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Major Shake Up – Quakes and Tsunamis In New Zealand

November 14, 2016 by
A USGS small globe showing the May 1, 2013 earthquake swarm around Vanuatu.

Earthquakes are on the rise in the South Pacific – USGS

What happens when you have 7.8 and 6.5 magnitude earthquakes along the New Zealand coastline in the same day?

After you pick yourself up from the floor, you realize that the buildings around you are crumbling, and a tsunami wave is heading your way.

Quakes Nov 13, 2016

On Saturday, Nov 12, 2106, New Zealand experienced 10 earthquakes around 5.0 magnitude, and then the Earth broke loose.  On Sunday, Nov 13, 2106, the island around Wellington was under a quake assault.

The following 36 quakes are in timeline order (first quake to most recent):

  1. a day ago 6.1 magnitude, 16 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  2. a day ago 5.7 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  3. a day ago 6.5 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  4. a day ago 5.8 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  5. a day ago 7.8 magnitude, 23 km depth Amberley, Canterbury, New Zealand
  6. a day ago 5.0 magnitude, 13 km depth Brooklyn, Wellington, New Zealand
  7. a day ago 4.9 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  8. a day ago 5.2 magnitude, 9 km depth Amberley, Canterbury, New Zealand
  9. a day ago 5.2 magnitude, 9 km depth Amberley, Canterbury, New Zealand
  10. a day ago 5.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  11. a day ago 5.2 magnitude, 19 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  12. about 24 hours ago 4.9 magnitude, 4 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  13. about 23 hours ago 5.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  14. about 23 hours ago 6.2 magnitude, 8 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  15. about 23 hours ago 5.3 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  16. about 23 hours ago 4.9 magnitude, 20 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  17. about 23 hours ago 4.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  18. about 21 hours ago 5.1 magnitude, 14 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  19. about 20 hours ago 5.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  20. about 19 hours ago 4.5 magnitude, 10 km depth Amberley, Canterbury, New Zealand
  21. about 19 hours ago 4.9 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  22. about 18 hours ago 4.8 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  23. about 18 hours ago 4.7 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  24. about 18 hours ago 5.1 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  25. about 17 hours ago 5.1 magnitude, 8 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  26. about 17 hours ago 4.6 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  27.  about 17 hours ago 4.9 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  28.  about 17 hours ago 4.9 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  29.  about 15 hours ago 5.1 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  30. about 15 hours ago 4.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  31.  about 14 hours ago 5.0 magnitude, 11 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  32.  about 13 hours ago 4.6 magnitude, 13 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  33. about 13 hours ago 5.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Blenheim, Marlborough, New Zealand
  34.  about 12 hours ago 6.5 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  35.  about 11 hours ago 5.2 magnitude, 10 km depth Kaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
  36. about 11 hours ago 5.4 magnitude, 10 km depthKaikoura, Canterbury, New Zealand
    …. 36 earthquakes in less than 24 hours; 3 quakes over 6.0, and 1 quake almost an 8.0 

Tsunami

High waves crashing on the sea shore.

High waves reached the shore after tsunami warnings went out.

Hours after the initial quake (and seriously, which one?), two tsunami threats were issued – one from the quake, and the second warning went out for residents to flee to high ground after a Slip Dam on the Clarence River breached, sending a large wall of water downstream.

Waves of about 2 metres did hit the coast, but the tsunami threat had been downgraded to coastal warnings.

Two people were killed in the quake. This isn’t over yet, I suspect.

Filed Under: Earth Changes, Earthquakes, Social Awareness, tsunamis Tagged With: , , , , , , , , ,

Volcanoes Ramping Up Worldwide

August 23, 2013 by
The eruption of Santiaguito volcano

Eruption of Santiaguito volcano in Guatemala (webcam image: INSIVUMEH, annotated by Blog Culture Volcan)

Santiaguito Volcano – Guatemala

A major eruption occurred August 22, 2013. The top part of the Caliente lava dome collapsed and produced a series of relatively large pyroclastic flows and explosions. Ash plumes rose to elevations of 4 km (13,000 ft) in altitude.

The pyroclastic flows affected mainly the south, southeast and NNE sides of the volcano, but volcanic bombs from explosive activity were ejected up as far as 500 m (1,600 ft).

Fuego volcano – Guatemala

Fuego Volcano Guatemala

As seen at night, Fuego’s increasing lava is flowing toward Taniluya, Guatemala and Ceniza Canyon.

A surge of activity occurred overnight on August 19, 2013. Two active lava flows are heading towards Taniluya (on the western flank) and the Ceniza Canyon (on the southern flank). The lava flows have increased to 600 and 800 m (2,600 ft) in length, respectively.

Numerous incandescent avalanches are detaching from the lava flow fronts, and glowing blocks of rock are reaching past the vegetation limits.

