Earthquake Prediction

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Sunday, August 20, 2017

Morning's Review 20th August 2017

On the eve of the much expected Solar Eclipse, the start of the day is so quiet! Looking at the skies we see the Sun trining Uranus, but from the heliocentric point of view then the Earth is trining Jupiter. At the same time the Earth-Moon-Sun-Mars are getting aligned.
And I guess tomorrow or over the next 2 days we will see the effects. Today of course so far we observe a situation where not a single earthquake is over 4.8R so far. This fits with the saying 'all quiet before the storm'. Some activity in the usual places Indonesia, Mexico, Japan, Chile and Vanuatu. So a very quiet day so far. Be Safe Be Good!

Saturday, August 19, 2017

4.5R in Maharashtra, India <--As predicted

Mumbai, August 19: Earthquake measuring 4.5 on the Richter Scale hit Maharashtra’s Satara district on Saturday night. The epicentre of the quake is not known yet and until this report was first published no report of any casualty has come forward. More details awaited.
Earlier, on June 4, Maharashtra’s Konya region witnessed an earthquake measuring 4.8 on the Richter Scale. With Konya region being the epicentre, the tremors of the quake were felt in Sangli and Kolhapur and few areas of Southern Maharashtra. The depth of the quake was 10km below the ground, reported Times of India.
Mild tremors, on May 20, were felt around Koyana and Patan taluka of Satara district as earthquake had hit the region measuring 208 on the Richter Scale. People in these areas felt the ground shaking for few seconds.

We are the only people to predict this event in India, even though our coordinates were off a little, our coordiantes (given to those registered) were (22N, 69E).

Magnitude

	ML 4.5
Region	MAHARASHTRA, INDIA
Date time	2017-08-19 16:52:32.0 UTC
Location	17.30 N ; 73.70 E
Depth	10 km
Distances	109 km S of Raigarh Fort, India / pop: 2,208,000 / local time: 22:22:32.0 2017-08-19 21 km E of Mākhjan, India / pop: 10,000 / local time: 22:22:32.0 2017-08-19

The Morning Review

A very G'day to you all!
Worth looking onto the sky today and see that we have the Sun in 26 Virgo, and Mercury Retro at 9 Virgo approaching faster and faster towards meeting the Sun on August 26/27th for a reverse conjunction. The Sun is also quincunx Chiron. The Moon being strong and Perigee has strongly influenced this morning with this powerful 6.4R in Fiji, with the conjunction over Venus, and semi-sextile to Mars. Mars-Jupiter hextile was in fact the reason imo of the Fiji event.
Heliocentrically we have the Earth sextile Uranus and Saturn today, and semisquare to the Black Moon.

.

If we look at the morning's events we see the powerful 6.4R event in Fiji, and the other highlight is the 5.1R in S. Sandwich Islands. All other events are below 5R, including North Island in New Zealand.

CHILE: OLR Anomalies (Animation)

Chile is also gradually coming up to the fore, and the OLR animation below gives us a clue.
Be Safe Be Good!

Papua New Guinea: OLR Anomalies.(Animation)

PNG is coming up into the scene again so we did an OLR anomaly check and the animation is shown below...Be Safe be Good!

Dial a Perigee Moon

Today's Moon as you can see it tonight in the sky is also Perigee! Be Safe be Good!

Solar Data Today

Our planet is under the influence of a coronal hole high speed stream (CH HSS) which is causing isolated periods of G1 - Minor geomagnetic storming over the past 2 days, August 17 and 18, 2017. Meanwhile, solar activity is very low. There is only one numbered active region on the Earth-side of the Sun and it's only showing B-class activity.
Over the past 24 hours, the greater than 2 MeV electron flux was at normal to moderate levels due to electron redistribution associated with CIR arrival and CH HSS onset. It is expected to be at normal to moderate levels on August 18 and increase to moderate to high levels due to continued CH HSS influence. The greater than 10 MeV proton flux was at background levels and is expected to remain like that over the next three days.
Solar wind parameters were indicative of CH HSS influences. Solar wind speeds increased to maximum speeds averaging near 600 km/s. Total field strength underwent a steady decreasing trend, from values near 10 nT to 6 nT. The Bz component settled to +/- 4 nT. The phi angle was positive.
Solar wind environment is expected to remain enhanced during the next three days (August 18 - 20).

