Topic: U.S. Geological Survey

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In Pictures: Burma (Myanmar) earthquake
Five of Asia's most devastating earthquakes

The Pacific Rim, the body of land surrounding the Pacific Ocean from the west coasts of North and South America to the east coasts of China and Japan, is one of the most volatile regions in the world for earthquakes, tsunamis, and volcanic eruptions. Since 1975, several stunning earthquakes around the Pacific Rim have resulted in tremendous devastation and loss of life – some smaller, but some much greater, than the unfolding crisis in Japan from the March 11 temblor.
Source: US Geological Survey historical data
In Pictures: Space Photos of the Day: Earth from Above II
The 10 weirdest uses for a smartphone

If you're using your smartphone only to make calls, check your email, surf the Web, manage your schedule, take photos, shoot video, listen to music, watch movies, navigate via GPS, play video games, and update your Twitter and Facebook statuses, then you're really nothing more than a Luddite.
What's new with Titan? Five intriguing findings about Saturn's moon

This year the Cassini-Huygens mission to Saturn has performed eight flybys of Titan, Saturn's largest moon. Here are some of this year's eye-popping discoveries associated with Cassini's observations of Titan.

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Consumer Energy Report
Energy development in the Arctic: the good and the bad

As Shell makes preparations to send offshore drilling rigs into the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas north of Alaska, it's important to walk through the history of energy exploration in the Arctic.
Northeast Italy shaken by biggest quake there since the 1300s

The 6.0-magnitude temblor left at least four dead and cracked bell towers, crumbled church facades, and caved in roofs in the region around Bologna early Sunday.
Will Saturday's 'supermoon' destroy the Earth?

No, it won't. You people really need to learn to calm down.
Militaries vie for Arctic edge as ice cap melts

By Arctic standards, the region is already buzzing with military activity, and experts believe that will increase significantly in the years ahead.
Report cites fracking-related activities as potential suspect in minor quakes

The rate of minor earthquakes from Colorado to Ohio has quickened in the past decade. But the report doesn't make a direct link between fracking and quakes, notes an Interior official.
Latin America Monitor
Series of quakes hit Mexico: What's going on?

Four earthquakes have rattled Mexico City in four months. The Monitor's Mexico City bureau chief explains how the frequent aftershocks have kept earthquakes on the mind.
Indonesia earthquake: Why no tsunami this time?

Wednesday's Indonesia earthquake was similar in magnitude to the devastating 2004 quake, but there was no tsunami. The difference? Location.
Wisconsin sonic booms: Is a 1.5-magnitude jiggle the whole story?

The US Geological Survey suggests a small quake under Clintonville, Wis., and associated micro-tremors, could be the source of the mysterious sonic booms. Not everyone buys that.
Better prepared: Mexico's 7.4 quake causes damage, but no deaths

Mexico's worst earthquake in nearly 30 years was met by stricter building codes and a city prepared by evacuation drills and early warning systems.
Earthquake in Mexico: Powerful, destructive but not deadly (+video)

Earthquake in Mexico: The magnitude 7.4 quake was the biggest since 1986, when at least 10,000 died. But improved construction and where this earthquake hit, say officials, has left Mexico with limited damage, and no fatalities.
Mexico earthquake: How quake-prone is the region?

Mexico earthquake history shows that the same faults that caused Tuesday's Mexico earthquake can produce even bigger events, like one that struck in 1985.
Latin America Monitor
Mexico's earthquake: A reporter's notebook

The Monitor's Latin America bureau chief writes about the initial aftermath and her experience following today's 7.4 magnitude earthquake in Mexico City.
7.6 magnitude earthquake strikes southwestern Mexico

A major earthquake shook the country near the Pacific coast resort of Acapulco Tuesday. There are no early reports of injuries or major damage.
Quake, aftershocks rattle San Francisco Bay area

The US Geological Survey reports the magnitude-4.0 quake struck at 5:33 a.m. Monday and was centered 8 miles northeast of San Francisco in the city of El Cerrito.
4.0 earthquake in Missouri shakes 9 states

The US Geological Survey says the magnitude 4.0 earthquake was centered near the town of East Prairie, Missouri.
Ice caps not shrinking as much as once thought, new data show

Mountain glaciers and ice caps around the globe collectively lost 148 billion tons of ice a year, according to new satellite measurements. The rate is 30 percent lower than scientists thought.
Rescuers dig to reach dozens after Philippines quake

At least 13 people were killed and 40 are believed missing, most of them along the shore near the epicenter of the 6.9-magnitude quake that struck in a narrow strait just off Negros Island.
The New Economy
Oil prices will rise as supplies tighten? Hardly.

Oil prices, which fell below $97 a barrel on Monday, are not poised to surge in the long run because long-term production is declining. Better technology and, if needed, higher oil prices mean the long predicted peak in oil production is a long way off. 
Snakes in the grass: Is the Burmese Python wiping out Everglades mammals?

Burmese Python pets that escaped or were released have proliferated in the Everglades. A recent study suggests they are behind the sharp drop in the population of raccoons and other mammals.
Huge pythons annihilating Everglades wildlife, report scientists (+video)

Pythons that have entered the Everglades after escaping or being released by pet owners are destroying the parks native mammal populations, a new report has found.
Global News Blog
7.3 quake hits Indonesia again, but this time residents are better prepared

7.3 quake struck Indonesia early Wednesday morning, six years and one month after a devastating earthquake rocked Banda Aceh and South East Asia, causing tsunami warnings, but residents had escape routes planned.
7.3 quake strikes off coast of Indonesia; tsunami warning issued

7.3 quake near Indonesia is the strongest since the deadly 2004 temblor. There were no immediate reports of injuries or damage following the 7.3 quake.
How fracking might have led to an Ohio earthquake

The 4.0 Ohio earthquake this weekend was a reminder that activities related to hydraulic fracturing, or 'fracking,' can cause seismic faults to shift if not carried out carefully.
Famine early warning system gives Africa a chance to prepare

US government system, using ground sensors and satellite imagery, helped to predict this year's drought in Horn of Africa, allowing aid groups and governments to prepare relief.
Famine alert: West Africa still has time to avoid 2012 food crisis

A Famine Early Warning System – which accurately predicted the 2011 drought in the Horn of Africa – warns that millions of West Africans may face a food crisis in 2012.