Most Violent Earthquake In A Century

Posted on | January 20, 2010 | No Comments

On January 12, 2010, Haiti was struck by the most violent earthquake in a century. Michael Blanpied, associate coordinator for the USGS Earthquake Hazards Program, answers questions about the earthquake, its severe shaking, and the possibility of additional hazards, such as landslides and a tsunami.

Wednesday, January 20, 2010 at 06:03:44 AM at epicenter there was an aftershock of Magnitude 6.1.

Earthquake Activity

Posted on | January 13, 2010 | Comments Off

USGS
Magnitude 7.0 – HAITI REGION
2010 January 12 21:53:09 UTC
15 km (10 miles) SW of PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti

USGS
Magnitude 6.5 – OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
2010 January 10 00:27:39 UTC
37 km (23 miles) WNW (283°) from Ferndale, CA

USGS
Magnitude 4.1 – SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA
2010 January 07 18:09:35 UTC
10 km (6 miles) ENE (59°) from Milpitas, CA

USGS
Magnitude 5.8 – BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
2009 December 30 18:48:57 UTC
21 km (13 miles) NNW (339°) from Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California, Mexico

Quake-stunned Haitians pile bodies by fallen homes
By JONATHAN M. KATZ, Associated Press Writer
“PORT-AU-PRINCE, Haiti – Haitians piled bodies along the devastated streets of their capital Wednesday after the strongest earthquake to hit the poor Caribbean nation in more than 200 years crushed thousands of structures, from schools and shacks to the National Palace and the U.N. peacekeeping headquarters. Untold numbers were still trapped.

It seemed clear that the death toll from Tuesday afternoon’s magnitude-7.0 quake would run into the thousands. France’s foreign minister said the head of the U.N. peacekeeping mission was apparently among the dead.”

“The hospitals cannot handle all these victims,” Dr. Louis-Gerard Gilles, a former senator, said as he helped survivors. “Haiti needs to pray. We all need to pray together.”

“It would appear that everyone who was in the building, including my friend Hedi Annabi, the United Nations’ Secretary General’s special envoy, and everyone with him and around him, are dead,” French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner said Wednesday, speaking on RTL radio.

“Everybody is just totally, totally freaked out and shaken,” said Henry Bahn, a U.S. Department of Agriculture official visiting Port-au-Prince. “The sky is just gray with dust.”

The New York Times
California: Earthquake Damage Climbs
“The damage estimate from the earthquake on Saturday in Eureka has climbed to $21.9 million, officials said. The figure reflects damage to 240 buildings….”

Come On Down! The Price Is Right with Bob Barker’s Boat

Posted on | January 6, 2010 | Comments Off

Bob Barker (yes, the famous game show host) gave 5 million dollars to the Sea Shepherd Conservation Society to buy a boat. The Society named the boat after him.

Another of the Society’s boats was trying to stop Japanese whaling. The boat was hit by the Japenese and was sinking in the Antartic waters… when the six man crew was rescued by the Bob Barker.

The Society said, “Japanese Whalers Ram Sea Shepherd Ship Ady Gil – In an unprovoked attack captured on film, the Japanese security ship Shonan Maru No. 2 deliberately rammed and caused catastrophic damage to the Sea Shepherd catamaran Ady Gil. Six crew crewmembers, five from New Zealand and one from the Netherlands were immediately rescued by the crew of the Sea Shepherd ship Bob Barker. None of the crew Ady Gil crew were injured. The Ady Gil is believed to be sinking and chances of salvage are very grim….”

Solar Panels Vs. Tortoises

Posted on | January 5, 2010 | Comments Off

There is a growing debate over one of the nation’s largest solar projects. BrightSource Energy has been pushing to erect massive solar energy complex in the Mojave Desert.

The 400,000 mirrors could become the first project on U.S. Bureau of Land Management property. Strange as it may sound, environmental protection groups are opposed to the project. Government scientists have released findings that conclude about six square miles of habitat for the federally threatened desert tortoise would be lost.

Ileene Anderson of the Center for Biological Diversity said, “It’s actually a good project. It’s just located in the wrong place.”

The Sierra Club filed a statement saying, “The project must not contribute to additional loss of habitat.”

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