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boputnam
12-27-2004, 09:01 AM
I guess it is my duty to keep us current on this stuff... :rolleyes:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/

There's not yet any reports from the Seychelles - an archipelago most of which is only 10's of feet above sea level...

boputnam
12-27-2004, 09:20 AM
We Californians should not be comforted by that sizable seismic gap between Central America and Anchorage... :eek:

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<TABLE cellSpacing=0 cellPadding=4 bgColor=#ffffff summary="List of the largest earthquakes in the World since 1900" border=0><TBODY><TR vAlign=top><TH class=bodytext id=t1 scope=col></TH><TH class=bodytext id=t2 scope=col align=left>Location</TH><TH class=bodytext id=t3 scope=col>Date UTC</TH><TH class=bodytext id=t4 scope=col>Magnitude</TH><TH class=bodytext id=t5 colSpan=2>Coordinates</TH><TR><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t1>1.</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t2>Chile (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/world/1960_05_22.html)</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t3>1960 05 22 </TD><TD class=bodytext align=middle headers=t4>9.5</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>38.24 S</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>73.05 W</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t1>2.</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t2>Prince William Sound, Alaska (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/usa/1964_03_28.html)</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t3>1964 03 28 </TD><TD class=bodytext align=middle headers=t4>9.2</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>61.02 N</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>147.65 W</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t1>3.</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t2>Andreanof Islands, Alaska (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/usa/1957_03_09.html)</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t3>1957 03 09 </TD><TD class=bodytext align=middle headers=t4>9.1</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>51.56 N</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>175.39 W</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t1>4.</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t2>Kamchatka (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/world/1952_11_04.html)</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t3>1952 11 04 </TD><TD class=bodytext align=middle headers=t4>9.0</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>52.76 N</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>160.06 E</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t1>4.</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t2>Off the West Coast of Northern Sumatra (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/bulletin/neic_slav.html)</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t3>2004 12 26 </TD><TD class=bodytext align=middle headers=t4>9.0</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>3.30 N</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>95.78 E</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t1>6.</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t2>Off the Coast of Ecuador (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/world/1906_01_31.html)</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t3>1906 01 31 </TD><TD class=bodytext align=middle headers=t4>8.8</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>1.0 N</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>81.5 W</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t1>7.</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t2>Rat Islands, Alaska (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/usa/1965_02_04.html)</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t3>1965 02 04 </TD><TD class=bodytext align=middle headers=t4>8.7</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>51.21 N</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>178.50 E</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t1>8.</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t2>Assam - Tibet (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/world/1950_08_15.html)</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t3>1950 08 15 </TD><TD class=bodytext align=middle headers=t4>8.6</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>28.5 N</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>96.5 E</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t1>9.</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t2>Kamchatka</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t3>1923 02 03 </TD><TD class=bodytext align=middle headers=t4>8.5</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>54.0 N</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>161.0 E</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t1>10.</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t2>Banda Sea, Indonesia (http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/eq_depot/world/1938_02_01.html)</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t3>1938 02 01 </TD><TD class=bodytext align=middle headers=t4>8.5</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>5.05 S</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>131.62 E</TD></TR><TR><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t1>11.</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t2>Kuril Islands</TD><TD class=bodytext headers=t3>1963 10 13 </TD><TD class=bodytext align=middle headers=t4>8.5</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>44.9 N</TD><TD class=bodytext align=right headers=t5>149.6 E</TD></TR></TBODY></TABLE>

4313B
12-27-2004, 09:46 AM
There's not yet any reports from the Seychelles - an archipelago most of which is only 10's of feet above sea level...They all climbed up here - highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m

boputnam
12-27-2004, 09:57 AM
They all climbed up here - highest point: Morne Seychellois 905 m Yup, that's one of the granite ones. The coraline islands are of lesser topography...

Pretty place, boy-howdy...

4313B
12-27-2004, 10:00 AM
A place I've always wanted to visit.

http://www.cia.gov/cia/publications/factbook/geos/se.html

So seriously, no one has heard anything from them?

boputnam
12-27-2004, 10:27 AM
Yea, according to some wires. Not to infer anything necessarily - they are some distance from the epicenter and much less inhabited than the places making headlines. But they almost certainly suffered losses...


