Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
At four meters, he don't come back. The monster eats him.
/chuckles
There was something I posted a few days ago about this in England. A Loch Ness type of critter. I think I posted it under the skeptics area.
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
You might be hearing that newly wed couple next door too......
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
You know, Peterle.... there are monsters out there. Monsters of the Deep.
And I suspect you will eventually see one.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Giant_squid
http://images.nationalgeographic.com...44_600x450.jpg In this photo released by Tsunemi Kubodera, a researcher with Japan's National Science Museum, a giant squid attacking a bait squid is pulled up by his research team off the Ogasawara Islands, south of Tokyo, on December 4, 2006. The research team, led by Kubodera, succeeded in filming the giant squid live, possibly for the first time, at the surface as they captured it off the remote island of Chichijima, which is about 600 miles (960 kilometers) southeast of Tokyo. About 24 feet (seven meters) long, the squid died in the process of being caught. The photo was made out of the video they filmed.
http://t3.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:A...ulSHJOGglTWS7A
Photo of a large Grizzly Bear also known as a silvertip bear in Denali National Park.
Of course, none of these cause Earthquakes. LOL
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
New thread for the recent breaking news on the Japan earthquake, HI tsunami warning, and West Coast tsunami watch here.
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
On earthquakes, eruptions and the moon
Erik Klemetti on March 11, 2011, 11:18 AM
http://s3.amazonaws.com/bt_assets/sy...jpg?1299860276
Note: I wrote this before the M8.9 earthquake in Japan last night.
Remember, the earthquake occurred on March 11-12, not March 15 or March 19, the dates of these so-called astronomical events. You can't call for increased activity on a certain date and then lay claim to every event for weeks before and after - that is fitting the data to your model. Most likely, this new earthquake was triggered - or at least foreshadowed - by the M7.2 earthquake earlier this week. These earthquakes are all normal operations in subduction zones: when that stored energy is released, large earthquakes can occur, with or without the "help" of the moon.
------
I've had a number of questions lately about a couple of events coming up this month astronomically and how they might effect geologic events - namely earthquakes and volcanoes - on Earth. I can tell you right now, without much doubt, that the answer, even before I tell you the question, is very, very little.
Now, the questions: (1) How will the close passage of Comet Elenin and Earth cause geologic catastrophes on March 15 and (2) How will the so-called "Supermoon", a full moon when the moon is closest to Earth in its orbit, cause geologic catastrophes?
I know there has long been a desire to show about the gravitational resonance of planets/comets/asteroids/the sun might play a role in Earth's geologic activity - and with some logic. We see the interaction of the Earth's surface with the Moon's gravity (and to some extent the Sun's) with the tides in the oceans. Water has low viscosity so the tidal tugging of the moon as it rotates around the Earth sloshes the oceans back and forth to create our tides. One could imagine that the Earth's crust/mantle/core might feel some of that gravitational interaction as well - and they do. John Vidale, a seismologist at the University of Washington, mentions that during full and new moons - when the moon is oriented between or opposite the Earth and the sun - there is potentially as much as a 1% increase in earthquake activity worldwide (and a slightly higher effect on volcanic activity). Let me repeat that: 1%. In any natural, geologic process that is mostly distributed randomly through time like earthquakes, 1% or there about is well within the "noise" of processes, so would these alignments produce much of a discernable increase? Probably not and this is with the two bodies that play the largest role in tidal forcing on Earth. There are other studies that suggest that this tidal tugging and pulling can cause small shifts in fault systems like the San Andreas, but one might argue that the moon is, in fact, "passively" releasing seismic energy on the fault, thus preventing or delaying large earthquakes! Trying to say that any other astronomical body might, even in some specific alignment, might cause more than a 1% increase in the chance of activity is remote at best.
