EarthQuake To Close to Home

[JerryGraham 0]

Yesterday at about 3:55 an earthquake hit Kern County In California. I am in the city right next to where it started. It was a 5.0. I was in room upstairs. It started off small but then it grew to be big. I could see the walls moving slightly. I was so very scared due to the fact that I was upstairs. I thought the house was going to coolapse. Just thought you wanted to know.

 

 

-Jerry

[Guest STSF Sketti]

that is scary. i'll never forget the time one hit here in richmond, virginia (yes, the east coast gets earthquakes too). i was in the back working stock and heard a train go by. a few seconds after i heard the tracks begin to rumble, i realized there weren't any train tracks nearby. spooky indeed.

[Darrik 0]

that is scary. i'll never forget the time one hit here in richmond, virginia (yes, the east coast gets earthquakes too). i was in the back working stock and heard a train go by. a few seconds after i heard the tracks begin to rumble, i realized there weren't any train tracks nearby. spooky indeed.

don't forget the tornadoes!

 

 

(yes, there have been tornadoes on the east coast)

[JerryGraham 0]

I've never been in a tornadoe, but I'm guessing that their scary also.

 

 

-Jerry

[Darrik 0]

I've never been in a tornadoe, but I'm guessing that their scary also.

 

 

-Jerry

same, oh, and don't forget the water spouts!

 

::decides to shut up and goes post in a corner::

[JerryGraham 0]

You confuse me sometimes.

 

 

-Jerry

[Garnoopy 0]

that is scary. i'll never forget the time one hit here in richmond, virginia (yes, the east coast gets earthquakes too). i was in the back working stock and heard a train go by. a few seconds after i heard the tracks begin to rumble, i realized there weren't any train tracks nearby. spooky indeed.

Here in Illinois we don't often get earthquakes. Of course, that leads into my story...

 

One night I had entertained some guests and one of which who lived many hours away stayed the night. Well, the next morning she told me that the entire house had started shaking around 1:30 in the morning. I of course didn't believe her, saying that it was probabaly the wind or something.

 

Little did we both know that an Earthquake, measuring I think a 5.0 had hit northern Illinois. It wasn't untill later when we heard about it on the news that we knew what had happened. I, of course, was yelled at for not believing her about the entire house shaking.

 

How was I supposed to know? :P

[Vex Xiang 0]

Well, the next morning she told me that the entire house had started shaking around 1:30 in the morning.

 

And you were wondering why your mother in law was coming over so early? :P

[JerryGraham 0]

Well 5.0's can be very scary especially when they're very close to home like mine was.

 

-Jerry

[mtporter 0]

I love earthquakes. Not that they are good or anything I just think they are fun. I was in LA when the Northridge one hit so I was pretty close. I was on the top bunk in my cousins room. I jumped off or well fell off is more like it and got under a desk. it was interesting to say the least. Anyway I feel your pain or should I say shaking. I just thought I'd give my two cents on earthquakes.

[Vex Xiang 0]

Your opinion will change when you have to pay for your posessions and own property, I think :P

[JerryGraham 0]

Yeah good luck with the whole liking Earthquakes thing, when your house falls on you.

 

-Jerry

[Nemesis 0]

there are some earthquakes in New Brunswick too.

[Darrik 0]

Earlier today, my teacher was talking about recent science stuff, and one of the things he brought up was that earthquake tat you were talking about. (fyi,I live on the East Coast, not sure why that's important, but, um, what was I saying again?)

[Cougar 0]

seriously? In New Brunswick?

[STSF Precip 0]

Hey-

 

Earthquakes can happen just about anywhere. Many of us here in California just get them more frequently since we live on a Major Plate Boundary that is called the San Andreas Fault System. I use the word system, because there are many, many smaller faults along the main San Andreas Line around the Pacific and North American Plate boundary.

