Posted on 01/16/2010 8:59:55 AM PST by mazda77
Do we have any seismologists or geologists who may be able to offer an answer to the rash of aftershocks after the 7.0 in Haiti? The link will show 47 aftershocks since, all no less than 4.5 and all at 10 km depth. Combine those along the Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico since then as well.
Engineer logic would tell me that something is about to let lose really big.
It would be more surprising if there were not a series of aftershocks.
Actually, I’d like to see an expert opinion about this as well.
The most powerful earthquake in modern American history had back to back mega quakes two weeks apart, with dozens of strong shocks in between and after.
That was the New Madrid Earthquake of 1811-12. I did a lot of reasearch on it, since a contemporary New Madrid quake is a key plot feature of my third novel, “Foreign Enemies And Traitors.”
If the same quakes that struck the Mississippi Basin then struck now, Memphis would be leveled, and everything between St. Louis, Nashville and Little Rock would be very badly damaged. Most of the key bridges over the Ohio, Tennessee and Mississippi Rivers would be wrecked, and the rivers would be impassible to trucks, trains and river traffic.
Poor Haiti. A second big quake now would just be too much. The first quake was too much.
I just loaded Earthquake3D. It is showing nearly a dozen tremors ranging from about 2.0 up in the last day in that general area (between Haiti and Venezuela).
Also allot of 2-4 activity in the western US area.
I’d guess it is normal — maybe even desirable. The big quakes happen when parts of moving tectonic plates get stuck together and a great stresses develop at that point. When the stress is released all at once, you have a big quake. Small tremors may mean that stress is being release gradually over time. That’s probably good.
That IS a LOT of aftershocks for a major earthquake.
I was in the Sylmar earthquake. No running water for a week. We made due. But not that many aftershocks. No where near that many and the Sylmar earthquake was 6.8, I believe.
And after a major earthquake, aftershocks are VERY unsettling. You hold your breath hoping that it will stop soon.
(world earthquake maps)
You are not alone in your concern. Here are some geologists suggesting much the same thing:
Here is a map of the complex plate-fault structure:
http://www.whoi.edu/page.do?pid=9779&tid=441&cid=100747&ct=61&article=66766
too funny.
>> 7) For nation shall rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom: and there shall be famines, and pestilences, and earthquakes, in divers places.
Nation rise against nation... check.
Kingdom against kingdom... check.
Famines... yep.
Earthquakes... yep.
Hmmm... does the DemocRAT in the White House and the ‘Rats majority in the legislature count as “pestilences”? If so then we just might be close!
I was in the Loma Prieta earthquake. I almost got seasick that night. The ground was constantly moving.
This is a list of the aftershocks from Loma Prieta. They are similarly sized earthquakes, so I think it is worth comparing.
“Within ten days after the Loma Prieta mainshock, there were two after-shocks of magnitude 5.0 and larger, 20 of magnitude 4.0 and larger, and 79 of magnitude 3.0 and larger as of October 27, 1989. “
I live in Los Angeles and after the Northridge quake, we had over 1,000 aftershocks in the first week, many in the 4-ish range.
It doesn’t make me an expert, but it does make me experienced.
I don’t know about you, but I hated the aftershocks almost more than the actual earthquake. I think I was in shock with the initial, but then you realize what’s going on with the aftershocks. It was unsettling especially the first 24 hours.
>>I don’t know about you, but I hated the aftershocks almost more than the actual earthquake. I think I was in shock with the initial, but then you realize what’s going on with the aftershocks. It was unsettling especially the first 24 hours.<<
I had to send my wife to relatives in Texas for 2 weeks - she couldn’t sleep because of all the aftershocks. Then when one opf the cats jumped on the bed she (the wife) would jump in shock.
They are disconcerting to say the least.
Here is the best way to view and keep track of the Earthquakes.
http://www.wolton.net/quake.html
Download the software (only takes about 1-2 seconds), unzip it and run it.
Global Earthquake activity in 3D with multiple controls for viewing. It is awesome.
That Earthquake3D program is amazing.
I downloaded it a couple of days ago.
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