Category Archives: Earthquakes

Magnitude-4.1 earthquake near Muswellbrook likely part of ‘swarm’ that could see ‘hundreds to thousands’ of shocks

Posted on by

Seismologist says it is ‘too early’ to link fourth event of sequence to mining activity in the Hunter region

A 4.1-magnitude earthquake that rocked the New South Wales town of Muswellbrook is likely part of an “earthquake swarm” that could see “hundreds to thousands” of small to moderate shocks over the coming months, according to a government seismologist.

The earthquake, which hit around midday on Tuesday and was shallow at 3km deep, is the fourth event over magnitude four in three months in the Hunter region. On 23 August, a 4.7-magnitude earthquake hit Muswellbrook, damaging homes and businesses.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

‘Earthquake swarm’ no cause for concern, experts say after magnitude 4.5 quake in NSW Hunter region

Posted on by

Quake near Liddell power station, one of the Coalition’s seven proposed nuclear sites, felt in Sydney, Wollongong and Dubbo

A magnitude 4.5 earthquake has hit the Hunter region of New South Wales early Saturday morning, two weeks after an earthquake of a similar size struck the region.

Geoscience Australia told Guardian Australia the earthquake was part of an “earthquake swarm” in the region: a series of moderate to large earthquakes with their own aftershock sequences.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

NSW hit by magnitude 4.8 earthquake felt as far south as Canberra

Posted on by

More than 2,000 people reported feeling the quake, which struck 120km northwest of Newcastle, causing windows to blow in and a chimney to topple

A magnitude 4.8 earthquake has hit New South Wales, causing windows to smash and a chimney to fall over.

The quake – revised down from a magnitude 5 – hit Denman, 120km northwest of Newcastle in the upper Hunter region. It struck at 12.02pm on Friday, with a depth of 10km, and is the largest to hit the area in 20 years.

Sign up for Guardian Australia’s breaking news email

Continue reading...

Japan’s PM cancels overseas trip after experts issue ‘megaquake’ warning

Posted on by

The Japan Meteorological Agency has issued its first-ever warning of the risk of a huge earthquake along the Pacific coast

Japan’s prime minister, Fumio Kishida, has cancelled a visit to central Asia this weekend after experts warned that the risk of a “megaquake” occurring off the country’s Pacific coast had increased following Thursday’s magnitude 7.1 earthquake in the south-west.

Kishida, who is battling low approval ratings and faces challenges to his leadership in a ruling party presidential election next month, announced his decision at a press conference on Friday.

Continue reading...

Earthquake strikes off Japan’s coast and triggers tsunami warning

Posted on by

No immediate signs of damage reported after powerful quake hits off eastern coast of Kyushu

A powerful earthquake struck off Japan’s southern coast on Thursday, triggering a tsunami advisory, the Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, but there were no immediate signs of major damage.



The Japan Meteorological Agency said the quake registered a preliminary magnitude of 7.1 and was centred off the eastern coast of Japan’s southern main island of Kyushu at a depth of about 30km (18.6 miles).

Continue reading...

Homes evacuated in Italy after strongest quake in 40 years near supervolcano

Posted on by

Cracks form in buildings after 150 quakes follow 4.4-magnitude tremor around Campi Flegrei near Naples

Homes were evacuated and many people slept in their cars or on the street after the strongest earthquake in 40 years shook the area around the sprawling Campi Flegrei supervolcano close to Naples.

The 4.4-magnitude tremor in Pozzuoli, a densely populated port city, was followed by 150 quakes that were also strongly felt in Naples.

Continue reading...

New footage shows Australian couple beginning hike moments before Taiwan earthquake

Posted on by

Search continues for couple who have not been seen for six days after they began their hike on the mountainous Shakadang trail before the 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck

Rescue efforts are still under way in Taiwan’s Taroko national park to find two missing Australian nationals, who have not been seen for six days after a massive earthquake hit the island.

The couple, identified by local government officials as Neo Siew Choo and Sim Hwee Kok, went missing after the 7.2 magnitude earthquake struck the island at 7.58am on Wednesday.

Continue reading...