 

If I recall one was in Parksfield Ca...then the other some distance South Near Bakersfield. Believe it or not, it has been said that these....5.5 (range) quakes on the San Andreas relieve pressure on the Fault in that area of Central California. Hence they are not expecting to get a large 7.0 size quake in that area.

 

Unfortunately further South and North...The plates are not budging; building stress. This stress is supposed to let loose in the so Called "Big One" In Southern California. Certain Fault segments are also locked up in the bay area as well.

 

Faults exist where you least Exepect them. It's entirely possible for quakes in Illinois, The Eastern Seabord...and the SE United States. Our Friends who live in Arkansas/Tenessee area should take note of the New Madrid Quake in the 19th century. That quake was so strong it supposedly locallyreversed the flow of the Mississippi River. That was a quake in the 8.0 Range if memory serves me well.

 

So yes quakes can happen everywhere...not just California!

 

-Precip

[mtporter 0]

I didn't mean that I like the distruction of earthquakes, I just think its kinda a rush. I have seen the devistation that they cause and its so sad. I also think its interesting to see people in earthquakes who have never been in one.

[Cosmo Rex 0]

As Mr. Precip pointed out, Earthquakes can occur almost anywhere that there in an active fault line (or simply a fault line.)

 

Although the intersting thing about them is that, while you may have thought the Earthquake hit right at you, the actual EpicCenter of the Quak may have been hundreds of miles away.

 

Even more amusing, is that if and when we have a quake on the East Coast, our quakes tend to be stronger in magnitude, because the waves travel easier through the solid base rock of the east coast than they do in the fractured stuff out west.

 

Interestingly enough, a quake in California is actually registerable upon siezmographs in places like West Virginia!

 

And to Sketti's point--there is an active fault that runs along the back-bone of the Appalachian Mountain Range.

 

Another interesting thing, is that most geologists don't even pay attention to "Rechter" scale readings anymore. They use something called the Mercator (Or M something or other :P ) Scale that measures the ammount of Damage done by a Quake, which can better show the intensity of the quake than can the Rechter scale.

 

 

 

::looks up:: Oh good grief....somewhere Dr. Bob is proud of me!

[STSF_BluRox 0]

Well, the East Coast is pretty quiet this week, only one as far east as TN this week. However, you can see the entire system of Pacific plates are very active. This map shows quakes for the last week, and there is a link for Canadian and World quakes as well. Pretty interesting stuff.

 

From 1975-1995 there were only four states that did not have any earthquakes. They were: Florida, Iowa, North Dakota, and Wisconsin.

 

Precip and Cosmo are right as well, though we don't have them as much out east, that with the sand on top of the solid rock, when there is a little one, it feels pretty intense. Fortunately, we don't get the frequency or magnitudes that you folks out west get.

 

Anyway, here's a really cool link to show recent quakes for this week.

United States Geological Society Recent Earthquake Maps The other links on the page are also helpful for study on the various plate systems and such.

 

Here is also a map to seismic activity on the East Coast, that you can also link to other parts of the country or world. Seismic Activity in the Eastern US

 

No, I'm not an earthquake nut, just happened to remember finding this last year with my kids when they were working on a school report on faultlines for science.

 

So to link to another ongoing string...Yep....the boards are educational!

 

Blu

Edited October 2, 2004 by STSF_BluRox

[JerryGraham 0]

California has been feeling a whole lot of Earthquakes here of late. In fact volcanologists are keeping a close eye on Mt. St. Helens. I think that is the Volcano they're watching.

 

 

-Jerry

[Cosmo Rex 0]

California has been feeling a whole lot of Earthquakes here of late. In fact volcanologists are keeping a close eye on Mt. St. Helens. I think that is the Volcano they're watching.

 

 

-Jerry

That would be correct, actually it had a small steam eruption just the other day, they are expecting a real lava eruption anytime soon. (It originally erupted in the early 1980's killing several people and doing millions of dollars in damages when half the side of the mountain when BOOOM causing lava and these wonderful things called Lahar's to sweep accross the landscape.)

