Latest news with #U.S.GeologicalSurvey
Saba Yemen
6 hours ago
- Climate
- Saba Yemen
6.1-magnitude earthquake strikes off southern Philippines
Manila - (Saba): A 6.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the southern Philippines on Saturday. There were no reports of casualties or damage. The U.S. Geological Survey stated that the earthquake occurred at a depth of 101 kilometers, about 70 kilometers from the nearest area of Davao Occidental province. No tsunami warning was issued. Earthquakes are a near-daily occurrence in the Philippines, which is located within the "Ring of Fire," an area of active seismic and volcanic activity along the Pacific Ocean. Most earthquakes are weak, but strong and destructive earthquakes occur randomly, with no technology available to predict their timing and location. Whatsapp Telegram Email Print
Miami Herald
a day ago
- Climate
- Miami Herald
3.6-magnitude earthquake wakes Northern California, USGS says. ‘Shaking again'
An early morning 3.6-magnitude earthquake woke parts of Northern California, the U.S. Geological Survey reported. The approximately 13-mile deep quake hit about 3 miles northwest from Redding just before 4 a.m. on Friday, June 27, according to the USGS. More than 900 people from as far away as Orland and Shasta reported feeling the tremor to the agency. Users on X, formerly known as Twitter, were quick to comment on the jolt. 'California shaking again!' one X user wrote. Redding is about a 160-mile drive north from Sacramento. What to know about earthquakes Magnitude measures the energy released at the source of the earthquake, the U.S. Geological Survey says. It replaces the old Richter scale. Quakes between 2.5 and 5.4 magnitude are often felt but rarely cause much damage, according to Michigan Tech. Quakes below 2.5 magnitude are seldom felt by most people. Earthquakes' sudden, rapid shaking can cause fires, tsunamis, landslides or avalanches. They can happen anywhere, but they're most common in Alaska, California, Hawaii, Oregon, Puerto Rico and Washington, according to the Department of Homeland Security. If an earthquake strikes, it's best to protect yourself right away. Here are tips from experts: If you're in a car: Pull over and stop. Set your parking brake. If you're in bed: Turn face-down and cover your head with a pillow. If you're outdoors: Stay away from buildings. Don't go inside. If you're inside: Stay and don't run outdoors. Stay away from doorways. The best way to protect yourself during an earthquake is to drop, cover and hold on, officials say. 'Wherever you are, drop down to your hands and knees and hold onto something sturdy,' officials say. 'If you're using a wheelchair or walker with a seat, make sure your wheels are locked and remain seated until the shaking stops.' Be sure to cover your head and neck with your arms, and crawl under a sturdy table if possible. If no shelter is available, crawl to an interior wall away from windows. Once under a table, officials say you should hold on with one hand and be ready to move with it. 'There can be serious hazards after an earthquake, such as damage to the building, leaking gas and water lines, or downed power lines,' officials say. 'Expect aftershocks to follow the main shock of an earthquake. Be ready to Drop, Cover, and Hold On if you feel an aftershock.'
NBC News
a day ago
- Science
- NBC News
Yellowstone bison dies after stumbling into near-boiling waters of popular hot spring
A bison in Yellowstone National Park appeared to stumble into the scalding water of Grand Prismatic Spring, causing its death as tourists looked on during the park's busiest season. The bison fell into the hot spring at Midway Geyser Basin near Old Faithful early Saturday, a spokesperson for Yellowstone said. It's not entirely clear exactly how or why the animal ended up in the hot spring, said Michael Poland, the scientist-in-charge at Yellowstone Volcano Observatory and a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey. But after having seen video of the accident, Poland said it looked like the bison got too close, stumbled further into the water and thrashed around before it fell into an even hotter part of Grand Prismatic, causing its death. Poland said the bison died "fairly quickly," and he dispelled rumors that the spring's water is highly acidic, causing the animal to burn. Most hot springs are actually neutral, Poland said, but the temperatures are so extreme that the bison most likely boiled to death. Grand Prismatic is about 300 feet wide, and its temperatures reach 192 degrees Fahrenheit, Poland said. Boiling point at Yellowstone, because of its high altitude, is 200 degrees Fahrenheit. "This bison carcass is basically sitting in a pool of nearly boiling water, and ... that boiling water will eat away at the organic material, the tissues, and eventually there will just be some bone" leftover, he said. It's not the most uncommon of occurrences, Poland said. Often, animals will walk along the edges of hot springs. They can fall in because the crust surrounding the pool is thin and can break with enough weight. "It's possible something like that happened," he said. "Perhaps a little shelf that [the bison] was standing on collapsed and that exposed [it] to more hot water." Poland added: "But I can't say for sure." He noted that he has never heard of that happening at Grand Prismatic before. Scientists know it occurs at least from time to time, though, because animal skeletons can be found at hot springs around the park, many of which are in the backcountry, away from tourist activity, Poland said. What makes this case unique is that the bison died in Yellowstone's largest and most tourist-populated spring during the summer busy season. Katie Hirtzel was visiting Yellowstone National Park and witnessed the bison's death, she said on Facebook. She said watching the episode was "incredibly powerful and moving." "It was amazing to witness raw nature and the circle of life in front of our eyes like that," Hirtzel said. "It is going to be interesting to see how the park decides to move forward as scavengers are drawn to such a populated area." Poland said he sees it as a cautionary tale for humans visiting the park. He urged visitors to stay on the boardwalks — which are there for a reason — and not get too close. "It's amazing to go and visit these places in Yellowstone. They are spectacular," he said. "But this is why it's so important to stay on the boardwalks."
