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Categories: Geoscience: Earthquakes, Geoscience: Landslides
Published Edge waves, continental shelf fueled the 2021 Acapulco Bay tsunami


Trapped inside the shoreline of a bay, the resonant interactions of a tsunami with regular waves can prolong the tsunami disturbance. For the 2021 magnitude 7 Acapulco, Mexico earthquake and tsunami, edge waves in the bay and the short continental shelf also had a surprisingly significant effect on the tsunami's duration, according to a new study.
Published Deepest scientific ocean drilling sheds light on Japan's next great earthquake


Scientists who drilled deeper into an undersea earthquake fault than ever before have found that the tectonic stress in Japan's Nankai subduction zone is less than expected. The findings are a puzzle but will help scientists home in on the link between tectonic forces and the earthquake cycle and potentially lead to better earthquake forecasts, both at Nankai and other megathrust faults such as Cascadia in the Pacific Northwest. The drilling reached over two miles into the Nankai subduction zone and was conducted in 2018 with the IODP scientific drilling vessel Chikyu.
Published Earth's newest secret: How volcanoes really work


It isn't every day that we learn something that fundamentally changes how we understand our world. But for volcanologists across the globe, such a revelation has occurred.
Published Diamonds and rust at Earth's core-mantle boundary


Scientists discover that a potential 'diamond factory' may have existed at Earth's core-mantle boundary for billions of years.
Published Ancient landslide destroyed area size of Cincinnati


University of Cincinnati geologists reconstructed a massive landslide in Nevada that wiped out an area the size of a small city more than 5 million years ago. Researchers pieced together details of the Blue Diamond landslide, a natural disaster that sent rocks and boulders tumbling more than 6 miles across what is now a desert outside Las Vegas. The landslide in Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area had such mass and force that it propelled fragmented rock 2 miles uphill, cresting the enormous Blue Diamond Hill, and flattened an area larger than downtown Cincinnati. Rubble from the landslide stretches over an area of more than 7 square miles.
Published Hidden microearthquakes illuminate large earthquake-hosting faults in Oklahoma and Kansas


Using machine learning to sift through a decade's worth of seismic data, researchers have identified hundreds of thousands of microearthquakes along some previously unknown fault structures in Oklahoma and Kansas.
Published Wave created by Tonga volcano eruption reached 90 meters -- nine times taller than 2011 Japan tsunami


New research reveals more about the magnitude of January eruption, as researchers call for better preparedness The eruption of the Hunga Tonga-Hunga Ha'apai volcano in January created an initial wave 90 meters high -- almost the height of the Statue of Liberty (93m). Tsunami expert calls for better warning systems to detect volcanic eruptions, saying systems are '30 years behind' comparable earthquake detection tools.
Published Geological carbon sequestration in mantle rocks prevents large earthquakes in parts of the San Andreas Fault


Researchers say ubiquitous evidence for ongoing geological carbon sequestration in mantle rocks in the creeping sections of the San Andreas Fault is one underlying cause of aseismic creep along a roughly 150 kilometer-long SAF segment between San Juan Bautista and Parkfield, California, and along several other fault segments.
Published Assessing the effect of hydraulic fracturing on microearthquakes


A new article assesses the impact of hydraulic fracturing on seismic hazards like micro-earthquakes, an important issue for the safety of workers and the continuation of mining operations.
Published Nanoscale observations simplify how scientists describe earthquake movement


Using single calcite crystals with varying surface roughness allows engineers to simplify the complex physics that describes fault movement. Researchers now show how this simplification may lead to better earthquake prediction.
Published We need to change how we think about soil


With record temperatures this summer along with dry conditions, ongoing concerns about food security, wildlife habitats and biodiversity, having a healthy soil system is more vital and challenging than ever before. But what does the term 'soil health' mean and how should we measure it? New research says that how we think about, measure and study soil must be changed to give a better understanding of how to manage this resource effectively, with academics proposing an entirely new approach for assessing soil health.
Published How charred detritus dispersed from Goleta Beach in wake of 2018 Montecito, California, debris flow


The catastrophic debris flow that affected Montecito, Calif., in early January, 2018 was the result of a rare confluence of severe events. The Thomas Fire had been raging for weeks in Ventura and Santa Barbara counties, and an unusually strong winter storm dumped half an inch of rain in five minutes on the newly-charred hills above the suburban enclave. With the tough vegetation that holds the hillsides in place burned off by the fire, tons of water, silt, burnt plant matter and rocks roared down the slopes and engulfed the community below, causing massive damage and the death of 23 residents.
Published New model developed to predict landslides along wildfire burn scars


Researchers have augmented a physics-based numerical model to investigate and predict areas susceptible to debris flows. This augmented model eventually could be used in an early warning system for people living in high-risk areas, enabling them to evacuate before it's too late. Information from model simulations also could be used to design new infrastructure -- such as diversion bars that deflect fast-moving water away from homes and roads -- for high hazard zones.
Published Global supply chains remain resilient in the wake of natural disasters


While many U.S. policy makers are calling for reshoring and nearshoring to combat trade disruptions caused by COVID-19, new research suggests retrenchment of global supply chains is unlikely to happen in the post-pandemic context.
Published Novel model of fluid distribution in the Cascadia Subduction Zone aids understanding of seismic activity


A novel three-dimensional model of the fluid stored deep in Earth's crust along the Cascadia Subduction Zone provides new insight into how the accumulation and release of those fluids may influence seismic activity in the region.
Published Shockwave caused by Tonga underwater eruption may help scientists predict future tsunami


Using data from the eruption of the underwater volcano near Tonga in 2022, researchers used disturbances in Earth's upper atmosphere to track the airwaves that cause tsunami. Their findings may lead to speedier predictions of these giant waves.
Published Haiti's 1860 Jour de Pâques earthquakes may have released strain in key fault zone


Using details from historical newspaper accounts and letters, seismologists have learned more about Haiti's 1860 Jour de Pâques (Easter Sunday) earthquake sequence, and how it might have impacted the country's most recent devastating earthquakes.
Published 'Quake brain' effects suffered by resilient Cantabrians fade over time


New research suggests the brain function of otherwise-healthy individuals exposed to event trauma has the ability to 'bounce back' over time once the threat resolves. Researchers conducted a follow-up study on a group of Cantabrians, who had been exposed to trauma during the region's earthquakes over a decade ago.
Published 'Hindcasting' helps identify causes of induced earthquakes in Delaware Basin, West Texas


Using a method that works backward from a set of observed earthquakes to test seismic models that fit those observations, researchers working in the Delaware Basin were able to determine whether earthquakes in the region since 2017 were caused by oil and gas operations.
Published Mangrove and reef restoration yield positive returns on investment for flood protection, study shows


Restoration of mangroves and coral reefs can be a cost-effective solution for coastal flood reduction in more than 20 countries across the Caribbean. Researchers used methods from the risk and insurance industry to provide rigorous valuations of these natural defenses and show that they can deliver a positive return on investment, with the benefits from reduced flood damage exceeding the costs of restoration. The results point toward new opportunities to support restoration efforts with funds from sources that support hazard mitigation, climate adaptation, and disaster recovery, including FEMA.