All posts tagged: earthquake

Scientists turn earthquake sensors into dangerous space debris trackers

Scientists turn earthquake sensors into dangerous space debris trackers

Published by Jenni Sidey

Every year, thousands of discarded artificial satellites are orbiting the planet, with an increasing number falling back into Earth’s atmosphere. Most of these objects will be destroyed before they hit the ground. However, some will survive long enough to pose a danger to the environment and people in the vicinity. Researchers from Johns Hopkins University and the University of London are now reporting a method by which we can track these falling satellites using existing seismic monitoring networks that are already used for detecting seismic activity and earthquakes. The investigation was led by Benjamin Fernando, who is a postdoctoral fellow at Johns Hopkins University, studying seismic activity on both Earth and other planets, with co-author Constantinos Charalambous, who is a research fellow at the University of London. Their findings have been published in the journal Science, showing that there are ways to track space debris using seismic data to identify where space debris is going and where space debris may land soon after re-entering Earth’s atmosphere. “There are an increasing number of re-entries occurring daily,” …

Discover the World’s First Earthquake Detector, Invented in China 2,000 Years Ago

Discover the World’s First Earthquake Detector, Invented in China 2,000 Years Ago

Published by José Betancourt

The Renais­sance did not, strict­ly speak­ing, occur in Chi­na. Yet it seems that the Mid­dle King­dom did have its Renais­sance men, so to speak, and in much ear­li­er times at that. We find one such illus­tri­ous fig­ure in the Han dynasty of the first and sec­ond cen­turies: a states­man named Zhang Heng (78–139 AD), who man­aged to dis­tin­guish him­self across a range of fields from math­e­mat­ics to astron­o­my to phi­los­o­phy to poet­ry. His accom­plish­ments in sci­ence and tech­nol­o­gy include invent­ing the first hydraulic armil­lary sphere for observ­ing the heav­ens, improv­ing water clocks with a sec­ondary tank, cal­cu­lat­ing pi fur­ther than it had been in Chi­na to date, and mak­ing dis­cov­er­ies about the nature of the moon. He also, so records show, put togeth­er the first-ever seis­mo­scope, a device for detect­ing earth­quakes. A visu­al expla­na­tion of Zhang’s design appears in the Sci­ence­World video above. His seis­mo­scope, its nar­ra­tor says, “was called hòufēng dìdòngyí, which means ‘instru­ment for mea­sur­ing sea­son­al winds and move­ments of the earth,’ ” and it could “deter­mine rough­ly the direc­tion in which an earth­quake …

Being a Rabbi in the Midst of an Earthquake + Elan Babchuck

Being a Rabbi in the Midst of an Earthquake + Elan Babchuck

Published by Sam Flores

  You might say that it is in his DNA. Consider Rabbi Elan Babchuck. He is the founding director of Glean Network, an incubator for faith-rooted innovation; the executive vice president of the National Jewish Center for Learning and Leadership (CLAL); fellow with the Faith & Media initiative advocating for improved representation of faith in media; and a nationally recognized commentator on religion, technology and the evolving needs of communities today. His work has appeared in The Washington Post, The New York Times, The Atlantic and Psychology Today. He is also a regular guest at the Pentagon, where he consults with military leaders, in connection with CLAL’s work with the military. In 1837, there was a devastating earthquake in northern Israel that caused major damage to the holy city of Tiberias. Rabbi Babchuck’s great-great-great-grandfather was a rabbi in Tiberias at the time, and he had to rebuild a community that had quite literally been leveled. That experience found its way into Elan’s family story, and it became his own job description. Because that is what …

