than usual this year, you're right. A new study finds there were more than twice as many big earthquakes in the first quarter of 2014 as compared with the average since 1979.

"We have recently experienced a period that has had one of the highest rates of great earthquakes ever recorded," said lead study author Tom Parsons, a research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) in Menlo Park, California.

If you are familiar with my work, then you already know that I believe that we have entered a period of time during which we will see seismic activity on a scale that none of us have ever experienced before.

This great shaking will combine with other factors such as financial collapse, geopolitical instability and civil unrest to produce what many have described as a "perfect storm". Life as we know it is in the process of fundamentally changing, and right now we are only in the very early chapters of this change.

Unfortunately, most people are ignoring the warnings and will continue to ignore them until it is far too late.

Number of earthquakes over 600 in 5 days

In a time of upheaval, how to get from here to there...ryzproductionsfuture.blogspot.com

The total number of powerful and minor earthquakes on the Japanese island of Kyushu has exceeded 600 since Thursday's devastating quake, local media reported.

On April 14, a magnitude 6.5 earthquake struck to the east of Kumamoto city (the capital of Kumamoto Prefecture) on Japan's Kyushu Island, killing local residents and damaging infrastructure. It was followed by multiple aftershocks. The following day, the same area was hit by a 7.0-magnitude earthquake.

Most of the tremors were felt strongly in the Kumamoto and Oita prefectures, the national NHK broadcaster said. The death toll in the natural disaster has risen to 44 and over 1,000 people sustained injuries in Kumamoto alone, the news outlet stated.

About 125,000 people in Kumamoto and more than 3,500 in Oita have been provided with shelter at city offices, schools and parking lots, it added.

Japan is a seismically active region. In March 2011, a 9.0-magnitude offshore earthquake triggered a 46-foot tsunami that hit Japan's Fukushima nuclear power, leading to the leakage of radioactive materials and the shutdown of the plant. The accident is considered to be the world's worst nuclear disaster since Chernobyl.


- Economic Collapse Blog | Sputnik.