Below we see the Kp indices data in the G1/G2 levels.

The GOES Magnetometer data shown below, shows another dive to under 50nT, showing the unsettled next few dwe should be experiencing here.

Below is the 3-day forecast from SWPC NOAA

:Product: 3-Day Forecast from swpc.noaa
:Issued: 2017 Aug 19 0030 UTC
# Prepared by the U.S. Dept. of Commerce, NOAA, Space Weather Prediction Center
#
A. NOAA Geomagnetic Activity Observation and Forecast

The greatest observed 3 hr Kp over the past 24 hours was 5 (NOAA Scale
G1).
The greatest expected 3 hr Kp for Aug 19-Aug 21 2017 is 4 (below NOAA
Scale levels).

NOAA Kp index breakdown Aug 19-Aug 21 2017

            Aug 19     Aug 20     Aug 21
00-03UT        4          4          4     
03-06UT        4          3          3     
06-09UT        3          3          3     
09-12UT        3          3          3     
12-15UT        2          2          2     
15-18UT        3          2          2     
18-21UT        3          3          2     
21-00UT        4          3          2     

Rationale: No G1 (Minor) or greater geomagnetic storms are expected. 
Unsettled to active levels are expected for the forecast period (19-21
Aug) due to coronal hole high speed stream effects.

B. NOAA Solar Radiation Activity Observation and Forecast

Solar radiation, as observed by NOAA GOES-13 over the past 24 hours, was
below S-scale storm level thresholds.

Solar Radiation Storm Forecast for Aug 19-Aug 21 2017

              Aug 19  Aug 20  Aug 21
S1 or greater    1%      1%      1%

Rationale: No S1 (Minor) or greater solar radiation storms are expected.
No significant active region activity favorable for radiation storm
production is forecast.

C. NOAA Radio Blackout Activity and Forecast

No radio blackouts were observed over the past 24 hours.

Radio Blackout Forecast for Aug 19-Aug 21 2017

              Aug 19        Aug 20        Aug 21
R1-R2           10%           10%           10%
R3 or greater    1%            1%            1%

Rationale: There is a slight chance for R1-R2 (Minor-Moderate) radio
blackouts for the forecast period (19-21 Aug).

6.4R in Fiji !

A 6.4R earthquake was reported between the Islands of Fiji and Tonga this morning.
There were no reports of damage or injury to our knowledge.
The offshore quake hit at 3:00 p.m. (0200 GMT) and was centred around 287 kilometres (178 miles) east of Suva, at a depth of 538 kilometres, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.
The Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami Warning Center did not immediately issue any warnings. The quake occurred in the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a region of frequent seismic activity due to collisions between continental plates

An earthquake of 6 point 4 magnitude struck 500 km (310 miles) west of the Pacific island of Tonga t...

Read more at: http://www.indialivetoday.com/earthquake-6-4-hits-500-km-west-pacific-island-tonga/190594.html

Magnitude

	Mw 6.4
Region	FIJI REGION
Date time	2017-08-19 02:00:51.2 UTC
Location	17.92 S ; 178.83 W
Depth	527 km
Distances	290 km E of Suva, Fiji / pop: 77,400 / local time: 14:00:51.2 2017-08-19 253 km SE of Lambasa, Fiji / pop: 24,200 / local time: 14:00:51.2 2017-08-19

