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Is the Shenzhen landslide the first of many more? | Environment. The deadly landslide that buried part of the southern Chinese city of Shenzhen beneath a tide of red mud on Monday may be a devastating new consequence of China’s urban explosion, an expert has warned. The destruction of 94 acres of the Guangming New District, which had sprung from the rice paddies in just a few decades, was sudden but a long time in coming. Even as the the neighbourhoods and factories were being built, the mountain of refuse that would destroy it all was piling up. Professor Dave Petley, pro-vice chancellor for research and enterprise at the University of East Anglia , said Shenzhen was the first time he had heard of a slide of construction waste. Almost always this type of accident can be traced back to the slag heaps of the mining industry.

The government would now be scrambling to establish whether this was a one-off incident, or the first of more to come. “To me, this is completely new,” he said. Particularly badly affected are China, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Chile earthquake and tsunami: Hawaii on tsunami alert after 8.3 quake strikes Chile. NOAA/National Tsunami Warning Center A powerful, tsunami-generating 8.3-magnitude earthquake struck just offshore the coast of central Chile on Wednesday evening, at about 7:54 p.m. local time.

It is the strongest earthquake in Chile since a catastrophic 8.8 in 2010. Coastal buoys detected a 10-to-15-foot high tsunami that reached the Chilean coast within minutes. There were no immediate reports of damages or injuries, although a United States Geological Survey predictive algorithm estimated dozens of fatalities could occur, with economic losses of hundreds of millions of dollars. People stand and watch the ocean on Cerro Baron hill, in Valparaiso city September 16, 2015, after a mass evacuation of the entire coastline during a tsunami alert after a magnitude 8.3 earthquake hit off the coast of Chile on Wednesday.

Photo by Rodrigo Garrido/Reuters Photos posted on social media and footage from state-owned TVN appeared to show the tsunami waves reaching the coast. New Christchurch slowly emerges from the rubble - BBC News. Standing behind wire fences, tourists stare at the crippled and neglected grand old lady of this wounded city. The Anglican Cathedral was badly damaged during the magnitude 6.3 earthquake that struck Christchurch in February 2011. Its famous spire fell in ruins, along with a section of the tower, but while there is fierce disagreement about its future, a short walk away at Latimer Square is a potent symbol of determination and renewal. The Transitional Cathedral is made mostly of cardboard and was designed by the Japanese architect Shigeru Ban. It opened its doors to worshippers in August 2013 and will be a spiritual headquarters until a permanent replacement is established.

All around a new city is gradually emerging. Some of the businesses that were forced out of central Christchurch after the February 2011 disaster that killed 185 people are returning. "After the earthquake everyone had to learn to adapt. Redevelopment effort Housing concerns. Maps Mania: Post-Earthquake Imagery from Nepal. Nepal’s Earthquake: Mapping its ripple effect across Asia - Washington Post. Nepal earthquake: Eight million people affected, UN says - BBC News. Eight million people have been affected by the massive earthquake in Nepal - more than a quarter of the country's population - the United Nations says. International aid has started arriving but there is still huge need - 1.4 million require food aid, the UN said. The 7.8-magnitude quake hit Nepal on Saturday destroying buildings in Kathmandu and severely affecting rural areas across the region.

The death toll has risen to 4,310, with almost 8,000 injured, officials say. Nepal and surrounding areas have continued to experience aftershocks. Thousands in Kathmandu, Nepal's capital, spent a third night outside, too afraid to go back into their houses. Water, food and electricity are in short supply and there are fears of outbreaks of disease. The situation is critical in the remote rural regions towards the epicentre of Saturday's quake. "It is very difficult to reach them," he added. Aid agency Oxfam says it is using land routes to get aid in and hopes to reach the epicentre region on Tuesday. An earthquake felt across South Asia - Washington Post. BGS sur Twitter : "Seismicity map for Nepal #nepal #earthquake... M7.5 - 35km E of Lamjung, Nepal.

Tectonic Summary Seismotectonics of the Himalaya and Vicinity Seismicity in the Himalaya dominantly results from the continental collision of the India and Eurasia plates, which are converging at a relative rate of 40-50 mm/yr. Northward underthrusting of India beneath Eurasia generates numerous earthquakes and consequently makes this area one of the most seismically hazardous regions on Earth. The surface expression of the plate boundary is marked by the foothills of the north-south trending Sulaiman Range in the west, the Indo-Burmese Arc in the east and the east-west trending Himalaya Front in the north of India. The India-Eurasia plate boundary is a diffuse boundary, which in the region near the north of India, lies within the limits of the Indus-Tsangpo (also called the Yarlung-Zangbo) Suture to the north and the Main Frontal Thrust to the south.

Shallow crustal earthquakes also occur in this region near the Main Pamir Thrust and other active Quaternary faults. Earthquakes in China and the US on Devour.com. Interactive Animations. This is our collection of interactive rollover flash animations. Click links or scroll down to view the available interactive animations.Check out our Earth Science Animations and Videos pages. Interactive Animations General Basin and Range Dynamic Planet- Earthquakes & Volcanoes Tectonics How Are Earthquakes Located- Walk Run Activity Earthquakes Tectonic Plates Volcanoes Significant Earthquakes from 2001-2011 NEW!

Pacific Northwest Pacific Northwest vs Japan Pacific Northwest vs Sumatra Subduction Zones Northwest Plate Rollover Chile vs Sumatra Subduction Rollover Reveal Pacific Northwest vs Sumatra Earthquake Depth Rollover Pacific Northwest vs Japan Earthquake Rollover Volcanoes Rollover General Significant Earthquakes from 2001-2011 Download interactive Flash animation. Dynamic Planet- Earthquakes & Volcanoes Download interactive Flash animation. How Are Earthquakes Located- Walk Run Activity Download IRIS one-pager, "How are earthquakes located? " Tectonic Plates Basin and Range Tectonics Earthquakes. Japan Mount Ontake volcano : Death toll rises to 48. Tsunami: Pictures from then and now.

When disaster strikes, FEMA turns to Waffle House. When a big storm or tornado devastates a community, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) usually steps in to help state and local officials. But in recent years, FEMA has been getting some help of its own from an unexpected source – one you see on almost every highway throughout the Southeast: Waffle House. During a busy lunch hour at a Waffle House in Norcross, Ga., manager William Palmer grills up a Texas Lover’s BLT for one of his customers on the high counter. But there were a couple of days last January where this Waffle House was packed to the brim. It was during the ice storm that paralyzed the metro Atlanta area, and Palmer says people took refuge here. “A lot of people were stranded on the highway with cars and they couldn’t get to their cars,” Palmer said.

“But since we’re a staple in the community, they always knew they can come here and get great service and great food.” “They’re the canary in the coalmine, if you will,” Strouse said. “We’re ready for it,” Palmer said.