Tag: 2012 earthquakes

Magnitude 5.6 Earthquake and Aftershocks in Southwest China

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Earthquake in China

According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, at 11:19 AM local time this morning (3:19 UTC), a magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck southeast China, 12 km south of Jiaokui. The earthquake was followed by more than 60 aftershocks including another M5.6 earthquake, which struck 1 km south of Jiaokui at 12:15 PM local time (4:16 UTC). Both earthquakes were relatively shallow, with depths of 9.9 km and 9.8 km, respectively. The highest reported intensity in population centers is around V (moderate) in Zhaotong, which is mainly an agricultural area. At this…

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Strong Earthquake Strikes Western Costa Rica

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Costa Rica Earthquake

According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, at 8:42 AM local time this morning (14:42 UTC), a magnitude 7.6 earthquake struck a sparsely populated region of western Costa Rica approximately 150 km west of San José , the nation’s capital and largest city (approximate population 365,800 as of 2006). The earthquake, initially estimated at a magnitude of 7.9, struck at a depth of 40 kilometers. Though the size of the quake prompted the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center to issue a tsunami warning for Pacific coastlines of Costa Rica, Nicaragua and…

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Magnitude 6.0 Earthquake Strikes Italy’s Emilia Romagna Region: AIR

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Italy Earthquake

According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, in the early morning hours (2:03 UTC) of Sunday, May 20, an earthquake struck the Emilia-Romagna region of northern Italy. The US Geological Survey issued a moment magnitude estimate of 6.0 for the event. Italy’s National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology (INGV) reported a local magnitude of 5.9. Focal depth is estimated at between 6.3 km (by INGV) and 10 km (USGS), making this a shallow event. Indeed, the shallowness of today’s earthquake will likely exacerbate the damage. The largest aftershock reported so…

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Strong Earthquake Strikes Central Chile; No Tsunami or Significant Damage Reported

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According to catastrophe modeling firm AIR Worldwide, yesterday evening, a M7.1 earthquake struck central Chile approximately 27 kilometers north-northwest of the city of Talca (approximate population of 200,000). According to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake occurred at 7:37 PM local time (22:37:06 UTC) and struck at a depth of 34.8 kilometers. “The earthquake occurred on the subduction zone that was partially ruptured by the 2010 earthquake; it can therefore be considered another aftershock of the 2010 earthquake,” said Dr. Tao Lai, principal engineer at AIR Worldwide. “It…

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