Six scientists in Italy have been sentenced to prison for manslaughter for failing to properly predict an earthquake that killed 309 people in 2009. Judges in Italy found the men guilty of giving "falsely reassuring" statements before the earthquake. The scientists lawyers insisted that there is no way of accurately predicting earthquakes. The men have been sentenced to 6 years in jail.
It is pretty much impossible to give accurate predictions about earthquakes, so many believe that sentencing the scientists is unfair. It is hoped that the decision will be overturned.
Read the full BBC report here
Can we predict earthquakes?
Showing posts with label earthquake. Show all posts
Showing posts with label earthquake. Show all posts
Monday, 22 October 2012
Friday, 20 January 2012
Two years since the Haiti earthquake
Click on the title to read one report about the earthquake
Click here to read a different article
Click here to read a blog from UNICEF about the earthquake
Thursday, 1 December 2011
Toads can predict earthquakes!
Scientists believe they have an explanation for Italian toads' apparent ability to sense the earthquake that struck the city of L'Aquila on 6 April 2009. Animals may sense chemical changes in groundwater that occur when an earthquake is about to strike and this could be the cause of bizarre earthquake-associated animal behaviour.
By chance, Dr Rachel Grant of the UK's Open University was monitoring a toad population at San Ruffino Lake, around 74km from the quake's epicentre. Five days before the 6.3 magnitude shake, "the number of male common toads in the breeding colony fell by 96 per cent", while "most breeding pairs and males fled" three days before the earth moved.
click on the title for more information
click on the title for more information
Friday, 22 October 2010
Over 100 dead and thousands suffering from effects of Cholera in Haiti
It's been 9 months since the devestating earthquake that hit Haiti in January. Although the story might not be in the news headlines as often now, thousands of people are still living in tents in temporary camps.
An outbreak of Cholera has killed 135 people and the fear is that if the disease spreads to these camps, then many more hundreds or thousands will also die. This shows how the effects of earthquakes can be felt for long periods after the actual disaster.
Click on the post title to read the full story and watch the latest video news from Haiti
An outbreak of Cholera has killed 135 people and the fear is that if the disease spreads to these camps, then many more hundreds or thousands will also die. This shows how the effects of earthquakes can be felt for long periods after the actual disaster.
Click on the post title to read the full story and watch the latest video news from Haiti
Sunday, 28 February 2010
Chile earthquake: nation in shock as death toll climbs
The death toll from the massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake that struck Chile on Saturday has reached 300 and is expected to climb further as authorities estimate two million people were affected by the disaster and half a million homes were severely damaged or destroyed.
The country is in shock after the most powerful earthquake in a century hit 200 miles southwest of the capital Santiago.
The number of dead is expected to exceed 300 and the country’s president has declared a “state of catastrophe".
Following the earthquake, Chileans fearful of strong aftershocks - one as powerful as the devastating Haiti quake of Jan 12 - camped outside on the streets, as officials struggled to grasp the scale of the damage to the country’s transport, energy and housing infrastructure.
The earthquake tore apart houses, bridges and motorways, and Chileans near the epicenter were thrown from their beds by the force of the temblor, which was felt as far away as Sao Paulo in Brazil — 1,800 miles to the east.
"We think the real (death) figure tops 300 and we believe this will continue to grow,” said Carmen Fernandez, head of the National Emergency Agency
The country is in shock after the most powerful earthquake in a century hit 200 miles southwest of the capital Santiago.
The number of dead is expected to exceed 300 and the country’s president has declared a “state of catastrophe".
Following the earthquake, Chileans fearful of strong aftershocks - one as powerful as the devastating Haiti quake of Jan 12 - camped outside on the streets, as officials struggled to grasp the scale of the damage to the country’s transport, energy and housing infrastructure.
The earthquake tore apart houses, bridges and motorways, and Chileans near the epicenter were thrown from their beds by the force of the temblor, which was felt as far away as Sao Paulo in Brazil — 1,800 miles to the east.