Taiwan earthquake: over 600 people remain stranded days after disaster

Posted on by

‘I kept praying and praying’, says rescued woman as search for four people missing from hiking trail set to resume following Wednesday’s quake

Rescuers in Taiwan planned to bring in heavy equipment on Saturday to try to recover two bodies buried on a hiking trail, while more than 600 people remained stranded in various locations, three days after the island’s strongest earthquake in 25 years.

Four people remain missing on the same Shakadang Trail in Taroko national park, famed for its rugged mountainous terrain. Search and recovery work was set to resume after being called off on Friday afternoon because of aftershocks.

At least 12 people were killed by the magnitude 7.4 earthquake that struck on Wednesday morning off Taiwan’s east coast, and 10 others were still missing.

More than 600 people – including about 450 at a hotel in the Taroko park – remained stranded, cut off by rockslides and other damage in different areas. However, many were known to be safe as rescuers deployed helicopters, drones and smaller teams with dogs to reach them.

Continue reading...

New York City shakes as 4.8 magnitude earthquake hits US north-east

Posted on by

US Geological survey reported the quake centered in New Jersey, and was felt across the eastern seaboard

An earthquake shook the densely populated New York City metropolitan area on Friday morning, the US Geological Survey said, with residents reporting they felt rumbling across the eastern seaboard in what is a relatively rare event for the region.

The government agency reported a quake with a preliminary magnitude of 4.8, with a preliminary location for the epicenter given as near Lebanon, New Jersey, and later as near Tewksbury and Whitehouse Station, all three of which are in Hunterdon county roughly in a 10-mile radius.

People reported feeling the quake in the states of Connecticut and Massachusetts, with the Weather Channel reporting that it was noticeable in Boston and residents in Philadelphia reporting they felt it, too. Tremors lasting for several seconds were felt more than 200 miles away near the New Hampshire border.

Continue reading...

‘First time?’ Californians poke fun at New Yorkers’ frantic earthquake posts

Posted on by

Although one Bay Area reporter found the side-eye inappropriate, New York earthquake Twitter proved delightful for Angelenos

For many people in Los Angeles, earthquakes are just another trend that New Yorkers have discovered years after the real cool kids did.

As Angelenos awoke to the news that the east coast had endured a 4.8-magnitude earthquake centered in New Jersey, “First time?” memes filled Los Angeles social media channels.

Continue reading...

Taiwan earthquake: shock and grief take hold in Hualien

Posted on by

Residents of tourist city near epicentre of 7.2-magnitude Taiwan earthquake face destruction and despair

Lying in his bed, Liao Xiu Bo wondered if he was about to die. As a powerful earthquake rocked the ground beneath him, he tried to escape his house. “Am I going to be crushed?” he asked himself, before gathering the courage to run down the stairs, which swayed beneath his feet.

Outside, he could see that the wall surrounding his house had collapsed, its bricks littered across the road. “That’s when I realised how extreme the earthquake was.”

Continue reading...

Taiwan earthquake: search for survivors continues into night after nine people killed in quake – as it happened

Posted on by

This live blog is now closed. You can read our latest full report below:

People are trapped in collapsed buildings in Taiwan’s city of Hualien according to local media and the local government has suspended schools and classes in the region.

According to Taiwan’s Central Weather Administration, the epicentre of the quake was 25km southeast of Hualien.

Based on tsunami wave models and early tide gauge records of the tsunami in the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center, coastal areas in the Philippines fronting the Pacific Ocean are expected to experience high tsunami waves.

It is forecasted that the first tsunami waves will arrive between 08:33 AM to 10:33 AM, 03 Apr 2024 (PST). It may not be the largest and these waves may continue for hours.

Continue reading...

Taiwan earthquake: nine dead and 900 injured as buildings collapse

Posted on by

Dozens believed trapped and awaiting rescue after island hit by 7.2-magnitude quake, its strongest in 25 years

Taiwan’s strongest earthquake in 25 years has killed nine people and injured at least 900, causing building collapses, power outages and landslides on the island, and triggering initial tsunami warnings in southern Japan and the Philippines.

The fire agency said 64 people were trapped in one coalmine, and six in another, while rescue workers had lost contact with 50 people who were travelling in minibuses through a national park as the earthquake wiped out phone networks.

