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ScienceHuman HistoryArchaeologists Find Evidence That a Massive Tsunami Hit Ancient Levantine Coast
When Gilad Shtienberg began digging on an Israeli beach in August 2018, the last thing he expected to find were seashells. Boring some 30 feet below the sandy surface, Shtienberg, a geomorphologist at the Scripps Center for Marine Archaeology in California, was excavating a doorknob-shaped cove called the Bay of Dor. Nearly 10,000 years ago, … Continued
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Tech NewsGoogleGoogle Just Rolled Out a Slew of New Android Features
Ahead of the upcoming official release of Android 11, Google is pushing out a few updates to all Android phones (running Android 6 and above) and it includes some helpful updates to Android Auto, a new Bedtime mode to help you sleep better, enhanced emergency services, and improved accessibility for people with limited vision. For … Continued
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EartherEarth ScienceNew Seismic Map of North America Reveals a Continent Under Tremendous Stress
Scientists have compiled the most comprehensive map yet of tectonic stress magnitudes across North America, highlighting regions most vulnerable to earthquakes. The map and associated study, published today in Nature Communications, showcase the dynamic subterranean forces at play on a continental scale. Writing in their paper, the authors of the new study, Jens-Erik Lund Snee, … Continued
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EartherEarth ScienceMagnetic Clues in Australian Rocks Suggest Plate Tectonics Began Over 3 Billion Years Ago
Without plate tectonics, our planet wouldn’t have continents, mountains, and possibly even life itself. New evidence suggests this geological process began at least 3.2 billion years ago, a surprisingly early origin. Geologists debate exactly when our planet’s tectonic plates began to shift. Estimates vary wildly, ranging from 4 billion to 1 billion years ago, with … Continued
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EartherEarth SciencePowerful Earthquake Jolts Caribbean Near Jamaica
On Tuesday afternoon, a major magnitude 7.7 earthquake struck off the coast of Jamaica. The shaking could reportedly be felt on land and tsunami warnings went up for Belize, the Cayman Islands, Cuba, Honduras, Mexico, and Jamaica. The U.S. Geological Survey issued a report on the quake just before 2:30 p.m. local time. It was … Continued
By Brian Kahn -
EartherEnvironmental JusticePuerto Rico Struck by 5.9-Magnitude Shock Amid Week of Devastating Seismic Activity
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake struck Puerto Rico on Saturday morning, one of three powerful shocks to wrack the island recently following weeks of smaller quakes. The shake further exacerbated the devastating effects left from Tuesday’s 6.4 magnitude earthquake, the strongest the area’s felt in nearly a century. I’d usually quip something here about bad luck … Continued
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EartherEnvironmental JusticeA Magnitude 6.4 Earthquake Has Knocked Out Power For All of Puerto Rico
Just a day after a 5.8 magnitude earthquake knocked out power to the southern part of Puerto Rico, the entire island is in the dark after a 6.4 magnitude earthquake broke out early Tuesday morning, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The Richter scale is logarithmic, which means this quake was much more powerful than … Continued
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Tech NewsNewsEarthquake Destroys Famous Natural Landmark in Puerto Rico
A picturesque Puerto Rican landmark, Punta Ventana, has collapsed following a magnitude 5.79 earthquake. The earthquake struck today at 6:32 a.m. local time, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. CBS News says there are no reports of injuries, but many buildings and roads have been damaged, and power outages have been reported across the island. … Continued
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Tech NewsNewsUndersea Telecommunications Cables That Connect the World Can Also Be Used to Detect Earthquakes
The more tools scientists have at their disposal for detecting and studying earthquakes, the better the chances of survival there are when one threatens a populated area. And it turns out that the thousands of miles of undersea telecommunications cables that have been used to connect the world can also serve as a surprisingly effective … Continued
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EartherEarth ScienceDormant for 500 Years, a Potentially Deadly Fault in California Has Started to Move
This past summer, southern California experienced a significant earthquake swarm. Analysis of the event suggests earthquakes unravel in a more complicated manner than is typically appreciated. What’s more, this event has perturbed a major, previously idle fault nearby—and scientists aren’t entirely sure about the potential consequences. New research published this week in Science details the … Continued
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Tech NewsBest of the WeekDeadly Fungus, Fat Bear Week, PS5 Leaks, and Hot Dog Salad: Best Gizmodo Stories of the Week
No news this week could possibly compare to the “hot dog salad” abomination created by a certain Gizmodo colleague, which has taken our forbidden sandwich out back, choked it to death, and absorbed it into its goopy morass. But reader, we tried. This week, the Gizmodo team covered everything from the Federal Communications Commission’s big … Continued
By Tom McKay -
Tech NewsBest of the WeekPoker Bots, Earthquake Scars, and What to See at SDCC 2019: Best Gizmodo Stories of the Week
2019 Comic-Con International: San Diego is coming this week, which means our team will be on the ground, providing you with on-the-scene coverage of pop culture and fandom as well as hoping our fellow attendees please, please exercise some acceptable minimum degree of basic thoughtfulness. But in the meantime, our reporters and editors have been … Continued
By Tom McKay -
EartherWest Coast Residents Seriously Underestimate the Threat of a Catastrophic Earthquake, Survey Finds
As last week’s major earthquakes in Southern California reminded us, we humans are still at the mercy of the geologically-active planet we live on. But despite the ever-present seismic threat, there’s a lot more West Coast cities could be doing to prepare their infrastructure and citizens for disaster, like implementing stricter building codes and restrictions … Continued
By Maddie Stone -
EartherEarth ScienceMagnitude 7.1 Earthquake in Southern California Is Second Major Quake in Two Days
A magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck southern California on Friday night at around 8:19 p.m. local time, with a reported epicenter around 10 miles to the northeast of the town of Ridgecrest—the second major quake to hit the region in two days. Per the Washington Post, Kern County Fire Chief David Witt said that no deaths … Continued
By Tom McKay
