Significant Quake Strikes near Frontera, Canary Islands

SIGNIFICANT EARTHQUAKES 2013

Magnitude 5.4 earthquake strikes 31km NW of Frontera, Canary Islands, Spain

The earthquake, centered at 27.915°N, 18.271°W, about 31km NW of El Hierro, struck at a depth  of about 23 km [ GEOFON Program reported depth as 10km.]

El Hierro (area: 280 km², Elevation 1,500; population: 14,000) is a steeply mountainous volcanic island, which emerged from the ocean about 1.2 million year ago following three successive explosive eruptions. The only recorded eruption on the island in recent times occurred in 1793, which lasted for more than 30 days and produced lava flows, after the Volcan de Lomo Negro vented.

Earthquake Location Map

Source: USGS/EHP. Map enhanced by FIRE-EARTH Blog.

Quake Details [USGS/EHP]

• Event Time: 2013-12-27 at 17:46UTC
• Location: 27.915°N 18.271°W; Depth=22.8km [18.19°W, 27.87°N; Depth: 10km GEOFON Program]
• Nearby Cities
  • 31km (19mi) NW of Frontera, Spain
  • 89km (55mi) SSW of Los Llanos de Aridane, Spain
  • 98km (61mi) SSW of Santa Cruz de la Palma, Spain
  • 148km (92mi) WSW of Santiago del Teide, Spain
  • 507km (315mi) W of Laayoune / El Aaiun, Western Sahara

M7.8 Quake Strikes Scotia Sea

Quake Likely Generated a Local Tsunami —FIRE-EARTH

The powerful quake follows an earlier shock measuring 6.8Mw which struck Scotia Sea centered at 60.213°S 47.108°W on November 16.

There are No official Tsunami Warnings, Advisories or Watches in effect, as of posting.

Earthquake Details

• Event Time:2013-11-17  at 09:04:55 UTC
• Location: 60.296°S 46.362°W
• Depth: 10.0km (6.2mi)
• Nearby Cities
• 893km (555mi) SW of Grytviken, South Georgia and the South Sandwich Islands
  • 1440km (895mi) SE of Ushuaia, Argentina

  1686km (1048mi) SE of Punta Arenas, Chile

Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP. Map enhanced by FIRE-EARTH Blog. The quake was followed by at least one significant aftershock, measuring 5.3Mw, as of posting.

Tectonic Summary

The November 17, 2013 earthquake in the Scotia Sea, to the northwest of the South Orkney Islands, occurred as the result of either left-lateral strike slip faulting on an east-west oriented plane, or right-lateral faulting on a north-south plane. The location of the event adjacent to the east-west oriented plate boundary between the Antarctica and Scotia Sea plates implies the left-lateral faulting scenario is most likely. At the latitude of this earthquake, the Antarctica plate moves eastwards with respect to the Scotia Sea plate at a velocity of 6 mm/yr.

The November 17 earthquake is the latest in a series of moderate-to-large earthquakes to strike the same region over the past several days. The sequence began with a M 6.1 event on November 13 approximately 50 km to the west of the November 17 quake. On November 15, a M 6.8 earthquake struck very close to the preceding M 6.1. Since then, 9 aftershocks have been recorded in the area, ranging from M 4.7 to M 5.4, both near the previous earthquakes and in the same approximate location as the November 17 event.

Though the region surrounding the Scotia Sea is familiar with earthquakes, the majority occur around the subduction zone adjacent to the South Sandwich Islands, to the east of the November 17 earthquake. Just two events of M6 or greater have occurred within 250 km of this earthquake over the past 40 years – a M 6.0 230 km to the west in September 1979, and a M 7.6 160 km to the east in August 2003. These two events involved normal and oblique-normal faulting, respectively, associated with the same plate boundary. Neither is known to have caused damage or fatalities. [Source: USGS/EHP]

Details of November 16 Foreshock

• Time: 2013-Nov-16 at 03:34:31
• Location: 60.213°S 47.108°W
• Depth: 10.0km

Related Links

https://feww.wordpress.com/earthquake/#comment-60050

Another M6.5 Quake Strikes New Zealand

Strong quake strikes near Blenheim, New Zealand

A strong earthquakes, measuring 6.5Mw, followed by at least 5 significant aftershocks, hit central New Zealand, sending Wellington commuters fleeing from the city, forcing thousands of office workers to evacuate and causing  havoc in Marlborough.

Earthquake location map. Source: USGS/EHP

Earthquake Details [USGS/EHP]

• Magnitude: 6.5Mw
• Depth:10.0km
• Location: 41.767°S 174.061°E
• Time: 2013-08-16 11:31:07 UTC+09:00

Buildings have been severely damaged in Seddon, which has been the center of seismic activity since an earlier M6.5 tremor struck the are on July 21, said a report.