Time of India
a day ago
- Time of India
Heart wrenching: Bison falls to death into Yellowstone National Park's hot spring
1 2 Recently, a video from the famous Yellowstone National Park in the U.S. is going viral on social media. The video, which was shot in the month of June by some tourists, shows a huge bison being swallowed by a scalding hot spring in the park. It all happened in front of the tourists who couldn't do anything to save the animal. The horrifying incident is a stark reminder of the power of the nature. As per officials, the bison wandered into the Grand Prismatic Spring, which is a part of the national park. The incident took place on the morning of June 21 and was captured by the onlookers. The video doing round on social media shows the bison struggling to get out before slipping into the waters and disappearing behind the steam. Hours later, the remains of the bison was seen resting in the spring. Mike Poland, the scientist-in-charge of the Yellowstone Volcano Observatory with the U.S. Geological Survey, said that the scalding hot water of the springs will take its toll on the bison's remains. He furter said that the park rangers will leave the bison to decay naturally. Poland informed that it's note yet clear how and why bison ended up in the hot spring. But after seeing the video, he said it looked like the animal got too close, lost the balance and fell into a hot geyser. Explaining about the geysers, he said that most hot springs are actually neutral, however the temperatures are of the water is extremely height that the bison most likely boiled to death. However, it is not the first time that such an incedent had happened here. A number of animals fall victim to Yellowstone, but it is a rare sight. The incident is also a reminder to visitors, he said: 'Stay safely on the boardwalks and marked trails to avoid serious injury or death.' About Yellowstone National Park America's first national park, Yellowstone, was established in 1872. It is an iconic natural UNESCO wonder in Wyoming, with parts touching Montana and Idaho states as well. The park is mostly famous for its geothermal wonders which includes the famous Old Faithful geyser. The park is also a natural home to a range of wildlife, including bison, elk, wolves, and grizzly bears. The park attracts millions of visitors, photographers, wildlife lovers and nature enthusiasts every year from across the globe.
NBC News
2 days ago
- Climate
- NBC News
Bison dies after appearing to fall into popular Yellowstone hot spring
A bison in Yellowstone National Park appeared to stumble into the steaming hot waters of Grand Prismatic Spring, causing its death as tourists looked on during the park's busiest season. The bison fell into the hot spring at Midway Geyer Basin near Old Faithful early Saturday, a spokesperson for Yellowstone confirmed to NBC News. It's not entirely clear exactly how or why the bison ended up in the hot spring, said Michael Poland, the scientist-in-charge at Yellowstone Volcano Observatory and a geophysicist at the U.S. Geological Survey. But after observing video of the accident, Poland said it looked like the bison got too close to the spring, stumbled further into the scalding water and then appeared to thrash around before falling into an even hotter part of Grand Prismatic, causing its death. Poland said the bison died "fairly quickly," and dispelled rumors that the spring's water is highly acidic, causing the animal to burn. Most hot springs are actually neutral, Poland explained, but the temperatures are so extreme that the bison likely boiled to its own death. Grand Prismatic is about 300 feet wide and its temperatures reach 192 degrees Fahrenheit, Poland said. Boiling point at Yellowstone, because of its high altitude, is 200 degrees Fahrenheit. "This bison carcass is basically sitting in a pool of nearly boiling water, and ... that boiling water will eat away at the organic material, the tissues, and eventually there will just be some bone" leftover, Poland said. It's not the most uncommon of occurrences, Poland said. Often, animals will walk along the edge of hot springs. In most instances, animals fall in because the crust surrounding the pool is thinner than it appears and can break with enough weight. "It's possible something like that happened," Poland said. "Perhaps a little shelf that [the bison] was standing on collapsed and that exposed [it] to more hot water." Poland added: "But I can't say for sure." He noted that he's never heard of this happening at Grand Prismatic before, and said it's not entirely clear just how often it happens. Scientists know it occurs at least from time to time, though, because animal skeletons can be found at hot springs around the park, many of which are in the backcountry, away from tourist activity, Poland said. What makes this case unique is the fact that the bison died in the largest and most tourist-populated spring in the park during the summer busy season. Katie Hirtzel was visiting Yellowstone National Park and witnessed the bison's demise, according to her post on Facebook. She said watching the entire episode was "incredibly powerful and moving." "It was amazing to witness raw nature and the circle of life in front of our eyes like that," Hirtzel said. "It is going to be interesting to see how the park decides to move forward as scavengers are drawn to such a populated area." Poland said he sees this as a cautionary tale for humans visiting the park. He said visitors should stay on the boardwalks — which are there for a reason — and not get too close. "It's amazing to go and visit these places in Yellowstone. They are spectacular," Poland said. "But this is why it's so important to stay on the boardwalks."