"We think the real (death) figure tops 300 and we believe this will continue to grow,” said Carmen Fernandez, head of the National Emergency Agency
Chile earthquake: death toll passes 200
A massive 8.8 magnitude earthquake struck Chile early yesterday, killing at least 140people, bringing down homes and hospitals, and setting off a tsunami that triggered warnings and evacuations across the entire Pacific. At the time of writing, a tidal wave of as yet undetermined height is heading, at a speed of hundreds of miles an hour, towards places as far away as Australia, the Philippines and even Russia. The Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in Hawaii called for "urgent action to protect lives and property".Yesterday's quake was far stronger than the 7.0 magnitude tremor that killed more than 200,000 in Haiti in January, but it happened in a country that is better prepared than most. Yet the impact was immediate and, for those feeling it, severe. Chilean TV showed images from the city of Concepcion of collapsed homes, broken roads, large buildings engulfed in flames, the injured lying in the streets or on stretchers, and residents huddled in streets strewn with glass and masonry.
Many were terrified by the powerful and repeated aftershocks. In just a few hours after the quake, there were no fewer than 29 that registered a magnitude greater than 5.0, and one at 6.9 – within a whisker of the main Haiti tremor. The country's President, Michelle Bachelet, wasted little time in declaring a "state of catastrophe" in central Chile. The death toll is expected to rise, but not, according to the country's Interior Minister, Edmundo Perez, dramatically. He may yet be proved wrong.
Click on the headline to find out more and see footage
Saturday, 27 February 2010
Massive earthquake hits Chile
A massive earthquake with a magnitude of 8.8 has struck central Chile, the country's largest in 25 years.The quake struck at 0634 GMT about 91km (56 miles) north-east of the city of Concepcion and 317km south-west of the capital, Santiago.
Chilean television is reporting 16 deaths so far. President Michelle Bachelet also said a large wave had affected one southern island group.
The US issued an initial tsunami warning for Chile, Peru and Ecuador.
That was later extended to Colombia, Antarctica and Central America. Japan's meteorological agency warned of a potential tsunami across large areas of the Pacific.
Click on the headline for more detail about this story
Click here for more information about earthquakes
Monday, 15 February 2010
Why did so many people die in the Haiti earthquake?
The devastating earthquakes that hit China on 12 May 2008, Italy on 6 April 2009 and Haiti one month ago all measured above 6.0 and took many lives. But why was the human cost so much greater for Haiti?
Click on the title to go to a BBC report on why the Haiti earthquake was so devestating. It has lots of graphics to look at and provides a fascinating insight into what happened in Haiti.
Thursday, 28 January 2010
Haiti earthquake - 2 weeks on
The Haiti earthquake took place over two weeks ago now. The full extent of the horror is becoming clearer. Although there are some heart warming stories, as people are still being found alive (the latest is a 16 year old girl found under the rubble of a house, 15 days after the quake) there are also many terrible reports coming out of Haiti.
If you click the headline above you will be taken to a report that suggests that many of the orphans and vulnerable children left behind in Haiti (up to a million are estimated to have either no parents, one parent or be unattended) are in danger of being sold or abused.
There are also reports of increased sexual crimes against women and lawlessness in the country. Speaking on American TV on Wednesday night, Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said he has received reports of kids being sold, and he believed human organs were also being taken from victims of the quake for profit.
Read more here
If you click the headline above you will be taken to a report that suggests that many of the orphans and vulnerable children left behind in Haiti (up to a million are estimated to have either no parents, one parent or be unattended) are in danger of being sold or abused.
There are also reports of increased sexual crimes against women and lawlessness in the country. Speaking on American TV on Wednesday night, Haitian Prime Minister Jean-Max Bellerive said he has received reports of kids being sold, and he believed human organs were also being taken from victims of the quake for profit.