Some of the so-called evidence for this moon-earthquake relationship is specious at best. From a National Geographic article on the "lunar connection" back in 2005: "At least two major quakes may support [James A.] Berkland's theory. The December 26, 2004, magnitude 9.1 in Sumatra, Indonesia, occurred on the day of a full moon. Likewise, the March 27, 1964, magnitude 9.2 earthquake in Alaska occurred on the day of maximum high tide. According to Berkland, such correlations are more than coincidences. They demonstrate a true connection between the moon and earthquake activity." First off, two earthquakes coinciding with full moons is hardly scientific, statistically-sound evidence. How many "large" earthquakes (and who defines that anyway?) occur when it isn't a full moon? And how many full moons have we had when there wasn't a "large" earthquake? I've said this before, but it is an easy trap - correlation does not mean causation. Full moons happen 12 (maybe 13) times a year, so if you randomly sprinkle earthquakes through time, many large ones are bound to coincide with the full moon. USGS seismologist Dr. John Bellini followed up on Berkland's theories: "Bellini questioned the scientific validity of Berkland's predictions. He said they appear to be "self-selected statistical analysis of historical seismicity rates and are so vague in time and location that they are certain to be correct."
Now, as for the Moon's relative position to Earth and its effect, the Moon when it is at least closest is 356,401 km from the Earth's surface and at its furthest, it is 406,700 km (with an average distance of 384,401 km. That is a difference of ~50,300 km ~ in other words, when the Moon is closest to Earth, it is ~12% closer than it is at its furthest. Newtonian physics tells us that the attraction between the Earth and the Moon is dictated by F = GM1M2/R^2, where M1 and M2 are the masses of the Earth and Moon, G is the gravitational constant and R is the distance between the two bodies. Even a ~12% change in that value means that the force of gravity, in Newtons, only changes by ~30% at maximum (and only ~11% difference from average), a change that happens gradually as the Moon moves around its orbit. We see this fairly small change with different sized tides, but even those changes are not "disastrous". When you consider the energy needed to move tectonic plates (or even the oceans), this change in gravitational energy from the Earth-Moon system is small. Remember, that the Moon is at its closest once a month, so just because it happens during a full moon doesn't mean that the gravitational pull from the Moon is any stronger than it would be at any other perigee. Remember, the Moon reaches perigee every month and you don't see massive earthquakes and eruptions every time this happens.
Some planetary bodies do see a profound effect of tidal forces. The moons of Jupiter areconstantly being tugged by the high gravity of Jupiter as the whiz around the gas giant. You can see that constant, frictional energy being imparted on the rocks of the moons in the relative geologic activity on the Galilean satellites - closest to Jupiter lies Io (at ~420,000 km), the most volcanically active body in the solar system. It gets tugged by a force 300% more than the Moon pulls on Earth. Next comes Europa (at ~664,000 km), where there are suggestions that liquid or slushy subsurface water exists due to tidal heating. Ganymede and Callisto, even further from Jupiter, show much fewer signs of liquid water or extensive tidal heating. The gravity of Jupiter is the direct cause for the geologic activity on these small planetary bodies.
http://hvo.wr.usgs.gov/kilauea/updat..._6877_jk_L.jpg
The lava flow from the Kamoamoa Fissure snaking around an old crater on Kilauea, as seen on March 10, 2011. This eruption did not start during a full/new moon. Image courtesy of HVO/USGS.
As I mentioned before, this sort of "correlation" of astronomical alignments and geologic disasters have been predicted before - with results that were coincidental at best. Back in 2006, there was rampant speculation about how a full moon was going to trigger an eruption of Mayon in the Philippines … and it didn't. In a USGS article about volcanoes and the moon, they make the point that it does appear that activity at some volcanoes, like Kilauea, are effected by lunar cycles - however, this does not mean that an eruption at any specific volcano worldwide can be predicted using lunar cycles. There are just too many other variables, so unless the volcano is already erupting, such as Kilauea (see above from an eruption that didn't start on a new/full moon), don't expect the Moon to bring volcanoes to life. Even if the volcano is predisposed to be close to eruption (and even defining that is difficult), there is no data to support this (to borrow a quote from a paper that Chris Rowan's uses in a post on the subject): "We found no conclusive evidence for a general correlation between volcanic activity and lunar tidal phase. This result is consistent with recent work which indicates that diurnal and fortnightly tidal stresses may be too short-lived and strain rates too high to effect a significant viscous response in partially molten regions of the Earth’s subsurface." (Mason et al., 2004). During this Mayon hype in 2006, Phil Piatt also took on these predictions and points out the biggest flaw with many of these "correlations": "It’s small number statistics, like flipping a coin three times and having it come up heads each time. It’s rare, but it does happen on average one out of every eight times. You need bigger samples to get good statistics." Science requires data that can show a valid correlation, not picking what fits best to your ideas.
