Deadly 6.8 Magnitude Quake Strikes Morocco

A deadly 6.8 quake struck in Morocco.

A shallow earthquake hit Morocco yesterday killing over 1,000 people, so far that is – they are still digging through the rubble.

It broke inside the crust 16 miles down in the lithosphere, but this is considered shallow! Shallow quakes cause more damage on the surface of the crust than deeper quakes, which are hundreds of miles down.

Shaking was felt over 125 miles from the epicenter. Let’s say this earthquake hit in Dallas – you would feel it in East Texas.

Over 6 million people have been affected from this quake in some way – utilities, house damage, road damage, lack of water, etc.

The quake occurred in the Atlas Mountains fault zone region. The question is … where will the next one occur? We’ll soon find out because when a large quake strikes, another one will follow somewhere else on the globe.

Our hearts go out to the people in Morocco.

Cyclones Hitting Earthquake Areas

The powerful tidal wave in China.

Powerful storms are coming ashore in India and the Philippines.

India and the countries along the Indian Ocean have had their fair share of natural disasters from earthquakes and tsunamis, and the Philippines have had every natural disaster hit their island from volcanoes, earthquakes, and violent storms.

Today, violent cyclones (aka hurricanes) are coming onshore in both of these countries.

Typhoons, Cyclones, Tropical Storms and Hurricanes

A map of the Bay of Bengal

Tropical cyclone Phailin formed in the enclosed Bay of Bengal

Tropical cyclone Phailin has whipped up hurricane force winds equal to a CAT 4-5 hurricane. Forming within the enclosed Bay of Bengal, Phailin came onshore in India October 12, 2013. So far, 800,000 people have been evacuated from this very highly-populated eastern Indian shore.

Typhoon Nari crossed over the northern region of the Philippines in Luzon on October 11-12, 2013, Thirteen people were killed when the storm ripped off the roofs of homes and buildings, toppled trees, and triggered flash floods and landslides.

Nari is now in the South China Sea heading directly toward VietNam, and is expected to make landfall early Sunday October 13, 2013.

Typhoon Wipha  has formed in the Pacific Ocean, east of the  Philippines, and is heading NNW toward the southern islands of Japan.

Tropical Storm Octave is forming south of Baja, heading north onto the Baja Pensisula, but no warnings have been issued.

What’s A Cyclone?

The terms “hurricane” and “typhoon” are regional names for a strong “tropical cyclone”;  they are all the same thing – a violent storm that forms over water.

 

 

MayDay – May 2013 Begins With An Increase In Earthquakes

Here is a list of the earthquakes that occurred over the past 24 hours at a 4.5 magnitude and above: (Note –  Vanuatu is VERY active right now, which starts a chain reaction of quakes worldwide.)

April 30, 2013

A USGS small globe map showing the April 30, 2013 earthquake in the Celebes Sea.

April 30, 2013 earthquake in the Celebes Sea – USGS

4.6 Celebes Sea

5.3 SW Siberia, Russia

4.9 Atacama, Chile

5.9 Azores Islands, Portugal

5.3 Leeward Islands

A USGS small globe showing the April 30, 2013 earthquake in Eastern Kashmir, Russia.

April 30, 2013 earthquake in Eastern Kashmir – USGS

4.6 Eastern Kashmir

5.3 Sulawesi, Indonesia

5.0 Region Metropolitana, Chile

4.8 Tonga

5.3 Balleny Islands Region, Antarctica

A USGS map of the Earth at the South Pole near Antarctica.

April 30, 2013 earthquake off Antarctica – USGS

4.7 Iran-Pakistan Border

4.5 Eastern China

4.9 Vanuatu

4.5 Potosi, Bolivia

May 1, 2013

A USGS small globe showing the May 1, 2013 earthquake swarm around Vanuatu.

May 1, 2013 earthquake swarm around Vanuatu – USGS

4.6 Vanuatu

5.3 Luzon, Philippines

5.8 Eastern Kashmir (India Meteorological Dept) – 5.4 (USGS)

4.9 Mendoza, Argentina

4.6 Eastern Kashmir

A USGS small globe showing May 1, 2013 7.8 EQ in Iran

May 1, 2013 earthquakes in Southern Iran – USGS

5.1 Vanuatu

4.5 Southern Iran

5,1 Southern Iran

5.7 Offshore Honshu, Japan

4.5 Southern Iran