A place I've always wanted to visit. :yes:
I met a local while flying to Tanzania once (by way of Nairobi...) - a flight attendant for BA who was a notable "difference", shall we say, from the BA norm - of remarkable beauty. Been a long time since I got a post card from her...

Hofmannhp
12-27-2004, 10:43 AM
I guess it is my duty to keep us current on this stuff... :rolleyes:
...highly appreciated Bo,

seems that's one of the most active tectonical shifting areas there.....

BTW: hey north europeans..... this is the chance to cut the ropes of our tectonical plate, put some good powered outboaders on and let's drive to some warmer places in the south. :smthsail: :smthsail: :smthsail:

HP

Alex Lancaster
12-27-2004, 12:17 PM
:) Drive Your outboard here, it is 22°C now at 1:15 PM, it will be a little difficult, We are at 1500 m altitude; In any event, Happy new Year to All!!!


Alex.

whej4312
12-27-2004, 06:35 PM
(APNewswire: 12/26/04) JBL Professional, of Northridge CA. Confirmed today that they were indeed testing a new 36" sub bass Radiator. Sources close to Harman Industries said that the new driver is capable of over 300db at 12hz. Harman insiders say they have no idea what happened.

A little humour in light of the Pacific & Asian crisis:D
Mother nature once again has to prove who's incharge to us little people...:bomb:

boputnam
12-29-2004, 11:46 AM
http://globalsecurity.org/

and further down...

http://globalsecurity.org/eye/andaman-pix.htm

:(

Ken Pachkowsky
12-29-2004, 12:35 PM
Jumped to 80,000+ plus dead from 23,000 yesterday. I have been to Indonesia and Borneo scuba diving. Having flown over hundreds of the small islands in those areas I would not be surprised to see the death toll rise to 200,000 plus just in Indonesia alone.

merlin
12-29-2004, 01:39 PM
I'm delighted that some can find humour in this tragedy.

As a regular visitor to the area, I find myself anguished beyond belief. These lovely people, genuine and friendly, have lost everything. They have no savings, pensions, real estate portfolios. They had the sun, the sea and a joyous outlook on life.

I see Bush has pledged $35 million. Wanker! He spends that on a few bombs targetted at Mosques in far off shores. What does the war cost per day? The guy's priorites are screwed and I suspect more American citizens will have lost their life on the sands of Phi Phi, than to terrorism in the past 3 years.

If the US want to gain global respect, here's your leaders' chance. Please don't laugh at those less fortunate than yourselves.

Ken Pachkowsky
12-29-2004, 01:47 PM
These lovely people, genuine and friendly.
I would second that. One of the best trips I ever took. Definately a tragedy of huge proportions.

boputnam
12-29-2004, 01:52 PM
If the US want to gain global respect, here's your leaders' chance. "Pledge more money".

Got it.

4313B
12-29-2004, 02:36 PM
"I see Bush has pledged $35 million. Wanker!"

I think he should take the $35 million and move the U.N. Headquarters to Jakarta.

http://www.cnn.com/2004/ALLPOLITICS/12/28/stingy.americans.ap/index.html

"If the US want to gain global respect, here's your leaders' chance."

There isn't a goddamn thing the U.S. has done, can do, or will ever be capable of doing, to appease the rest of the globe. As for this particular incident - I have no doubt the U.S. will, true to form, end up bearing the brunt of the financial cost. The contribution will then be forgotten, like everything else.

Should you ever have a moment again where you question American sense of purpose go here:

http://www.abmc.gov/ca.htm

boputnam
12-29-2004, 02:40 PM
Dammit Giskard!! Your post was wonderful. :thmbsup:


"I see Bush has pledged $35 million. Wanker!"

I think he should take the $35 million and move the U.N. Headquarters to Jakarta.

"If the US want to gain global respect, here's your leaders' chance."

There isn't a goddamn thing the U.S. has done, can do, or will ever be capable of doing, to appease the rest of the globe. As for this particular incident - I have no doubt the U.S. will, true to form, end up bearing the brunt of the financial cost. The contribution will then be forgotten, like everything else.

Should you ever have a moment again where you question American sense of purpose go here:

http://www.abmc.gov/ca.htm

merlin
12-29-2004, 03:17 PM
[i] The contribution will then be forgotten, like everything else.


