The movement of Earth's major continental tectonic plates is speeding up, suggests a new study. The eight major and numerous minor tectonic plates on the planet's surface are moved by these convection currents. During this time, they found there was little new crust building activity, no major changes in atmospheric composition and few major developments in the fossil record. The study, presented at the Goldschmidt Geochemistry Conference in Sacramento California, challenges the idea that the rate of plate movement remains stable. Continental drift is caused by heat deep in the planet, driving the convection of material in the Earth's mantle. "Before 1.7 billion years ago, the Earth's crust would have been substantially hotter, meaning that continental plate movement may have been governed by different rules to those that operate today," says Cawood. To identify how continents have moved, Condie and colleagues looked at the geomagnetic record in the Earth's crust to see how much it has changed over time. "All of these lines of evidence indicate plate tectonics is speeding up, not slowing down," says Condie.
The article written by Luis Andres Henao of The Associated Press, Published on Wed Sep 16 2015 is about the earthquake on Chile in September, 2015. It states how the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center initially issued a tsunami watch for Hawaii, but later downgraded its advisory and said no major tsunami was expected. SANTIAGO, CHILE —A powerful magnitude-8.3 earthquake hit off Chile's northern coast Wednesday night, causing buildings to sway in the capital of Santiago and bringing flooding from small tsunami waves in some shore towns. Officials reported three deaths. Numerous strong aftershocks, including one measuring 7.0 magnitude and three above 6, rattled the region after the first major tremor since a powerful quake and tsunami killed hundreds in 2010 and levelled part of the city of Concepcion in south-central Chile. A magnitude-8.8 quake and ensuing tsunami in south-central Chile in 2010 killed more than 500 people, destroyed 220,000 homes, and washed away docks, riverfronts and seaside resorts. Late Wednesday, authorities lifted the tsunami warning for Chile's far southern regions. Authorities had issued a tsunami alert for Chile's entire Pacific coast, and the tremor was so strong that people on the other side of the continent, in Buenos Aires, Argentina, reported feeling it. That quake released so much energy, it actually it shortened the Earth's day by a fraction of a second by changing the planet's rotation.
Elaine Kurtenbach Associated Press, Published on Fri May 29 2015
TOKYO — A volcano erupted in spectacular fashion on a small island in southern Japan on Friday, spewing out rocks and sending black clouds of ash nine kilometres into the sky. About two hours after the eruption, NHK showed the mountain shrouded in light grey ash as the clouds from the eruption cleared. Kuchinoerabu is 80 kms southwest of Japan’s main southern island of Kyushu. One person was reported to have suffered minor burns from falling debris after Mount Shindake erupted, sending dense flows of rock and hot gases seaward, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported. Authorities recently closed part of a popular hot springs about 80 kms from Tokyo because of fears of an eruption of Mount Hakone, which is southeast of Mount Fuji. The injured man, another person who was feeling unwell and a third person were airlifted to nearby Yakushima island, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.
TOKYO — A volcano erupted in spectacular fashion on a small island in southern Japan on Friday, spewing out rocks and sending black clouds of ash nine kilometres into the sky. About two hours after the eruption, NHK showed the mountain shrouded in light grey ash as the clouds from the eruption cleared. Kuchinoerabu is 80 kms southwest of Japan’s main southern island of Kyushu. One person was reported to have suffered minor burns from falling debris after Mount Shindake erupted, sending dense flows of rock and hot gases seaward, the Japan Meteorological Agency reported. Authorities recently closed part of a popular hot springs about 80 kms from Tokyo because of fears of an eruption of Mount Hakone, which is southeast of Mount Fuji. The injured man, another person who was feeling unwell and a third person were airlifted to nearby Yakushima island, the Fire and Disaster Management Agency said.
Associated Press, Published on Sat Jun 13 2015
JAKARTA, INDONESIA—A volcano in western Indonesia unleashed a new powerful burst high into the sky on Saturday, sending hot ash far down the mountain’s slopes, an official said. Cahya said that as of Saturday evening, 11 avalanches of hot ash had been recorded, with volcanic ash released as high as 2 kilometres into the air. Hot ash tumbled down the slopes of the mountain as far as 3 kilometres southeastward on Saturday, said Wendy Cahya, an official at the mountain’s monitoring post. More than 2,700 people from villages within the danger zone of 7 kilometres from the crater have been evacuated to temporary shelters. The volcano has sporadically erupted since 2010, after being dormant for 400 years. No injuries were reported from the latest eruption, he said.