If anything, we should be concentrating on terrestrial forcing for "predicting" earthquakes. It could be that changes in the stregth of the Earth's magnetic field, due to the thickness and composition of the Earth, but might help find earthquake-prone locations. A study in Science by Song and Simons from 2003 examined the gravity anomaly (how much the gravitational field from the Earth varies from the norm) along a subduction and then compared it to a long historical record of seismicity. It found that "within a given subduction zone, areas with negative gravity anomalies correlated with increased large earthquake activity. Areas with relatively high gravity anomalies experienced fewer large earthquakes." However, how we can use the changes in gravity anomaly to predict earthquakes is still very unclear.
So, what can we take away from all this?
- The Moon plays a very small role in increasing seismicity and volcanic activity on Earth - potentially increasing activity ~1% during full/new moons.
- The change in the gravitational pull from the Moon during apogee and perigee is small.
- Beyond this, there is no statistically-sound evidence that geologic disasters can be predicted based on lunar alignments or distance (or any other astronomical phenomena).
- The keys to understanding how to predict earthquakes or eruptions (if at all possible) lie within the Earth, not deep in space.
Top left: The moon. It's friendly, really.
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
7.0 Mw - MYANMAR
Preliminary Earthquake Report
|
Magnitude
| 7.0 Mw
|
Date-Time
| · 24 Mar 2011 13:55:12 UTC
· 24 Mar 2011 20:25:12 near epicenter
· 24 Mar 2011 06:55:12 standard time in your timezone
|
Location
| 20.705N 99.948E
|
Depth
| 10 km
|
Distances
| · 90 km (56 miles) N (8 degrees) of Chiang Rai, Thailand
· 168 km (104 miles) SSW (213 degrees) of Yunjinghong, Yunnan, China
· 233 km (145 miles) NNW (337 degrees) of Muang Nan, Thailand
· 235 km (146 miles) NNE (25 degrees) of Chiang Mai, Thailand
· 413 km (257 miles) NW (317 degrees) of VIENTIANE, Laos
|
Location Uncertainty
| Horizontal: 15.4 km; Vertical 5.8 km
|
Parameters
| Nph = 109; Dmin = 234.9 km; Rmss = 0.88 seconds; Gp = 36°
M-type = Mw; Version = C
|
Event ID
| US c0002aes
|
For updates, maps, and technical information, see:
Event Page
or
USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
National Earthquake Information Center
U.S. Geological Survey
http://neic.usgs.gov /
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
6.5 Mw - VERACRUZ, MEXICO
Preliminary Earthquake Report
|
Magnitude
| 6.5 Mw
|
Date-Time
| · 7 Apr 2011 13:11:24 UTC
· 7 Apr 2011 08:11:24 near epicenter
· 7 Apr 2011 06:11:24 standard time in your timezone
|
Location
| 17.431N 93.978W
|
Depth
| 167 km
|
Distances
| · 57 km (35 miles) S (169 degrees) of Las Choapas, Veracruz, Mexico
· 79 km (49 miles) SSE (168 degrees) of Agua Dulce, Veracruz, Mexico
· 79 km (49 miles) SW (234 degrees) of Huimanguillo, Tabasco, Mexico
· 84 km (52 miles) SE (137 degrees) of Minatitl?n, Veracruz, Mexico
· 483 km (300 miles) NW (311 degrees) of GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala
|
Location Uncertainty
| Horizontal: 16.0 km; Vertical 9.5 km
|
Parameters
| Nph = 390; Dmin = 233.8 km; Rmss = 1.16 seconds; Gp = 72°
M-type = Mw; Version = 8
|
Event ID
| US c0002kru
|
For updates, maps, and technical information, see:
Event Page
or
USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
National Earthquake Information Center
U.S. Geological Survey
http://neic.usgs.gov /
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
Found this on Death by a 1000 Papercuts (http://deathby1000papercuts.com/2011...ecumseh-comet/)
Enjoy!
