Magnitude 6.3 quake strikes Italy

Magnitude 6.3 mainshock strikes central Italy

Magnitude 6.3 mainshock preceded by a foreshock measuring 4Mw and followed by a 4.8Mw aftershock strike central Italy about 95 km NE of Rome. The epicenter of the quake was near the city of L’Aquila, the most populated cities in central Italy.

According to various news reports, at least 20 people have been killed and many more could be trapped in the rubble.  About 5,000 buildings have been damaged and many are left homeless.

L’Aquila Seismic History:

L’Aquila, a medieval town of about 73,000 inhabitants, is the capital city of the Abruzzo region and of the Province of L’Aquila. However, thousands students, workers and tourists travel to the city each day.

• L’Aquila was struck by a a cluster of quakes in 1348-50 which destroyed most of the city.

• In 1461, another large quake razed most of the city to the ground.

• In 1703, L’Aquila was almost completely destroyed by yet another quake.

• According to local sources, another large earthquake destroyed most of the city about 100 years ago.

• In 1997, a strong earthquake killed 15 people and damaged thousands of buildings in central Italy.

[Data from various sources.]

Location Map – Source: USGS

This Earthquake

Magnitude: 6.3
Date-Time:

• Monday, April 06, 2009 at 01:32:42 UTC
• Monday, April 06, 2009 at 03:32:42 AM at epicenter

Location:  42.423°N, 13.395°E
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) set by location program
Region:  CENTRAL ITALY
Distances

• 70 km (40 miles) W of Pescara, Italy
• 95 km (60 miles) NE of ROME, Italy
• 115 km (70 miles) SE of Perugia, Italy
• 135 km (85 miles) S of Ancona, Italy

Location Uncertainty: horizontal +/- 4.6 km (2.9 miles); depth fixed by location program

Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)

Event ID:  us2009fcaf

Powerful Quake Cluster Strikes Papua, Indonesia

Powerful Quake Cluster Strikes Papua Heralding a New Period of Intense Global Seismicity

A powerful magnitude 7.6 mainshock followed by at least 19 aftershocks measuring 5 to 7.4 Mw struck near the north coast of Papua, Indonesia.

This Earthquake:

Map of Indonesia                                                                                                        Source: USGS

Magnitude: 7.6

Date-Time:

• Saturday, January 03, 2009 at 19:43:54 UTC
• Sunday, January 04, 2009 at 04:43:54 AM at epicenter

Location: 0.510°S, 132.783°E
Depth: 35 km (21.7 miles) set by location program
Region:  NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF PAPUA, INDONESIA
Distances:

• 150 km (95 miles) WNW of Manokwari, Papua, Indonesia
• 170 km (105 miles) ENE of Sorong, Papua, Indonesia
• 1335 km (830 miles) N of DARWIN, Northern Territory, Australia
• 2955 km (1830 miles) E of JAKARTA, Java, Indonesia

Location Uncertainty:  horizontal +/- 12.1 km (7.5 miles); depth fixed by location program
Source: USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)
Event ID us2009bjbn

Shakemap  and MMI

According to USGS: “Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are vulnerable to earthquake shaking, though some resistant structures exist. A magnitude 7.5 earthquake and tsunami 208 km Northeast of this one struck Indonesia on October 10, 2002 (UTC), with estimated population exposures of 6,000 at intensity IX or greater and 7,000 at intensity VIII, resulting in an estimated 8 fatalities. On September 12, 1979 (UTC), a magnitude 7.5 earthquake and tsunami 378 km Northeast of this one struck Indonesia, with estimated population exposures of 10,000 at intensity IX or greater and 27,000 at intensity VIII, resulting in an estimated 15 fatalities. Recent earthquakes in this area have caused, tsunamis, landslides and liquefaction that may have contributed to losses.”

