. Earth Science News .
SHAKE AND BLOW
Solomons escape serious damage after powerful 7.7 quake
by Staff Writers
Sydney (AFP) Dec 8, 2016


Strong quake strikes off northern California, no tsunami threat
San Francisco (AFP) Dec 8, 2016 - A 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck Thursday off the coast of northern California, but there was no tsunami threat, seismologists said.

The US Geological Survey said there was "a low likelihood of casualties and damage" from the quake, which hit on the Mendocino fault.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said there was no tsunami threat.

The epicenter of the quake, which hit at 6:49 am (1449 GMT), was located 97 miles (157 kilometers) west of Ferndale, California at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 kilometers), USGS said.

"Overall, the population in this region resides in structures that are highly resistant to earthquake shaking, though some vulnerable structures exist," it said.

Residents of the area reported feeling the tremor.

"It started rolling and I could feel it," Pam Cahill, a retired teacher who lives three miles north of Eureka, told the San Francisco Chronicle. "I had time to jump out of bed and crouch down and call the dog before it stopped."

An aftershock measuring 4.9 rattled the area some 90 minutes after the quake, the USGS reported.

Seismologists say a quake capable of causing widespread destruction is almost certain to hit California in the next 30 years.

A 6.7-magnitude earthquake in 1994 in Northridge, northwest of Los Angeles, left at least 60 people dead and caused an estimated $10 billion damage, while a 6.9 quake in San Francisco in 1989 claimed the lives of 67 people.

5.9 magnitude earthquake rattles China's far west: USGS
Shanghai (AFP) Dec 8, 2016 - A shallow 5.9-magnitude earthquake shook China's remote far-western Xinjiang region on Thursday, the US Geological Survey said, with pictures on social media showing food knocked from store shelves and students evacuated from schools.

The quake was 13 kilometres (eight miles) deep, USGS said, with the epicentre about 100 kilometres west of the regional capital Urumqi, state broadcaster CCTV said.

The China Earthquake Networks Centre gave the magnitude as 6.2, saying a series of aftershocks followed, with the strongest measuring 3.9.

There were no reports of casualties or major damage.

A major 7.7-magnitude quake struck Friday off the Solomon Islands triggering severe shaking and a tsunami warning, but there were no reports of any serious damage, officials said.

The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre initially said there could be possible "widespread, hazardous" tsunami waves, forcing villagers to flee to higher ground.

But within three hours the warning was downgraded after the threat passed without major incident.

The epicentre of the quake, which hit at 4:38 am (1738 GMT Thursday), was located 68 kilometres (42 miles) west of Kirakira, a provincial capital in the Solomon Islands, at a depth of 48 kilometres, the US Geological Survey (USGS) said.

A shallow 6.5 aftershock rattled the same area some four hours later.

Electricity supplies were cut in some parts of the Solomons and there were reports of thatched houses collapsing.

Donald Tehimae, an officer at the Kirakira police station, said most of the damage appeared to be superficial.

"Some houses have been damaged but no one was hurt. At the police station a lot of documents in the storeroom fell down," he said.

Suzy Sainovski, an official with aid organisation World Vision in the capital Honiara, said the shaking was frightening.

"The earthquake woke me up. I was in bed and it was dark and it felt like being in a matchbox that someone was just shaking and shaking," she told AFP.

"It felt almost like the hotel's foundation was just moving in waves. The shaking felt like it went on for quite a while -- 30 to 45 seconds. The cupboard doors were shaking, but nothing fell over.

"Just from briefly looking outside my window as it begins to get light, I didn't see any damage to buildings."

- Offshore epicentre -

Hugh Glanville, duty seismologist at Geoscience Australia, said the offshore epicentre of the earthquake and sparsely populated areas helped minimise the impact.

"So far we have had no reports of major damage," he told AFP.

"There was a small tsunami, the waves were under half a metre. They've arrived through most of the Solomons and Vanuatu and the threat level is diminished or has passed.

"The reason we often get so little damage from big earthquakes in this area is that the plate boundary is offshore," he added. "The epicentre being 100 kilometres offshore makes all the difference."

USGS said earlier that some casualties and damage were possible from the quake, warning that waves reaching 1-3 metres above tide level could occur along parts of the Solomons.

