earthquakes News

Oklahoma Lawmaker to Refile Earthquake Insurance Bill

Following a rash of earthquakes, a state lawmaker says he plans to file a bill to require insurance companies to notify Oklahomans whether their policies cover property damage caused by earthquakes. Rep. Mike Shelton of Oklahoma City filed a bill …

USGS: Quakes in Central Oklahoma Here to Stay

This central Oklahoma town of 2,400 claims two things as its own: Olympian Jim Thorpe and an annual kolache festival that honors its Czech heritage every May. Some locals here say the place should be known for a third: earthquakes. …

Seismologist Says Fracking Doesn’t Cause Earthquakes

A University of Texas seismologist says human activity associated with oil and gas production can sometimes cause earthquakes, but hydraulic fracturing isn’t the problem. Cliff Frohlich told scientists gathered in Morgantown for a National Research Council forum that when quakes …

April Catastrophes Included Earthquakes in China, Iran; Hail, Floods in U.S.: Aon

An earthquake in China and two in Iran dominated global catastrophes in April. Additional earthquakes were recorded in Japan, Afghanistan and Hungary during the month. Parts of the U.S. suffered severe hail and flooding damage during April, although there were …

2 Magnitude 5 Quakes Shake Southwestern Greece

Seismologists say two earthquakes have struck southwestern Greece, both with preliminary magnitudes 5 but with different epicenters. No injuries or damage were immediately reported. The Athens Geodynamic Institute said the first quake struck at 5:12 a.m. (0312 GMT) Sunday, with …

Earthquake and Drilling Link Prompts Colorado Review

Recent earthquakes in Colorado and elsewhere were induced by a drilling procedure to dispose of wastewater, federal geologists planned to argue in a report announced Wednesday. The Denver Post reported Tuesday that Colorado drilling regulators said more study is needed …

Survivors of Chinese Earthquakes Await Supplies

Survivors of a series of earthquakes that killed 81 people and injured more than 800 in a mountainous area of southwestern China were desperately waiting for more aid to arrive Sunday as jolting aftershocks kept fears high and hindered rescue …

Earthquakes Prompt Record Insurance Claims in 2011

Insurance industry damage claims from natural disasters like the earthquakes in Japan and New Zealand reached a record $105 billion in 2011, said Munich Re, the world’s biggest reinsurer. The cost to insurers from the earthquake and tsunami in Japan …

Ground Motion Study May Show Need to Modify Building Codes

“In recent decades, population growth and scarcity of undeveloped metropolitan land have changed urban land use patterns and placed an increasing number of people and infrastructure in areas susceptible to topographic effects during earthquakes,” said Adrian Rodriguez-Marek, associate professor of …

Two Centuries After New Madrid Quakes

The United States was still a young nation when three major earthquakes rocked the central Mississippi River valley in the winter of 1811-1812. Chimneys fell, the earth heaved and church bells rang hundreds of miles away, set off by the …