Friday, August 18, 2017

Ash emission from San Cristobal volcano affects 50 000 people, Nicaragua

Nicaraguan authorities reported a new ash emission started at San Cristobal volcano early Friday morning, August 18, 2017. The last eruption of this volcano took place on April 22, 2016.
The volcano began degassing Friday morning, followed by an expulsion of ash and strong sulfuric stench from 05:18 CST (11:18 UTC). Ashfall affected 86 localities in Chinandega and 92 in El Viejo, which is more than 50 000 citizens, La Prensa reported.
The Municipal Committee for Disaster Prevention (COMUPRED) held an emergency meeting and warned citizens of possible health problems caused by ashfall, which remained constant for almost 5 hours.
Residents near the volcano, and those affected by ashfall, are reminded to use masks or wet towels to cover their mouth, nose and eyes.

https://watchers.news/2017/08/18/ash-emission-from-san-cristobal-volcano-affects-50-000-people-nicaragua/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Doubles and Triples!

In the morning's review, we said....So overall a quiet morning apart from the powerful 6.7R and we expect this to continue with double events of small magnitudes. We hope so, and time will tell.

Full of doubles and triples today!

Morning's Review

A very G'Day to you all!

This morning looking at the skies, I would not say there is something really extra special at least compared to yesterday!. We still have Venus square Jupiter but it is receeding, Mercury Retro but with no particular strong aspect, The Sun is over the conjunction with the Node which culminated to a 6.7R this morning, and the strong Moon will conjunct Venus tomorrow. The rest seem the same. Just that we think we should see today a lot of double small earthquakes. So we do not expect today very strong events.
The day so far has started with a series of under 5R earthquakes, in Banda sea, Peru, Rat Islands, followed by the 6.7R in N Ascension Island, Japan, Crete and Turkey recently.
So overall a quiet morning apart from the powerful 6.7R and we expect this to continue with double events of small magnitudes. We hope so, and time will tell.
Be Safe, Be Good!

Turkey better-equipped to deal with earthquake

Transport minister says every tunnel, bridge and structure is being built keeping in mind possible earthquake

ANKARA, ISTANBUL

Turkey’s transport minister said on Thursday that the country was better-equipped to deal with an earthquake – as it observed the 18th anniversary of the devastating Marmara earthquake.

Ahmet Arslan said that Turkey had developed several earthquake-resistant structures in the last few years.

“We live in a quake-prone country, and should always be prepared for a possible earthquake,” he said, speaking exclusively to Anadolu Agency.

“We are building every single tunnel, bridge and structure, keeping in mind a possible earthquake.”

“The Osmangazi and Yavuz Sultan Selim bridges that we opened to traffic last year, can withstand even a very strong earthquake which could occur once every 2,500 years.”

He added that the 15 Temmuz Sehitler and Fatih Sultan Mehmet bridges in Istanbul had been strengthened against a possible earthquake.

He said that mega projects like the Avrasya (Eurasia) and Marmaray tunnels – constructed under the Marmara Sea – are one of the securest places in Istanbul in case of an earthquake.

“The Avrasya (Eurasia) Tunnel can continue its services without any damage despite a strong earthquake that may strike Istanbul every 500 years,” he said.

Scientists say that a strong earthquake may strike the Marmara region in the near future.

"We cannot give a time but it is clear that an earthquake, which records more than 7 on the Richter scale, will hit the Marmara region,” professor Haluk Ozener, the director of Kandilli Observatory and Earthquake Research Institute at Bogazici University, told reporters in Istanbul on Thursday.

More than 18,000 people were killed and 50,000 injured when a magnitude-7.4 earthquake on the Richter Scale hit Izmit, a town 100 kilometers away from Istanbul, in 1999.

The earthquake cost an estimated economic loss of $20 billion, according to the Emergency Events Database (EM-DAT) website.

SOURCE: http://aa.com.tr/en/todays-headlines/turkey-better-equipped-to-deal-with-earthquake/886591

Earthquake Museum to open soon

An earthquake museum, set to finish in September in the northwestern province of Kocaeli, will provide education for new generations to grow with the reality of earthquakes and to provide academic research with documents of the Aug. 17, 1999 Marmara earthquake.

