On July 30, 2025, at 11:24 a.m. local time, a magnitude 8.8 earthquake struck off the east coast of Russia's Kamchatka Peninsula, generating a Pacific-wide tsunami. Although this powerful earthquake was tied as the sixth strongest ever recorded by seismometers, the tsunami was weaker than initially feared, and the impact in terms of loss of life was minimal. In this episode, we examine how effective planning and warning systems helped minimize casualties. We also debunk a myth about a "parade of erupting volcanoes" and share essential tsunami safety information – all while doing our best to pronounce some beautifully complicated place names.

 

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – Welcome message

00:15 – 2025 Kamchatka Peninsula earthquake

00:33 – Kuril-Kamchatka Trench

00:40 – Shaking intensity & impact

01:00 – Pacific-wide tsunami

01:22 – Tsunami less destructive than feared

01:56 – Lessons from 1952 earthquake

02:24 – Relocation of Severo-Kurilsk

02:37 – Planning + warnings helped save lives

02:48 – Parade of erupting volcanoes?

03:10 – Krasheninnikov eruption

03:22 – Four ongoing eruptions

03:31 – Multiple eruptions not unusual for Kamchatka

04:00 – Subduction zone earthquakes can trigger eruptions

04:33 – Tsunami safety information

05:06 – Natural warning signs

05:45 – 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami: Tilly Smith story

06:51 – Preparedness + education saves lives

06:59 – Our “why”

07:05 – More tsunami safety tips

07:44 – Closing message

 

📚 Learn More

🔗 QuakeFeed Substack: 2025 Kamchatka Peninsula Earthquake

https://quakefeed.substack.com/p/2025-kamchatka-earthquake

🔗 Cal OES: Tsunami Preparedness

https://www.caloes.ca.gov/office-of-the-director/operations/planning-preparedness-prevention/seismic-hazards/tsunami-preparedness/

🔗 NOAA / NWS: Tsunami Safety

https://www.weather.gov/media/owlie/TsunamiSafety-OnePager-02-28-2019.pdf

 

📱 Download QuakeFeed for Real-Time Alerts

Stay informed – get the QuakeFeed app now:

https://apps.apple.com/app/quakefeed-earthquake-alerts/id403037266

Want to view the 2025 Kamchatka Peninsula Earthquake on an interactive map that shows the MMI Contours and the Erupting Volcanoes? Subscribe to QuakeFeed Premium for the full range of features – it’s free for 30-days for first-time subscribers.

 

🌍 Connect with Us

Substack: https://quakefeed.substack.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@QuakeFeed

Instagram: https://instagram.com/QuakeFeed

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/QuakeFeed

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🎵 Music By Soularflair

Bio on FMA: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Soularflair/bio

CC-BY License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

QuakeFeed v6.5.7 available now in the App Store. We fixed a bug in the Filter by Alert Settings feature. This episode gives a quick overview of this feature and how to adjust data source and filter settings in QuakeFeed. Links to "how to" videos also included below. Big thank you to the member of the QuakeFeed community who brought this bug to our attention!

 

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – QuakeFeed v6.5.7

00:32 – Filter by Alerts

00:59 – Step-by-step Instructions

01:36 – Data Source and Filters

01:47 – Alert Settings

02:20 – How to Send Support Request

 

📚 Learn More

▶️ How To Use the Earthquake Data Source and Filters (v6.1.0 and higher)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a6MWT_HMegM

▶️ How To Set-up Regional Alerts (v6.0.0 and higher)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IBW2_i6JUD8

▶️ How To Set-up Nearby Alerts (v6.0.0 and higher)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EE6XSW_9NC0

 

📱 Download QuakeFeed for Real-Time Alerts

Stay informed – get the QuakeFeed app now:

https://apps.apple.com/app/quakefeed-earthquake-alerts/id403037266

Subscribe to QuakeFeed Premium for the full range of features – it’s free for 30-days for first-time subscribers.

 

🌍 Connect with Us

Substack: https://quakefeed.substack.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@QuakeFeed

Instagram: https://instagram.com/QuakeFeed

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/QuakeFeed

 

🙌 Support the Show

If you found this episode helpful, please rate, review, and share it. Your support helps others stay informed and prepared.