Doomsday Predictions in 2011-2012? The 1811-1812 New Madrid Quakes, Tecumseh Comet
April 7, 2011
By LBG1
Parallels between 1811-1812 New Madrid Earthquakes, Comet Tecumseh and 'Doomsday' Predictions for 2011-2012
With all the talk of doomsday in 2011–the predictions of the ‘doomsday’ Comet Elenin–and/or 2012, the purported Maya Calendar ‘prophesy’, we wondered, has anyone written about the bizarre parallels between the current end times prophesies and what occurred two hundred years ago? Events which, according to some first hand accounts, were believed to be the ‘end of the world’ if you happened to live in the area affected by the New Madrid Earthquakes. Four devastating quakes accompanied by thousands of aftershocks that occurred between December 16, 1811, and February 7, 1812, with thousands of aftershocks throughout the spring and remainder of 1812. Just prior to the earthquakes, the appearance of ‘Tecumseh’s Comet’. First hand accounts of the earthquakes read like ‘Amazing Stories’, extraordinary accounts that paint a fuller picture than the ‘dry’ scientific recounting of the earthquakes. Before the earthquakes, the appearance of ‘Tecumseh’s Comet’.
On March 11, the 9.0 Japan earthquake and devastating tsunami. While the 9.0 quake has gotten the most press, two days prior to the 9.0, a 7.2 quake in the same region. After the 9.0, scientists said they believed the 9.0 was an ‘aftershock’ of the 7.2 quake. The last devastating quake and tsunami to strike the northeastern coast of Japan occurred 115 years earlier in 1896. During the New Madrid quakes, there was only a 5 hour period between the first quake, a 7.7, and the second quake, a 7.0. Three weeks later, a 7.5. Two weeks later, another 7.7-according to the USGS. According to some scientists some of the quakes may have been 8.0 or larger.
Comet Elenin
Elenin has recently entered the inner solar system and should pass through Mars orbit by the end of June sometime. There are several alignments that happen between then and its rendezvous with Earth that could alter its trajectory slightly.
The ecliptic is a horizontal field created by the planets and sun orbiting on a relatively flat plane. Many of these long-period objects do not travel along the ecliptic plane. They either come up from below the ecliptic, cross the ecliptic, and travel out above the ecliptic plane, or they do the opposite. In Elenin’s case, it will cross the ecliptic on September 11, 2011, and shortly thereafter line up with Mercury, the Sun, and the Earth. There is no telling how such an alignment on the ecliptic plane will affect the trajectory of Elenin.
From October 10-24, 2011 comet Elenin is forecast to be within 0.25 a.u. of Earth, according to NASA JPL diagram.
Earth Pulse Daily
Tecumseh’s Comet:
The earthquakes were preceded by the appearance of a great comet, which was visible around the globe for seventeen months, and was at its brightest during the earthquakes. The comet, with an orbit of 3,065 years, was last seen during the time of Ramses II in Egypt. In 1811-1812, it was called “Tecumseh’s Comet” (or “Napoleon’s Comet” in Europe). Tecumseh was a Shawnee Indian leader whose name meant “Shooting Star” or “He who walks across the sky.” He was given this name at birth. A great orator and military leader, Tecumseh organized a confederation of Indian tribes to oppose the takeover of 3 million acres of Indian lands, which were obtained by the Treaty of Fort Wayne in 1809. His brother, a religious leader called “The Prophet,” had gained fame when he foretold the total eclipse of the sun on June 16, 1806. (They had learned about it in advance from a team of visiting astronomers.)
City of New Madrid, Missouri
According to the USGS the first quake on December 16, 1811, at 2:15 AM was a 7.7 magnitude. According to some eyewitness accounts the quake may have lasted three minutes.
This powerful earthquake was felt widely over the entire eastern United States. People were awakened by the shaking in New York City, Washington, D.C., and Charleston, South Carolina. Perceptible ground shaking was in the range of one to three minutes depending upon the observers location. The ground motions were described as most alarming and frightening in places like Nashville, Tennesse, and Louisville, Kentucky. Reports also describe houses and other structures being severely shaken with many chimneys knocked down. In the epicentral area the ground surface was described as in great convulsion with sand and water ejected tens of feet into the air (liquefaction)
There were also reports of submerged trees ‘shooting up’ from the bottom of the Mississippi, their roots above the water, treacherous for boats. The air ‘turned dark’; people sick from a ‘nauseating smell’. Continuous ‘thunder’ noises emanating from beneath the ground. Giant holes opening up in the ground swallowing trees and ‘showers of coal’ spewing from beneath the ground. ‘Flashes of light on the horizon.’