The Aug. 17 Earthquake Museum and Digital Show Center, built on an area of 1,740 square meters in the Cephanelik region with a cost of 15 million Turkish Liras, will reveal the pain after the massive earthquake that occurred in 1999 in the Marmara region, considered to be the disaster of the century with over 17,000 deaths.

İzmir Mayor Nevzat Doğan said the construction of the museum started this year and preparation for the project took one year.

The Aug. 17, 1999 Marmara earthquake was the biggest disaster in the century. “Thousands of people, our relatives, neighbors, sisters, brothers, and others died within seconds, many people became disabled.

Buildings collapsed and this period of 45-seconds showed the realities of an earthquake. It taught us that an earthquake is a psychological, sociological, and even economic process. We have learned so much from this disaster and have taken necessary lessons,” said Doğan.

Doğan noted the epicenter of the Marmara earthquake was the Gölcük district and that they had decided to establish the museum project to keep its reality alive and remember the quake.

Scientific work to be supported

Doğan said they had examined earthquake museums abroad for the project.

“We went to Kobe as well as other countries. We wanted to establish a memorial center with the most developed documentation, education, and awareness in the world. Under the name of the Earthquake Museum, work will be carried out in the center to create earthquakes with developed electronic systems. In the garden of the center, there is a place to organize commemorations around the earthquake memorial.

We have a corridor that gives people the experience of a real earthquake. This place appeals to human feelings and the biological system. There is also a library and documentation center. People will be able to write a thesis on earthquakes here and find information about the Aug. 17 earthquake. Scientific research about earthquakes will be supported. There will be photos and memories of the Aug. 17 earthquake on the walls throughout the corridors as well as a video system about earthquakes around the world.”

Doğan said they organize various activities for new generations to know about the reality of earthquakes and these activities will continue at the earthquake museum, too.

The cost of the project is 15 million liras. “With a virtual reality globe around it, this is an investment of 25 million liras. I think this center is more developed than the others abroad. The most developed one is in Kobe. The first center in Turkey should have been in İzmit and we are proud to have established it here,” he said.

http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/earthquake-museum-to-open-soon.aspx?PageID=238&NID=116852&NewsCatID=432

6.7R in North Ascension Island

As discussed yesterday the indication for a strong earthquake were there, and we were waiting for it.
A 6.7R North of Sacension Island was reported just 3 hours intothis morning. (GMT). We can see from the image above this is on a long fault capable of such strong earthquakes.

Magnitude

	Mw 6.7
Region	NORTH OF ASCENSION ISLAND
Date time	2017-08-18 02:59:22.6 UTC
Location	1.15 S ; 13.68 W
Depth	10 km
Distances	884 km S of Monrovia, Liberia / pop: 940,000 / local time: 02:59:22.6 2017-08-18 855 km SW of Greenville, Liberia / pop: 16,500 / local time: 02:59:22.6 2017-08-18

Thursday, August 17, 2017

Kp Index =5

Kp Indices hit the roof! With Kp=5, we expect within few days a strong earthquake.

Schumann Resonances again.

We can see above the simultaneous drop of all the frequencies (see box), and the sharp rise of their amplitudes. Could well be a signal for strong expected activity in a few hours.

Be Safe
Be Good.