Pacific Tsunami Warning Center

Tectonic Summary [USGS]

“The magnitude 7.6 Papua, Indonesia earthquake of January 3, 2009, 19:43 UTC, occurred as a result of thrust faulting on a plate-boundary along the northwest coast of the island of New Guinea. Eastern Indonesia is characterized by complex tectonics in which motions of numerous small plates are accommodating large-scale convergence between the Australia, Pacific, and Eurasia plates. In broad-scale plate-tectonic models that do not subdivide continent sized plates into smaller plates, the location of today’s earthquake would be on the boundary of the Pacific and Australia plates. The Pacific plate (located north and northeast of the epicenter) is moving southwest with respect to the Australia plate (located south of the epicenter) with a velocity of about 112 mm/year at the epicenter of the earthquake, and the focal-mechanism of today’s earthquake is broadly consistent with Pacific plate lithosphere being subducted beneath Australia plate lithosphere. The subduction zone along the northwest coast of New Guinea is characterized by an offshore oceanic trench, the New Guinea trench, but teleseismically recorded earthquake hypocenters do not show a well-developed inclined seismic zone (a Wadati-Benioff zone) dipping south-southwest from the trench.

“The earthquake of January 3, 2009, 19:43 UTC, occurred about 470 km west of the magnitude 8.2 earthquake of February 17, 1996. The 1996 earthquake produced a tsunami that was destructive on the island of Biak. At least 108 people were killed by the 1996 earthquake and associated tsunami.” USGS

Why Didn’t China Prevent the Loss of 86,000 Lives?

China Regime: As Evil as Evil Comes!

Are Earthquake Predictions in China Political?

The following excerpts are from an article written by Wu Weilin, Epoch Times Staff [ May 28, 2008 ] Full Article

Was the recent devastating earthquake in Sichuan, China predicted before it struck? Did the Chinese regime ignore earthquake warnings and thereby caused the loss of more than 86,000 lives?

“On July 28, 2006, the Director of the China Earthquake Administration, Chen Jianmin, was speaking on a program of the regime’s mouth piece, China’s Central TV station. He stated with certainty that earthquakes were predictable. But immediately after the recent devastation in Sichuan, Chinese officials claimed that the prediction of earthquakes was a tough task worldwide. Another commentator said that earthquake prediction in China is a political issue.” Said Wu Weilin of Epoch Times.

[Wrapping it up!] Soldiers march to scatter disinfectant in Yingxiu town of Wenchuan county, the epicentre of the earthquake, Sichuan province May 26, 2008. REUTERS/Stringer The image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

What Happened to the Predictions?

“According to Chen, China has been predicting earthquakes since the Xingtai earthquake back in 1966, which killed 8,064 people. ‘Through continuous scientific research and information gained from many actual cases, we can make a prediction on a certain type of earthquake.’ However, after the earthquake in Sichuan took place, Zhang Ziaodong from the China Earthquake Networks Center held a press conference at China’s State Department on May 13. At the conference Zhang denied the quake in Sichuan was predictable and said that predicting earthquakes was a ‘difficult task worldwide.'”

Why did the Chinese media stay quiet about this important issue? “A frontline reporter disclosed that Beijing had sent out rules on reporting the earthquake, ‘To propagate positive, constructive news and forbidding criticism and introspective articles.’ Recently, according to our source, Beijing has officially banned discussing the subject of earthquake prediction in public.”

“However, more and more information has indicated accurate prediction on the quake had been presented to Beijing on many occasions. The communist military had also taken preventative measures based on the predictions.”

Predictions Had Saved Lives Before, Why Not This Time?

“Chen also said during an interview with CCTV two years ago, that following an accurate prediction, a quake that took place in China on February 4, 1975, only took 1,300 lives instead of 100,000. Chen also gave examples from overseas, how predicting earthquakes had cut down the number of deaths – only three died in California in 2003 and 40 in Japan in 2004, two countries where earthquake prediction was released before the event.

“By May 24, 2008, the Sichuan quake was estimated to have killed 60,560, injured 352,290, and 26,221 people were still missing, according to information released from China’s State Department. A Chinese social economist, He Qinglian, commented about the difference in speeches coming out of Beijing about quake prediction before and after Sichuan, ‘In China, earthquake prediction is pure science and earthquake forecasting announcement is pure politics. This is how it works in China, whether in the past or present.‘” [emphasis added.]

Related Links:

• The Anguished Cries of China Quake Nurse
• Chinese paratroopers rescuing survivors or preventing plague?
• How Many More Survivors?
• Heavy Death Toll, Corruption, Criminal Incompetence
• Why Was the Girl Removed from Family?

