April 12, 2012 (07:15:48 UTC)
Magnitude 6.9 Gulf of California
A pair of strong earthquakes struck off the coast of Mexico early Thursday only minutes apart. The magnitude 6.9 and 6.2 were centered about 85 miles northeast of Guerrero Negro in the Mexican state of Baja California, 325 miles south-southwest of Phoenix in the United States.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- 6 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt/animation 8.17 MB / pdf 1.02 MB)
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt/animación 9.61 MB / pdf 1.02 MB)
Animations and Visualizations
- Wave Propagation and Tectonic Setting (Quicktime 6.54 MB / YouTube)
- USArray Ground Motion Visualization (mpeg-4 1.55 MB / More Info)
USGS Resources
April 11, 2012 (08:38:37 UTC)
Magnitude 8.6 Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra
A magnitude 8.6 earthquake occurred about 260 miles off the Aceh coast of northern Sumatra. This M 8.6 great earthquake was followed by a (continuing) vigorous aftershock sequence including a M 8.2 about two hours later.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- 13 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt/animation 21 MB / zipped ppt only 4.89 MB / pdf 1.90 MB)
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt/animación 19.8 MB / pdf 1.93 MB)
Animations and Visualizations
- updated 12 Apr Generalized Regional Tectonics (Quicktime 9.48 MB / YouTube)
- Preliminary Rupture Modelling of the April 11, 2012 Sumatran Earthquakes
- USArray Ground Motion Visualization (Quicktime 7.67 MB / More Info)
- Back Projection (Quicktime 217 kB / More Info)
USGS Resources
March 25, 2012 (22:37:06 UTC)
Magnitude 7.1 Maule, Chile
A major earthquake in Maule, Chile shook buildings in the capital city Santiago, 136 miles (219 kilometers) north-northeast of the epicenter. This earthquake occurred on the boundary between the Nazca and South American tectonic plates.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- 9 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt/animation 1.66 MB / pdf 1.11 MB)
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt/animación 1.66 MB / pdf 1.12 MB)
Animations and Visualizations
USGS Resources
March 20, 2012 (18:02:48 UTC)
Magnitude 7.4 Oaxaca, Mexico
A major earthquake in Oaxaca, Mexico (190 km [120 mi] east of Acapulco) shook buildings in Mexico City, 322 km (200 mi) NNE of the epicenter. This earthquake occurred as a result of thrust-faulting on or near the plate boundary interface between the Cocos and North America plates.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- 13 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt 2.87 MB / pdf 1.22 MB)
Animations and Visualizations
- Wave Propagation (Quicktime 7.54 MB / YouTube)
- Ampification and liquefaction of buildings animations
- Episodic Tremor and Slip animations
- USArray Wave Visualization
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt 2.87 MB / pdf 1.22 MB)
USGS Resources
February 2, 2012 (13:34:40 UTC)
Magnitude 7.1 Vanuatu
A major earthquake struck near Vanuatu in the southwest Pacific Ocean early Friday morning local time 124 km (77 miles) west of Port-Vila, Efate, Vanuatu. There were no immediate reports of damage and no tsunami was generated. The earthquake occurred near the subduction zone where the northeastern corner of the Australia Plate subducts beneath the Pacific Plate.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- 7 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt 1.7 MB / pdf 500 kB)
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt 1.7 MB / pdf 519 kB)
January 10, 2012 (18:37:01 UTC)
Magnitude 7.3 Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra
A major earthquake occurred off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra at 12:37 a.m. local time at a depth of 29 km. The earthquake was centered in the Indian Ocean about 262 miles southwest of Banda Aceh, Sumatra, Indonesia. There were no immediate reports of damage.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- updated 10 Jan 9 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt 6.06 MB / pdf 1.3 MB)
Animations and Visualizations
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt 2.85 MB / pdf 1.3 MB)
December 14, 2011 (05:04:57 UTC)
Magnitude 7.1 Eastern New Guinea Reg, Papua New Guinea
A major earthquake occurred in the Eastern New Guinea Region approximately 89 km (55 miles) SSW of Lae, New Guinea, PNG. No tsunami warning was issued as the earthquake occurred inland, and there were no immediate reports of damage.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- 6 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt 1.91 MB / pdf 763 kB)
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt 2.01 MB / pdf 769 kB)
October 23, 2011 (10:41:21 UTC)
Magnitude 7.2 Eastern Turkey
A major earthquake has occurred in Eastern Turkey. The US Geological Survey reports "The ... earthquake occurred in a broad region of convergence beyond the eastern extent of Anatolian strike-slip tectonics. The focal mechanism of today’s earthquake is consistent with oblique-thrust faulting on a south-southwest trending fault, similar to the trend of mapped faults in the region."
Teachable Moment Presentation
- 11 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt/animations 11.4 MB / pdf 1.55 MB)
- Classroom-ready Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt/animations 11.4 MB / pdf 1.57 MB)
Animations and Visualizations
- USArray Ground Motion Visualization (mpeg-4 7.17 MB)
- Back Projection (mpeg-4 51.0 kB)
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt/animación 11.4 MB / pdf 1.55 MB)
USGS Resources
October 21, 2011 (17:57:16 UTC)
Magnitude 7.4 Kermadec Islands Region
A major earthquake occurred near the Kermadec Trench about 1215 km (754 miles) northeast of Auckland, New Zealand. This region of the Tonga-Kermadec subduction zone experiences reasonably high levels of seismic activity, with nearly 50 events of M 6.5 and above over the past 38 years, and 5 greater than M 7.5.
Teachable Moment Presentation
- 12 slide Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt/animations 15.7 MB / pdf 1.36 MB)
- Classroom-ready Powerpoint presentation (zipped ppt/animations 15.8 MB / pdf 1.42 MB)
Animations and Visualizations
- USArray Ground Motion Visualization (mpeg-4 11.4 MB)
- Back Projection (mpeg-4 79.4 kB)
En Español
- Presentación en Español (zipped ppt/animación 15.7 MB / pdf 1.39 MB)
USGS Resources
September 15, 2011 (19:31:02 UTC)
Magnitude 7.3 Fiji Region
According to the US Geological Survey National Earthquake Information Center, a major earthquake occurred in the early morning local time southeast of and deep below Suva, Viti Levu, Fiji. Because this earthquake occurred over 600 km below the surface of the Earth, no tsunami was produced and only light ground shaking was felt even on the island closest to the epicenter.
