2011 Tohoku Earthquake And Tsunami

2011 Tohoku Earthquake And Tsunami, March 11th will forever impact Japan as the day the world’s most destructive earthquake – one of the top five most powerful earthquakes recorded since 1900 – struck the island nation’s northeast coastline triggering a natural disaster like none before it. The earthquake produced a massive tsunami that swept across the northeast coast and inland. The combined disasters destroyed buildings, infrastructure and land, creating an international scare with the meltdown of three nuclear reactors in the Fukushima Daiichi Power Plant. Nearly 20,000 people were killed or are still, a year later, listed as missing.

As part of a planned memorial on the one-year anniversary of the devastating events, the Japanese Prime Minister, Yoshihiko Noda, and the Emperor and Empress, joined 1200 people in Tokyo to remember the events of March 11, 2011. The group offered prayers at 2:46pm (Tokyo) – the exact time the initial earthquake began.

Prime Minister Noda spoke at the event, noting that many from the northeast region of Honshu, Japan’s main island, are still limited in their daily lives. He explained the government is making efforts to improve safety conditions in the affected areas and the Prime Minister expressed his determination to do everything within his power to restore the affected towns to their previous beauty.

Several family members of victims from the affected Prefectures spoke at the memorial ceremony, offering their gratitude for support throughout the most difficult experiences of their lives.

Earthquake In New Zealand

Earthquake In New Zealand: The mayor’s second largest city in New Zealand, Christchurch, has declared a state of emergency after an earthquake of 6.3 magnitude that struck the “garden city” shortly before 1 st pm local time Tuesday.
Prime Minister John Key, who grew up in Christchurch, said that at least 65 people are known to have died in what “could well be the darkest days in New Zealand.”

The earthquake in New Zealand is already the deadliest to hit the country in the last 80 years and the number of deaths will increase. This is the second major earthquake to hit Christchurch in five months, the primary cause of about 3 billion in damages by several aftershocks, but no deaths.

This time, rescue teams are mobilized across the country to assist in what will be a massive rescue and reconstruction effort. For now, however, the authorities of the country’s capital, Wellington, are fighting just to get information with phone lines down and closed airports.

“There are people fighting for their lives right now, but there are also people who fight for them,” Christchurch Mayor Bob Parker said the first of more than 20 aftershocks to save the day began to be felt. “We are preparing ourselves for what I think it will be a very sad, sad day for our city but do not worry everyone does what they can.”

Mr. Parker asked some 350 soldiers to help evacuate the downtown of the city.
Runoff Information

In a statement, under the country as prime minister, Bill English, said that government agencies and emergency services were still putting up a picture of the damage and devastation.

“Information is still to come,” said Mr English speaking member of a bunker in the New Zealand capital of Wellington. “This is a rapidly evolving situation and we’ll keep you posted as we establish ourselves again.”

Among the offerings at the beginning of international assistance was the U.S. government, which said it will provide something of its resources available in Honolulu.
Offices, homes, leveled sites

The earthquake in New Zealand leveled a number of central offices, destroyed landmarks, and many houses destroyed, leaving parts of the picturesque landscape – now shrouded in the mists of dust and gas – “. Unlivable” Media space is full of stories of people trapped in damaged buildings, and residents of Christchurch were told to evacuate because no region is considered safe at this time.

Among the casualties were an unknown number of foreign nationals staying at one of the hostels in the city to restore the younger cohort of the hundreds of thousands of international visitors who arrive each year in the local Anglican much of the country, where the central Christchurch Cathedral has long served as the most visible symbol of the city.

Today, the cathedral spire that threatens 110-year-old also collapsed.
“Ring of Fire”

severe tremors are common in geologically young New Zealand, a land sometimes called “the islands fragile” to its privileged position on the Pacific Ring of Fire “- a series of earthquakes and active fault zones. But only a handful of earthquakes each year manage to do damage in relatively sparsely populated country of 4.4 million.

The last earthquake was unusually low, however, occurring at a depth of only three miles and one of only a few strike almost directly beneath a major urban area in the history of New Zealand 170 years.

Conventional wisdom has long had it that Wellington, built as it is increasingly nervous about the tectonic plates, is at the forefront of such an event. But that perception has changed on September 4 in what is believed to be a once in a millennium-7.1 quake struck the province of Canterbury, home to 400,000 people, including residents of Christchurch.

Five months later, living in Christchurch were more or less returned to normal. Until today.