The earthquake was felt strongly in NZ Parliament, said a political commentator.

“You could see the floor of the house wobbling and you could see all the fences around shaking and all the windows were shaking.” A Blenheim resident said.

“Its way bigger, hugely bigger, like with the other one because we had heaps of after shocks with the other one they were just not anything to kind of panic about.”

A Nelson resident told NewstalkZB she could hear the “violent” earthquake coming just before it struck.

“Last time it threw us around, the last earthquake, but you could hear this one coming. It was big, and really noisy.”

NZ Quake Links:

On July 24, 2013 in New Zealand Earthquake Damage Estimate, FIRE-EARTH said:

To New Zealand PM and his censorship psychos:

We haven’t started laughing yet, but it’s getting increasingly more difficult to hold back the giggles. [x2]

On June 13, 2011, in reply to a comment posted on the blog, FIRE-EARTH said:

As if by a massive irony, your most populated cities are situated right above geological nightmares–a fact that your government scientists don’t know, or won’t tell you.

https://feww.wordpress.com/2011/02/23/christchurch-could-vanish-from-google-map/#comment-13349

On March 4, 2011, in reply to a comment posted on the blog, FIRE-EARTH said:

Our advice to YOU and all intelligent people in Wellington area
1. There’s a frighteningly large buildup of tectonic stress energy right under your feet.
2. RUN while you’re still alive, before the next exodus bottleneck makes it impossible to flee the danger zone.

https://feww.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/new-zealand-earthquake-update-feb-24/#comment-12497

For additional FIRE-EARTH comments on NZ seismic hazards, see also

https://feww.wordpress.com/2011/02/24/new-zealand-earthquake-update-feb-24/#comment-12474

On July 15, 2009, FIRE-EARTH said:

A Warning to Visitors to New Zealand:

Climatological and Geological Warning! The New Zealand region is about to experience significant climatological events and large-scale geological and tectonic activity over an extensive period of time. Would be visitors are advised to stay out of the area for the foreseeable future.

Will a magnitude 9.8 (M_W) earthquake centered at 42° 00′ 59″ South, 175° 05′ 07″ East herald the end of New Zealand Islands?

Related Links

• Powerful 7.8 M Quake Strikes New Zealand Region  July 15, 2009
• M6.5 Quake Strikes Off the Coast of New Zealand  July 21, 2013
• New Zealand Earthquake Damage Estimate   July 24, 2013

Significant Seismic Activity Off KURIL ISLANDS, E Russia

Significant Earthquakes Strike off Kuril Islands, Eastern Russia

Magnitude 6.7
Date-Time  Friday, March 01, 2013 at 13:20:50 UTC

Location 50.945°N, 157.476°E
Depth 31.7 km (19.7 miles)
Region KURIL ISLANDS
Distances
99 km (62 miles) ENE (72°) from Severo-Kuril’sk, Kuril Islands, Russia
244 km (152 miles) SSW (200°) from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia

EQ Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP

###################################

Magnitude    6.5
Date-Time    Friday, March 01, 2013 at 12:53:52 UTC
Location    50.938°N, 157.511°E
Depth    40.9 km (25.4 miles)
Region    KURIL ISLANDS
Distances
101 km (63 miles) ENE (73°) from Severo-Kuril’sk, Kuril Islands, Russia
244 km (152 miles) SSW (199°) from Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia

####################################
Magnitude    6.9
Date-Time    Thursday, February 28, 2013 at 14:05:51 UTC
Location    50.934°N, 157.339°E
Depth    52.5 km (32.6 miles)
Region    KURIL ISLANDS
Distances
85 km (52 miles) SE of Ozernovskiy, Russia
234 km (145 miles) SSW of Vilyuchinsk, Russia
251 km (155 miles) SSW of Petropavlovsk-Kamchatskiy, Russia
261 km (162 miles) SSW of Yelizovo, Russia

Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
####################################

FIRE-EARTH models suggest a Mega Quake could strike the region in the next few weeks with a probability of about 70 percent.

State of Disaster Declared in Solomon Islands

Significant aftershocks continue to pound Santa Cruz Islands region as govt. declares a State of Disaster

Solomon Islands government has declared a State of Disaster for Santa Cruz Islands after a meter-high tsunami triggered by a magnitude 8.0 quake engulfed the region on Wednesday.

• At least nine people are dead and many are missing after the tsunami damaged or destroyed more than 20 villages.