Giskard,

I won't get deep into a political arguement on such a friendly forum, but maybe if all of your/our "contibutions" were forgotten, then maybe the troops would be at home where they belong. Just a thought.

Ken Pachkowsky
12-29-2004, 04:08 PM
Giskard,

I won't get deep into a political arguement on such a friendly forum.
Ok. I tried to bite my tougue but screw it. Merlin its a bit to late and you did exactly what you intended to do, so lets cut the bullshit. If you have a bone to pick with any government please take it to the many political forums out there. This forum is not the place for it.

This does not change the fact that your as welcome as anyone else to this forum, but spare us the political cynasism please. Frankly, I would rather hear about your design and construction techniques on those gorgeous subs you built.

Whats happening is a tragedy and everyone on this forum would agree.

If you feel the need to reply...be my guest. On this topic, I will not.

Ken

Ian Mackenzie
12-29-2004, 04:27 PM
I'm delighted that some can find humour in this tragedy.

As a regular visitor to the area, I find myself anguished beyond belief. These lovely people, genuine and friendly, have lost everything. They have no savings, pensions, real estate portfolios. They had the sun, the sea and a joyous outlook on life.

.
I myself sat on the Patong beach sun baking and made many friends not long ago. Just back from the beach are many small bars, restaraunts and hotels all busting with tourists starting their holidays. Woman and children make up many of the casualties. Ironically we were watching a holiday video of the region just prior to the new flash and are stunned by this event.

boputnam
12-29-2004, 05:34 PM
...maybe if all of your/our "contibutions" were forgotten, then maybe the troops would be at home where they belong. Look, Mister, we don't get 'em all correct, but we've got a pretty damned good record of helping people achieve/sustain democracy. Most everyone thinks our troops should be home now, and being spiteful and namecalling our President is deplorable conduct.

Your spurious post took ill conceived advantage of anothers' attempt to lighten the mood - people grieve and do wakes in their own manner. You should not condemn that.

This thread was intended for current geologic / geographic information to help us study and understand the deadly natural phenomenon. Your opportunist attack has mooted all that, and I'm disappointed.

Ian Mackenzie
12-29-2004, 08:10 PM
Bo,

On the geography has the ocean floor dropped some 10 metres along the quake line as some media report or risen as such?

GordonW
12-29-2004, 09:56 PM
Dunno about the ocean floor height... but somebody's gonna have to go move Sumatra about 90 feet over, on the next rounds of maps that get made from now on!! :eek: :eek: :eek:

Speaking of this- would it be safe to say, that the earthquake in Australia last week, could likely be called a precursor to this event?

Regards,
Gordon.

Ian Mackenzie
12-29-2004, 11:05 PM
These's things send to happen in three's so who know's.

What we do know is certain parts of the geography have gone, just gone.

Ian

merlin
12-30-2004, 02:10 AM
Bo and Ken,

Sorry if I have offended you both - I'm sat here with friends (some Thai) and we are weeping.

I love the people of South East Asia. One of the earns $4 per day and still sent me a birthday present from half way around the world last month.

I have also in my time, been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of the American people, when cycling in your country. What I struggle with is the fact that the people of my small island have raised nearly as much money in 24 hours as the most powerful and resourcful government in the world is prepared to commit after 4 days. I hope you can understand the anger, and accept that occasionally hard things have to be said. I believe our very own Bob Geldof showed the way 20 years ago. Peace.

Zilch
12-30-2004, 02:34 AM
Bush immediately committed ALL of the available funds remaining in the emergency fund.

By the time we're done, we'll have upwards of a BILLION $$$ in it, according to estimates, and more, if necessary, no doubt.

SHUT UP....

merlin
12-30-2004, 02:53 AM
SHUT UP....

God bless you sir.

Robh3606
12-30-2004, 08:48 AM
'These's things send to happen in three's so who know's."

Funny that it seems to happen that way?? Let's hope the next one is in some remote location where no one can get hurt. What a way to start the new milenium!