Five hours later, a magnitude 7.
The giant quakes were followed by continuous strong aftershocks.
On January 23, 1812, a 7.5 quake.
Two weeks later on February 7, 1812, another 7.7 quake. Four devastating quakes in the same area between December and February with 1,000 of aftershocks that continued well into 1812. An area which, in 1811 and 1812 was sparsely populated.
Info on the New Madrid Quakes:
4: Number of principal quakes that occurred during the series. The first major quake occurred at 2:15 am local time on December 16, 1811, followed by the second five hours later. The third occurred on January 23, 1812 and the fourth on February 7, 1812. The second quake is sometimes regarded as an aftershock rather than a principal quake, because it was smaller and occurred so soon after the first. About 200 aftershocks of magnitude 4.0 or greater were also recorded, along with numerous smaller quakes.
7.0: Minimum estimated magnitude (on the Richter scale) of each of the principal quakes according to the United States Geological Service. Seismographs were not in use at the time in North America, so the magnitudes have been estimated by later researchers based on accounts of the earthquakes. The USGS has estimated the magnitudes, in chronological order, as 7.7, 7.0, 7.5, and 7.7., although other estimates suggest that several of them were magnitude 8.0 or higher. The largest earthquake ever recorded in the U.S. was magnitude 9.2, which occurred in Alaska on March 3, 1964.
Details From Eyewitness Accounts
The Virtual Times:
‘On the 16th of December, 1811, about two o’clock, A.M., we were visited by a violent shock of an earthquake, accompanied by a very awful noise resembling loud but distant thunder, but more hoarse and vibrating, which was followed in a few minutes by the complete saturation of the atmosphere, with sulphurious vapor, causing total darkness. The screams of the affrighted inhabitants running to and fro, not knowing where to go, or what to do – the cries of the fowls and beasts of every species – the cracking of trees falling, and the roaring of the Mississippi – the current of which was retrogade for a few minutes, owing as is supposed, to an irruption in its bed — formed a scene truly horrible.’
There were several shocks of a day, but lighter than those already mentioned until the 23d of January, 1812, when one occurred as violent as the severest of the former ones, accompanied by the same phenomena as the former. From this time until the 4th of February the earth was in continual agitation, visibly waving as a gentle sea. On that day there was another shock, nearly as hard as the proceeding ones. Next day four such, and on the 7th about 4 o’clock A.M., a concussion took place so much more violent than those that had proceeded it, that it was dominated the hard shock. The awful darkness of the atmosphere, which was formerly saturated with sulphurious vapor, and the violence of the tempestuous thundering noise that accompanied it, together with all of the other phenomena mentioned as attending the former ones, formed a scene, the description of which would require the most sublimely fanciful imagination.
‘This account of the New Madrid Earthquake was recorded by George Heinrich Crist, resisiding at the time in the north-central Kentucky county of Nelson, near the present location of Louisville. It was submitted by Floyd Creasey – 4th tier great-grandchild to author, now a Texas resident.’
The Virtual Times
8 Febuary 1812
“If we do not get away from here the ground is going to eat us alive. We had another one of them earth quakes yesterdy and today the ground still shakes at times. We are all about to go crazy – from pain and fright. We can not do anything until we can find our animals or get some more. We have not found enough to pull he wagons.
20 March 1812
“I do not know if our minds have got bad or what. But everybody says it. I swear you can still feel the ground move and shake some. We still have not found enough animals to pull the wagons and you can not find any to buy or trade.
(Transactions of the Literary and Philosophical Society of NY, vol. 1, pp. 281-307)
Samuel L. Mitchill, Representative in Congress
Transcription and notes, Susan E. Hough, U.S. Geological Survey, Pasadena (May, 2000).
Pasadena Library, USGS
‘It was observed, by Dr. Macbride of Pineville, (S.C.) that the earthquake terrified the inhabitants exceedingly. It was accompanied by several appearances that countenances the theory of this phenomenon, which brings in the agency of the electric fluid. 1. The unfrequency or absence of thunder storms; that is, they were much less frequent this year than usual, especially in the autumn. 2. Immediately before the earthquake, a red appearance of the clouds, which had much darkened the water for twenty-four hours immediately before the shock; and 3. The loudness of the thunder, and the number of the peals within twenty-four hours after the first shock, and but a few hours before the last, which was felt before he wrote. Such thunder was very unusual at that season.’