• Officials say scope of the disaster is much worse than initially thought and they  still don’t know the fate of the more outlying villages in the reef islands.

• The tsunami has wept away entire villages, spreading debris everywhere.

• “The force behind the meter-high [tsunami] wave swept everything in its path, especially in low-lying areas,” said an official.

•  “Many people have no clothes at all, everything was washed away.”

• Authorities say about 7,000 people have been displaced as a result of the tsunami,  but the number could reach much higher.

Earthquake Location Map – Santa Cruz Islands Region

Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP

More than 150 aftershocks have rocked the Santa Cruz Island region following the main shock that struck on Wednesday, February 06, 2013.

• A 6.6Mw aftershock struck about 36 km (22 miles) SSW of Lata, Solomon Islands at a depth of about 10km on Thursday, February 07, 2013 at 18:59:16 UTC, USGS/EHP reported.

Related Links

• Tsunami Warning: Powerful Quake Off Solomon Islands February 6, 2013

Tsunami Warning: Powerful Quake Off Solomon Islands

TSUNAMI WARNING after 8.0Mw Strikes off Solomon Islands

A powerful 8.0Mw earthquake in the South Pacific generated a tsunami. Several villages on the Solomon Islands have been destroyed by the quake/tsunami, news agencies quoting the local police have reported.

A TSUNAMI WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR

SOLOMON ISLANDS / VANUATU / NAURU / PAPUA NEW GUINEA / TUVALU / NEW CALEDONIA / KOSRAE / FIJI / KIRIBATI / WALLIS AND FUTUNA / MARSHALL ISLANDS / HOWLAND AND BAKER / POHNPEI / TOKELAU

Message Type:

Expanding Regional Tsunami Warning Supplement

Warning:

Solomon Islands, Vanuatu, Nauru, Papua New Guinea, Tuvalu, New Caledonia, Kosrae, Fiji, Kiribati, Wallis and Futuna, Marshall Islands, Howland and Baker, Pohnpei, Tokelau A Tsunami Watch is in Effect For Samoa, Kermadec Islands, New Zealand, American Samoa, Tonga, Australia, Niue, Cook Islands, Indonesia, Wake Island, Chuuk, Jarvis Island, Guam, Northern Marianas, Palmyra Island, Yap, Johnston Island, Minamitorishima, Belau, Midway Island… Tsunami Updates: http://ptwc.weather.gov/

A TSUNAMI WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR

SAMOA / KERMADEC ISLANDS / NEW ZEALAND / AMERICAN SAMOA / TONGA / AUSTRALIA / NIUE / COOK  ISLANDS / INDONESIA / WAKE ISLAND / CHUUK / JARVIS ISLAND / GUAM / NORTHERN MARIANAS /
PALMYRA ISLAND / YAP / JOHNSTON ISLAND / MINAMITORISHIMA / BELAU / MIDWAY ISLAND

TSUNAMI INFORMATION STATEMENT NUMBER 2
NWS PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER EWA BEACH HI
413 PM HST TUE FEB 05 2013

THE PACIFIC TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER HAS ISSUED AN EXPANDING REGIONAL TSUNAMI WARNING AND WATCH FOR PARTS OF THE PACIFIC LOCATED CLOSER TO THE EARTHQUAKE. AN EVALUATION OF THE PACIFIC WIDE TSUNAMI THREAT IS UNDERWAY AND THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT HAWAII COULD BE ELEVATED TO A WATCH OR WARNING STATUS.

• IF TSUNAMI WAVES IMPACT HAWAII THEIR ESTIMATED EARLIEST ARRIVAL TIME IS 10:04 PM HST TUE 05 FEB 2013

• THE WEST COAST/ALASKA TSUNAMI WARNING CENTER WILL ISSUE PRODUCTS FOR ALASKA…BRITISH COLUMBIA…WASHINGTON…OREGON…CALIFORNIA.

Earthquake Location Map

Earthquake Location Map. Source: USGS/EHP

Earthquake Details

• Magnitude:  8.0
• Date-Time: Wednesday, February 06, 2013 at 01:12:23 UTC
  • Wednesday, February 06, 2013 at 12:12:23 PM at epicenter

• Location:  10.752°S, 165.089°E
• Depth 5.8 km (3.6 miles) (poorly constrained)
• Region SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS
• Distances:
  • 81 km (50 miles) W of Lata, Solomon Islands
  • 575 km (357 miles) NNW of Luganville, Vanuatu

• Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 15.3 km (9.5 miles); depth +/- 6.9 km (4.3 miles)
• Source:  USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)Location: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Aftershocks:

• Five significant aftershocks as of posting including 6.6 and 6.4Mw  (USGS)