Rob:(

boputnam
12-30-2004, 10:35 AM
On the geography has the ocean floor dropped some 10 metres along the quake line as some media report or risen as such? That would be a topography question, and the answer is I don't think we know. We would have had to have detailed terrane models of the seafloor there before, and after. I'm guessing we will have some after... :(

What's odd about the quake was its location - it was intraplate. That is, it was not along a plate boundary which is commonly where big ruptures occur. Looking at the attached figure though, we can see the tectonic kinematics are olbique collision - also termed "transpression" (translational compression) - and that helps explains why.

The India Plate is moving Easterly under the Burma microplate which is trying to move due W away from it's east-bounding spreading center boundary (demarked by the parallel blue lines and divergent directional arrows near the epicenter). The collision net vector is a NNE movement of 61mm/yr, of the Burma microplate riding up-and-over the Indian plate - you can see it is translational across the "front" of the Burma microplate. Those kinematics mean there are compressional fronts that rupture obliquely (i.e., not head-on) - this is evidenced by the transforms that break and offset en echelon the continuation of the spreading-center bounding fault (blue and red parallel lines) as it traces north from Sumatra to Myanmar (nee Burma). In effect, the collision is slowly tearing the Burma microplate apart. The Burma microplate is acting as an accomodation zone, where all the conflicting forces and stresses of the colliding Sunda and Indian plates are accomodated. It is the proverbial bathroom rug...

Place a piece of A4 paper on a flat surface - lay your hands down right in-front of you, thumb-to-thumb. Now, slide your left hand up the table, and hold your right-hand firm. Folds will form with axes oriented across the line between your thumbs. As / if you continue, the paper will tear along that line, and the folds will become thrusts - some over, some under. But that is basically, very simplistically what is occurring.

I have added a copy with some simple annotations.

paragon
12-30-2004, 10:50 AM
Doenīt be angry against other, yust help them with your (our) money.

Eckhard

boputnam
12-30-2004, 10:58 AM
These's things tend to happen in three's... Not exactly. The ones that make headlines seem to cycle in threes. The situation over there is quite a bit more active...

Hofmannhp
12-30-2004, 01:38 PM
Not exactly. The ones that make headlines seem to cycle in threes. The situation over there is quite a bit more active...
Hey Bo,
where can we find those maps in the net?

HP

boputnam
12-30-2004, 03:10 PM
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/

Look down the main page there, under "Location Maps", and the last one I posted was a "10-degree" coverage (10-degrees each latitude and longitude). The database is constantly updated.

As we must realize, a quake rupture does not relieve the stresses - they are in response to the stresses, a symptom. The stresses remain. The fault hosting this Magnitude 9.0 quake was "stuck" for a long-time; now that it has released the stored energy, there will be "bunching-up" in other portions of the system. The best thing to hope for is a frequent occurrence of lower magnitude quakes. Gotta keep things moving...

Ian Mackenzie
12-30-2004, 03:53 PM
Class dismissed.

Bo.

boputnam
12-30-2004, 06:17 PM
On the geography has the ocean floor dropped some 10 metres along the quake line as some media report or risen as such?
Macka...

Just found this on the USGS site. They're estimating a possible 15m vertical offset. Much here repeats my interp (below) with better data. There's some other interpretive stuff I won't labor you with, but this fault may have been a reverse-thrust motion, meaning the western fault block overrode the eastern fault block. If true, that may in-part be why the wave was so devastating to Banda Aceh - not merely by proximity, but it was pushed that way...

This is one badboy.:(

boputnam
12-31-2004, 01:35 PM
<!-- date --><SCRIPT language=JavaScript type=text/javascript><!-- host = new String(location.hostname); host = host.toLowerCase(); if ( host.indexOf("edition.") != -1 ) { document.write('Friday, December 31, 2004 Posted: 1815 GMT (0215 HKT)'); }else { document.write('Friday, December 31, 2004 Posted: 1:15 PM EST (1815 GMT)'); }//--></SCRIPT>Friday, December 31, 2004 Posted: 1:15 PM EST (1815 GMT) <!-- /date -->


(CNN) -- -- The United States will increase its aid pledge from $35 million to $350 million to help victims of the tsunamis in south Asia, CNN has learned.

The increase followed criticism that the initial amount was far from enough.

The director of the U.S. Agency for International Development told CNN on Friday that the $35 million pledge was only the first step in U.S. aid to the countries that were devastated by Sunday's earthquake and tsunamis.

