Clipmarks | Seismology Clips

Global Change Master Diretory - NASA

Fri, 11 Jul 2008 14:52:11 GMT

clipped by: skwirlinator


			Agriculture forest science, soils ...

			Atmosphere precipitation, air quality ...

			Biosphere ecosystems, vegetation...

			Biological Classification animals/invertebrates, plants...

			Climate Indicators air temperature, drought ...

			Cryosphere frozen ground, sea ice ...

			Human Dimensions land use, population ...

			Data Centers Projects Instruments / Sensors Platforms / Sources


		Land Surface erosion, topography ...

		Oceans ocean temperature , salinity ...

		Paleoclimate ice cores, land records ...

		Solid Earth geochemistry, seismology ...

		Spectral / Engineering radar, visible imagery ...

		Sun-Earth Interactions auroras, solar activity ...

		Terrestrial Hydrosphere ground water, water quality ...

		Map / Date Search or Location Name Search

Webmaster: Monica Holland
Responsible NASA Official: Lola Olsen
Last Updated: July 2008

Tags: global, change, master diretory, - nasa, goddard, monica

How Oil Drilling Works

Mon, 23 Jun 2008 05:25:20 GMT

clipped by: merrie
clipper's remarks: As new sedimentary layers were deposited, they exerted intense pressure and heat on the source rock. The heat and pressure distilled the organic material into crude oil and natural gas. The oil flowed from the source rock and accumulated in thicker, more porous limestone or sandstone, called reservoir rock. Movements in the Earth trapped the oil and natural gas in the reservoir rocks between layers of impermeable rock, or cap rock, such as granite or marble.

Modern oil geologists examine surface rocks and terrain, with the additional help of satellite images. However, they also use a variety of other methods to find oil. They can use sensitive gravity meters to measure tiny changes in the Earth's gravitational field that could indicate flowing oil, as well as sensitive magnetometers to measure tiny changes in the Earth's magnetic field caused by flowing oil. They can detect the smell of hydrocarbons using sensitive electronic noses called sniffers.

Clip Source: science.howstuffworks.com

Photo courtesy Phillips Petroleum Co.
Offshore oil rig. See more oil drilling pictures.

In 2005 alone, the United States produced an estimated 9 million barrels of crude oil per day and imported 13.21 million barrels per day from other countries. This oil gets refined into gasoline, kerosene, heating oil and other products. To keep up with our consumption, oil companies must constantly look for new sources of petroleum, as well as improve the production of existing wells.

Clip Source: static.howstuffworks.com

Clip Source: science.howstuffworks.com

Photo courtesy Institute of Petroleum
Oil reservoir rocks (red) and natural gas (blue) can be trapped by folding (left), faulting (middle) or pinching out (right).

Over the years, the organisms decayed in the sedimentary layers. In these layers, there was little or no oxygen present. So microorganisms broke the remains into carbon-rich compounds that formed organic layers.

The organic material mixed with the sediments, forming fine-grained shale, or source rock.

Tags: crude oil, gasoline, sources of petro, geologists, satellite imagery, gravity meters, magnetometers, seismology, "sniffers"

Karin manga full version

Wed, 14 May 2008 09:25:38 GMT

clipped by: kuooiilf

Clip Source: www.iebooke.com

Karin manga full version

2008-05-12Adobe After Effects 7.0 Professional

by Tommy R. Jensen and Bjarne Toft / 2008-05-12Graph Coloring Problems

by S. Stein & M. Wysession / 2008-05-12An Introduction to Seismology, Earthquakes, and Earth Structure

2008-05-12Secrets of Feng Shui

2008-05-12Body Language - How to read other people's thughts through their gestures

by Somebody / 2008-05-12Psychologists book of personality tests

2008-05-12The Economist : April 12 - 18

2008-05-12PC World magazine All 2007-2008 magazines

2008-05-12Physics - Reference Textbook Collections (38 Books)

Tags: free download ebook

Curious cloud formations linked to quakes

Sat, 19 Apr 2008 01:32:17 GMT

clipped by: Silkweaver
clipper's remarks: The authors say that if recognisable cloud formations precede large quakes, they could be used for prediction, but other seismologists are sceptical. "There is no physical model that explains why something would suddenly occur two months before an earthquake, and then shut off and not occur again," says Mike Blanpied of the

Clip Source: environment.newscientist.com

CAN unusual clouds signal the possibility of an impending earthquake? That's the question being asked following the discovery of distinctive cloud formations above an active fault in Iran before each of two large earthquakes occurred.

