January 29th, 2013 -- Posted in Earthquakes, Natural Disasters, Volcanoes |
guest post by Rebecca Shields
On April 11, two consecutive earthquakes with magnitudes of 8.2 and 8.6 occurred off the west coast of northern Sumatra, where the Sunda plate meets the Indi/Australian plate. Many earthquakes happen at these ‘plate boundaries’ due to movement of the plates themselves. This specific plate boundary is in the same location of the record 9.1 earthquake from December 26, 2004 that caused multiple tsunamis, killing over 230,000 people. Tsunamis occur when an earthquake creates a shift in a huge amount of landmass under the ocean. When this large amount of land moves under the water, an upswelling occurs, creating the tsunami wave. A tsunami did result from the April earthquakes, but people living in the surrounding areas were prepared and no one was hurt. Unlike recent years, no tsunami was able to cause enough destruction to be considered a disaster!
Like earthquakes, most volcanoes are located near plate boundaries. The volcano that affected the most people in 2012 is Volcan de Fuego. It is located in Guatemala on the ‘Ring of Fire’. The Ring of Fire surrounds the Pacific Ocean and is made up of volcanoes. A few different plate boundaries come into play along the ring, but the result is the same: hundreds of volcanoes. When Volcan de Fuego erupted on September 13, 2012, the Guatemalan government called for the evacuation of almost 35,000 residents in 17 surrounding areas. Other significant eruptions of 2012 were the Plosky Tolbachik in Russia, Puyehue in Chile, and Etna in Italy.
Japan is a series of islands formed by volcanoes located on the Ring of Fire. Along with a healthy dose of volcanic activity, Japan experienced massive floods and landslides in 2012. In early July 2012, southern Japan experienced torrential rainfall exceeding 3.5in per hour, resulting in flash floods and at least 518 landslides across the country. Twenty-eight people were confirmed dead and over 250,000 people were ordered to evacuate. Landslides can be especially deadly due to the speed at which they can travel, sometimes up to 35 mph. They are made up of anything that gets in the way, creating an almost solid wall of debris. Landslides are oftentimes associated with floods because they are caused by the buildup of large amounts of water on a mountain slope or hillside.
All the geologic hazards discussed happen daily around the world. However, under the right conditions, they turn deadly very fast. It is always important to know what hazards are common in your area, and be prepared for all possibilities.
June 5th, 2011 -- Posted in Volcanoes |
by Victoria M. Johnson
The eruption of the Puyehue-Cordon-Caulle volcano chain has prompted the mass evacuation of thousands of residents in southern Chile. Located about 500 miles south of the capital, Santiago, the eruption has spewed volumes of smoke and ash. So far no lava flows have been observed.
Chile Volcano Eruption
As the strong smell of sulfur filled the air, officials said the volcano was spitting molten rock. Witnesses reported experiencing more than 20 earthquakes. No injuries have been reported.
“The Cordon Caulle (volcanic range) has entered an eruptive process, with an explosion resulting in a 10-kilometer-high gas column,” Chilean state emergency office ONEMI said. According to MSNBC, it was not immediately clear which of the chain’s four volcanoes had erupted because of ash cover and weather conditions.
The chain last saw a major eruption in 1960. Chile’s chain of about 2,000 volcanoes is the world’s second largest after Indonesia. Some 50 to 60 are on record as having erupted. Chile’s Chaiten volcano erupted in 2008 for the first time in thousands of years. Chile’s Llaima volcano, one of South America’s most active, erupted in 2008 and 2009.
July 9th, 2010 -- Posted in Earthquakes |
On July 9th, 2010–today–15 earthquakes struck across the globe. From a 2.8 in the Los Angeles area of California, to a 5.2 in the Sunda Strait, Indonesia. The Taiwan region experienced a 5.3 tremblor while a 5.1 rocked Sakhalin, Russia. A small 2.9 hit Southern Alaska but a 4.8 shook up Papua New Guinea. The remaining 8 quakes from all across the planet included the Western Indian Antarctic Ridge.
With all this seismic activity is the world’s scientific community in a panic? Are we in danger of ‘the big one’ striking next? Is the world coming to an end? These are burning questions that I wanted answers to. As it turns out, 15 quakes in the same day is ho-hum news. The USGS says up to 200 quakes a day is not an anomoly and 15 is nothing to panic about.
May 7th, 2010 -- Posted in Earthquakes, Volcanoes |
Ash plume from Eyjafjallajökull
Updates from the Institute of Earth Sciences at the University of Icelandreport that at least 10 earthquakes have been located at Eyjafjallajökull since midnight. Most are less that magnitude 2. Measurements show continued horizontal displacement around Eyjafjallajökull volcano. Explosive activity has increased, and with considerable tephra fallout, the cinder cone continues to build. Dark ash plumes have been observed at hieight of 20,000 – 22,000 feet. Scientists have reported, “everything turned black”. The lava channels are about 30 – 60 m wide. And according to UPI, Iceland’s volcano roared back to life on Thursday. “The eruption has changed back to an explosive eruption, lava has stopped flowing and most of the magma gets scattered due to explosions in the crater,” the Icelandic Meteorological Office said.
Will more disruptions in air travel occur? Will Eyjafjallajökull volcano return to the eruptive intensity it displayed in April? Scientists continue to say that “there are no signs the eruption is about to end.”
April 28th, 2010 -- Posted in Earthquakes, Volcanoes |
Fierce Planet is my launch into the blogging world. This site will document the planet’s mood swings, attitudes, and actions. I will notify readers of interesting facts and events. We’ll talk about earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis and more! My blog will pay homage to the powerful planet we inhabit. At any moment nature can wreck havoc on our lives. Earth’s power can devastate us; can wipe out an entire civilization. Indeed earthly catastrophes have wiped out many an empire and many an ecosystem.
Earth is evolving as it always has. We’ll survive as long as the planet intends for mankind to survive. I know I’m not the only one fascinated by the awesome forces at work below the surface. Don’t wait until the next disaster to learn about Mother Nature. Visit this site often and you’ll be an expert when the next catastrophe strikes. Join the discussion. Leave comments. Ask questions. We’ll learn together!