Read more here
Wednesday, 13 January 2010
Earthquake in Haiti
On Tuesday a big earthquake hit the poor Caribbean country of Haiti.The extent of the devastation from the huge quake in Haiti is slowly emerging thousands of people feared dead.
Jordan, Brazil and China have all reported deaths, and France says it fears the Tunisian head of the UN mission in Haiti has been killed.
The 7.0-magnitude quake, Haiti's worst in two centuries, struck south of the capital, Port-au-Prince, on Tuesday.
The Red Cross says up to three million people have been affected
The quake's epicentre was only 10 miles from the Capital city, Port-au-Prince, which has a population of about 1 million, and aftershocks as powerful as 5.9 rattled the city throughout the night and into today. Reports on casualties and damage were slow to get out of Haiti due to communication problems.
As the poorest country in the Western Hemisphere, Haiti is ill-equipped to respond to such a disaster, lacking heavy equipment to move debris and a sufficient force of emergency personnel.
Click the headline to go to BBC reports about the disaster.
Saturday, 3 October 2009
International rescue teams arrive in Indonesia
Rescue teams from all over the world are arriving in the Indonesian island of Sumatra to help search for survivors of Wednesday's earthquake.
Workers arriving in remote areas three days after the quake are finding villages completely destroyed.
So far more than a thousand people are known to have died, but now that number is expected to rise.
British, Australian and South Korean rescuers have arrived and the EU and Russia are also sending help.
The city of Padang, which is very close to the coast, is among the areas hardest hit by the tremors. Up to 3,000 people are believed trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
Charities like the Red Cross say more help is needed.
"We need drinking water and clothes because many people's clothes were burnt in fires," said one Red Cross worker.
"We also need medicines to stop infection."
It's quite difficult for search and rescue teams to work their way through to the worst affected areas, so it's going to take a long time to help people.
The earthquake, which measured 7.6 on the richter scale, and a really strong aftershock brought down hospitals, schools and shopping centres as well as causing landslides across the island.
Workers arriving in remote areas three days after the quake are finding villages completely destroyed.
So far more than a thousand people are known to have died, but now that number is expected to rise.
British, Australian and South Korean rescuers have arrived and the EU and Russia are also sending help.
The city of Padang, which is very close to the coast, is among the areas hardest hit by the tremors. Up to 3,000 people are believed trapped beneath collapsed buildings.
Charities like the Red Cross say more help is needed.
"We need drinking water and clothes because many people's clothes were burnt in fires," said one Red Cross worker.
"We also need medicines to stop infection."
It's quite difficult for search and rescue teams to work their way through to the worst affected areas, so it's going to take a long time to help people.
The earthquake, which measured 7.6 on the richter scale, and a really strong aftershock brought down hospitals, schools and shopping centres as well as causing landslides across the island.
Click the title to go to an animated guide about earthquakes
Thursday, 1 October 2009
Indonesian Eartquake death toll reaches 1000
Latest reports this evening on the BBC News website state that at least 1,100 people have died in the earthquake that struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday, the UN humanitarian chief has said. John Holmes said many hundreds more were injured and both figures were set to rise further. Rescuers are working into the night to find survivors in the rubble of hundreds of collapsed buildings. The 7.6-magnitude quake struck close to the city of Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province. The earthquake brought down hospitals, schools and shopping malls, cut power lines and triggered landslides. For more reports, video and audio clips select: BBC News Indonesian earthquake reports
Indonesian Eartquake death toll reaches 1000
Latest reports this evening on the BBC News website state that at least 1,100 people have died in the earthquake that struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday, the UN humanitarian chief has said. John Holmes said many hundreds more were injured and both figures were set to rise further. Rescuers are working into the night to find survivors in the rubble of hundreds of collapsed buildings. The 7.6-magnitude quake struck close to the city of Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province. The earthquake brought down hospitals, schools and shopping malls, cut power lines and triggered landslides. For more reports, video and audio clips select: BBC News Indonesian earthquake reports
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