Source:    http://www.csmonitor.com/World/Asia-Pacific/2011/0222/New-Zealand-earthquake-Authorities-scramble-after-temblor-leaves-at-least-65-dead
[Source:    Image Via http://www.smh.com.au]

Pakistan Earthquake

Pakistan Earthquake, (AP) – A major earthquake of magnitude 7.2 rocked a remote area of southwestern Pakistan early Wednesday, shaking many parts of the country and causing tremors as far away as India and the UAE.

The earthquake was centered in the province of Baluchistan, the area in the country’s most sparsely populated, “said United States Geological Service, occurring at 01:30, local time, at a depth of about 50 miles (84 km .

Its epicenter was located in a remote area south-west about 200 miles (320 kilometers) from the capital of Baluchistan is Quetta, said the Pakistani leader Arif Mahmood meteorologist, near the Afghan border.

The nearest town to the epicenter was Dalbandin, with a population of about 15,000 people and is so remote that the hills surrounding the site were Chagai Pakistan’s nuclear tests in 1998.

There was no word on damage in Dalbandin. But another town near the epicenter, Karan has not suffered major damage, “said Fateh Bangar, Deputy Commissioner Karan. The city was some 45 miles (70 kilometers) from the epicenter, “he said.

Nasir Baluch, a police officer in Karan said mud houses collapsed or were damaged in an area outside the city called Mashkil. There was not in the immediate victims, but the region is sparsely populated, “he said.

There was no significant damage in Quetta, either, but the earthquake caused widespread panic in the city, residents said.

Local television reports said the quake was felt in several other provinces as well. Many residents in the largest city, Karachi, ran into the streets after the earthquake started, “said the report.

Karachi resident Mohammad Zubair said he was watching a cricket match on television when his bed began to shake.

“I jumped out of bed realizing that it was an earthquake,” said the 28-years. “My mother started reciting verses from the Koran, and we rushed outside.”

Tremors lasting at least 20 seconds were also felt as far away as Dubai in the UAE and in the Indian capital, New Delhi.

Earthquakes frequently rattle the region. An earthquake measuring 7.6 on October 8, 2005, killed about 80,000 people in northwest Pakistan and Kashmir and left more than 3 million homeless.

Associated Press writer Ashraf Khan contributed to this report from Karachi.

Copyright © 2011 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Earthquake San Francisco

Earthquake San Francisco, (AFP) – A small earthquake measuring 4.1 struck the Californian city of San Jose and surrounding areas Friday afternoon, the Los Angeles Times.

The epicenter of the quake, which occurred at approximately 4:10 p.m. (0010 GMT Saturday), was located about 13 miles (20 kilometers) south of downtown San Jose, the report said.

There were no reports of injuries or damage, the document noted.

The reading was based on the Moment Magnitude scale open, now used by U.S. seismologists, which measures the area of the fault that ruptured and the total energy released.

Copyright © 2011 AFP. All rights reserved.

Earthquakes Today

Earthquakes Today, (AP) – An earthquake of magnitude 4.2 shook parts of central Indiana, sparking a wave of calls to local residents shaken. The U.S. Geological Survey said on its website that the quake occurred at 07:55 AM EST on Thursday and was centered about five miles south of Howard County Greentown. It is about 50 miles north-northeast of Indianapolis.
No damage was immediately reported. Howard County Sheriff Chief Deputy Steve Rogers said the department has been bombarded with phone calls after the earthquake people who wonder what happened. He says some people have reported hearing a loud explosion.
Indiana University geologist Michael Hamburger told Indianapolis television station WTHR quake was felt throughout central Indiana and western Ohio. He said that the quake occurred in a “seismic is very quiet.”

Indiana Earthquake

Indiana Earthquake, An earthquake of magnitude 3.8 shook parts of central Indiana Thursday morning – and was even felt by some residents of Chicago.

The U.S. Geological Survey initially estimated the strength of the quake was magnitude 4.2, but since lowered that number, according to the Associated Press.

Residents of Chicago, Naperville and Buffalo Grove, Illinois told NBC Chicago, they felt their beds shaking and saw their ceiling fans spend Thursday morning. A geophysicist told the AP a 3.8 magnitude earthquake would feel like a loaded truck crossing. ”

Indiana Geological Survey had no records of an earthquake of magnitude 3.8 in the central Indiana ever, according to the Indianapolis Star. The director of GHI told the Star that the location of earthquakes – about 3 miles below ground – was “highly irregular” and “extremely rare”.

Indiana last major earthquake was April 18, 2008. The magnitude 5.2 earthquake was the strongest to hit the state in 40 years, reports Star.

No injuries or damage were reported at 9:30 am CT.