 

🎵 Music By Soularflair

Bio on FMA: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Soularflair/bio

CC-BY License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

On July 28, 1976, at 3:42 AM, a magnitude 7.5 earthquake struck the sleeping city of Tangshan, China. The official death toll was 242,469, making it the deadliest earthquake since modern seismic recording began.

Why was this earthquake so deadly? Learn about six factors that came together to create a worst case scenario.

 

⏱️ Timestamps

INTRODUCTION

00:00 – Welcome

00:18 – Topic Introduction

1976 EARTHQUAKE FACTS

00:35 –Tangshan in 1976

00:58 –Date, time, magnitude

01:21 – Deaths and Damage

WHY WAS THIS EARTHQUAKE SO DEADLY?

01:49 – Early morning; people were sleeping

02:20 – What is a survivable void?

02:56 – Shallow earthquake in urban area

03:18 – MMI X and XI shaking intensity

03:47 – Seismic hazard underestimated

04:07 – Unreinforced masonry buildings

04:35 – Sedimentary soils

05:07 – Liquefaction

05:23 – Damage hampered rescue operations

05:54 – Medical infrastructure destroyed

06:06 – Political turmoil

06:22 – International assistance declined

TURNING POINT IN SEISMIC SAFETY

06:55 – National seismic code in 1978

07:11 – Tangshan’s reconstruction

07:27 – Tangshan today

CLOSING

07:39 – Tangshan earthquake memorial

08:37 – Closing Message

 

📚 Learn More

🔗 QuakeFeed Substack: 1976 Tangshan Earthquake

https://quakefeed.substack.com/p/1976-tangshan-earthquake

🔗 Wikipedia: 1976 Tangshan Earthquake

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1976_Tangshan_earthquake

▶️ Original B/W Footage of the Aftermath of the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PGom7kU7b7A

 

📱 Download QuakeFeed for Real-Time Alerts

Stay informed – get the QuakeFeed app now:

https://apps.apple.com/app/quakefeed-earthquake-alerts/id403037266

Want to view the 1976 Tangshan Earthquake on an interactive map that shows the epicenter and shaking intensity? Subscribe to QuakeFeed Premium for the full range of features – including Historical Earthquakes. It’s free for 30-days for first-time subscribers.

 

🌍 Connect with Us

Substack: https://quakefeed.substack.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@QuakeFeed

Instagram: https://instagram.com/QuakeFeed

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/QuakeFeed

🙌 Support the Show

If you found this episode helpful, please rate, review, and share it. Your support helps others stay informed and prepared.

 

🎵 Music By Soularflair

Bio on FMA: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Soularflair/bio

CC-BY License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Quick update from QuakeFeed HQ regarding v6.5.6 (available July 21, 2025).

• How to close the “On This Day in Earthquake History” info panel.
• Why it’s helpful to learn about historical earthquakes.
• Feature freeze in preparation for iOS 26. (Learn more here.)

 

⏱️ Timestamps

00:00 – QuakeFeed v6.5.6

01:03 – Why learn about historical earthquakes?

01:42 – Planned OTD for August

02:04 – Feature freeze; prep for iOS 26

 

📚 Learn More

🎙️ QuakeFeed Podcast: v6.5.5 Update + Safety Tips

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/earthquake/id1562704664?i=1000714749658

🔗 Wikipedia: iOS 26

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IOS_26

 

📱 Download QuakeFeed for Real-Time Alerts

Stay informed – get the QuakeFeed app now:

https://apps.apple.com/app/quakefeed-earthquake-alerts/id403037266

Want to view historical earthquakes on an interactive map that shows the epicenter, shaking intensity, and faults? Subscribe to QuakeFeed Premium for the full range of features – it’s free for 30-days for first-time subscribers.

 

🌍 Connect with Us

Substack: https://quakefeed.substack.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@QuakeFeed

Instagram: https://instagram.com/QuakeFeed

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/QuakeFeed

🙌 Support the Show

If you found this episode helpful, please rate, review, and share it. Your support helps others stay informed and prepared.

