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Active volcanoes are being made to "sing" by researchers who convert seismic data into frequencies audible to human ears. Although the volcanoes are unlikely to sell many records, the technique could make it easier to detect patterns that warn of an eruption. High-powered computers are being used to convert seismic readings from Mount Etna in Sicily and Tungurahua in Ecuador into audible rumbles, roars, beeps, and even piano music. The technique, known as "sonification", is used to help people detect patterns in complex data. Research has shown that people find it easier to detect patterns audibly rather than visually. While...

The USGS is releasing a new tool to help mitigate loss of life and property - a 3D computer model of the upper 20 miles of the Earth's crust in the greater San Francisco Bay Area that will enable researchers to accurately predict the shaking levels of past and future earthquakes. Previous work by the USGS and others has shown that the 3D structure of the Earth has a significant impact on how strongly an earthquake is felt at different locations and on the duration of the shaking. Because seismic waves propagate through different rock types with differing speeds that...

SONIC BOOM NR TAMPA, FLORIDA Saturday, March 12, 2005 at 00:41:55 UTC Preliminary Earthquake Report U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center World Data Center for Seismology, Denver Magnitude 0.0 Date-Time Saturday, March 12, 2005 at 00:41:55 (UTC) - Coordinated Universal Time Friday, March 11, 2005 at 07:41:55 PM local time at epicenter Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones Location 27.95N 82.46W Depth 5.0 kilometers Region SONIC BOOM NR TAMPA, FLORIDA Reference NEAR Tampa, Florida 30 km (20 miles) NE of St. Petersburg, Florida 330 km (205 miles) SSE of TALLAHASSEE, Florida 330 km (205 miles) NW of Miami,...

SACRAMENTO — State Senate leader Don Perata officially unveiled legislation Wednesday to fund huge Bay Bridge cost overruns and other seismic-retrofit needs throughout the state with a multibillion-dollar bond that would go to voters. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has indicated he would consider Perata's Essential Facilities Seismic Retrofit Bond. Both developments, foreshadowed by the Oakland Tribune last month, could lead to the bond's being placed on the expected November special election ballot. But at the same time, the Republican governor has told the Democratic Senate president pro tem from Oakland that he is still interested in replacing the single-tower suspension span...

SACRAMENTO — While declining in popularity and blasting Democrats, Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger left the way open Wednesday to put a huge seismic-safety bond before voters this year for the Bay Bridge and other needs statewide. The governor's comments came in the wake of Senate leader Don Perata, D-Oakland, acknowledging that he was considering the tactic but had not approached the governor. On learning of the governor's remark, Perata said he planned to huddle with other legislative majority Democrats, aides said. During wide-ranging questions after an address to the Sacramento Press Club, Gov. Schwarzenegger — asked specifically if he supported...

Earthquake Hazards Program: Northridge, California 1994 01 17 "The USGS Earthquake Hazards Program provides earthquake information for current and past earthquakes, hazards and preparedness information, and education resources for teachers and students." Latest Quakes   EQ Facts & Lists   Hazards & Preparedness   For Kids Only   Regional Websites   Science & Technology    HOME | ABOUT US | EQ GLOSSARY | FOR TEACHERS | PRODUCTS & SERVICES | DID YOU FEEL IT? | FAQ | SEARCH    EQ Facts & Lists Large Earthquakes in the United States Northridge, California 1994 01 17 12:30:55 UTC (local time: 4:30 a.m.)...

Throughout the 1990s, Turkish foreign policy analysts had an easy job. After all, Turkish foreign policy was predictable. Ankara cooperated enthusiastically with Washington, whether in the Middle East or in the Balkans. Turkey aligned itself with Israel and kept at arms length from Middle Eastern neighbors such as Syria and Iran. In Europe, Ankara traded heavily with the European Union (EU) but did not allow the EU to dictate foreign policy. The European Union's frequent allegations and criticism of human rights abuses in Turkey, especially with regard to Turkey's fight against Kurdistan Workers Party (PKK, Partiya Karkaren Kurdistan) terrorists, soured...

<p>If you live in the ``pink'' or ``red'' zones, you could be in trouble, scientists and government officials warned in San Jose today as they unveiled a new earthquake shaking map for the state of California.</p> <p>For the Bay Area as well as most of Southern California, the map colors are very, very warm. In fact, nearly all of coastal California from north of Eureka to the Mexican border, where more than 70 percent of the state's population lives, is red. So are the southern inland deserts.</p>