"The money was committed on Sunday when the emergency took place," Andrew Natsios told CNN's "American Morning." "It's action on the ground that is needed. We will get more than enough money from the president and I'm sure Congress later on when we need it."

...

United Nations officials said that the international community had pledged a combined half-a-billion dollars in support, and that figure jumped to more than $800 million Friday when the United States increased its pledge.
<!--endclickprintinclude-->
<!--================================================== ======--><!--===============Paste story between here=================--><!--================================================== ======-->

johnaec
12-31-2004, 03:39 PM
(CNN) -- -- The United States will increase its aid pledge from $35 million to $350 million to help victims of the tsunamis in south Asia, CNN has learned.I believe $350 million covers about one day of our Iraq involvement - I'm glad at least some of our tax money is going towards good will...

Correction: I just learned we're only averaging $285 million per day in Iraq - my mistake.

John

Ian Mackenzie
12-31-2004, 10:07 PM
Latest local media intel advises potentially large number Australians missing / unaccounted for according to Thailand immigration officials.

Footage from an Australian tourists high quality home video shows the unusually outgoing tide and a massive wall of white water on the horizon moments before the wave of devastation hit Patong Beach.

lfh
01-01-2005, 05:52 AM
Just found this link:

http://www.geophys.washington.edu/tsunami/general/physics/physics.html

(Other interesting info on the subject, too (-> TOC).)

Audiobeer
01-01-2005, 09:29 PM
Bo and Ken,

Sorry if I have offended you both - I'm sat here with friends (some Thai) and we are weeping.

I love the people of South East Asia. One of the earns $4 per day and still sent me a birthday present from half way around the world last month.

I have also in my time, been overwhelmed by the kindness and generosity of the American people, when cycling in your country. What I struggle with is the fact that the people of my small island have raised nearly as much money in 24 hours as the most powerful and resourcful government in the world is prepared to commit after 4 days. I hope you can understand the anger, and accept that occasionally hard things have to be said. I believe our very own Bob Geldof showed the way 20 years ago. Peace.Hello Merlin. Politics and religion are always 2 topics that seem to get peoples emotions flaring. Regardless what amount the US goverment pledges.....it is always the generousity of the Ameican people that comes through. We pay for contributions via taxes, but the bulk of the contributions that doesn't ever seem to be mentioned is what goes from the Ameican citizens pocket directly to the charities that make the most impact. I would suspect that when it's all said and done that the $35 million is about 1/100th of what Americans will contribute without the Goverments help. That's the way we do things. I would sell my house, cars, audio, whatever I could get a buck for and donate it to any worthy cause in trade for the United Nations being moved out of the US along with the money we spend supporting the stagnation and coruption. there. We can't vote that out! :banghead:

boputnam
01-11-2005, 11:33 AM
Interesting, yet disturbing, modelling of the tsunami covering the Indian Ocean - easy to see why Sri Lanka was so impacted.

http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/spotlight/tsunami/image/pmelTITOV-INDO2004.mov

Other images and models, as well. http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/spotlight/tsunami/tsunami.html

Mr. Widget
01-11-2005, 10:04 PM
- easy to see why Sri Lanka was so impacted.


...but Somalia?!

Widget

Hofmannhp
01-12-2005, 12:29 AM
...but Somalia?!

Widget

I think that Somalia was touched 4 hours later (the graphics show 2 hours after the big bang)
Is it right Bo, when I read the above graphics, to say that the center of the earthquake shows a fall of the ocean floor, instead of a rising?.....and what can be the reason for the peak on -16° ?

HP

boputnam
01-12-2005, 08:58 AM
...Is it right Bo, when I read the above graphics, to say that the center of the earthquake shows a fall of the ocean floor, instead of a rising?.....and what can be the reason for the peak on -16° ? Dunno, HansPeter - never seen one of them before. I'm a geologist, not an oceanographer... :banghead:

But, lemme take a stab at it. The profile follows the angled transect line, coursing west of the epicenter.

0° latitude on the transect lies well west of the epicenter, so doesn't help us understand the relative sea level at the epicenter.

