A magnitude 7.0 earthquake caused dozens of buildings to  collapse in the city of Tasikmalaya, in Java, Indonesia,  and injuring a number of people, according to one report.

The quake, which occured at at 2:55 p.m, also damaged buildings in the university city of Bandung near the epicentre, but there were no reports of any deaths.

In the capital Jakarta hundreds of people streamed from offices into the streets, according to agency reports.

The US Geological Survey lowered its magnitude reading from 7.4 to 7.0 and local tsunami warnings were withdrawn.

Source: BBC and Bloomberg.com

Another spectacular example from the Earth as Art series.

The Lena River, some 2,800 miles(4,500km) long, is one of the largest rivers in the world. The Lena Delta Reserve is the most extensive protected wilderness area in Russia. It is an important refuge and breeding grounds for many species of Siberian wildlife.

To download the image in high resolution, register at the USGS here.

Earthquakes struck both Japan and India on August 10, 2009. Although tsunami warnings were initially announced they were later recscinded.

If you are really serious about enjoying your drinks on the rocks, you might want to try out these soapstone “ice” cubes.

“Whiskey Stones” won’t dilute your drink because they do not melt. I haven”t tried them so I cannot tell you how well they work, but it’s certainly a novel idea. Remember to always drink responsibly — you don’t want to get stoned.  Available at Think Geek in packs of 8 with a drawstring bag.

Florissant Fossil Beds National Monument (Colorado)––home to one of the richest and most diverse fossil deposits in the world––is waiving entrance fees on August 15-16, 2009. The name Florissant comes from a French word meaning “blooming” or “flowering.” Both modern and fossil flowers are found in Florissant, Colorado today.

Admission to the park will also be free on Saturday, August 22 in celebration of the park’s 40th anniversary. Ranger-led programs will be offered throughout the day, including a free seminar from 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m., The History of the Founding of Florissant Fossil Beds NM (teachers can receive credit, fees apply).

More information available on the park’s website.

Vivid colors belie the arid landscape of northern Chile where the Atacama Desert, one of the world’s driest, meets the foothills of the Andes. Here salt pans and gorges choked with mineral-streaked sediments give way to white-capped volcanoes.

Click to download a hi-res version.

Source: NASA

President Barack Obama on Thursday announced he will nominate Marcia McNutt, president and CEO of the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute, as director of the U.S. Geological Survey. If confirmed, McNutt would become the first female director since USGS was established in 1879 to lead research into earthquakes, volcanoes, tsunamis, coastal erosion and the effects of global warming on water resources and land forms.

The president has also nominated Jonathan Jarvis, currently the Pacific West regional director for National Park Service, with authority over parks in California and eight other Western states and territories.

Californians note that McNutt and Jarvis are among several scientists with state ties tapped by the President for key positions at major federal research agencies. Steven Chu, the Nobel prizewinning physicist who headed the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, is now Secretary of Energy. John Holdren, former director of UC Berkeley’s energy and resources group, is the president’s chief science adviser. Jane Lubchenco, a renowned ecologist from Oregon State University and a board member of McNutt’s institute, is the new director of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

McNutt is a certified SCUBA diver who once completed underwater explosives training with Navy SEALS for her geologic research, and has published more than 90 scientific articles, ranging from studies of ocean island volcanism in French Polynesia to continental breakup in the western United States to uplift of the Tibet Plateau.

She will succeed USGS director Mark Meyers, a former oil company geologist in Alaska appointed by George W. Bush and known for limiting public release of information by Survey scientists who work in controversial fields like climate change.

Jarvis, if confirmed, will oversee an agency that manages 84.6 million acres of U.S. land, including 58 national parks, 54 wilderness areas, 10 national seashores, and a long list of lakes, battlefields, trails and campgrounds.

Sources: SFGate (David Perlman, Peter Fimrite & Staff Writers) and Mercury News (Paul Rogers)