Geophysicists Guangmeng Guo and Bin Wang of Nanyang Normal University in Henan, China, noticed a gap in the clouds in satellite images from December 2004 that precisely matched the location of the main fault in southern Iran

At the same time, thermal images of the ground showed that the temperature was higher along the fault. Sixty-nine days later, on 22 February 2005, an earthquake of magnitude 6.4 hit the area, killing more than 600 people.

In December 2005, a similar formation again appeared in the clouds for a few hours. Sixty-four days later, an earthquake of magnitude 6 shook the region

Guo and Wang suggest that an eruption of hot gases from inside the fault could have caused water in the clouds to evaporate.

Tags: seismology, earth quaque prediction

Unearthing clues of catastrophic earthquakes

Thu, 17 Apr 2008 17:38:34 GMT

clipped by: invictus
clipper's remarks:

There is still much to be known about ancient earthquakes. The instrumental record for seismology is short, going back 100 years. The historical seismology record is a much longer, including written documentation such as news accounts and diaries, which vary widely by culture and region. The archeoseismic record serves as the bridge between historical accounts and the paleoseismic record of Earth’s history.

Clip Source: www.eurekalert.org

The destruction and disappearance of ancient cultures mark the history of human civilization, making for fascinating stories and cautionary tales. The longevity of today’s societies may depend upon separating fact from fiction, and archeologists and seismologists are figuring out how to join forces to do just that with respect to ancient earthquakes, as detailed in new studies presented at the international conference of the Seismological Society of America.

Archaeoseismology, a young scientific discipline that studies past earthquakes in the archaeological record, allows scientists to broaden the time window to detect these rare seismic catastrophic events. But archaeological evidence for past earthquakes raises a lot of reservations from seismologists, some of them strongly questioning whether man-made structures can be used as earthquake indicators at all.

Tags: archaeology, seismology, ancient earthquakes, catastrophes, science

Big quake for California a 'certainty'

Tue, 15 Apr 2008 13:42:56 GMT

clipped by: pokkets

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

California will almost certainly be hit by a killer earthquake in the next 30 years, US scientists say.

A collapsed portion of the Oakland Bay Bridge is shown following the 1989 earthquake that hit San Francisco

New calculations reveal there is a 99.7% chance a magnitude 6.7 quake or larger will strike before 2038.

"It basically guarantees it's going to happen," says Dr Ned Field, a geophysicist with the US Geological Survey in Pasadena and lead author of the report.

The predictions were the result of a new system that combines information from seismology, earthquake geology, and precise measurements from the earth's surface, allowing the probabilities of a major earthquake to be forecast.

Geologists say one of the biggest areas of concern in California is the southern section of the San Andreas fault in Riverside County, east of Los Angeles, which is described as being "10 months pregnant".

"We can expect that we're going to get hammered by a big earthquake and we'd better be prepared."

Experts warn major Israel quakes fast approaching

Mon, 17 Dec 2007 20:39:06 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

LOD, Israel (AFP) - As if political instability and rampant insecurity in the Middle East are not worrying enough, Israeli experts are warning that a major earthquake could strike the region at any time.

Three minor quakes over the past month have served as a reminder that Israel and the West Bank sit atop one of the most sensitive fault lines in the world, where earthquakes have a history of causing havoc.

"We can say with certainty that an earthquake of a magnitude of six on the Richter scale could take place in the coming years," said Yefim Gitterman from the seismology department at the geophysical institute of Lod, near Tel Aviv.

"It can happen tomorrow or in years to come," he said. "Statistically, there is a major quake every 80 years."