Biblical amounts of rain: Nearly 3 times the monthly ave 184mm or almost 7 inches drench Bangalore overnight the highest recorded amount ever

When Bengalore went to sleep on Monday night, the city had received 44.8mm of rain for August. When it woke up on Tuesday morning, that figure had risen by 128.7mm - the highest rainfall in a day since 1890, according to the Met department.
It made up nearly 300% of the rain expected over the entire month, pouring down on the city from 11pm on Monday to 4am on Tuesday.
The highest-ever rainfall recorded in the city in a day was on August 27, 1890, when Bengalore received 162.1mm of rain, the monthly ave for Sept August is 62.8 mm.
According to the Karnataka State Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSDMC), that record was broken on Tuesday.
It said the city received 184mm of rain since Monday night, the highest being recorded in Bilekahalli. The overnight rain flooded several parts of the city, submerging parking lots and entire road stretches, and snapped power in vast swathes since the early hours of Tuesday.
The Yediyur lake breached a retaining wall, while foam from the Bellandur lake flowed to neighbouring localities.
Over 40 rescue boats came out in ST Bed area of Koramangala, while the fire department was called to flush out water from apartments in HSR Layout, Koramangala, Jayanagar and Bannerghatta Road, among other areas.
At least 26 trees were uprooted.
Wildlife volunteers received panic calls as snakes entered homes in Rajarajeshwari Nagar, JP Nagar, Nagarabhavi, Thanisandra, Uttarahalli and Puttenahalli.

4.0R in IONIAN SEA!

A 4.0R earthquake was reported this evening in the Ionian Sea, West of Greece.

Magnitude

	ML 4.0
Region	IONIAN SEA
Date time	2017-08-17 19:33:46.7 UTC
Location	37.71 N ; 20.72 E
Depth	24 km
Distances	265 km W of Athens, Greece / pop: 730,000 / local time: 22:33:46.7 2017-08-17 107 km SW of Pátra, Greece / pop: 164,000 / local time: 22:33:46.7 2017-08-17 18 km SW of Zákynthos, Greece / pop: 11,600 / local time: 22:33:46.7 2017-08-17 9 km W of Mouzaki, Greece / pop: 1,600 / local time: 22:33:46.7 2017-08-17

Toxic foam tsunami engulfs Bengaluru after unprecedented downpours

There is no end to the toxic foam in Bengaluru’s lakes.

And with the unprecedented rains, it is only getting worse, just like a tsunami!

Toxic foam tsunami in Bengaluru after unprecedented downpours. via India Times

Toxic foam tsunami in Bengaluru after unprecedented downpours, toxic foam bengaluru, toxic foam bengaluru video, toxic foam bengaluru pictures — A wall of toxic foam around one of the Lakes in Bengaluru. via India Times

Toxic foam tsunami in Bengaluru after unprecedented downpours, toxic foam bengaluru, toxic foam bengaluru video, toxic foam bengaluru pictures — Toxic foam tsunami in Bengaluru. via Twitter

Look the toxic foam is even blocking cars in streets:

Toxic foam tsunami in Bengaluru after unprecedented downpours, toxic foam bengaluru, toxic foam bengaluru video, toxic foam bengaluru pictures — The toxic foam tsunami even blocks traffic. via Twitter video

Toxic foam tsunami in Bengaluru after unprecedented downpours, toxic foam bengaluru, toxic foam bengaluru video, toxic foam bengaluru pictures — It’s like a fog layer but it is toxic foam. via India Times

The toxic foam is thick and it volume increases every hours:

Toxic foam tsunami in Bengaluru after unprecedented downpours, toxic foam bengaluru, toxic foam bengaluru video, toxic foam bengaluru pictures — The tsunami foam is blocked. The river flows behind. via India Times

Toxic foam tsunami in Bengaluru after unprecedented downpours, toxic foam bengaluru, toxic foam bengaluru video, toxic foam bengaluru pictures — Hey Bengaluru you should watch your pollution. This toxic foam can kill you.

http://strangesounds.org/2017/08/toxic-foam-bengaluru-video-picture-august2017.html

What Is the Impact of Volcanic Ash on the Ozone Layer?

Volcanic eruptions could result in ozone depletion until 2070 or beyond, despite declining concentrations of human-made CFCs.