 

🎵 Music By Soularflair

Bio on FMA: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Soularflair/bio

CC-BY License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

On July 4, 2019, a magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck near Ridgecrest, a town in California's Mojave Desert. Thirty-four hours later, a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit the same area – the largest to strike California in 20 years. Shaking was felt across California, Arizona, and Nevada. The earthquakes killed one person, injured 25, and caused surface ruptures stretching 30 miles with ground displacement exceeding six feet. Total damage exceeded $5.3 billion.

Learn about the impact of the Ridgecrest earthquakes and how they became a case study for understanding earthquake cascades and stress transfer between intersecting fault systems. We’ll also share an important message about safety and preparedness.

 

⏱️ Timestamps

INTRODUCTION

00:00 – Welcome Message

00:12 – Topic Introduction

2019 EARTHQUAKE FACTS

00:30 – About Ridgecrest

01:01 – The Earthquake Sequence

01:41 – One Death and 25 Injuries

02:03 – Damage and Economic Impact

02:35 – Surface Rupture

SCIENTIFIC LESSONS

03:05  – Two Perpendicular Fault Systems

03:24  – L-Shaped Rupture Pattern

03:51  – Aftershocks

04:10  – Rethinking Seismic Hazards

OUR EXPERIENCE

04:31 – Did We Feel It?

05:34 – QuakeFeed Emails

06:01 – Reaffirming our “Why”

06:24 – Preparedness Call to Action

CLOSING

06:45 – Closing Message

07:10 – Drop, Cover, Hold On Instructions

 

📚 Learn More

🔗 QuakeFeed Substack: 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence

https://quakefeed.substack.com/p/2019-ridgecrest-earthquake-sequence

🎙️ QuakeFeed Podcast: Drop, Cover, and Hold On

https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/drop-cover-hold-on/id1562704664?i=1000520234015

🔗 CALFIRE: Fireworks Safety

https://readyforwildfire.org/prevent-wildfire/fireworks-safety/

 

📱 Download QuakeFeed for Real-Time Alerts

Stay informed – get the QuakeFeed app now:

https://apps.apple.com/app/quakefeed-earthquake-alerts/id403037266

Want to view the 2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence on an interactive map that shows the epicenter, shaking intensity, and faults? Subscribe to QuakeFeed Premium for the full range of features – including Historical Earthquakes. It’s free for 30-days for first-time subscribers.

 

🌍 Connect with Us

Substack: https://quakefeed.substack.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@QuakeFeed

Instagram: https://instagram.com/QuakeFeed

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/QuakeFeed

🙌 Support the Show

If you found this episode helpful, please rate, review, and share it. Your support helps others stay informed and prepared.

 

🎵 Music By Soularflair

Bio on FMA: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Soularflair/bio

CC-BY License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

On June 29, 1925, at 6:44 a.m., a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck Santa Barbara, California, killing 13 people and damaging 85% of its downtown buildings. Three brave and quick-thinking utility workers immediately cut power and gas to the entire city, preventing widespread fires, saving lives, and shielding Santa Barbara from further destruction. 

This gave engineers and seismologists a rare laboratory for studying seismic damage without fire obscuring the destruction patterns. What they learned led Santa Barbara to adopt comprehensive seismic building codes. But the city didn’t just build back safer. By mandating both earthquake-resistant construction and a unified Spanish Colonial Revival style, Santa Barbara was reborn as an iconic coastal destination.

 

⏱️ Timestamps

INTRODUCTION

00:00 – Welcome

00:20 – 100th Anniversary of 1925 quake

1925 EARTHQUAKE FACTS

00:35 – Date, time, magnitude

00:46 – Deaths and Damage

01:13 – Economic Impact

01:28 – No Widespread Fires

02:26  – Lessons Learned from the Damage

03:04  – Rebuilding Safer and Beautifully

SANTA BARBARA TODAY

03:49 – Iconic Coastal City

04:14 – Santa Barbara County Courthouse

CLOSING

04:47 – Closing Message

 

📚 Learn More

🔗 QuakeFeed Substack: 1925 Santa Barbara Earthquake

https://quakefeed.substack.com/p/1925-santa-barbara-earthquake

 

📱 Download QuakeFeed for Real-Time Alerts

Stay informed and safe – get the QuakeFeed app now:

https://apps.apple.com/app/quakefeed-earthquake-alerts/id403037266

Subscribe to QuakeFeed Premium for the full range of features – including Historical Earthquakes. It’s free for 30-days for first-time subscribers.