• Chinese Leaders Incapable of Handling Quake Aftermath
• Bigger China Disaster Unfolds

• China’s grieving quake parents start to voice anger
• Beijing’s quick response to disaster won’t cover cracks of corruption
• Almost five million left homeless, China says
• Corruption blamed for rising death toll in China
• Parents’ grief turns to anger at shoddily built deathtrap schools

• Earthquake Predictions In China Are Also Political

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The Anguished Cries of China Quake Nurse

Why was the quake nurse reduced to tears and had to beg the soldiers to rescue children?

If rescuing the children wasn’t their priority, and clearly it wasn’t, what were the soldiers ordered to do?

Anguished Chinese Nurse Serving in the Earthquake Disaster Area:

Please Rescue The Children!

Photo below was taken by Jason Lee of Reuters news agency (China). The caption reads:

“A nurse holding a general’s written order begs soldiers to rescue surviving children still buried in the ruins of another nearby school in the old city district near a mountain at the earthquake-hit Beichuan county, Sichuan province, May 15, 2008. The soldiers are not under the command of the general, whose written order reads: ‘Please arrange for rescue operations at this school as quickly as possible.'”

What were the orders soldiers own general gave them?

When did the authorities decide they couldn’t cope with too many quake survivors?

Credit: Reuters/Jason Lee (china) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

A close up of the nurse’s face. Her heartfelt agony speaks a thousand words!

[Reuters caption: A nurse cries as she begs soldiers to rescue surviving children still buried in the ruins of another nearby school in the old city district near a mountain at the earthquake-hit Beichuan county, Sichuan province, May 15, 2008. REUTERS/Jason Lee (CHINA) Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

The Olympics can wait; the survivors can’t!

“Although the time for the best chance of rescue, the first 72 hours after an earthquake, has passed [exactly as planned by CPC], saving lives remains the top priority of our work [believe what I say, not what I do, you ‘ignorant peasants’],” the [doublespeaking] Chinese president, Hu Jintao, told the survivors. (Source)

To the CORRUPT Chinese Government: The World is Watching YOU!

“Parents’ grief turns to anger at shoddily built deathtrap schools”

“Three days after the quake struck, troops and fire engines queued idly along the roadsides waiting for orders.”

“‘I saw a doctor walking along the lines of bloody bodies, checking pulses and looking at wounds. If he shook his head the nurses were instructed not to take the person to the operating theatre but move them to another room to die. It was like a scene from a war film,’ she said.” (Source)

Related Links:

• Chinese paratroopers rescuing survivors or preventing plague?
• Official worries over possible plague at Sichuan quake epicenter
• Chinese Leaders Incapable of Handling Quake Aftermath

• China Earthquake, Heavy Death Toll, Corruption, Criminal Incompetence

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No End Seen to China Quake Aftershocks

Another major earthquake in the making?

China Earthquake: Large Cluster of Powerful Shocks!

• Mainshock: 7.9 Magnitude – Monday, May 12, 2008 at 02:28:01 [time at epicenter]

• Latest aftershock: 5.5 Magnitude – Friday, May 16, 2008 at 01:25:48 PM [time at epicenter]

• Total number of major aftershocks: 59 [and continuing]

The last 4 aftershocks have strengthened in magnitude from 4.3 to 5.5 Mw. Is there another major shock in the making?

This map shows the predicted (theoretical) travel times, in minutes, of the compressional (P) wave from the earthquake location to points around the globe. The heavy black lines shown are the approximate distances to the P-wave shadow zone (103 to 140 degrees). (Caption: USGS)

Shadow zone

The shadow zone is the area of the earth from angular distances of 104 to 140 degrees from a given earthquake that does not receive any direct P waves. The shadow zone results from S waves being stopped entirely by the liquid core and P waves being bent (refracted) by the liquid core.

Did you know?

Through measuring how P and S waves travel through the earth and out the other side, a seismic wave shadow zone was discovered in about 1910. From the lack of S waves and a great slowing of the P wave velocity (by about 40%) it was deduced that the outer core is made of liquid. The shadow zone also defined the diameter of the core.

[If the outer core was not made of liquid, Earth could probably breakup into several pieces as a result of a v. large earthquake! FEWW]

Text and image: USGS.

Chinese paratroopers rescuing survivors or preventing plague?