As to the spike at -16° latitude: there is a short data gap along the transect, positioned at -16° - "no data", that is all.

boputnam
03-28-2005, 10:07 AM
Magnitude 8.7 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA
Monday, March 28, 2005 at 16:09:37 UTC

<B><BIG>Preliminary Earthquake Report </BIG></B>
<BIG>U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center
World Data Center for Seismology, Denver

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Maps/legend.gif
</BIG>

Robh3606
03-28-2005, 10:29 AM
Man not again!!!! Any Tsunami warnings up!!!! Almost the same spot within a couple of hundred miles!!

Rob:(

boputnam
03-28-2005, 01:29 PM
Looks like something around +6.0 magnitude...

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Maps/legend.gif
<MAP name=Map><AREA shape=RECT alt=95_10 coords=179,1,319,70 href="95_10.html"><!-- top --><AREA shape=RECT alt=100_5 coords=462,178,532,318 href="100_5.html"><!-- right --><AREA shape=RECT alt=95_0 coords=179,426,319,496 href="95_0.html"><!-- bot --><AREA shape=RECT alt=90_5 coords=1,178,70,318 href="90_5.html"><!-- left --><AREA shape=RECT coords=0,0,0,0 href="/recenteqsww/clickagain.htm"></MAP>

Mr. Widget
03-28-2005, 01:34 PM
Any word on wave action?

boputnam
03-28-2005, 01:45 PM
Nothing, yet. CNN reporting:

Fifty people died on the island of Nias, near the epicenter of a massive earthquake off the coast of Indonesia, a government official there told CNN. The U.S. Geological Survey has raised the magnitude of Monday's earthquake that shook Southeast Asia today to 8.7.

boputnam
04-10-2005, 09:14 PM
And, yet another...

-----------------------------------------------------

Magnitude 6.8 - KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
2005 April 10 10:29:13 UTC

Preliminary Earthquake Report
U.S. Geological Survey, National Earthquake Information Center
World Data Center (http://www.ngdc.noaa.gov/wdc/wdcmain.html) for Seismology, Denver

A strong earthquake occurred at 10:29:13 (UTC) on Sunday, April 10, 2005. The magnitude 6.8 event has been located in the KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Quakes/100_-2_globe.jpg (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Maps/10/100_0.html) http://neic.usgs.gov/neis/bulletin/neic_wsap_small.gif

Magnitude (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/glossary.htm#magnitude)6.8
Date-Time (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/glossary.htm#date)Sunday, April 10, 2005 at 10:29:13 (UTC)
= Coordinated Universal Time
Sunday, April 10, 2005 at 5:29:13 PM
= local time at epicenter

boputnam
04-10-2005, 09:56 PM
Interesting (sorry, I'm a geo... :o: ) the swarm of quakes last week (yellow boxes) moving down the subduction zone fault line from the last big event, toward today's 6.8 event.

The plates they are a movin... :hmm:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsww/Maps/legend.gif

Titanium Dome
04-10-2005, 09:56 PM
So sad for all those unfortunate people. Three in a row (literally) looks like a trend. A fourth one along that general line will be frightening for many reasons.

Let's hope Mother Earth rests soon.

boputnam
05-20-2005, 07:59 AM
From Science, via CNN

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Scientists: Sumatra quake longest ever recorded

Temblor big enough to 'vibrate the whole planet '

By Marsha Walton
CNN
Thursday, May 19, 2005 Posted: 3:53 PM EDT (1953 GMT)

The Sumatra-Andaman quake released an amount of energy equal to a 100 gigaton bomb.

(CNN) -- Dramatic new data from the December 26, 2004, Sumatran-Andaman earthquake that generated deadly tsunamis show the event created the longest fault rupture and the longest duration of faulting ever observed, according to three reports by an international group of seismologists published Thursday in the journal "Science."

"Normally, a small earthquake might last less than a second; a moderate sized earthquake might last a few seconds. This earthquake lasted between 500 and 600 seconds (at least 10 minutes)," said Charles Ammon, associate professor of geosciences at Penn State University.

The quake released an amount of energy equal to a 100 gigaton bomb, according to Roger Bilham, professor of geological sciences at the University of Colorado.

And that power lasted longer than any quake ever recorded.