JAKARTA, INDONESIA—A volcano in western Indonesia unleashed a new powerful burst high into the sky on Saturday, sending hot ash far down the mountain’s slopes, an official said. Cahya said that as of Saturday evening, 11 avalanches of hot ash had been recorded, with volcanic ash released as high as 2 kilometres into the air. Hot ash tumbled down the slopes of the mountain as far as 3 kilometres southeastward on Saturday, said Wendy Cahya, an official at the mountain’s monitoring post. More than 2,700 people from villages within the danger zone of 7 kilometres from the crater have been evacuated to temporary shelters. The volcano has sporadically erupted since 2010, after being dormant for 400 years. No injuries were reported from the latest eruption, he said.
Mari Yamaguchi The Associated Press, Published on Sun Sep 28 2014
TOKYO—Military and other rescue workers began airlifting more than two dozen bodies from the ash-blanketed peak of a Japanese volcano on Monday morning, as family members of the missing waited at a nearby elementary school. I thought, ‘If a big one hits me I’m dead,’ ” Kamata said in an interview with public broadcaster NHK. At least 31 people are believed to have died after 3,067-metre Mt. Shinichi Shimohara, who works at a shrine at the foot of the mountain, said he was on his way up Saturday morning when he heard a loud noise that sounded like strong winds followed by “thunder” as the volcano erupted. Mount Ontake erupted shortly before noon at perhaps the worst possible time, with at least 250 people taking advantage of a beautiful fall Saturday to go for a hike.
TOKYO—Military and other rescue workers began airlifting more than two dozen bodies from the ash-blanketed peak of a Japanese volcano on Monday morning, as family members of the missing waited at a nearby elementary school. I thought, ‘If a big one hits me I’m dead,’ ” Kamata said in an interview with public broadcaster NHK. At least 31 people are believed to have died after 3,067-metre Mt. Shinichi Shimohara, who works at a shrine at the foot of the mountain, said he was on his way up Saturday morning when he heard a loud noise that sounded like strong winds followed by “thunder” as the volcano erupted. Mount Ontake erupted shortly before noon at perhaps the worst possible time, with at least 250 people taking advantage of a beautiful fall Saturday to go for a hike.
The Associated Press, Published on Mon Dec 28 2015
BEIJING—A government official in southern China killed himself a week after a landslide from a huge pile of construction waste in his city left scores missing and presumed dead, police said Monday. No further details were given and it wasn’t clear whether Xu had still been in office at the time of his death. Officials have labelled the landslide a man-made disaster, raising the possibility of harsh penalties for those held responsible.
BEIJING—A government official in southern China killed himself a week after a landslide from a huge pile of construction waste in his city left scores missing and presumed dead, police said Monday. No further details were given and it wasn’t clear whether Xu had still been in office at the time of his death. Officials have labelled the landslide a man-made disaster, raising the possibility of harsh penalties for those held responsible.
Kate Allen Science and Technology reporter, Published on Tue Apr 28 2015
Kathmandu lies in the southern foothills of the Himalayas, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide: earthquakes are a fact of life there. By studying historical records and old seismic scars, they found that major 8.0-plus-magnitude earthquakes struck in 700-year cycles as the plates below the mountains slipped in a devastating release of energy. And, says tectonics researcher Paul Tapponnier, “it became clear that the region between Kathmandu and Pokhara had not seen a very large earthquake since 1344” — just over 670 years ago.
Kathmandu lies in the southern foothills of the Himalayas, where the Indian and Eurasian tectonic plates collide: earthquakes are a fact of life there. By studying historical records and old seismic scars, they found that major 8.0-plus-magnitude earthquakes struck in 700-year cycles as the plates below the mountains slipped in a devastating release of energy. And, says tectonics researcher Paul Tapponnier, “it became clear that the region between Kathmandu and Pokhara had not seen a very large earthquake since 1344” — just over 670 years ago.
At least nine climbers have been killed and another four are missing after one of the deadliest avalanches in recent years tore down a Himalayan peak obliterating everything in its path. The identity of the casualties on Mount Manaslu, the eighth highest mountain in the world at 8,163m, remains unclear, but they are thought to include up to four Frenchmen, a Nepalese guide, a German, a Spaniard, and an Italian. Hundreds of foreign climbers flock every year to Himalayan peaks in Nepal, which has eight of the world's 14 highest mountains, including Mount Everest. Several climbers had expressed concerns over the avalanche risk before heading up the mountain last week. Ang Tsering Sherpa, former president of the Nepal Mountaineering Association who has climbed Manaslu several times, said the mountain was regarded as one of the easiest of the 14 peaks that top 8,000m but the accident was not linked to the number of climbers.
MAP REGARDING WHERE THE INCIDENTS OCCURRED - https://www.zeemaps.com/map?group=1824927&add=1#