M9.5 1960 Valdivia Earthquake
Ever wonder what the largest earthquake ever recorded was? Be sure to also checkout our Substack article on this event – it includes important tsunami safety info: https://quakefeed.substack.com/p/the-1960-great-chilean-earthquake
QuakeFeed v6.8.8, FAQ, & News
We give an overview of the new Post ShakeAlert® Message Summaries and answer an FAQ regarding tsuami info. Then we tell some jokes because Father’s Day is just around the corner and we’re bringing dad jokes back to QuakeFeed! Lastly, we discuss whether Linda is an AI or a human being, and the emails that inspired our upcoming YouTube series.
QuakeFeed 6.6.2: What Do Those Little Icons Mean?
QuakeFeed version 6.6.2 is now available in the App Store. This update contains a new educational feature that we’re really excited about. Have you ever noticed in the QuakeFeed earthquake list how some earthquakes display one or more small icons? These icons indicate that there are links to additional information about this event on the earthquake details screen. In the episode, we explain what each icon means, and what to do when you see them.
6.5.8 Update + Happy Thanksgiving!
We’re bringing dad jokes back for the holidays! We’re temporarily replacing ads with holiday-themed jokes to give you a moment of levity when you check QuakeFeed. Sometimes a terrible pun is exactly what you need. And who knows, one of these groaners might even get a laugh at your next holiday gathering.
QuakeFeed Status Update + How to Help Hurricane Melissa Recovery
In this episode, we begin with Hurricane Melissa, which made landfall in Jamaica on October 28th as a Category 5 storm and then tore a path of destruction through the Caribbean. Then we continue with a QuakeFeed status update. We share our timeline for the next few QuakeFeed app updates – including how and when we plan to support iOS 26. We also talk about new content we creating, such as the On This Day in Earthquake History series. We close with a few words about why we think learning about historical earthquake events is important and helpful.
If you would like to help support disaster response and recovery, please visit Charity Navigator. There you can find highly rated organizations that are helping those impacted by Hurricane Melissa.
2025 Kamchatka Peninsula Earthquake
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, debunk the 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.
QuakeFeed v6.5.7 Update
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!
1976 Tangshan Earthquake
The 1976 Tangshan Earthquake caused more than 240,000 deaths and was one of the worst natural disasters in history. In this episode, we explore the reasons why this pre-dawn M7.5 earthquake was so deadly.
QuakeFeed v6.5.6 Update
Quick episode to let you know what’s new in QuakeFeed v6.5.6. We made a slight improvement to the “On This Day in Earthquake History” feature. We also talk about why we think it’s helpful to learn about historical earthquake events.
2019 Ridgecrest Earthquake Sequence
During the Indepedence Day holiday in 2019, a powerful one-two punch rattled Southern California. 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. Learn about the impact of these earthquakes and how they advanced earthquake science. We’ll also share an important message about safety and preparedness.
QuakeFeed v6.5.5 Update + Safety Tips
A quick update from QuakeFeed HQ, to let you know what’s in the new udpate, what we’re working on next, and to share some important safety information.
1925 Santa Barbara Earthquake: How They Rebuilt with Safety and Style
On June 29, 1925, at 6:44 a.m., an M6.8 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 and shielding Santa Barbara from further destruction. This gave engineers a real-world laboratory for studying seismic damage, and what they learned led Santa Barbara to adopt comprehensive seismic building codes. But the city didn’t just build back safer – it rebuilt with style, and Santa Barbara was reborn as an iconic coastal destination.
Dad Jokes for Father’s Day (Earthquake Edition)
Join us as we honor dads everywhere with some 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. We hope you enjoy it!
From Quiet Mountain to Cataclysm: The 1980 Eruption of Mount St. Helens
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.