Earthquake, Hazards, and Disaster News

The MCEER Information Service is a comprehensive source for information on earthquake engineering, hazards mitigation, disaster preparedness, and related topics. IS posts new content frequently, covering a wide range of news and research topics.

As an added service, IS reviews published materials, maintains a database for conferences & continuing education opportunities, a portal to noteworthy Web sites, and other topics of interest.

Current News

Research Helps Paint Finer Picture of Massive 1700 Earthquake

(May 15, 2013) In 1700, a massive earthquake struck the west coast of North America. Though it was powerful enough to cause a tsunami as far as Japan, a lack of local documentation… PhysOrg

How Natural Disasters Changed the World in 2012

(May 14, 2013) Last year, an estimated 32.4 million people worldwide were forced from their homes due to natural disasters. Here, 10 countries that suffered some of the worst displacements, according to the Norwegian Refugee Council… Time

Risk of Another Indian Ocean Earthquake, Tsunami Underestimated

(May 14, 2013) The risk of Indian Ocean earthquakes and tsunamis similar to the 2004 Sumatra disaster is greater than previously thought, researchers say… UPI

Experimental Volcanoes Make a Blast

(May 13, 2013) Controlled explosions could aid monitoring of active eruptions… Nature

Japan's 2011 Earthquake Upped Tokyo's Risk

(May 13, 2013) The magnitude 9 earthquake that shook Japan in 2011 more than doubled the risk that a big quake will rattle Tokyo in the next five years… Science News

Sichuan 2008: A Disaster on an Immense Scale

(May 10, 2013) In terms of the energy released, the Magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck Sichuan province in China in May 2008 was not a record-setter. But the destruction it wrought, and the number of people it affected, certainly make it a stand-out event… BBC

Interior Department Releases $475m in Sandy Aid

(May 9, 2013) The Interior Department on Tuesday said it is releasing more than $475 million to help repair the damage from Superstorm Sandy… Huffington Post

Chinese City Using Dogs to Predict Earthquakes

(May 8, 2013) Looking to get an early notice on impending earthquakes, one Chinese city has decided to ditch technology in favor of a more unconventional system: dogs… Fox News

Bad Bay Bridge Bolts Won't Stop Work Towards Seismic Safety

(May 8, 2013) The recent discovery of broken bolts on the new east span of the San Francisco-Oakland Bay Bridge has understandably shaken public confidence in this world-class structure… CBS San Francisco

New Wave Seismic Modeling Sheds Light on Alaska Earthquakes

(May 6, 2013) Carl Tape, a seismologist and assistant professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, is using supercomputers to do the first ever high-resolution simulations of Alaska earthquakes with computational models that he has played a major role in developing over the past 10 years… Alaska Dispatch

Seiji Yoshimura Rushes to Natural Disasters to Help

(May 3, 2013) Yoshimura puts a priority on being able to rush to a disaster scene quickly to save as many lives as possible. Almost two decades later, he still regrets that it took him four days to reach Kobe in western Japan when it was struck by a magnitude-7.3 temblor… Christian Science Monitor

Sounding the Alarm

(May 2, 2013) An early warning system would save thousands of lives when the next major earthquake hits. But will California find the money to implement it?… East Bay Express

Moderate Earthquake Kills 1, Injures 59 in Eastern Kashmir

(May 2, 2013) The earthquake also damaged scores of private and government buildings, particularly in the three mountainous districts of Doda, Kishtwar, and Ramban closer to the epicenter, which was on the border with the eastern neighboring state of Himachal Pradesh… CNN International

Cognitive Earthquake: Who's Really in Need?

(May 1, 2013) Scientists at the Erasmus University Rotterdam have a theory, which is that we respond to deaths more decisively than we respond to other, undefined suffering - even though it is obviously not the dead who need help. They set out to test this idea, and also to see if there might be a way to increase sensitivity to those left behind… Huffington Post

Engineering Professor Working to Help Bridges Survive Natural Disaster

(April 30, 2013) Recently, engineers have begun to use wireless networks that are easier, cheaper and more resilient to structural damages, such as earthquakes or hurricanes, as they are able to reroute data to still provide it at critical times… Washington University in St. Louis News

Did an Earthquake Destroy Ancient Greece?