It had also warned some coasts in Vanuatu, Papua New Guinea, Nauru, New Caledonia, Tuvalu and Kosrae, as well as Hawaii, were at risk, before saying the threat had passed.

The earthquake-prone Solomon Islands, east of Papua New Guinea and with a population of more than 500,000, are well rehearsed in what action to take following several devastating tremors.

In 2007, an 8.0 magnitude quake claimed 52 lives and left thousands homeless when it created a 10-metre (33-feet) tsunami.

At least 10 people died when another 8.0 quake in 2013 caused widespread property damage.

The Solomon Islands are part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire", a zone of tectonic activity known for frequent quakes and volcanic eruptions.

It is one of the most seismically active parts of the world.


Comment on this article using your Disqus, Facebook, Google or Twitter login.


Thanks for being here;
We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain.

With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords.

Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year.

If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor
$5 Billed Once


credit card or paypal
SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter
$5 Billed Monthly


paypal only


.


Related Links
Bringing Order To A World Of Disasters
When the Earth Quakes
A world of storm and tempest






Share this article via these popular social media networks
del.icio.usdel.icio.us DiggDigg RedditReddit GoogleGoogle

Previous Report
SHAKE AND BLOW
Rescuers scrabble for survivors as Indonesia quake kills 97
Meureudu, Indonesia (AFP) Dec 7, 2016
Rescuers scrabbled through the rubble of shattered homes, shops and mosques in search of survivors Wednesday after a powerful earthquake struck western Indonesia and killed at least 97 people. The shallow 6.5-magnitude quake struck Aceh province, one of the areas worst affected by the devastating 2004 tsunami, at dawn as many in the mainly Muslim region on Sumatra island were preparing for m ... read more


SHAKE AND BLOW
Syrian crisis altered region's land and water resources

MH370 relatives in Madagascar to hunt for clues

For Mosul displaced, the added pain of divided families

Refugees rehoused in Greece as temperatures drop

SHAKE AND BLOW
This is 'year zero' of a virtual reality revolution say filmmakers

Shape matters when light meets atom

Earth's 'technosphere' now weighs 30 trillion tons

New technology of ultrahigh density optical storage researched at Kazan University

SHAKE AND BLOW
Longest-living animal gives up ocean climate secrets

East Asian dust deposition impacts on marine biological productivity

Extreme downpours could increase fivefold across parts of the US

Making spines from sea water

SHAKE AND BLOW
Sea ice hit record lows in November

Greenland's ice-free past exposes sea level rise danger

Polar bear numbers to plunge a third as sea ice melts

When permafrost melts, what happens to all that stored carbon

SHAKE AND BLOW
New study of water-saving plants advances efforts to develop drought-resistant crops

Common pesticides more harmful to 'good' insects than thought

Climate change battle heats up for Australian winemakers

Agave genes could inspire new drought-resistant plants

SHAKE AND BLOW
Seismically active Katmandu region in store for larger earthquake

Rescuers scrabble for survivors as Indonesia quake kills 97

Hulking hurricanes: Seeking greater accuracy in predicting storm strength

14 dead in southern Thai flooding

SHAKE AND BLOW
Mali rivals must stick to peace deal: French minister

Fidel Castro's military forays in Africa

US seeks UN arms embargo against South Sudan

Uganda nabs suspect in $120 mn fake arms deal

SHAKE AND BLOW
Secrets of the paleo diet

Human ancestor 'Lucy' was a tree climber, new evidence suggests

The role of physical environment in the 'broken windows' theory

Scientist uses 'dinosaur crater' rocks, prehistoric teeth to track ancient humans









The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2024 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. All articles labeled "by Staff Writers" include reports supplied to Space Media Network by industry news wires, PR agencies, corporate press officers and the like. Such articles are individually curated and edited by Space Media Network staff on the basis of the report's information value to our industry and professional readership. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) Statement Our advertisers use various cookies and the like to deliver the best ad banner available at one time. All network advertising suppliers have GDPR policies (Legitimate Interest) that conform with EU regulations for data collection. By using our websites you consent to cookie based advertising. If you do not agree with this then you must stop using the websites from May 25, 2018. Privacy Statement. Additional information can be found here at About Us.