Study Shows How Earthquake Monitors Can Track Space Junk Through Sonic Booms

Study Shows How Earthquake Monitors Can Track Space Junk Through Sonic Booms

Published by Sam Flores

Scientists reported Thursday that seismic readings from sonic booms that were generated when a discarded module from a Chinese crew capsule reentered over Southern California in 2024 allowed them to place the object’s path nearly 20 miles (30 kilometers) farther south than radar had predicted from orbit. Using this method to track uncontrolled objects plummeting at supersonic speeds, they said, could help recovery teams reach any surviving pieces more quickly — crucial if the debris is dangerous. “The problem at the moment is we can track stuff very well in space,” said Johns Hopkins University’s Benjamin Fernando, the lead researcher. “But once it gets to the point that it’s actually breaking up in the atmosphere, it becomes very difficult to track.” His team’s findings, published in the journal Science, focus on just one debris event. But the researchers already have used publicly available data from seismic networks to track a few dozen other reentries, including debris from three failed SpaceX Starship test flights in Texas. A growing concern among scientists and others is that falling …

Map: 6.5-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Mexico

Map: 6.5-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Mexico

Published by Sam Flores

Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 4 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “light,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown.  All times on the map are Central time. The New York Times A strong, 6.5-magnitude earthquake struck in Mexico on Friday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor happened at 7:58 a.m. Central time about 2 miles northwest of Rancho Viejo, Mexico, data from the agency shows. There were no immediate reports of deaths or widespread damage. As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map. Aftershocks in the region An aftershock is usually a smaller earthquake that follows a larger one in the same general area. Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake. Quakes and aftershocks within 100 miles Aftershocks can occur days, weeks or even years after the first earthquake. These …

Map: 6.6-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Taiwan

Map: 6.6-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Near Taiwan

Published by Sam Flores

Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 4 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “light,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown.  All times on the map are Taiwan time. The New York Times A strong, 6.6-magnitude earthquake struck in the Philippine Sea on Saturday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor happened at 11:05 p.m. Taiwan time about 19 miles southeast of Yilan, Taiwan, data from the agency shows. U.S.G.S. data earlier reported that the magnitude was 6.7. As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map. Aftershocks in the region An aftershock is usually a smaller earthquake that follows a larger one in the same general area. Aftershocks are typically minor adjustments along the portion of a fault that slipped at the time of the initial earthquake. Quakes and aftershocks within 100 miles Aftershocks can occur days, weeks or even years after the first earthquake. These …

Map: 5.5-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Colombia

Map: 5.5-Magnitude Earthquake Shakes Colombia

Published by Sam Flores

Note: Map shows the area with a shake intensity of 3 or greater, which U.S.G.S. defines as “weak,” though the earthquake may be felt outside the areas shown.  All times on the map are Colombia time. The New York Times A moderately strong, 5.5-magnitude earthquake struck in Colombia on Wednesday, according to the United States Geological Survey. The temblor happened at 3:27 a.m. Colombia time about 7 miles northeast of Jordán, Colombia, data from the agency shows. As seismologists review available data, they may revise the earthquake’s reported magnitude. Additional information collected about the earthquake may also prompt U.S.G.S. scientists to update the shake-severity map. Source: United States Geological Survey | Notes: Shaking categories are based on the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale. When aftershock data is available, the corresponding maps and charts include earthquakes within 100 miles and seven days of the initial quake. All times above are Colombia time. Shake data is as of Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 3:41 a.m. Eastern. Aftershocks data is as of Wednesday, Dec. 10 at 9:13 a.m. Eastern. Maps: …

Ancient tracks may record stampede of turtles disturbed by earthquake

Ancient tracks may record stampede of turtles disturbed by earthquake

Published by skeptic

The possible turtle tracks at Monte Cònero, Italy Paolo Sandroni Strange impressions in a rock face in Italy may have been left by a stampede of sea turtles disturbed by an earthquake around 83 million years ago. Free climbers discovered the unusual features in an area that is off limits to the public on the slopes of Monte Cònero on Italy’s east coast. There are more than 1000 prints in two locations – one more than 100 metres above the ocean, and a second shelf that has fallen to La Vela beach. These rocks consist of limestone that formed from fine sediment on a shallow seabed in the Cretaceous period. The climbers took photos that were later shown to Alessandro Montanari at the Geological Observatory of Coldigioco in Italy and his colleagues. The scientists then gained permission from the managers of the Cònero Regional Park to survey the area on foot and with drones. Montanari says it is impossible to be certain what animals made the markings, but only two groups of vertebrates inhabited the …