Posted on 04/12/2012 7:06:59 AM PDT by BenLurkin
LOS ANGELES (CBS) — Four large earthquakes struck around the Pacific Rim Wednesday with one setting a record, as the most powerful strike-slip quake ever recorded.
Geologists have nicknamed the Pacific Rim the “ring of fire” because of frequent volcanic and seismic activity.
The rash of earthquakes sent shock waves of concern across the globe.
Two giant quakes struck in Indonesia, one measuring a magnitude of 8.6. People were seen running in fear.
Closer to Southern California, two more earthquakes hit — a 6.5 in Mexico, where buildings rocked and shook, and a 5.9 off the Oregon coast.
Local scientists said that although the cluster of quakes may make us sit up and take notice, we should not be overly alarmed.
“One thing that happens when we have a lot of earthquakes in the news, everybody goes ‘Does that mean I’m going to have an earthquake?’ And the reality is it is essentially random and you haven’t changed your chance of having an earthquake,” said Lucy Jones of the USGS.
While most earthquakes are located along the ring of fire — an area along the basin of the Pacific Ocean — Jones said that Wednesday’s earthquakes were on entirely different plates.
“The ring of fire has no relationship at all to these earthquakes. The ring of fire is an old term before we understood plate tectonics,” she explained.
But scientists did say that the seismic activity was unusual. They said the two quakes in Indonesia were on strike-slip faults, the same type we have in California.
An 8.6 magnitude on a strike-slip had never been recorded before Wednesday’s, according to scientists.
“And now we have this 8.6 off of that interface out in the ocean floor and that’s really — I mean it’s shocking actually,” said Thomas Heaton with CALTECH.
The quakes on our continent did not do serious damage, but experts said that it was a reminder to always be prepared.
“As far as I’m concerned, it’s a typical day in California. We live in earthquake country and you’ve got to be ready,” Heaton said.
I agree, though we are certainly seeing an uptick in the data for the time frame that we have accurate data on.
If you look at the major quake data and the 5+ magnitude data, you can see what appears to be cycles.
If these are actual cycles in activity, the question is, what is causing it?
We also seem to be seeing increased geothermal activity, especially in the number of undersea vents and possibly a slight uptick in sea temps.
Polar ice cores indicate increases in C02 at the beginning of ice age cycles. That could be a historic indicator of increased volcanic activity, undersea venting and warming seas.
Combine the increased atmospheric moisture (clouds/snow/artic ice) with sulfur dioxide (reflects sunlight) and lower sun spot activity and it could all combine to throw the earth into previous and future ice ages.
They’re saying that no undersea “strike-slip” earthquake of that magnitude had ever been recorded or even thought possible due to the thinness of the earth’s undersea crust. Wording could have been better... :)
That's another point. Earthquakes have been happening for a long, long time, long before we had seismographs to record them. There well could have been a quake on a strike-slip fault five hundred to a thousand years ago that was stronger and we just don't know.
Compared to what point of reference? 1800? 1900? 1950? 1970? 1998?
We have no good way of making such a determination within a timeframe of human history, let along geological history.
Case in point: the 1755 Lisbon Earthquake, epicenter was in oceanic crust on a transform (strike slip) fault, estimated magnitude of 8.5 to 9.0, but it cannot be said to be recorded, as there were no seismographs back then. And the Lisbon quake was a very bad one for the locals.
There are other indicators that may point to increased activity. For example, we have atmospheric CO2 levels from ice cores going back hundreds of thousands of years.
According to this data, high levels of atmospheric CO2 coincide with the beginnings of ice ages. Guess what, today we are also seeing increases in CO2 levels.
There are other pointers besides CO2 levels and the recent uptick in the earthquakes that I won't go into.
But back to the original thread, and what's really interesting, are the many warnings left for us in scripture! :)
A guess at the magnitude of a 200 year old earthquake and descriptions of “very bad” means absolutely nothing just like this one doesn’t because we haven’t haven’t recorded them for long, correct?
Preppers’ PING!
Actually, a scientific estimate of a 200 year old earthquake is quite relevant, given the estimated strength brackets this quake's magnitude, and it's the only way we have to compare it to the magnitude of recent quakes. It goes to show that it wasn't an unprecedented quake on a strike-slip fault, just that we haven't been measuring them for all that long compared to human history, let along geological history.
Saying this quake was very bad simply notes the very high human impact of the Lisbon quake. Some major quakes have little or no human impact if they occur well away from populated areas and don't generate large tsunamis.
I live 7 miles off the San Andreas. When that thing goes off I feel it more than I do up in San Jose.
Earthquakes are a far of life and just one of the things I expect to happen and I am prepared. Backup plan in the car, @home, storage in diverse zip codes and a cache(hope I don’t forget where it is. I purposely didn’t write down the location or store it in any of my GPS’ so they can’t be discovered )
We had one last fall here abouts, about 4.6 IINM, which rattled the Farm animals, my office and me. It’s unnerving and makes one feel totally helpless, as do tornadoes, hurricanes, blizzards and any Act/Event of Mother Nature. When buildings tremble, ashtrays move across the desk, computer monitors sway, pictures on the wall turn sideways and animals bolt for cover, you KNOW that a *force much greater than yourself” is in total control, and that you’re just along for the ride.
I’m with you. A 5 is only going to get me to raise an eyebrow.
5.6 gets me looking around the room to see if anything falls off a shelf.
Busted a $4,000 mirror 9 years ago. forgot to anchor the damn thing.
I guess you’re gonna eat that cake too.
Typical of what passes for journalism these days.
Hey, if you want to make a big deal out of something that really isn’t, knock yourself out.
They kind of are. They're like the ultimate preppers.
Quix, your conspiracy theories only contribute to the rumor that Free Repuplic is nutjob conspiracy site. We don't need that reputation. Aren't there other sites where you can peddle this stuff?
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