| Three large or unusual earthquake(s) hit the world today. The major events occurred with M 6.0 and 5.5 as aftershocks in the Christchurch, New Zealand area and as a series of more than 20 events of M 4.5-5.5 in Ethiopia and Eritrea. An earthquake of M 2.7 in northern Texas was the most unusual in North America. All of these events are located at the same distance from the great rupture in Japan of March 11 - 90 degrees or the fourth nodal distance. This has been an exceptionally active distance from Japan for the past two months and earthquake promotion from that event at this nodal distance is very likely after that great earthquake of M 9.0. A series of moderate to large earthquakes hit in the Christchurch region of New Zealand with the largest of M 6.0 and 5.5. Each subsequent earthquake was larger than the previous. At least 10 people were reported injured and hospitalized by these event as buildings collapsed in the shocks. Christchurch airport was evacuated and the terminal building and runways were being checked for damages. Infrastructures was damaged across the city which suffered a similar M 6.3 aftershock in February which killed 181 people and caused considerable damage, the most of an previous earthquake in New Zealand. The first earthquake caused landslides and some people were trapped in a church. Power was cut to 50,000 homes and there were reports of damage to buildings, water supplies and roads. Watermains broke in Tunnel Road and Brougham Street and State Highway 74 was closed. Parts of Christchurch have flooded. Roads in the southeast are covered in water and liquefied silt. Grassy areas around the estuary of the Avon and Heathcote rivers have also liquefied and the Avon is high, dirty and thick with silt. There is also surface flooding on the streets of the suburb of Linwood near the city center according to Radio New Zealand. Several fires were reported and buildings and churches had trapped people inside collapsed structures. The initial earthquake of M 7.1 on September 4, 2010 was highly damaging in the city, but greater damage occurred on February 22 when an M 6.3 hit nearer the center of Christchurch. The city center has been closed since that time. The estimated cost of these two earthquakes has been estimated at $13 billion US dollars, the most costly in the history of New Zealand. The activity in New Zealand followed about an hour after a second quake in the South Shetland Islands region of M 4.9. Earthquake in that area often occur as pairs and some evidence suggests they may point to coming strong global earthquakes as occurred in New Zealand and Ethiopia today. A series of earthquakes of M 4.5-6.0 hit in the region of Eritrea and Ethiopia today with at least 18 of M>=4.5. The largest of these were of M 5.7. This is a hotspot area and often becomes active 4-5 days after major solar flares. In this case the M 2.5 flare hit on June 7 at 06:16 UT. The Ethiopian swarm began five days after this flare, the timing as is normally expected. This pattern was first reported in print in 1999 and has continued with large flares since that time. The first M 5.7 was reported felt with intensity III in Ta'izz, Yemen, while the second M 5.7 was felt with intensity V in Asseb Debub-Keih-Bahri, Eritrea; IV in al-Hudaydad, Yemen and Mek'ele, Tigray, Ethiopia. Intensity II-III was reported from Aden, Yemen, Jibuti, Djibouti, Korem, Ethiopia and Asmara, Maekel, Eritrea. This is a volcanic area where the Red Sea is opening and forming a new ocean but no volcanism has yet been reported with this earthquake series. These events, like those in New Zealand and Texas are occurring at 90 degrees, the fourth node from the great Japanese rupture zone of March 11, 2011. A moderate earthquake of M 2.7 was widely felt in Northern Texas today. NEIC reported intensity I- III in Irving, Alvarado, Burleson, Granbury, Mansfield, Venus, Rio Vista, Denton, Nolanville, Waco and San Marcos, Texas. The quake was near Waxahachi but no damage was reported. This earthquake like those in Ethiopia and New Zealand occurred at 90.0 degrees from the mainshock of March 11 of M 9.0 off Honhsu, Japan. The moderate activity in Mexico today also continued with another moderate earthquake in the region of Veracruz and Chiapas, Mexico of M 4.7-4.8. This is part of a series of events which have hit the region in recent days and may be part of an activation which could culminate in a major regional earthquake. Today's event was not reported felt or damaging in the epicentral zone. It was accompanied by regional events of M 4.0, 4.0, 4.3 and 3.8 according to UNAM. |