The next major volcanic eruption could kick-start chemical reactions that would seriously damage the planet's already besieged ozone layer.
Read more at http://www.geologyin.com/2017/08/what-is-impact-of-volcanic-ash-on-ozone.html#D3CiH4YOVPWiBkaq.99

The extent of damage to the ozone layer that results from a large, explosive eruption depends on complex atmospheric chemistry, including the levels of human-made emissions in the atmosphere. Using sophisticated chemical modeling, researchers from Harvard University and the University of Maryland explored what would happen to the ozone layer in response to large-scale volcanic eruptions over the remainder of this century and in several different greenhouse gas emission scenarios. The research was published recently in Geophysical Research Letters.

Earth's stratosphere is still recovering from the historic release of chlorofluorocarbons (CFCs) and other ozone-depleting chemicals. Even though CFCs were phased out by the Montreal Protocol 30 years ago, levels of chlorine-containing molecules in the atmosphere are still elevated. Explosive volcanic eruptions that inject large quantities of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere facilitate the chemical conversion of chlorine into more reactive forms that destroy ozone.

Researchers have long known that when concentrations of chlorine from human-produced CFCs are high, ozone depletion will result following a volcanic eruption. When levels of chlorine from CFCs are low, volcanic eruptions can actually increase the thickness of the ozone layer. But exactly when this transition happens -- from eruptions that deplete ozone to eruptions that increase ozone layer thickness -- has long been uncertain. Previous research has put the window of the transition anywhere between 2015 to 2040.

The Harvard researchers found that volcanic eruptions could result in ozone depletion until 2070 or beyond, despite declining concentrations of human-made CFCs.

"Our model results show that the vulnerability of the ozone column to large volcanic eruptions will likely continue late in to the 21st century, significantly later than previous estimates," said David Wilmouth, who directed the research and is a project scientist at the Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences and the Department of Chemistry and Chemical Biology.

So, why is this shift happening so much later than previously thought?

"Previous estimates did not take into account certain natural sources of halogen gases, such as very-short lived bromocarbons originating from marine plankton and microalgae," said Eric Klobas, lead author and Harvard chemical physics PhD candidate.

Accounting for these emissions fine-tunes the timing of the shift from eruptions that cause ozone depletion to eruptions that increase the thickness of the ozone layer. These natural sources of bromine become especially important in the lower stratosphere after concentrations of human-emitted CFCs have declined.

"We found that the concentration of bromine from natural, very short-lived organic compounds is critically important," said Klobas. "Even small, part-per-trillion changes in the amount of bromine from these sources can mean the difference between a late 21st century volcanic eruption resulting in ozone column depletion or ozone column enhancement."

The researchers then explored how a volcanic event the size of the Mount Pinatubo eruption, which shot about 20 million metric tons of sulfur dioxide into the stratosphere in 1991, would impact the ozone layer in 2100. The team modeled four different greenhouse gas emission scenarios, ranging from very optimistic to what is commonly considered the worst-case scenario.

The team found that the most optimistic projection of future greenhouse gas concentrations resulted in the most ozone depletion from a volcanic eruption. Conversely, in the pessimistic scenario in which greenhouse gas emissions continue to increase rapidly throughout the 21st century, a Mount Pinatubo-size eruption would actually lead to a slight increase in ozone. The researchers found that the colder stratospheric temperatures and higher methane levels in this scenario would curb important ozone-depleting chemical reactions.

But, here's the kicker: all of the above scenarios assumed that the volcanic eruption would only inject sulfur into the stratosphere, like the 1991 eruption of Mount Pinatubo in the Philippines. If the eruption were to also inject halogen-containing chemicals such as hydrogen chloride (HCl) into the stratosphere, the results could be dire.

"If volcanic halogens, which are commonly present in large quantities in volcanic eruptions, were to partition substantially into the stratosphere -- in any greenhouse gas emission scenario, at any point in the future -- it would potentially cause severe losses of stratospheric ozone," said Klobas.

In such a case, the United States could see a prolonged and significant decrease in ozone layer thickness -- upwards of 15 to 25 percent in the highest halogen scenario modeled. Even small reductions in the thickness of the ozone layer, which shields the surface of the Earth from DNA-destroying ultraviolet radiation, can adversely impact human health and other life on this planet.