‘The town of St. Louis, in Louisiana, experienced a full proportion of the commotion. Mr. Riddick, being at St. Louis, near the Mississippi, observed to me, that the shocks were preceded by a remarkable calm. The atmosphere was of a dingy and lurid aspect, and gleams and flashes of light were frequently visible around the horizon, in different directions, generally ascending from the earth. Sometimes sounds were heard, like wind rustling thorugh the trees, but not resembling thunder.
The first earthquake was felt aobut a quarter of an hour after two in the morning of the 16th. It roused persons from their sleep, by the clatter of windows, doors, and furniture, in tremulous motion. There was a rumbling distant noise, resembling a number of carriages passing over a pavement. In a few seconds the motions and noises had considerably increased. The sky was obscurred by a thick and hazy fog, without a breath of wind. The weather was moderate, with the mercury about eight degrees above the freezing point. At forty-seven minutes after two, a second shock was felt. At thirty-four minutes after three, a third came; which was as tremulous as the first, but not followed by so much noise. A little after daylight, there was a fourth; at eight, a fifth; and at half past eleven, a sixth; several persons felt, or imagined, others. They were of different lengths, from two minutes to a few seconds. No lives were lost; some chimnies were thrown down; and a few stone houses split. The morning was observed to be very hazy, and unusually warm for the season. The houses and fences seemed to be covered with a white frost; but on examination, this appearance was illusive. A vapour hovered over every thing, and shrouded the morning in awful gloom.’
ACCOUNTS OF THE NEW MADRID EARTHQUAKE
THE LOUISIANA GAZETTE AND DAILY
ADVERTISER (NEW ORLEANS)
December 21, 1811, Saturday
No mail north of Natchez yesterday. Letters from that city state that a small earthquake had been felt there some days ago. From the principles of earthquakes we are surprised it was not felt here. Earthquakes have generally been felt in southern mountainous countries; sometimes located to a small portion of country sometimes more extended. Different nations, near the Adriatic and Mediterranean, have felt the shock of an earthquake at the same moment.
The Comet has been passing to the westward since it passed its perihelion – perhaps it has touched the mountain of California, that has given a small shake to this side of the globe – or the skake which the Natchezians have felt may be a mysterious visitation from the Author of all nature, on them for their sins – wickedness and the want of good faith have long prevailed in that territory.Sodom and Gomorrha would have been saved had three frighteous persons been found in it – we therefore hope that Natchez has been saved on the same principle.
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
Missed the point--as usual.
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
Wallis, I "got it". I merely made a remark about Endtimes. End times is bullshit.
The comet "Elenin" is bullshit (it's a COMET).
Quakes in the 1800s and quakes now have no relation that anyone can point to other than coincident.
When it comes right down to it I was born in August, and there's a huge meteor shower, the Persids. OBVIOUSLY it happens BECAUSE *I* was born.
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
Of course, the "endtimes" is bullshit.
Your comment, however, impressed me that you hadn't even bothered to read the article and just dismissed it with the title, which soured the whole effort of posting.
I thought that the correlations between comets and earthquakes a hundred years apart or so were of interest. What fascinates me is that I believe that the planet is very fluid. Earthquakes are connected to one another in a way that is not yet understood. And, scientists who once were rather adamant that earthquakes have no relationship with each other are slowly changing their opinions.
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
6.5 Mw - VERACRUZ, MEXICO...
Skary- vewy sccawwy. I get the jeepers with these EQs and hurricanes. The LG, veracruz nuke plant sits right on the gulf, just like fukushima.
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
Quote:
Originally Posted by
wallis
Of course, the "endtimes" is bullshit.
Of course it is...
Quote:
Your comment, however, impressed me that you hadn't even bothered to read the article and just dismissed it with the title, which soured the whole effort of posting.
Wallis, I could say pretty much the same thing about you - and probably have. So have most of the other visitors here. No, I actually read the article. I pretty much read everything completely (sometimes twice) before I comment on it. If I am not sure about something, I'll read it again and again until I understand what it was saying.
