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Articles on Earthquakes

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The epicenter of Mexico’s lethal September 2017 earthquake was less than 65 miles outside the nation’s capital. Nacho Doce/Reuters

Mexico City’s potent 2017 earthquake was a rare ‘bending’ quake – and it could happen again

Not all earthquakes are made equal. A study on the Sept. 2017 quake that killed 300 in Mexico City found that both its location and cause were unusual.
A magnitude 7.5 earthquake took place on February 25, 81km southwest of Porgera, Papua New Guinea. US Geological Survey

The science of landslides, and why they’re so devastating in PNG

Why is Papua New Guinea so susceptible to landslides? Steep terrain, earthquakes and aftershocks plus recent seasonal rains have created an environment that is prone to collapse.
Seismic shockwaves after a meteorite’s collision could affect systems all over the planet. solarseven/Shutterstock.com

More bad news for dinosaurs: Chicxulub meteorite impact triggered global volcanic eruptions on the ocean floor

Research suggests a new threat to life on Earth from the meteorite’s crash: Via seismic waves, the impact triggered massive undersea eruptions, as big as any ever seen in our planet’s history.
Fires break out across San Francisco after the April 18, 1906 earthquake. USGS

California’s other drought: A major earthquake is overdue

According to current forecasts, California has a 93 percent chance of an earthquake with magnitude 7 or greater occurring by 2045. Early warning systems, now in development, could limit casualties and damage.
A Westpac Little Ripper drone helped rescue two teens off the coast of Australia by dropping a flotation device to them. Westpac Little Ripper

Robots to the rescue: Saving lives with unmanned vehicles

Drones and unmanned aerial vehicles are already saving lives in search and rescue operations, but they still need improvements if they’re to be widely used in the most dangerous situations.
Searching for victims after a rain-triggered mudslide that blanketed a village and killed at least 178 people in north China’s Shanxi province, Sept. 13, 2008. AP Photo/Andy Wong

Global toll from landslides is heaviest in developing countries

While the Montecito, California mudslides took 20 lives, landslides kill far more people in developing countries. Tighter construction standards and early warning systems could help reduce their toll.
Many of the Iranian dead in the Nov. 12 Iran earthquake lived in the Mehr Housing, state-built affordable apartments that crumbled when other buildings stayed up. AP Photo/Vahid Salemi

Kurdistan earthquake: politics creates roadblocks to relief

On Nov. 12, a 7.3 magnitude quake killed some 500 and injured 7,000 along the Iran-Iraq border. This Kurdish area has also been crushed by war and, after a recent separatist vote, militarily attacked.
More than 600,000 buildings were fully damaged in the 2015 earthquake in Nepal. Jason von Meding

Nepal earthquake reconstruction won’t succeed until the vulnerability of survivors is addressed

Reconstruction progress in Nepal has been painfully slow. Building code compliance and better urban planning are a must – but inequitable access to resources undermines recovery.
A detection station for seismic activity at Bilibion, a remote corner of Russia. The Official CTBTO Photostream (Copyright CTBTO Preparatory Commission)

I’ve always wondered: do nuclear tests affect tectonic plates and cause earthquakes or volcanic eruptions?

Human-induced earthquakes have been reported from every continent except Antarctica. We asked a geologist to investigate whether North Korea’s nuclear tests could trigger geological changes.
A wastewater injection well in Coyle, Oklahoma. Increases in wastewater injection at the underground can destabilise pre-existing faults, setting off earthquakes. J. Berry Harrison III / News 9 Oklahoma

Earthquakes caused by industrial activities: what are the risks and how can they be reduced?

As global demand for energy and mineral supplies increases worldwide, the number of man‑made earthquakes is expected to rise. That increases the importance of understanding connection between the two.
Workers clear debris on Sept. 25, 2017 from the top of a building that collapsed in Mexico City after the Sept. 19 earthquake. AP Photo/Rebecca Blackwell

Mexico’s road to recovery after quakes is far longer than it looks

Natural disasters are not only bad in the short term. Many families will see their health, well-being and ability to escape poverty affected for decades, and some will be affected for life.

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