Explosive activity from the summit crater has remained weak, with only few strombolian type explosions with incandescent bombs ejected up to 150 m (500 ft), and ash plumes rising up to 400 m (1,300 ft) in height.

Sakurajima Volcano

Strong explosions are occurring at Sakurajima Volcano – NASA

Sakurajima Volcano – Japan

On August 21, 2013, Sakurajima had at least eight explosions with ash plumes rising up to 4.5 km (15,000 ft) altitude that drifted over Kagoshima city causing ash fall. The volcano has been in an elevated state of activity during the past weeks. A significant hot spot suggests that magma levels are high in the crater, and significant amounts of  hot, fresh deposits are visible on the flanks of the volcano.

The next day on August 22, 2013, a very large explosion occurred (one of the largest this year). It produced a mushroom shaped ash column that rose about 6 km (20,000 ft) in altitude that drifted over Kagoshima.

Kizimen Volcano – Kamchatka, Russia

The lava dome continues to grow at the top of the volcano, and rockfalls and small pyroclastic flows can be seen glowing from the volcano. Ash plumes are intensifying at the volcano, and webcams have spotted a new prominent spine being extruded from the top of the cone.

Iliwerung Volcano – Lesser Sunda Islands, Indonesia

A submarine eruption occurred Thursday, August 23, 2013 in Indonesia. The alert level of Iliwerung volcano was raised from 1 (normal) to 2 (watch) following increased seismic and visual activity from an underwater flank vent called Gunung Hobal.

Iliwerung volcano forms a peninsula on the south coast of Lembata (Lomblen) Island, East Indonesia. Mount Hobal (Gunung Hobal) is a submarine flank vent of Iliwerung located about 800 m (2.600 ft) off the coast. Iliwerung has had several historic eruptions during which several temporary islands were formed.

White Island Volcano – New Zealand

A picture of the White Island volcano

Phreatic explosion at White Island, August 23, 2013 (GeoNet webcam)

A small phreatic or hydrothermal eruption occurred in the active crater, Tuesday August 20, 2013. The explosion lasted for about 10 minutes and produced a steam plume mixed with small amounts of ash that rose about 4 km (13,000 ft).

 Many More

There are many more volcanoes increasing in activity worldwide. The point to remember at this time is that the size of one eruption is not what changes our planet’s climate – it’s the number of volcanoes erupting at the same time.

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Earthquakes On The Rise – 6.9 In New Zealand and 5.9 In China

July 22, 2013 by
USGS shake map of 6.9 earthquake in New Zealand

A 6.9 magnitude earthquake shakes Cook Strait, New Zealand amid an earthquake swarm – USGS

Over the past few days, a string of powerful earthquakes has shaken the Pacific Rim, especially around New Zealand. And quakes are increasing in magnitude, day by day.

Intensity Increasing

Merely a few months ago, we were seeing more 4.0 magnitude quakes worldwide. Slowly but surely, the magnitude of global earthquakes has intensified, and today we are witnessing more 5.0 quakes and more 6.0 quakes.

Over the next few weeks and months, let’s see if we start seeing more 7.0 and 8.0 quakes shaking our little planet.

Over The Past Week

This past week, there have been over 1,440 earthquakes worldwide; 225 earthquakes over 2.5 magnitude, and 97 quakes over 4.5 magnitude.

On July 18, 2013, the South Pacific began to open up around Vanuatu, Kermadec, and New Zealand, and earthquakes ricocheted back and forth across the Pacific Rim like a volley in a tennis match.

The following quakes are in order of occurrence:

  1. 5.1  Vanuatu
  2. 5.3  New Zealand
  3. 4.6  East Pacific Rise
  4. 5.4  Vanuatu
  5. 4.5  New Zealand
  6. 4.6  East Pacific Rise
  7. 5.1  Solomon Islands
  8. 5.7  New Zealand
  9. 5.1  Solomon Islands
  10. 4.9 Vanuatu
  11. 4.5  Vanuatu
  12. 5.8  New Zealand
  13. 4.7  New Zealand
  14. 4.8  New Zealand
  15. 6.9  New Zealand
  16. 4.6  New Zealand
  17. 4.7  New Zealand
  18. 4.7  New Zealand
  19. 4.7  New Zealand
  20. 4.9  New Zealand
  21. 4.5  New Zealand
  22. 4.6  New Zealand

Today, earthquakes are increasing in historic numbers, and in “earthquake swarms”,  signaling major Earth movement. This is something to be concerned about.

China

USGS small world globe showing the earthquake in Chabu, China

5.9 magnitude quake in Gansu, China occurred shortly after the 6.9 quake in New Zealand – USGS

July 21, 2013 during the earthquake swarm in New Zealand, China had three large quakes – 5.9, 4.7, and 5.6, followed by a 4.9 in Chile and a 5.4 magnitude quake in Argentina.

Let’s see what tomorrow brings …

 

 

 

Filed Under: Earthquakes Tagged With: , , , , , ,