 

You know, the entire Pacific coast is like one big lava pit waiting to happen?

 

For Example,

Mt. Rainer, the picturesque backdrop to Seatle, could more or less wipe out the University of Washington's Campus should it ever erupt again.

 

Yellowstone Caldera: Yellowstone National Park is more or less the reminants of an ancient Super Volcano that erupted with so much force it completly destroyed the mountain (Crater Lake is another example of a Caldera.) The Yellowstone Volcano had erupted once every 700,000 years or so. Last Erupting oooo a little under 700,000 years ago. Should it ever erupt again, it is estimated the entire Snake River system could be destroyed. Recent movements of steam pockets and irregular eruptions of the geysers of Yellowstone, indicate Volcanic activity.

 

Mt. St. Helen's Remain a dangerous threat, as shown recently.

 

and basically any of the mountains along the Pacifc Coast can be considered "Volcanoes." :P

[Garnoopy 0]

That would be correct, actually it had a small steam eruption just the other day, they are expecting a real lava eruption anytime soon. (It originally erupted in the early 1980's killing several people and doing millions of dollars in damages when half the side of the mountain when BOOOM causing lava and these wonderful things called Lahar's to sweep accross the landscape.)

I believe it was 1986 that it previously erupted? Someone should check that number, I'm not positive on it. I just think that's what I heard on the radio this morning.

 

The previous eruption was one of the few volcano eruptions in which METARs and TAFs (weather tools) actually got to use the term VA, which for aviation and weather folk stands for volcanic ash. When you see something like that on one of the documents you can often be confused for a few moments, given that VA doesn't occur on a daily basis, like rain does. :P

[STSF_BluRox 0]

I believe it was 1986 that it previously erupted? Someone should check that number, I'm not positive on it. I just think that's what I heard on the radio this morning.

Here's a great article on Comcast, that lists out the various eruptions, magma, lava dome and steam eruption events. Mount St. Helen's article The large one that most people think of, was back in 1980 which produced a large pyroclastsic cloud (those in school...take note of this really cool term to impress your science teachers Pyroclastic Flow - USGS glossary!) and more or less flattened the area. The article describes a series of eruptions over the next 6 years to the one that Garnoopy referred to, but what I didnt' realize was that there was also a 1998 event as well as small one this past May. Well....enjoy.

 

This educational message brought to you by those stuck at work at 5am on a Sunday morning, waiting for a repairman to shut off the alarm system ....AGAIN!!!::sigh::

Edited October 3, 2004 by STSF_BluRox

[Garnoopy 0]

The large one that most people think of, was back in 1980 which produced a large pyroclastsic cloud

Thank you Blurox, that was the year I was looking for. I had heard the 1986 from the last time the volcano had any activity, just got the numbers confused.

 

I remember visiting the volcano site a few years back, they have a great observitory up there that I was very impressed with. It was amazing to see the damage the previous eruption had caused and still was visable. You see pictures, but nothing ever compares with the real item.

 

I even think I have a few postcards I purchased way back when... wonder where they are.

[Cosmo Rex 0]

Thank you Blurox, that was the year I was looking for. I had heard the 1986 from the last time the volcano had any activity, just got the numbers confused.

 

I remember visiting the volcano site a few years back, they have a great observitory up there that I was very impressed with. It was amazing to see the damage the previous eruption had caused and still was visable. You see pictures, but nothing ever compares with the real item.

 

I even think I have a few postcards I purchased way back when... wonder where they are.

As noted earlier, the Mt. St. Helens eruption, would be dwarfed if the Yellowstone Caldera we're to erupt again. Talk about VA all over the place. Scientests feel that if a SuperVolcano were to erupt it could put then entire globe under slight darkness from Volcanic Ash.

 

Interestingly, one theory about the Dark Ages, is that they literally were darker. Scientests know that one of these so called SuperVolcanoes erupted in the earlly 1100's. The think that their could have been so much ash put into the atmosphere that it literally darkened the globe. Food for thought.