Continue reading...

‘Reality remains tough as ever’, says Japan PM as extra $660m pledged for Noto earthquake rebuild

Posted on by

The earthquake hit parts of the Ishikawa region on New Year’s Day killing 241 people and sparking a major fire, water remains cut off to some areas

Japan will spend an additional $660m rebuilding areas ravaged by a devastating New Year’s Day earthquake, prime minister Fumio Kishida said, taking the total amount of relief to $1.7bn.

The new financial aid was announced by the prime minister on Saturday as he visited the quake-hit areas.

Continue reading...

Texas earthquake of 4.7 magnitude largest of 30 in area in past three weeks

Posted on by

No immediate reports of major damage or injuries after quake struck at 12.32am about 45 miles south-east of San Antonio

An earthquake of 4.7 magnitude that struck early Saturday morning near a small Texas city – one of several earthquakes that have occurred in the area in recent days – could be felt dozens of miles away, including in San Antonio.

There were no immediate reports of major damage or injuries from the earthquake, which struck at 12.32am and was centered about 2 miles (3km) south-east of Falls City, according to the United States Geological Survey. Falls City, which has a population of about 500 people, is about 45 miles (72km) south-east of San Antonio.

Continue reading...

Hawaii’s Big Island struck by 5.7 magnitude earthquake

Posted on by

‘Strong shaking’ could be felt all the way in Honolulu on the island of Oahu, about 200 miles to the north

A magnitude 5.7 earthquake struck Mauna Loa, the world’s largest active volcano, on the Big Island of Hawaii on Friday morning, the US Geological Survey said.

No tsunami was expected, according to the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center. The earthquake, which the USGS initially reported as magnitude 6.3 before downgrading it, was centered on Mauna Loa’s southern flank, 1.3 miles (2km) south-west of Pahala. Shaking could be felt as far as Honolulu, about 200 miles to the north on the island of Oahu.

Continue reading...

‘No one can bring back what we lost’: fears rise among poor in Turkish city ravaged by earthquakes

Posted on by

Less well-off residents in the southern city of Antakya feel left out of the city’s rebuilding efforts

• Read more: A year in the aftermath of Turkey’s earthquake – a photo essay

Rows of bright white marble gravestones dot a hillside on the outskirts of Antakya, some bearing the words “martyr of the earthquake”. The final resting place for the city’s dead will soon be overshadowed by tower blocks for those who survived. Bright yellow cranes jut into the skyline on the next hillside, slowly birthing a cluster of concrete skeletons, new government housing for some of the hundreds of thousands who lost their homes when deadly earthquakes struck southern Turkey and northern Syria last February.

“No one can bring back what was lost, as we lost everything,” said İsa Akbaba, who lost seven members of his extended family along with his home.

Continue reading...

Oklahoma rattled by 5.1 magnitude earthquake

Posted on by

Initial earthquake followed by at least eight smaller ones as residents across state reported feeling shaking

A 5.1 magnitude earthquake shook an area near Oklahoma’s capital late Friday night, followed by smaller quakes during the next several hours, the US Geological Survey (USGS) reported.

The agency said the earthquake struck at 11.24pm and was centered 8kms (5 miles) north-west of Prague, Oklahoma, about 57 miles(92km) east of Oklahoma City.

Continue reading...

Powerful earthquake hits China-Kyrgyzstan border

Posted on by

Authorities warn of potentially widespread damage after the 7.0-magnitude quake, with tremors felt in neighbouring countries

A 7.0-magnitude earthquake has struck along the China-Kyrgyzstan border, as authorities warned of potentially widespread damage.

The China Earthquake Networks Center said the quake hit Wushu county in Aksu prefecture shortly after 2am local time, according to the state-run Xinhua press agency and about 200 rescuers were dispatched to the epicenter.

Continue reading...

China landslide kills eight and buries dozens in Yunnan province

Posted on by

Preliminary investigations show 47 people missing in mountainous region, state broadcaster reports

Forty-seven people were buried in a landslide, with eight reported dead, in south-western Yunnan province, Chinese state media reported.

China Central Television said on Monday that about 18 households were buried, and more than 200 people evacuated.

Continue reading...