Tags: earthquake, israel, middle east

Unprecedented insights into San Andreas Fault

Wed, 10 Oct 2007 00:46:09 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: www.sciencecentric.com

For the first time, geologists have extracted intact rock samples from 2 miles beneath the surface of the San Andreas Fault, the infamous rupture that runs 800 miles along the length of California.

Altogether, the geologists retrieved 135 feet of 4-inch diameter rock cores weighing roughly 1 ton

There have been many theories about why the San Andreas Fault slides along so easily, none of which could be tested directly until now,

Some posit the presence of especially slippery clays, called smectites. Others suggest there may be high water pressure along the fault plane lubricating the surface. Still others note the presence of a mineral called serpentine exposed in several places along the surface trace of the fault, which — if it existed at depth — could both weaken the fault and cause it to creep.

Serpentine can dissolve in ground water as fault particles grind past each other and then crystallise in nearby open pore spaces, allowing the fault to creep even under

Tags: geology, interesting, science, seismology

Undersea seismic activity may play a role in the breakup of ice sheets

Sun, 16 Sep 2007 02:29:32 GMT

clipped by: amgumen

Clip Source: oregonstate.edu

Sounds of the Antarctic Revealed: Earthquakes, Icebergs and Pygmy Whales

Their preliminary findings suggest that this remote region in the Bransfield Strait is much more seismically active than scientists previously thought and its ongoing earthquakes – in proximity to massive ice fields – create an unusual relationship that may not occur anywhere else on Earth.

That has been well-documented. But we also picked up the same humming sounds right after earthquake activity, suggesting that the undersea seismic activity may play a role in the breakup of ice sheets

This relationship between earthquakes and ice fields is a new idea and unique to the region

In fact, while our instruments were deployed here, a magnitude 7.5 quake hit the region, generating a small tsunami. It’s a very active area

Tags: geology, interesting, science, seismology, antarctica

Plate movement may have cut quake toll

Fri, 14 Sep 2007 02:20:02 GMT

clipped by: pokkets

Clip Source: www.abc.net.au

The direction of plate movements that sparked quakes off Indonesia's island of Sumatra this week spared the coast from damaging tsunamis, an expert says.

The area around Sumatra is prone to seismic activity, as this map shows, with each circle representing a quake since 1990. The larger circles represent the most serious quakes and the deeper the colour of each circle, the deeper the seismic activity. The subduction zone, when one plate slips beneath the other, is marked with a purple line

"Most probably the quakes were caused by horizontal shifts in the continental plates," says Subardjo, a seismology expert with the Indonesian meteorological agency.

"So although similar amounts of energy were released, it had a different effect than when the quakes are caused by vertical shifts of the plates."

It was a vertical shift that caused the massive quake that unleashed the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami, which killed 168,000 people in Aceh province at the tip of Sumatra and more than 50,000 others

Tags: earthquake, sumatra, indonesia, fault, richter, tremor

Disaster

Mon, 03 Sep 2007 05:54:59 GMT

clipped by: Bobzilla808

Clip Source: neic.usgs.gov

Magnitude 3.2 NEW YORK

2007 August 30 03:47:45 UTC

Seismic Hazard Map

State boundaries in blue; county boundaries in green.

USGS National Seismic Hazard Mapping Project

Preliminary Earthquake Report
U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center
World Data Center for Seismology, Denver

Tags: disasters

Meteorite hits Norway

Sat, 18 Aug 2007 16:46:46 GMT

clipped by: sodrio

Clip Source: www.astromart.com

As Wednesday morning dawned, northern Norway was hit with an impact comparable to the atomic bomb used on Hiroshima.

At around 2:05 a.m. on Wednesday, residents of the northern part of Troms and the western areas of Finnmark could clearly see a ball of fire taking several seconds to travel across the sky.

A few minutes later an impact could be heard and geophysics and seismology research foundation NORSAR registered a powerful sound and seismic disturbances at 02:13.25 a.m. at their station in Karasjok.