"These eruptions are highly unusual events but the possibility does exist, as evidenced in the historical record," said Wilmouth.

The above story is based on Materials provided by Harvard John A. Paulson School of Engineering and Applied Sciences. Original written by Leah Burrows.
Read more at http://www.geologyin.com/2017/08/what-is-impact-of-volcanic-ash-on-ozone.html#D3CiH4YOVPWiBkaq.99

https://www.geologyin.com/2017/08/what-is-impact-of-volcanic-ash-on-ozone.html

Earthquake: Portuguese capital hit with tremor magnitude 4.3 – Portugal

The Portuguese Institute of the Sea and Atmosphere (IMPA) has confirmed the occurrence an earthquake measuring 4.3 on the Richter scale, registered at 7.44am this morning.
The tremor, which struck Sobral de Monte Agraco, 26 miles north-west of Lisbon, lasted about 10 seconds and did not cause any injuries or damage.
The earthquake was felt mostly in the District of Lisboa (population 2,048,200).
A spokesman for IMPA reassured: “This earthquake, according to the information available to date, caused no personal or material damages.”
According to the European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre (EMSC), the population which felt the quake is estimated at 3.5million.
In 1755, Lisbon was demolished by an earthquake of magnitude 9. The quake was followed by a fire and a tsunami killing up to 40,000 in Lisbon alone. The total death toll has been estimated at about 100,000 people.

Magnitude

	ML 4.5
Region	PORTUGAL
Date time	2017-08-17 06:44:57.9 UTC
Location	39.11 N ; 8.92 W
Depth	12 km
Distances	47 km NE of Lisbon, Portugal / pop: 518,000 / local time: 07:44:57.9 2017-08-17 25 km SW of Santarém, Portugal / pop: 29,400 / local time: 07:44:57.9 2017-08-17 4 km SW of Aveiras de Cima, Portugal / pop: 4,700 / local time: 07:44:57.9 2017-08-17

http://portuguese-american-journal.com/earthquake-portuguese-capital-hit-tremor-magnitude-4-3-portugal/

Earthquake stronger than magnitude 7 to hit Turkey’s Marmara region in near future: Observatory head

An earthquake with a magnitude stronger than 7 will hit Turkey’s Marmara region in the near future, Boğaziçi University’s Kandilli Observatory head Haluk Özener stated on Aug. 17.

“With today’s technology we can detect possible magnitudes and possible locations of future earthquakes but we cannot know their specific dates,” Özener said at a press conference marking the 18th anniversary of a deadly earthquake in which around 18,000 people were killed within seconds in northwestern Turkey.

“All scientists accept that there will be an earthquake with a magnitude stronger than 7 around the Marmara region but we cannot give a date for it. It may be a one-piece fracture or a two or three-piece fracture, but it does not change the fact that there will be an earthquake in the Marmara,” he added.

Özener also said they are aiming to raise awareness in the public about possible earthquakes.

“Rather than frighten people about earthquakes and causing them to panic, we aim to raise their awareness and speed up the actions of decision-makers,” he added.

“There is an earthquake hazard and there is a fault-line in Marmara. There have been many earthquakes so far and there will be more. The only thing that can be done is to reduce earthquake damage,” Özener said.

He also warned that there are even some predictions about possible tsunami waves in the Marmara Sea.

“There are tsunami scenarios in the Marmara Sea that have been obtained by studies. There are predictions about tsunami hazards. It may be possible to see tsunami waves at heights of up to 2.25 meters in some areas. We expect that a Marmara tsunami could be formed in the sea surface after landslides,” Özener added

SOURCE: http://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/earthquake-stronger-than-magnitude-7-to-hit-turkeys-marmara-region-in-near-future-observatory-head.aspx?PageID=238&NID=116840&NewsCatID=374