2:48 a.m. CDT, April 17, 2012
Reuters) - A 7.0 magnitude earthquake (click here) struck off the north coast of Papua New Guinea on Tuesday, the U.S. Geological Survey reported.
The quake struck at a depth of 125.5 miles and was centered 137 km north of Lae, Papua New Guinea's second-largest city.
The quake struck at a depth of 125.5 miles and was centered 137 km north of Lae, Papua New Guinea's second-largest city.
he Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said no destructive Pacific-wide tsunami was expected.
Papua New Guinea is on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire and suffers many earthquakes but often avoids major damage and casualties because most of its people live in light and flexible housing.
However, more than 2,000 people were killed in 1998 when a 7.0 magnitude quake struck off Papua New Guinea's north coast, causing a tsunami that smashed into isolated villages.
Papua New Guinea is on the geologically active Pacific Ring of Fire and suffers many earthquakes but often avoids major damage and casualties because most of its people live in light and flexible housing.
However, more than 2,000 people were killed in 1998 when a 7.0 magnitude quake struck off Papua New Guinea's north coast, causing a tsunami that smashed into isolated villages.
Magnitude 6.8 - EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW GUINEA (USGS - click here)
2012 April 17 07:13:50 UTC
Three hours apart and opposite sides of the ocean. There were twin tornadoes, why not twin earthquakes?
The red dots on the map below are volcanic "hot spots" of which Hawaii is one, along Earth's plates. Now, if plates are sitting in liquid magma and there are 'hot spot' eruptions, what makes anyone ever believe there are not relationships between the movement of the plates and the ability to track trends in earthquakes along those movements? Hawaii just happens to be a hot spot in the Middle of the Atlantic and not along a convergence boundary of two plates.
I have stated before when the massive Pacific Plate moves it pushes the Nazca Plate causing instability at both the east and west borders of the Nazca Plate. There are no measures of seismic activity in the middle of the Pacific, so the western Nazca Plate movement is undetectable. For the most part seismic activity records are where poeple live.
So much for Hard Rock Geologists and the idea one plate has no effect on the others.
2012 April 17 04:03:17 UTC
SANTIAGO
One elderly man died as a result of a heart attack brought on by the quake, which struck 26 miles north-northeast of Valparaiso, and 69 miles northwest of the capital Santiago, but there were no other reports of injuries.
State emergency office ONEMI said a stretch of coastline was being evacuated as a precaution, but there was no tsunami alert.
Rodrigo Ubilla, an Interior Ministry undersecretary, said there had been no reports of damage to public or private infrastructure, although state television said several thousand homes were without power outside Santiago....
Tue Apr 17, 10:36 AM
Harper awakened by earthquake in Chilean capital (click here)
CTVNews.ca StaffPrime Minister Stephen Harper and his wife Laureen were rattled awake by a strong earthquake while staying at a hotel in Chile's capital.
Lights swayed and buildings shook as the quake rumbled through Santiago at about 12:50 a.m. local time Monday. The United States Geological Society declared the event a 6.7-magnitude earthquake, centered 112 kilometres from the capital.
"All members of the Canadian delegation, including the prime minister, and his wife, Laureen, are just fine," Andrew MacDougall, Harper's director of communications, confirmed shortly after.
The quake marked a dramatic end to Harper's otherwise incident-free trip to Colombia and South America where free trade was on the agenda.
Having just wrapped up four days of discussion, Harper had little to say when asked about the earthquake while boarding a plane back to Canada early Tuesday....