 

🌍 Connect with Us

Substack: https://quakefeed.substack.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@QuakeFeed

Instagram: https://instagram.com/QuakeFeed

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/QuakeFeed

 

🙌 Support the Show

If you found this episode helpful, please rate, review, and share it. Your support helps others stay informed and prepared.

 

🎵 Music By Soularflair

Bio on FMA: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Soularflair/bio

CC-BY License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

A quick update from QuakeFeed HQ! Here's what we've been working on:

• “On This Day in Earthquake History” — now available as Substack posts and podcast episodes.

• QuakeFeed v6.5.5 is out now! This update includes links to our "On This Day" Substack and podcast content.

• Preparing for Apple's "Liquid Glass" — a major iOS redesign is coming in September 2025. Learn more here.

• Plus: A a few quick safety reminders to help you stay prepared.

⏱️ Timestamps

INTRODUCTION

00:00 – Welcome

00:10 – What's in this episode

NEW CONTENT FROM QUAKEFEED

00:25 – Relaunch of QuakeFeed Podcast

01:02 – QuakeFeed Substack

01:15 – On This Day in Earthquake History

01:35 – Earthquake Safety Tip

QUAKEFEED APP UPDATE

02:10 – QuakeFeed v6.5.5 Update

02:45 – Major iOS Redesign: Liquid Glass

03:20 – Preparation for Liquid Glass

03:50 – How to Send a Support Request

WILDFIRE SAFETY INFO

04:00 – Wildfire Data Sources

04:45 – Who updates the wildfire databases?

04:55 – New, Fast-Moving Fires: Possible Time Delay

05:32 – Know How to Stay Informed in Emergencies

05:55 – Sign-up for Local Emergency Alert System

CLOSING

06:20 – Closing Message

📚 Learn More

▶️ Apple: Introducing Liquid Glass

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jGztGfRujSE

📱 Download QuakeFeed for Real-Time Alerts

Stay informed and safe – get the QuakeFeed app now:

https://apps.apple.com/app/quakefeed-earthquake-alerts/id403037266

Subscribe to QuakeFeed Premium for the full range of features – including Historical Earthquakes. It’s free for 30-days for first-time subscribers.

🌍 Connect with Us

Substack: https://quakefeed.substack.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@QuakeFeed

Instagram: https://instagram.com/QuakeFeed

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/QuakeFeed

🙌 Support the Show

If you found this episode helpful, please rate, review, and share it. Your support helps others stay informed and prepared.

🎵 Music By Soularflair

Bio on FMA: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Soularflair/bio

CC-BY License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

Join Linda, James, and Sequoya as they honor dads everywhere with earthquake-themed dad jokes – we're talking truly groan-worthy puns about tectonic plates, fault lines, and confused pets trying to figure out earthquake drills. This special Father's Day episode pays tribute to James's late father, a legendary math teacher and swim coach who brought humor into everything he did.

For a limited time, we've also replaced the ads in QuakeFeed's earthquake list with these same dad jokes – and many more! Because while earthquakes are serious business, your earthquake app doesn't have to feel grim all the time.

Download QuakeFeed from the iOS App Store to track earthquakes, wildfires, and volcanoes – now also with a side of family humor.

Psst... Not a dad joke fan? QuakeFeed Premium subscribers can turn them off and get a completely joke-free experience.

Psst again... Already a Premium subscriber but you actually WANT the jokes? Don't worry – just turn them on in QuakeFeed's settings menu!

