image Photo: Courtesy of the Geological Survey of Israel

September earthquake count 2133 – so far

There have been four earthquakes in Israel this past week. According to the Seismology Division of The Geological Survey of Israel (GSI),a 2.5 magnitude (M2.5) occurred at 21:05:19 last night. There were also an M2.2 at 17:00:50 and an M2.8 at 08:01:16 on 6 September, and an M3.2 on 5 September at 16:48:34.

All of the seismic activity in Israel is considered as “minor,” and there were no resulting deaths or damage. The rest of the world was not as fortunate.

Since the start of the month just ten days ago, there have been 2133 earthquakes around the world; a number that is steadily rising. They ranged in magnitude as low as the one that occurred this morning at 7:14 local time in France at 0.9 to the strongest, a 6.8 recorded offshore Atacama, Chile on 1 September. The same area of Chile was hit by 2 additional quakes the same day, measuring 6.5 and 6.3.

So far there have been no earthquake-related fatalities this month. A M5.1 in Golestan Iran on 6 September injured at least 34 people and reportedly damages 50 homes, according to the Siasat Daily. Japan’s Kyodo News reported that 13 were hurt after an M5.0 quake hit the center of the country at Fukui on 4 September, where some damage was also sustained.

Other major quakes included a M6.0 aftershock in Shefa, Vanuatu on 7 September following an M6.2 the previous day. In fact, 6 September was marked by several other seismic events, including a 6.7 in the Central Mid-Atlantic Ridge, a 6.3 in Coquimbo, Chile; and another 6.3 in Davao, Philippines.

According to The Seismic Monitor of the Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS), there have been 16 earthquakes >M4 in the past day alone.

At the time of this publication, 10 September has seen an M2.9 in Tarapaca, Chile at 08:45:54, a 5.0 in Java, Indonesia at 08:26:59, a 4.6 in the Banda Sea at 03:58:31, a 4.0 in Southern Alaska at 02:18:00, a 4.3 in Central Peru at 00:36:24, and another 4.3 in Nicaragua at 00:03:50.

Yesterday, there was a 5.2 in the Samoa Islands Region at 22:55:55, a 4.5 in the Kuril Islands at   22:11:30, a 4.3 in Argentina’s Jujuy Province at 21:47:07, a 4.4 in the South Shetland Islands at 20:37:25, a 4.4 in Tajikistan at 16:16:46, a 4.7 in the Banda Sea at 14:28:14, a 5.4 in the Solomon Islands at 10:57:10, a 4.4 in southern Iran at 10:42:50, a 4.1 in Irian Jaya, Indonesia at 09:55:46, a 4.4 near the coast of Oaxaca, Mexico at 09:16:44, and a 4.5 and 5.8 at 08:51:52 and 07:18:40 respectively in Indonesia’s Talaud Islands.

— By Erin Viner