Earthquakes, features and articles | Educational Science

Aug 15, 2017

Ancient Earthquake Turned Mosaic Workshop into Time Capsule

An earthquake-toppled house in the ancient city of Jerash is providing archaeologists with clues on how artisans constructed mosaics during the eighth century. The ancient house was likely undergoing a remodel when, on Jan. 18, 749, the massive earthquake struck Jerash, located in what is now Jordan, the researchers of...

Sep 8, 2017

Strongest Earthquake in a Century Strikes Mexico

This story was updated Sept. 8 at 12:56 p.m. EDT. The strongest earthquake to hit Mexico in 100 years struck off the country's southern coast late Thursday night local time, officials report. So far, 32 people are reported dead from the magnitude-8.1 temblor, which was felt by 50 million people...

Sep 19, 2017

Did Ancient Greeks Deliberately Build Temples on Earthquake Faults?

Archeologists and other scientists have long known that intoxicating gases emanating from water flowing from deep within the earth likely produced the visions of the oracle of Delphi, a seer who guided ancient Greeks with her prophecies from around 800 BC through the 4th century AD from her temple on...

Sep 20, 2017

More than 200 Dead After 7.1-Magnitude Earthquake Strikes Central Mexico

A magnitude-7.1 earthquake that struck central Mexico yesterday (Sept. 20) left more than 200 people dead, with residents working through the night searching for survivors in piles of rubble from collapsed buildings, according to news reports. The earthquake came not even two weeks after another powerful 8.1-magnitude temblor hit the...

Sep 21, 2017

Were Mexico's Recent Earthquakes Related?

Over the past two weeks, Mexico has experienced a lot of shaking. On Sept. 8, a magnitude-8.1 earthquake struck 54 miles (87 kilometers) southwest of Pijijiapan, which sits just above the Mexico-Guatemala border. Eleven days later, a magnitude-7.1 quake struck 3 miles (5 km) east of Raboso, near Mexico City....

Sep 22, 2017

What Caused Mexico's 2 Major Earthquakes in 2 Weeks?

First came the 8.1-magnitude earthquake that struck offshore of Chiapas, Mexico, killing dozens and turning many buildings in the nearby region into rubble. Then, less than two weeks later and about 400 miles (650 kilometers) away, a 7.1-magnitude earthquake hit Mexico City and the surrounding area, killing more than 200...

Nov 8, 2017

Earthquakes Jolt Icelandic Volcano As It Refills with Magma

Earthquakes are shaking the ground around Iceland's explosive Bardarbunga volcano, but experts say there's a perfectly reasonable explanation for this: The volcano is likely refilling its tank with magma and preparing, albeit slowly, for its next eruption. Bardarbunga is a healthy volcano, said Sara Barsotti, coordinator for volcanic hazards at...

Nov 16, 2017

What If a 9.0-Magnitude Earthquake Hit Seattle?

The simulations don't paint a pretty picture for Seattle or the coastal areas of Washington, Oregon, British Columbia and Northern California, but the locations of some epicenters were a bit more forgiving than others. People have done simulations like this in the past, but they only did one or two,...

Nov 20, 2017

Tiny Slowdown in Earth's Rotation Could Unleash Major Earthquakes

A tiny slowdown in Earth's rotation next year could trigger more earthquakes than usual, new research suggests. Past periods of slow rotation over the last 100 years have coincided with more earthquakes than average, according to research presented last month at the annual meeting of the Geological Society of America....

Nov 27, 2017

Where in the Pacific Northwest Will the Next Monstrous Earthquake Strike?

Scientists have known that The Really big One, a monstrous 9.0-magnitude earthquake, may hit the Pacific Northwest within the next several decades. New geological research just determined that the quake is likely to strike northern Oregon or Washington State. The Pacific Northwest sits atop the Cascadia subduction zone, which is...

Nov 30, 2017

A Magnitude-4.1 Earthquake Just Hit Delaware

This story was updated Nov. 30 at 11:18 p.m. EST. A magnitude-4.1 earthquake just hit near Dover, Delaware, surprising people in the First State, a place unaccustomed to tremblers. The earthquake hit 5 miles (8.1 kilometers) underground at 4:47 p.m. EST today (Nov. 30), according to the U.S. Geological Survey...

Jan 23, 2018

Major Earthquake Strikes Off Alaska

Update: This story was updated to indicate the cancellation of the tsunami watches and warnings. A strong earthquake struck off the southern coast of Alaska early Tuesday (Jan. 23), prompting a tsunami warning, which was later canceled. The earthquake, which had a magnitude of 7.9, hit 175 miles (280 kilometers)...

Feb 1, 2018

Earthquake Watch: California Is Overdue for a 'Big One'

California earthquakes are a geologic inevitability. The state straddles the North American and Pacific tectonic plates and is crisscrossed by the San Andreas and other active fault systems. The magnitude 7.9 earthquake that struck off Alaska's Kodiak Island on Jan. 23, 2018 was just the latest reminder of major seismic...

Feb 20, 2018

Swarm of 200 Earthquakes Hits Yellowstone - Here's What That Means

A swarm of more than 200 earthquakes struck Yellowstone National Park over the past two weeks, but that probably doesn't mean the big one is coming anytime soon, according to geologists from the park. The 200 temblors began on Feb. 8 and ramped up on Feb. 15 in an area...

Mar 6, 2018

Images: Rare Footage of the Devastation of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake

Devastation Revealed (Image credit: Courtesy of Silver Shadows Gallery Ltd.)At 5:12 a.m. on April 18, 1906, one of the largest earthquakes in California history shook the city of San Francisco awake.Estimated to measure somewhere between magnitude 7.7 and 8.3, the quake destroyed thousands of homes, ignited some 30 fires and...