Quote:
I thought that the correlations between comets and earthquakes a hundred years apart or so were of interest.
As an astronomer - I can tell you there is little correlation between comets and earthquakes. The Moon has a better chance of causing quakes (and likely IS part of the reason) due simply to mass and proximity.
Quote:
What fascinates me is that I believe that the planet is very fluid.
Indeed, because the Earth is "fluid" specifically with a molten core, we have plate tectonics. Actually, a good example on a very, very time scale is looking at molten metal being poured in forges. If you watch videos (or go in person, it's more impressive face to face with thousands-plus degree metals being poured) carefully, you will see that some of the surface material is hardening sometimes and floating on the surface of the molten metal. This is precisely what the Earth is doing. Our crust floats because it isn't as massive as the molten metals below. Kind of like ice floats on water.
Plate tectonics isn't an exact science - mostly because there are so many factors invovlved.
Going back to comets - the mass of a comet is insignificant in comparison to the Earth. Even a massive asteroid hurtling past the Earth in all likelihood isn't massive enough to cause a pebble to tumble down a mountain.
Quote:
Earthquakes are connected to one another in a way that is not yet understood. And, scientists who once were rather adamant that earthquakes have no relationship with each other are slowly changing their opinions.
Actually, they have known for quite a few years they are connected and there are "Earthquake swarms". Computer models of past quakes shown in a faster time sequence on a computer screen, visually has shown that quakes occur in groups and they travel around the planet. In the simulations (they weren't simulations, but they were playbacks on a world map) showed large quakes "migrating" around the planet westward from the first quakes shown.
The time compression was pretty large (like years instead of days or hours) but quakes moved west from each set.
So, there is actually a lot more understanding of this than you're giving credit for.
Can they predict the next one? No probably not.
Do comets have anything to do with it? Absolutely NOT.
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History..._Japan#History
Basically, the above is a history of Japan quakes.
Comet Elenin is the latest thing for the 2012ers to glom onto. Everyone wants to see death and destruction, the end of the world, and they think it will be a cosmic encounter. They also think that a cosmic encounter will be the cause of massive quakes and such. This weirdo phenomenon isn't "Religious Right Wing" either. It's lunatic fringes of Right, Left, Middle, and everywhere in between.
In reality, I TOO believe that the death of the Earth - or more accurately, the death of most life forms on the planet will be from a cosmic encounter. But this isn't based on Biblical studies, or New Age Groupies I hang out with (though, some of the body piercings I've seen on those chicks.. oh, well, never mind that now).
Destruction of planet Earth will not be a rogue planet (Nibiru), a "brown dwarf" (as there are NO stars closer to us than the sun at this time, and the next closest star is 4 light years distant), it won't likely be alien space craft, an invasion of alien life forms or "The Blob".
Most likely the destruction of life on Earth will be from a very large asteroid, one that we either don't know about or will suddenly come into view one night when discovered by some amateur astronomer taking photos night after night in the hopes of discovering a new comet. The truth is 90% or more of the objects discovered that pass near by Earth were discovered by amateurs.
Governments just don't use money to keep an eye on space. Hell, we cut our SPACE PROGRAM. Obama cut that out because he felt the money could be better utilize by giving it to Acorn. Cutting thousands of NASA jobs was not really good for America, or good for the world - but I digress.
If you look up comet Elenin, you will get an inordinate amount of nonsense from sites like "Above Top Secret", religious sites, and survival sites who believe the end is near.
We're in a pretty interesting time in the history of the planet though. The dinosaurs died when an asteroid hit the planet - and perhaps they didn't even look up and notice it. We, as an intelligent creature can observe, predict and even know when we're doomed. We honestly don't need people to go freaky over a comet so close to 2012.
However, I'll make a prediction. Comet Elenin won't hit us, it's not a brown dwarf star, it didn't cause and will NOT cause any earth quakes. I'll make another prediction, there will be other comets discovered between now and 21 December 2012. In fact, there are an average of twelve comets per year, discovered almost exclusively by amateur astronomers.
Also, one more prediction - I'll be retired before the end of the world in December 2012. :)
Re: Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics and Volcanism
By the way, one last piece of evidence.... comets don't cause quakes, they cause blindness and killer ambulatory plants...