The quake, centered in the Indian Ocean, also created the biggest gash in the Earth's seabed ever observed, nearly 800 miles. That's as long as a drive from northern California into southern Canada.

Scientists estimated the average slippage (ground movement up and down) along the entire length of the fault was at least 5 meters (16.5 feet) -- with some places being moved nearly 20 meters (50 feet).

Scientists have also upgraded the magnitude of the quake from 9.0 to between 9.1 and 9.3, a dramatically more powerful event. As a comparison: the ground shook 100 times harder during December's earthquake than what was felt in the 1989 Loma Prieta quake in California. That 6.9 magnitude quake caused extensive damage from Santa Cruz to San Francisco.

Monster quake

The stunning power of Asia's earthquake and tsunamis last December has left even veteran scientists in awe.

"I think it was humbling for everyone that analyzed the earthquake," said Thorne Lay, professor of earth sciences and director of the Institute of Geophysics and Planetary Physics at the University of California, Santa Cruz.

"We're sitting in our laboratories working on the signals from this earthquake, trying to understand what happened scientifically, and then watching TV at night and seeing the death toll rising for weeks," he said.

The enormous human toll from the natural disasters spurred Lay to organize dozens of scientists from all over the world to share their data and analysis of the quake. The long-term goal is to try to get more, and more accurate tsunami warning systems in place.

Whole planet vibrated

A wide array of instruments were used for the first time to study the earthquake, and its many aftershocks.

Global broadband seismometers recorded the ground in Sri Lanka, a thousand miles from the epicenter, moved up and down by more than 9 centimeters (3.6 inches), according to the report.

But no place on Earth escaped movement.

"Globally, this earthquake was large enough to basically vibrate the whole planet as much as half an inch, or a centimeter. Everywhere we had instruments, we could see motions," Ammon said.

Much of that information came from digital broadband seismometers, a new era of instruments that the National Science Foundation and the U.S. Geological Survey began deploying around the world several years ago.

Lay says the equipment is sensitive enough to pick up the motion of wind blowing through trees, or cows walking in a field, or the massive motions produced by this earthquake.

"We'd never seen signals from an earthquake of this size, and the availability of this instrumentation was a real breakthrough in being able to see the complete rupture process of one of these truly monstrous events," Lay said.

Other tools added to the scientists' understanding. Underwater cameras documented the huge crack in the ocean floor. Tsunami buoys, and sonar from the British Navy helped with the analysis.

And a fortunate bit of timing enabled researchers to get a view of the tsunami they have never seen before.

"Two hours after the earthquake has occurred, the wave is spreading out from the Bay of Bengal," Lay said. "Two satellites went over, with the capability of measuring the elevation of the ocean surface. The satellites saw the south-going wave and the north-going part of the wave. "It was just good luck that the passage of the satellites caught the tsunami in motion," he said.

Crunching numbers, and creating maps and models is taking on a new urgency for some of the scientists involved in this research.

"There will be more earthquakes of this type, and with more humans exposed to the hazard there will be more devastating losses of life. What we hope to do is develop technologies that can minimize that loss," Lay said.

4313B
05-20-2005, 08:38 AM
She's breakin' up capt'n! :yes:

boputnam
06-15-2005, 11:40 AM
An interregional swarm is occurring...
Magnitude 7.2 OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA June 15, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/usziae/)

Magnitude 6.8 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA June 14, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/uszhcb/)

Magnitude 7.8 TARAPACA, CHILE June 13, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/uszgbu/)

Magnitude 5.2 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA June 12, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/ci14151344/)

And, they are generally demarcating the eastern limit of the Pacific Plate... :(

louped garouv
06-15-2005, 11:58 AM
that can't be good -- be safe all y'all out on the left coast


are the tides surging, tidal waves?????? wicked stuff -- growing up in Louisiana, every once in a while Mother Nature sure would show you who is really in charge

DavidF
06-15-2005, 07:58 PM
that can't be good -- be safe all y'all out on the left coast


are the tides surging, tidal waves?????? wicked stuff -- growing up in Louisiana, every once in a while Mother Nature sure would show you who is really in charge

Hmmm... earth quakes or hurricanes, can't decide which. At least with hurricanes you know they are coming.