"I saw a brilliant flash of light in the sky, and this became a light with a tail of smoke," Bruvold told Aftenposten.no. He photographed the object and then continued to tend to his animals when he heard an enormous crash.

"I heard the bang seven minutes later. It sounded like when you set off a solid charge of dynamite a kilometer (0.62 miles) away," Bruvold said.

Farmer Peter Bruvold was out on his farm in Lyngseidet with a camera because his mare Virika was about to foal

Tags: meteorite, norway, astronomy

Volcano faces 'imminent eruption'

Mon, 07 Aug 2006 12:18:05 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: www.news24.com

Volcano faces 'imminent eruption'
07/08/2006 09:21 - (SA)

Legaspi - Tens of thousands of people were being moved out of their homes in the central Philippines on Monday in the face of an "imminent" eruption of the rumbling Mayon volcano, officials said.

With 80 military trucks doing the heavy lifting, the government expected to move 34 276 people to 31 state-run shelters by noon, defence secretary Avelino Cruz told a news conference in Manila.

Volcanologists previously said an explosive eruption by Mayon, one of the country's most active volcanoes, could threaten the lives of about 60 000 people.

The government's seismology institute on Monday raised a five-step volcano alert over Mayon at the next-highest level of 4, meaning an eruption could occur within days.

Tags: volcanoes, philippines, mayon, evacuation

Canlaon volcano in central Philippines spews ash and steam

Sun, 25 Jun 2006 13:36:44 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: english.people.com.cn

Canlaon volcano in central Philippines spews ash and steam

Mount Canlaon in Negros Island in the central Philippines, some 500 km south of Manila, spewed ash on its upper slope on Saturday afternoon, according to a report of the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology (Phivolcs).

The ash emission was the third within two days, the report said, adding that Saturday's steam clouds rose higher to 1,500 meters.

No volcanic earthquake or tremor was detected with the ash emissions, it said.

Alert level 1 imposed by the authority is still in effect. The public is advised to stay out of the 4-km-radius permanent danger zone, where sudden steam and ash explosions may occur.

Areas just outside the zone and fronting gullies leading to the upper slopes should also be avoided because lahar flows and rockfall may affect these areas especially during heavy rains over the volcano's slopes, Phivolcs said.

Tags: canlaon, philippines, volcano, eruption

20,000 people at risk from Philippines volcano

Sun, 18 Jun 2006 03:20:50 GMT

clipped by: invictus

Clip Source: news.yahoo.com

20,000 people at risk from Philippines volcano, president told

AFP/HO Photo: This handout picture shows Philippines President Gloria Arroyo (R) being briefed by Sorsogon Governor Raul...

JUBAN, Philippines (AFP) - Experts warned Philippines President Gloria Arroyo that a major eruption by a restive volcano could threaten the lives of at least 20,000 people.

The Filipino leader flew to Juban in the foothills of Mount Bulusan to inspect disaster preparations that began three weeks ago when the 1,565-meter (5,134-foot) volcano began emitting ash and steam.

Experts from the Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology and the local civil defense office laid out to the president a "worst-case scenario" where portions of the peak would collapse onto Lake Bulusan at the eastern base of the mountain.

If this happens, the water may flood the entire coastal town of Bulusan, a town of just under 21,000 people, civil defense office regional director Arnel Capili told Arroyo during a public forum in Juban.

Renato Solidum, head of the volcanology institute, said the town's residents would then have to be moved out of harm's way and housed temporarily in shelters where they may have to stay for months while waiting for the volcanic activity to subside.

"Authorities will likely build (palm-frond) huts and tent cities so schools wont be overburdened. The tent city will be outside the six-kilometer (3.72-mile)" danger zone, Solidum said.

He said the worst-case scenario would involve ash falls and the spitting out of hot rocks and dust from the crater.

Bulusan is one of the most active of the 22 volcanoes that have erupted within recorded history in the Philippines.

"We already pacified the fear of our people. At present everyone is at peace and waiting for activity by Bulusan," Capili said.

Tags: volcanoes, philippines, bulusan