The Riddle of the Chinese Paratroopers

China parachutes 100 paratroopers to “cut-off” quake area

The first batch of 100 elite paratroopers were parachuted into an area near the epicenter of Monday’s earthquake in southwest China [“cut-off” area in Maoxian county, northeast of the epicenter in Wenchuan] Wednesday afternoon [about 60 hours later], reported Xinhua.

Elite Paratroopers landing near quake epicenter. Image may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice!

So what’s the problem?

1. There are an estimated 30,000 people burried in the area. How could 100 paratroopers help rescue such large number of victims?

2. The paratroopers landed two days after the mainshock had struck. By then the survival chances of the victims who had been buried alive had already been reduced by about 80 percent.

3. Anyone rescued from the rubble would need medical attention, freshwater, food, blankets, tents … to survive. Did the paratroopers carry all of the vital supplies in their rucksacks?

Therefore, the question remains: Are the paratroopers sent to rescue the “survivors,” or to “finish off the job,” i.e., bury everyone, alive or dead, to prevent potential outbreaks of plague and other pandemics? [The Beijing Olympics are just around the corner!]

Related Links:

• Official worries over possible plague at Sichuan quake epicenter
• Chinese Leaders Incapable of Handling Quake Aftermath

• The Anguished Cries of Chinese Quake Nurse

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China Quake Casualties May Rise Sharply

UPDATE # 3 – China Quake

Latest China Quake Statistics

Aftershocks: USGS has so far recorded a total of 41 aftershocks following the 7.9 magnitude mainshock that struck china’s Eastern Sichuan region. The latest quake, a 5.4 magnitude aftershock, struck 95 km NW of Chengdu, Sichuan, on Wednesday, May 14, 2008 at 10:54:38 AM [Time at epicenter.]

Casualties

[As reported by China’s Xinhua News Agency as of May 14, 2008 at 01:52:20 local time ]

• Death toll: More than 12,000 victims
• Injuries: 26,206 recorded cases
• Buried in Debris: 9,404 victims are still buried in debris
• Missing: 7,841 people remain missing

Photo taken on May 13, 2008 shows the scene of the earthquake-hit Beichuan County, about 160 kilometers northeast of the epicenter of Wenchuan County, southwest China’s Sichuan Province. Beichuan County is badly damaged in Monday’s quake, with great numbers of buildings collapsed and landslides around the county. (Xinhua Photo and caption)

Rescuers clear the rubbles at a elementary school in Liangping County of southwest China’s Chongqing Municipality, May 12, 2008. Based on the latest government statistics, there are 11 killed, including five pupils, and more than 2.13 million people affected in the earthquake in Chongqing. (Xinhua/Li Jinfa. Xinhua caption).

A rescuer tries to help a stranded student out of debris at Wudu Primary school in Hanwang Town, Mianzhu City, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, May 13, 2008. Teachers and students of the school are buried, the aftermath of Monday’s earthquake. (Xinhua Photo and caption)

A boy of Beichuan middle school wait for rescuers at the earthquake-hit Beichuan County, about 160 kilometers northeast of the epicenter of Wenchuan County, southwest China’s Sichuan Province, May 13, 2008. Beichuan County is badly damaged in Monday’s quake, with great numbers of buildings collapsed and landslides around the county. (Xinhua/Li Gang. Xinhua caption). Images may be subject to copyright. See FEWW Fair Use Notice.

More Photos

Government and Public Response:

About 20,000 soldiers and armed police are in the disaster areas in Sichuan Province and another 30,000 soldiers are joining the rescue operations, China’s Defense Ministry said.

Central government has allocated 860 million yuan (122.86 million U.S. dollars) as disaster relief to the areas affected by the earthquake cluster.

The public have donated 221.67 million yuan (31.66 million U.S. dollars) in cash and goods, according to the Ministry of Civil Affairs. (Source)

Related Links:

• Tens of thousands missing in China (Video)
• China’s quake: Why did so many schools collapse?
• More troops rush in to help China quake rescue
• Candle-lit vigil held for quake victims

• Update #2- Quake Aftershocks Hit China
  
• Update #1- China Quake Death Toll Nearly 10,000

• China Quake Kills 9,000
• China quake death toll nears 9,000

• Chaitén Volcano: No End Seen to Second Massive Eruption
• Will one or both of New Zealand islands break up and sink in the south-western Pacific Ocean?

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