Earthquakes

[Thymine]

So what about earthquakes? Earthquakes are the result of sudden energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. In some places, earthquakes can be part of everyday life, while in others it just never happens. But then again, you probably already knew that. So maybe it's that because of the sudden disaster that happened in Haiti, I wanted to ask. Have you ever lived through an earthquake? What are your opinion on earthquakes in general? Have you ever even done an Earthquake drill?

Fortunately, I've never lived through an actual earthquake (However, it seems that Puerto Rico is actually overdue). I have practiced earthquakes drills all my life, though. Now that the Haiti earthquake occured, there's been an overhype for drills in my school, and I'll probably get one in a few weeks.

[Flyboy Fox]

I've never been in an earthquake before, but my mum used to live in Caracas and she's experienced it first hand. She said it's the most eerie and disquieting sensation she's ever known; really spooky. She tells me that it's nothing like an earthquake simulator. It feels different, it feels 'wrong' (in her words). Apparently you really do get the feeling that the whole planet is groaning and churning beneath your feet. And that wasn't even a major quake, just minor structural damage with people spilling out onto the street and a few cars and lampposts upset.

I can't even begin to fathom the terror of a quake on the scale of the recent disaster in Haiti.

[Vertekins]

I recall a few years back when there was an earthquake in Birmingham. It was very early in the morning and I was fast asleep when I was awoken by what I thought was a extremely strong gust hitting the side of the house. It awoke my family too, and I remember my mother shouting "What the hell was that!?" I only discovered that it was an earthquake by watching the news a good few hours later. The epicenter was inside a newsagents and the newsagent's floor was cracked!

It seemed to stop the moment it started though I am not sure about this as I was half asleep and could've been asleep whilst it started, only awakening once it got powerful enough to do so.

[Patticus]

Last year there was a small 4-odd point richter scale earthquake here in West Yorkshire, it was felt across the country apparently. At first I took it to be a very large, very noisy truck going by at the ungodly hour of 4am, due to the loud rumble and such, until I realised there was no truck... and then a disquieting feeling settled in me; a fear of what might happen should the house I live in not be as soundly constructed as previously thought. But then the quake lifted and all was well once more.

[Light]

The earthquakes in my area on the East coast aren't very substantial. They sound like rocks breaking or little explosions kind of. It sounded like anything but an earthquake. The earthquake in Haiti though... sweet merciful crap I don't even like thinking about what one would have to do to survive during the quake and after. I had this discussion with a friend of mine and we both assumed that there is little to do in an earthquake of that magnitude other than protecting your head. I'm also curious about the ideal terrain to be located near if an earthquake occurs. Where is the safest area to be in during an earthquake?

[Patticus]

Outside, away from structures, trees or overhead power lines.

[vgmaster]

I live in North Jersey and I felt an earthquake once. It was about a year ago and it was 3.0. We rarely get quakes that big.

[Frozen Nitrogen]

Last year there was a small 4-odd point richter scale earthquake here in West Yorkshire, it was felt across the country apparently. At first I took it to be a very large, very noisy truck going by at the ungodly hour of 4am, due to the loud rumble and such, until I realised there was no truck... and then a disquieting feeling settled in me; a fear of what might happen should the house I live in not be as soundly constructed as previously thought. But then the quake lifted and all was well once more.

There was another one 2 years ago UK-wide. It was about 1AM and I was lazing around on MSN... then suddenly the floor wobbles, I go "wut?", and then instant messaging exploded with peals of "OMG TREMOR!!". Within about four minutes there were 10 seperate "I survived the earthquake" groups on Facebook.

Good times.

In conclusion, I think earthquake is a pretty cool guy. Eh levels Hæti and doesn't afraid of anything.

Edited January 19, 2010 by Frozen Nitrogen

[Diz]

This country is geographically unable, due to its earth plate, to experience earthquakes, although inhabitants of some few areas on the western parts where I live claim to have noticed really weak ones every other year, as in barely even hearing anything.

Earthquakes can deal a lot of damage, but so far they have not really scared me at all (I have yet to experience one though).

[Patticus]

Your country might not be situated in any active tectonic regions, Diz, but I'm sure Norway must be as riddled with fault lines as the British Isles. We're in a pretty safe region too, the same one in fact, but we get quakes regularly - most too small to register in human minds. You must too.

Earthquakes are the result of two areas of bedrock - tectonic plates or land divided internally by much smaller fault lines - moving along or up or down one another in one violent move, which is caused by the build-up of pressure reaching critical levels along those areas of bedrock over time. It's not always a clean movement either, the rock can become stuck part-way along leading to further pressure build-ups leading to more movements (what we term aftershocks) later on as the plates continue to slide along one another. The ripple effect of this sharp movement spreads outwards on land, and is what we know as an earthquake. When this occurs underwater, as we've all seen, it can cause tsunamis and in serious cases will threaten surrounding coastlines.

[KIRBY]

I have been in quite a few of them.

Taiwan is an island nation. On the ring of fire (I think XD) close to Japan; so we have frequent earthquakes.

