Chile quake hazards remain high. Image copyright AFP Scientists say the potential remains for further big earthquakes in North Chile, along the stretch of coast hit by a Magnitude 8.2 tremor in April.
Six people lost their lives and 13,000 homes were destroyed or damaged in the event, which also triggered a tsunami. Ethiopia's blue volcano burns deadly sulphuric gas - environment - 27 May 2014. (Image: Olivier Grunewald) IT'S a volcano, but not as we know it.
This cerulean eruption takes place in the Danakil Depression, a low-lying plain in Ethiopia. The volcano's lava is the usual orange-red – the blue comes from flames produced when escaping sulphuric gases burn. French photographer Olivier Grunewald creates such images without using colour filters or digital enhancement, which is no simple task. To get this shot he had to wait until dusk, when the electric blue flames were visible, but before all the daylight had ebbed away.
Grunewald works in a gas mask to avoid breathing in the deadly fumes – but photographing Kawah Ijen still left him with peeling skin and clothes smelling of rotten eggs for weeks afterwards. Sangeang Api latest - VOLCANO PLANET. Desert Blocked Spread of Early Dinosaurs. A huge desert created by global warming likely prevented early dinosaurs from migrating out of South America for millions of years, suggests an analysis of ancient rocks.
(Related: "Oldest Dinosaur Found? ") At that time, during the Triassic period, the world's continents were bound together in a supercontinent called Pangaea, home to the first dinosaurs. But as dinosaurs spread, they didn't become evenly distributed across this landmass, suggests a team led by Columbia University geophysicist Dennis Kent. (Related "Supercontinent Pangaea Pushed Into Place. ") In a Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences report Kent and colleagues note that there's an extraordinarily long time between when dinosaur fossils begin showing up in rocks in what is now South America, dated to 231 million years ago, and when they begin showing up in rocks in North America, dated to 218 million to 212 million years ago. Hidden Haiti: The perfect destination for tourists? Back in the 1970s, Haiti was a tourist destination for the jet set, welcoming visitors like Richard Burton and Elizabeth Taylor.
But political violence, instability and more recently the 2010 earthquake have changed the country's image, and most of the tourism has vanished. Now, Haiti's government is trying to bring tourists back. The BBC's Laura Trevelyan went to see how. QuakeFeed Earthquake Map, Alerts and News - World Earthquakes Displayed on Esri Maps. Quakes - Earthquake Notifications. Mexico shaken by powerful earthquake. 18 April 2014Last updated at 14:57 ET The quake was more powerful than recent tremors, prompting Mexico City residents to rush into the streets A powerful earthquake has hit Mexico City, shaking buildings for at least 30 seconds and causing widespread panic.
The magnitude-7.2 quake was registered at a depth of 24km (15 miles), according to the US Geological Survey. Its epicentre was in the western state of Guerrero, near the seaside resort of Acapulco There are no reports of casualties or significant damage, but frightened residents across the Mexican capital fled their homes as the tremor began.
The earthquake was felt in several southern and western Mexican states at 09:27 local time (14:27 GMT). Windows were broken and trees fell in Chilpancingo, capital of Guerrero. In Acapulco, where many tourists were enjoying the Easter holiday, there were scenes of panic. Like many tourists, she was having breakfast when the quake stuck. Crystal is 'oldest scrap of Earth crust' A tiny 4.4-billion-year-old crystal has been confirmed as the oldest fragment of Earth's crust.
The zircon was found in sandstone in the Jack Hills region of Western Australia. Scientists dated the crystal by studying its uranium and lead atoms. The former decays into the latter very slowly over time and can be used like a clock. Pintatubo 1991. Earth 100 Million Years From Now. Observe an animation of the breakup of Pangaea. Plate Boundaries Kung Fu. Quakes - Earthquake Notifications. Hidden Haiti: The perfect destination for tourists? Animated guide: Volcanoes. 2. Tectonic Resources. History of deadly earthquakes. Image copyright Getty Images Earthquakes have claimed hundreds of thousands of lives in the last 100 years, and improvements in technology have only slightly reduced the death toll. 25 April 2015 A 7.8-magnitude earthquake kills more than 8,000 people and leaves hundreds of thousands homeless, in the worst natural disaster to strike Nepal since 1934.
In some parts of the country, the quake flattens 98% of all homes in hillside villages. 3 August 2014 Approximately 600 people are killed in a 6.1-magnitude earthquake that strikes Yunnan province in China. 15 October 2013 More than 200 people are reported to have died after a magnitude 7.2 earthquake strikes centrally-located Bohol and Cebu in the Philippines. 25 September 2013 More than 300 people are killed as a 7.7-magnitude quake flattens entire villages in Pakistan's remote south-western province of Balochistan, mainly in the district of Awaran. 20 April 2013 11 August 2012 23 October 2011 11 March 2011 22 February 2011 14 April 2010 6 April 2009.