oleh admin | Agu 30, 2025 | disasters, earthquakes, news, pakistan, seismology
Released on, Aug. 19 — August 19, 2025 at 11:10 AM
An intense earthquake registered at 5.2 on the Richter scale hit Islamabad, Rawalpindi, and various towns in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa early Tuesday, causing fear among locals who are still dealing with ongoing flood challenges.
The earthquakes began in the Hindu Kush region of Afghanistan at a depth of 190 kilometers. Although they were light, the shocks were powerful enough to be distinctly noticed in several northern cities.
Inhabitants from Peshawar, Abbottabad, Charsadda, Chitral, Haripur, Malakand, Batkhela, and nearby regions experienced intense tremors. Individuals evacuated their houses and workplaces due to concerns about subsequent shocks and potential structural harm.
The tremors were also experienced in Mansehra, Mingora, Swat, Balakot, Battagram, Kohistan, and Toghrar. Officials conducted preventive evacuations in certain regions to safeguard people and minimize possible dangers.
Luckily, authorities have not yet documented any injuries or significant damage. Nevertheless, the Provincial Disaster Management Authority (PDMA) has advised locals to remain vigilant and adhere to precautionary steps in case of subsequent tremors.
This seismic event occurs during a challenging period for Pakistan, with many areas currently facing sudden floods and intense rain. Officials have confirmed that surveillance mechanisms continue to function effectively to address any crisis promptly.
oleh admin | Apr 2, 2025 | architecture, buildings, disasters, safety, seismology
The 49-story Sathorn Unique Tower, an abandoned structure in Bangkok, Thailand, gained widespread attention online when it surprisingly withstood a massive 7.7 magnitude earthquake in Myanmar, which rattled much of Southeast Asia.
The most powerful earthquake Myanmar had experienced in a century hit on March 28, causing vibrations felt all the way in Bangkok, which was approximately 1,000 kilometers away from the epicenter. This seismic event led to the collapse of an unfinished high-rise structure and jolted numerous buildings across the city.
Nonetheless, the Sathorn Unique Tower, situated in Bangkok’s Sathon District and deserted for over three decades, continued to stand tall, baffling numerous people.
Many people on social media posted pictures of the edifice, raising doubts about how this derelict construction managed to survive the intense seismic event.
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An image posted online depicts a sight of the Sathorn Unique Tower, a 49-story structure located in Bangkok.
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A user posted on Reddit about their recent visit to Bangkok with their partner over the past few weeks. They expressed being captivated upon their initial sightseeing experience, stating they were very interested in learning more,
I was curious about that particular building. It seems as though they might consider retrofitting it before putting it up for sale. Hasn’t anything been done with it yet?
Initially envisioned in the 1990s as an upscale mixed-use development, the building was intended to stand at 49 stories tall with spectacular vistas of the Chao Phraya River. Nonetheless, when construction reached approximately half-way point, the Asian financial crisis struck in 1997, severely impacting Thailand’s economy.
The Telegraph
reported.
Numerous property developments, such as the tower, were left unfinished because of insufficient financial backing.
In its unfinished condition and ghostly, skeletal look, the structure earned the nickname “Ghost Tower.” Its haunting charm makes it a perfect spot for adventurous travelers seeking thrills.
A tourist shared on
Travelfreak
He paid 200 baht (US$5.84) to a security guard for permission to enter for 15 minutes.
Travel vlogger Jack Morris, boasting an impressive following of 2.4 million on Instagram, explored the highest level of the Sathorn tower back in 2015.
He penned, “Each time I visit Bangkok, I find myself scaling this deserted 49-story structure. To me, it offers the finest vista of the metropolis. The sense of liberation I experience here is unparalleled; it’s an emotion absent from those observatories atop skyscrapers filled with bars. It goes by the nickname ‘Ghost Tower’ among locals due to rumors suggesting it might be cursed.”
oleh admin | Mar 24, 2025 | earth, earthquakes, geology, news, seismology
On Monday, an earthquake with a magnitude of 4.5 on the Richter scale hit Tibet, as reported by the National Center for Seismology (NCS), according to ANI news on March 24th.
As per the NCS, the quake happened at a relatively shallow depth of 5 kilometers, which makes the area prone to aftershocks.
Following a posting on X, NCS stated, “Magnitude EQ: 4.5, Time: March 24, 2025 at 10:08:35 IST, Latitude: 28.94 N, Longitude: 93.82 E, Depth: 5 km, Area: Tibet.”
On March 15, an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.5 shook Tibet earlier that day.
As per the National Centre for Seismology (NCS), the quake happened at a depth of 10 kilometers, which makes it prone to aftershocks.
The NCS stated in an X post that “On March 15, 2025 at 00:49:17 IST, an earthquake with a magnitude of 3.5 was recorded. The epicenter had coordinates latitude 28.39N and longitude 86.89E, with a depth of 10 kilometers, located in Tibet.”
On March 13, the National Center for Seismology reported that three earthquakes with magnitudes between 3.5 and 4.3 hit Tibet.
Shallow earthquakes pose a higher risk than deep ones because they unleash their considerable energy nearer to the Earth’s crust. Consequently, this leads to intensified ground vibrations and heightened destruction of buildings along with more significant loss of life when contrasted with deep quakes, which tend to dissipate force before reaching the surface.
The Tibetan Plateau experiences significant seismic activity because of colliding tectonic plates.