Hosts Linda and Sequoya explore the catastrophic 1980 eruption of Mount St. Helens through the contrasting stories of two men: 83-year-old lodge owner Harry R. Truman, who stubbornly refused evacuation despite repeated warnings, and 30-year-old volcanologist David A. Johnston, whose final radio transmission—"Vancouver! Vancouver! This is it!"—immortalized his ultimate sacrifice for public safety. Through vivid storytelling, the podcast chronicles the dramatic sequence of events from the first warning signs to the fateful morning of May 18, 1980, when a magnitude 5.1 earthquake triggered history's largest recorded landslide and an unexpected lateral blast. Truman, paradoxically both dismissive of the danger and accepting of his fate, chose to remain with the mountain that had shaped his identity. Johnston, though positioned at what was considered a safe observation distance, tragically found himself directly in the eruption's path. Beyond these personal stories, the episode captures remarkable survivor accounts, details the eruption's devastating economic consequences, and explores how this disaster fundamentally changed our scientific understanding of volcanic hazards and revolutionized monitoring approaches worldwide. ⏱️ Timestamps

INTRODUCTION:

00:00 – Welcome

01:50 – Why we made this episode

HISTORICAL CONTEXT:

02:50 – “Mount Fuji of the Pacific Northwest”

04:00 – Mount St. Helens Wakes Up

THE TWO MEN

06:40 – Meet Harry R. Truman

08:30 –Truman Refuses to Evacuate

11:20 – Meet David A. Johnston

12:15 – Johnston’s Bravery

13:00 – Red Zone Established

MAY 18, 1980 ERUPTION SEQUENCE

13:45 – Earthquake, Landslide, Lateral Blast

15:35 – Johnston’s Last Radio Transmission

16:00 – Truman’s Fate

16:35 – Gerry Martin’s Radio Transmission

17:20 – Photos of Landslide and Lateral Blast

19:00 – Plinian Eruption

19:50 – Lahars

AFTERMATH & IMPACT

21:05 – Economic Impact

21:30 – Advances in Scientific Understanding

22:10 – Public Safety Lessons

CLOSING

23:20 – Closing Thoughts

24:25 – What’s Next

📚 Learn More

▶️ Mount St. Helens – Full Playlist on YouTube

https://www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLO683wv5Jx1EmLc_-N7vTUyw8mtNJNgJP

▶️ Gary Rosenquist Sequence – AI Animated

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UNlP9TGZOMI ▶️ Remembering David Johnston

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Sg2rufseJ_w 🔗 From Quiet Mountain to Cataclysm

https://quakefeed.substack.com/p/from-quiet-mountain-to-cataclysm

📱 Download QuakeFeed for Real-Time Alerts

Stay informed and safe – get the QuakeFeed app now:

https://apps.apple.com/app/quakefeed-earthquake-alerts/id403037266

Subscribe to QuakeFeed Premium for the full range of features – including the Erupting Volcanoes map layer. It’s free for 30-days for first-time subscribers.

🌍 Connect with Us

Substack: https://quakefeed.substack.com

YouTube: https://youtube.com/@QuakeFeed

Instagram: https://instagram.com/QuakeFeed

Twitter/X: https://twitter.com/QuakeFeed

🙌 Support the Show

If you found this episode helpful, please rate, review, and share it. Your support helps others stay informed and prepared.

🎵 Music By Soularflair

Bio on FMA: https://freemusicarchive.org/music/Soularflair/bio

CC-BY License: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

We exhaust our repertoire of tectonic plate jokes while introducing the following topics: the earth’s layers, what are tectonic plates, three types of plate boundaries, plate boundaries vs faults, and how earthquakes happen.

This is a brief overview to lay the groundwork. (… pun intended!) Future episodes will dive deeper.

INTERACTIVE LESSON We explain how to use the QuakeFeed app to locate plate boundaries and faults on the Quake Map. Download QuakeFeed from the App Store

ASK THE SCIENCE KID We answer an interesting question about earthquakes in Antarctica.

Our goal is to inspire CURIOSITY!

We hope you and your family enjoy our lighthearted humor while learning something new about this AWESOME planet we call home.

LINKS TO LEARN MORE

The Great ShakeOut: Join 14+ million people on October 21st by practicing how to be safer during earthquakes. https://www.shakeout.org

IRIS Earthquake Science: Earthquake Faults, Plate Boundaries, & Stress https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8HxRVJPXNLM

USGS: Do earthquakes occur in Antarctica? https://www.usgs.gov/faqs/do-earthquakes-occur-antarctica USGS: Listening to the Earth at the South Pole (QSPA) https://www.usgs.gov/natural-hazards/earthquake-hazards/science/listening-earth-south-pole