(April 29, 2013) The disappearance of the Mycenaens is a Mediterranean mystery. Leading explanations include warfare with invaders or uprising by lower classes. Some scientists also think one of the country's frequent earthquakes could have contributed to the culture's collapse… Discovery

China Earthquake Points to Future Risk Sites

(April 29, 2013) The deadly tremor that shook the city of Ya'an in southwestern China last weekend may hint at where future quakes will strike in the region, but researchers disagree on which seismic fault is likely to rupture next… Nature

Bangladesh Building Collapse Due to Shoddy Construction

(April 26, 2013) The substandard construction methods that are suspected of triggering the deadly collapse of an eight-story building in Bangladesh on Wednesday are a common problem in developing countries… National Geographic

Ohioans Want to Preserve Legacy of Richter

(April 26, 2013) Ohio native Charles Richter's scale for measuring the power of earthquakes isn't as widely used as before, but he has fans determined to make sure his name and legacy don't fade away… Washington Post

No Buildings Built after 2008 China Earthquake Collapsed in Recent Quake

(April 25, 2013) No buildings constructed after a powerful earthquake struck southwest China in 2008 collapsed fully during last week's quake in the same province, which means they withstood a major test, an official said Thursday… Washington Post

Seismic Upgrade to Calaveras Reservoir Hits Big Snag

(April 25, 2013) The Calavares Reservoir has been filled only to about 40 percent of capacity since 2001 because the 88-year-old dam holding the water back is subject to liquefaction. If the dam does fail, the lower water level is intended to limit damage downstream… KGO-TV San Francisco

TVA Admits Mistakes to NRC in Calculating Flood, Natural Disaster Risks

(April 25, 2013) TVA spent much of the five-hour Atlanta meeting with NRC acknowledging the utility's mistakes in making flooding calculations and owning up to a culture of complacency about potential natural disasters… Chattanooga Times Free Press

Quake Studies a Global Draw in Reno

(April 24, 2013) Using three 50-ton capacity shake tables, a two-story structure shuddered and shivered during a simulated high-level temblor at UNR’s Large-Scale Structures Laboratory… Reno Gazette Journal

Hurricane Irene Might Have Triggered Virginia Earthquake Aftershocks

(April 23, 2013) The rate of aftershocks following the August 23, 2011, quake increased sharply as Irene passed by, suggesting that ground disturbances from large storms might be strong enough to prompt tremors… Scientific American

China Earthquake: Crowds of Volunteers Cause Logistical Problems

(April 23, 2013) Frustrations like these are partly why Beijing announced on Sunday a controversial ban on private volunteers and civil society groups entering the disaster area, effectively barring access to the earthquake zone for everyone except government-approved personnel for the time being… Washington Post

More Pain in Sichuan: Earthquake Kills at Least 188

(April 22, 2013) Nearly two days after a magnitude 7.0-earthquake struck China's Sichuan province, residents are still awaiting rescue as well as essentials like drinking water, food, medicine and tents… Time

The Sichuan Earthquake Test

(April 19, 2013) The quake struck the mountainous reaches of Lushan County, which is still rebuilding from a quake five years ago that killed seventy thousand people and yet for all of the similarities, there were some encouraging contrasts that remind us of things that have changed in China in the past five years… The New Yorker

Hurricane Sandy Generated Seismic Shaking as far away as Seattle

(April 19, 2013) A pair of geologists at the University of Utah, recently determined that the crashing of massive waves against Long Island, New York and New Jersey — as well as waves hitting each other offshore — generated measurable seismic waves across much of the U.S., as far away as Seattle… The Smithsonian

Another Cause for Alarm in Iran's Nuclear Program: Earthquakes

(April 19, 2013) The country's nuclear power plant is built near tectonic plates, and reports show it may not be safe in the event of a major seismic event… The Atlantic

What Were the Impacts of Natural Disasters in 2012?

(April 17, 2013) While by most accounts, 2012 was an "average" year for natural disasters, millions were still affected worldwide; 2012 did not experience any mega-disasters, and death rates in 2012 were down to about a tenth of the decade's yearly average… Brookings Institution

Rescuers Head to Site of Earthquake Near Iran-Pakistan Border

(April 17, 2013) A Pakistani military official said his initial information was that 34 people had been killed and 80 injured in the country, saying all of the dead and injured so far were in the town of Mashkal… The Guardian

What Caused the Latest Deadly Earthquake in Iran

(April 17, 2013) The strongest earthquake to hit Iran in more than 50 years was a subduction-zone quake — the same tectonic setting underlying deadly temblors in Japan, Chile and Indonesia… NBC News

Powerful Earthquake Strikes in Iran

(April 16, 2013) A powerful earthquake that struck southeastern Iran was felt in several countries in Asia on Tuesday, rocking buildings in the Indian capital of New Delhi, sending panicked resident of Karachi, Pakistan, fleeing into the streets and causing tremors through Persian Gulf states… New York Times

U.S. Needs a Better Disaster Plan

(April 16, 2013) If the highest goal of fiscal reform is to reduce spending and better the lives of Americans, here's an idea that fits the bill: Improve the way the federal government responds to the growing number of natural disasters… Los Angeles Times

QuakeFinder: Is Earthquake Prediction Finally a Reality?

(April 16, 2013) Stellar Solutions' QuakeFinder Division hopes it can develop the tools to dramatically reduce this loss of life. Its network of over 100 sophisticated sensor stations has detected patterns of electromagnetic pulses several days before a number of different earthquakes, moving the possibility of earthquake prediction closer to reality… Extreme Tech

Authoritative Source for Earthquake Engineering, Hazards Mitigation, Disaster Preparedness | MCEER Information Service