Tibet and Nepal sit along a significant geological fracture zone where the Indian tectonic plate collides with the Eurasian plate, leading to frequent seismic activity. This ongoing collision causes substantial uplifting forces capable of altering the elevations of the Himalayan summits, according to reports from Al Jazeera.
Marianne Karplus, a seismologist and geophysicist, stated to Al Jazeera that educating individuals about earthquakes and constructing quake-resistant buildings, along with providing funds for renovations and robust infrastructure, could safeguard people and properties during powerful seismic events.
“The Earth’s system is highly intricate, and forecasting earthquakes remains beyond our capabilities. Nonetheless, we can carry out scientific research to gain deeper insights into the factors triggering earthquakes in regions like Tibet and enhance our understanding of the tremors and their effects,” stated Karplus, a professor of geological sciences at the University of Texas at El Paso, during an interview with Al Jazeera. (ANI)
Provided by SyndiGate Media Inc.
Syndigate.info
).
oleh admin | Jan 10, 2025 | earth science, earthquakes, geology, science, seismology
-
EXPLORE FURTHER: The Enigma of Over 100 Quakes That Hit Surrey
is solved
From Atlantis to El Dorado and Avalon, legends suggest that our planet is scattered with vanished realms that suffered spectacular fates.
Although these are often regarded as creative legends, recent research uncovers proof of a ‘vanished realm’ under the Pacific Ocean.
Researchers from ETH Zurich and the
California
The Institute of Technology (Caltech) has discovered massive formations deep under the Pacific Ocean that theoretically shouldn’t be there.
This mystery material – which is making seismic waves in the region behave strangely – could be evidence of a lost land from hundreds of millions of years ago.
Based on present scientific theories, the unusual material located in the lower mantle, approximately 600 miles (1,000 km) under the ocean surface, ‘ought not to be present’ there.
Referred to as a significant enigma, these discoveries challenge ‘our present comprehension of how our planet functions,’ stated the scientists involved.
“The team, in their paper published in various journals, emphasize that understanding Earth’s structure is crucial for deciphering its internal movements,” they state.
Scientific Reports
.
These discoveries indicate a greater variety of sources for these irregularities in Earth’s lower mantle.
The Earth consists of three layers: the crust, the mantle, and the core, as identified subsequently.
divided into ‘internal’ and ‘external’ parts
.
The issue is that nobody can observe what lies beneath the Earth’s surface, and drilling deep enough to collect rock samples from the mantle is impossible for us.
Rather than directly observing Earth’s insides, researchers examine the velocities of seismic waves – the tremors triggered by quakes and blasts – as these waves move through our planet’s depths.
Seismograph stations capture these waves, and from these records, experts can deduce information regarding the Earth’s structure and makeup.
‘ETH Zurich explained that this process closely resembles how medical professionals utilize ultrasound technology to visualize internal structures such as organs, muscles, or blood vessels within the body without requiring surgical intervention.’
It is widely recognized that Earth’s lithosphere—the rocky exterior layer consisting of the upper part of the mantle and the crust—is made up of approximately 15 tectonic plates.
Earthquakes can be identified around the edges of tectonic plates, where these massive sections grind against one another.
However, long ago, substantial tectonic plates vanished beneath Earth’s surface through a process known as ‘subduction.’
What methods do scientists use to learn about Earth’s inner structure?
Nobody can observe what lies within the Earth, and drilling isn’t sufficient to obtain rock specimens from the mantle—the layer located between the planet’s core and crust.
Therefore, geophysicists employ indirect techniques to understand what lies far below our surface.
For instance, they utilize seismograms, which are records of earthquakes, to ascertain the velocity at which seismic waves travel.
They subsequently utilize this data to determine the Earth’s interior composition—much like physicians employ ultrasounds to visualize the insides of the human body.
This is the geological process where one tectonic plate gets thrust beneath another, and gradually, an entire plate can disappear.
Previously, seismologists have located submerged tectonic plates across the Earth’s mantle, though these were consistently found beneath subduction zones.
In their latest research, scientists from ETH Zurich and Caltech employed a computational method known as ‘full-waveform inversion.’ This approach generates a three-dimensional representation of the Earth’s structure utilizing seismic wave information.
They pinpointed regions beneath the Pacific that appear to be remnants of sunken tectonic plates, yet these zones are situated far from plate edges without any geologic signs of previous subduction activity.
The Pacific Plate is essentially one single tectonic plate, which means there shouldn’t be any subducting material beneath it at all.
This implies that the anomalies are not simply submerged tectonic plates. Nevertheless, identifying the actual nature of this material—or understanding its implications for the dynamic processes within the Earth—remains a mystery.
“It’s akin to a physician who has spent years using ultrasounds to examine blood flow and discovers arteries precisely where they should be,” stated co-author Professor Andreas Fichtner, a seismologist at ETH Zurich.
‘If you provide him with a more advanced examination tool, he abruptly detects an artery in the buttocks that shouldn’t actually be present. This precisely mirrors our reaction to these new discoveries.’
Nevertheless, the researchers offer several hypotheses regarding the anomalies, suggesting that these would require additional data beyond just wave speeds to draw any firm conclusions.
These might consist of ancient, high-silica substances that have remained within the mantle from its inception around four billion years ago.
Instead, these areas might be regions where iron-rich rocks gather due to mantle activity spanning millions of years.
They state in their paper, “There are various possible interpretations for the observation of positive wave speed anomalies within Earth’s (lower) mantle besides the existence of subducted slabs.”
‘Our study highlights the essential function of full waveform inversion as a crucial technique for exploring the mantle.’
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