Tag Archive for: hazards

Thursday April 17th is The Great Utah Shake Out.  You may visit the official website at http://www.shakeout.org/utah  for information on how to prepare yourself and your family in the event of an earthquake.

And another article about the different dangerous earthquake zones around America. Dangerous earthquake zones in America americanlivewire.com READ MORE

earthsky.org

This date in science: Landslide at Bingham Canyon Mine

April 10, 2013. On this date – a year ago today – a towering wall of dirt and rocks gave way and crashed down the side of Bingham Canyon Mine in Utah. The landslide was to be one of the largest non-volcanic landslides in the history of North America. University of Utah researchers later reported that the landslide – which moved at an average of almost 70 mph and reached estimated speeds of at least 100 mph – left a deposit so large it would cover New York’s Central Park with about 20 meters (66 feet) of debris.

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Good Monday morning to all of our geo friends! We hope you had a fun and safe weekend. Here’s a read for this morning. Some of you may have questions about what caused Chile’s recent and devastating earthquake. This article tries to answer some of those questions.

news.nationalgeographic.com

Even planet Earth has its faults. Movement along those fault lines causes earthquakes, big and small, to rattle the globe every day, most recently making news this week with a powerful quake, and tsunami, striking Chile.

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Here are several more articles about the UGS rockfall investigation, including our own news release with links to the published report.

UGS News Release
Deseret News article
ABC News article

Check out this YouTube video from Yellowstone National Park that addresses some rumors and concerns that have come up as a result of their recent 4.8 earthquake. It clears up a lot of questions! Find other videos that they’ve made HERE.

Here’s another article that answers questions about the risk of an eruption from Yellowstone’s supervolcano.

Quake expert predicts no big band in Y’stone

jhnewsandguide.com

The 4.8 magnitude earthquake that shook Yellowstone National Park this weekend was unremarkable besides the fact it happens around every decade or so, a University of Utah professor says.

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ironcountytoday.com

Cracks in the earth and settling of the ground in areas of the Cedar Valley, both believed to be caused by over-pumping of the underground aquifer, were the focus of a special Central Iron County Water Conservancy District work meeting March 27.

To find the publication, visit the Utah Natural Resources Map & Bookstore, or find it online HERE.

Watch these interviews featuring one of our geologists, Tyler Knudsen, talk about the ground fissures and their causes.

fox13now.com

Giant cracks running through an Iron County subdivision are the result of drawing too much water from the ground, according to a new state report.

WATCH HERE

Report: Cedar Valley Ground Slowly Sinking

kutv.com

A new report from the Utah Geological Survey shows that the ground in Iron County’s Cedar Valley is slowly sinking due to groundwater pumping.

WATCH HERE

deseretnews.com

Over-pumping of groundwater from a deep aquifer in Cedar Valley for the past three decades has caused the ground to sink and crack, inflicting damage on a would-be subdivision and putting future development at risk.

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Read further in this article from KCSG Television

Land Subsidence and Earth Fissures in Cedar Valley, Iron County, Utah

kcsg.com

A just-released report from the Utah Geological Survey (UGS) shows the ground has been sinking in some areas around Cedar City for decades. The comprehensive 116-page report presents the results of an investigation of land subsidence and earth fissures in Cedar Valley, Iron County, Utah, primarily due to groundwater pumping. “The sediments in the Cedar Valley that form the groundwater aquifer contain a significant amount of fine-grained silt and clay sediments. Those sediments become compacted when water is removed and the ground begins to sink,” said Tyler Knudsen, UGS project geologist.

The 1964 Great Alaska Earthquake happened 50 years ago today. It was the largest quake in U.S. history. Watch this interesting video by the U.S. Geological Survey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lE2j10xyOgI

Good information to know, as Utah is also prone to landslides.

bustle.com

The death toll from last weekend’s mudslide in Washington state rose to 16 Wednesday, with at least 176 others still unaccounted for. The rescue operation is ongoing, but prospects appear grim: No survivors have been found since Saturday, when the landslide occurred, and rain is expected to further inhibit the search. But how common are landslides like this one? Where and when do they occur? And how can you possibly avoid them?

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Can mudslides be predicted? Washington site’s history highlights challenge. (+video)

csmonitor.com

The mile-long mudslide that buried homes along a bend in the Stillaguamish River near Oso, Wash., some 55 miles north of Seattle, leaving at least 14 dead and more than 100 missing, occurred at a site that was known to be landslide-prone.

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