I was sitting quietly watching TV just after this latest CA quake and a Tsunami Warning flashed on the TV with plenty of info and cautions that nothing had been spotted, just beware. Good, I thought. Quick response, get the news out. No waves as it turned out. Just a little excitement for the news folks to hype up best they could. Typical, today's news are repeating various complaints that the warning system is flawed this, should not have been made that.

Classic damned-if-you-do/don't.

DavidF
San Jose CA

Alex Lancaster
06-15-2005, 08:13 PM
:) Thereīs an active volcano "El Colima", that is getting more active, about 100 Mi. from here, in case You are interested; I donīt anything serious is going to happen because the main crater is open and spewing ashes and fumes, also there is a gash on the side thatīs open too; I think You can get pictures in Yahoo.

boputnam
06-16-2005, 04:32 PM
Allright, allright knock it OFF!

Even as a geologist, fascination is inversely proportional to increased frequency... :scold:

Magnitude 5.3 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA June 16, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/ci14155260/)

Magnitude 7.2 OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA June 15, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/usziae/)

Magnitude 6.8 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA June 14, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/uszhcb/)

Magnitude 7.8 TARAPACA, CHILE June 13, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/uszgbu/)

Magnitude 5.2 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA June 12, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/ci14151344/)

boputnam
06-16-2005, 04:37 PM
Recent Earthquake Activity in the USA

boputnam
06-16-2005, 04:55 PM
Don't recall a swarm like this in my career - some of that may be due to data quality and data availability, but this is really something.

A = approx. trace of the the San Andreas fault
B = approx. trace of the Walker Lane shear zone
C = trace of to-my knowledge an un-named but prominent shear en echelon to the San Andreas and Walker Lane
D = the Wasatch Front - notice it's arcuate shape?

This is my interpretation - and I don't work for the USGS. I did, however spend nearly a decade in the Great Basin chasing epithermal (disseminated) gold deposits that are there localized in favorable strata along / nearby to interregional strike-slip faulting, and worked for half a decade developing a transpressional strike-slip model for the formation of the Great Basin.

Basic thesis is the San Andreas is a transpressional zone (right-lateral strike slip zone under compressional force). Due to the compression (ancient subduction zone) it progates in-board it's stress resulting in a series of related and increasingly lesser but parallel en echelon right-lateral faults. These have shreaded the Great Basin - the topography and structural mapping reveals some of this history. That C lineament is obviously generously interpreted, but pretty darn compelling...

The right-lateral faulting is tearing California - and Nevada - apart, utlimately over millions of years to drag some of the land into where is now ocean.

The Wasatch Front is the eastern limit of this zone of transpression. It is damned fascinating this wave of activity reaches as far-east as there.

The Banda Ache quake obviously released an enourmous amount of stored energy. We know it "rung" the planet like a bell (per USGS reports). It could be it has relaxed other areas far away - particularly on the opposite side of the Pacific Plate that were also strained / stuck. And now, the plates are repositioning.

And you thought network topology was mind straining...

sonofagun
06-16-2005, 06:22 PM
http://standeyo.com/ :)

Titanium Dome
06-16-2005, 08:08 PM
Yeah, we really felt the June 12 and June 16 event. Today's was quite violent but very short. Seemed like a lot more than 5.3.

I was in our Watts/Compton service center and a few things fell. One box came close to knocking one of my employees in the head. It was over in an instant, though, and we thought maybe a truck had run into the building, since the initial thump had been so loud.

Exciting times. :bouncy:

sonofagun
06-17-2005, 03:34 AM
She's breakin' up capt'n! :yes:

:biting: "When can you give me warp drive so we can get the flock outa here!" :biting:

boputnam
06-17-2005, 03:57 PM
Daily periodicity. :hmm:

Magnitude 6.7 OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA June 17, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/uszkal/)

Magnitude 4.9 GREATER LOS ANGELES AREA, CALIFORNIA June 16, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/ci14155260/)

Magnitude 7.2 OFF THE COAST OF NORTHERN CALIFORNIA June 15, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/usziae/)

Magnitude 6.8 RAT ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, ALASKA June 14, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/uszhcb/)

Magnitude 7.8 TARAPACA, CHILE June 13, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/uszgbu/)

Magnitude 5.2 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA June 12, 2005 (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2005/ci14151344/)