And I have been through quite a few; and one really nasty one.

The most damaging earthquake was known as the 921 earthquake; occurred on 9/21,1999. It rated...a 7.3 or so on the Richter scale.

Basically, the whole island felt the impact; where I lived (the northern part of the island) rated a 5 on the Richter scale.

The epicenter was in the middle of the island.

In the freaking middle of the island! D:

This was how damaging the earthquake was in the middle region of Taiwan:

Bloody hell O_O

Where I live now (Vancouver, Canada),is said to have earthquakes. lolz

PS. When an earthquake happens,

protect your head and run like hell.

Do not close, I repeat, do NOT close the fucking door! (sorry for swearing..D:)

I cannot stress it enough; I've seen teachers closing the door...D:

the impact of the earthquake has a chance of damaging the door frame-->door can't open-->aftershock hits-->you may be screwed.

And shut down all power and water supply...if you can; cause' often, earthquakes are accompanied by fire.

Edited January 19, 2010 by KIRBY

[PSI Wind]

There was another one 2 years ago UK-wide. It was about 1AM and I was lazing around on MSN... then suddenly the floor wobbles, I go "wut?", and then instant messaging exploded with peals of "OMG TREMOR!!". Within about four minutes there were 10 seperate "I survived the earthquake" groups on Facebook.

Good times.

In conclusion, I think earthquake is a pretty cool guy. Eh levels Hæti and doesn't afraid of anything.

Im going to hell for laughing at that .

[Indigo Rush]

There was this one minor earthquake that happened when I was still living in Virginia. My parents thought I was just stomping on the stairs, until they checked the news. :P

Edited January 19, 2010 by Indigo Dude

[Mick]

I remember a very slight earthquake years ago. I was in my bathroom while it happened. I live in an area where not that much goes on.

[Nemain]

Hahaha. I'm studying geology at university. I slept right through the one that was felt UK wide. I got ribbed royally in class, let me tell you. The single best (and safest!) chance to experience an earthquake I've ever got, and I sleep through it. D'oh! Worst geologist ever.

The reason the UK does not get very strong earthquakes is because it is geologically inactive, being intra-plate. Patticus has got why there are still earthquakes in the UK though - It's because of reactivation of old faults. Where these slip again, due to instability rather than tectonic movement, you will get earthquakes. Because of the lack of sheer force behind the movement and lack of the blocks "getting stuck" (as Patticus mentioned), seismic energy is unable to build up in the same way. For that reason, quakes are nearly never above magnitude 5 in the UK as you simply cannot build the energy needed for a large quake.

Random fact for you: The Great Glen fault is inactive owing to our geological setting, but many recent earthquakes have been recorded along it. Just as well it's not active. Inverness would be torn in two... And then I'd have even MORE trouble getting back to the south than last week. Bloody Gatwick being shut, derailing trains... I was actually pleased to see Staines. Does that tell you how long it took? xD

Edited January 19, 2010 by Nemain

[vgmaster]

Hahaha. I'm studying geology at university. I slept right through the one that was felt UK wide. I got ribbed royally in class, let me tell you. The single best (and safest!) chance to experience an earthquake I've ever got, and I sleep through it. D'oh! Worst geologist ever.

The reason the UK does not get very strong earthquakes is because it is geologically inactive, being intra-plate. Patticus has got why there are still earthquakes in the UK though - It's because of reactivation of old faults. Where these slip again, due to instability rather than tectonic movement, you will get earthquakes. Because of the lack of sheer force behind the movement and lack of the blocks "getting stuck" (as Patticus mentioned), seismic energy is unable to build up in the same way. For that reason, quakes are nearly never above magnitude 5 in the UK as you simply cannot build the energy needed for a large quake.

Random fact for you: The Great Glen fault is inactive owing to our geological setting, but many recent earthquakes have been recorded along it. Just as well it's not active. Inverness would be torn in two... And then I'd have even MORE trouble getting back to the south than last week. Bloody Gatwick being shut, derailing trains... I was actually pleased to see Staines. Does that tell you how long it took? xD

Seriously, is it just me or is it just about every time I hear a girl/woman over there that talks about that earthquake, they say they slept through it? Yet just about every guy that tells about it they all felt it. It's pretty wierd. I feel for you, dude, it must really suck to miss one of nature's most awesome forces.

[DarkOverord]

Your country might not be situated in any active tectonic regions, Diz, but I'm sure Norway must be as riddled with fault lines as the British Isles. We're in a pretty safe region too, the same one in fact, but we get quakes regularly - most too small to register in human minds. You must too.

Pretty much. And if I recall there's a HUGE dormant fault running from like, Germany, to about Birmingham UK. There's a lot of inactive faults in Europe, quite a few of them big enough to make you glad they aren't active. But that's nothing to stop them from not being active...

Sides. Every Earthquake in the UK I've apparently slept through :V

[Patticus]

They're only going to become more active as the effects of the African plate moving northward and colliding with the Eurasian plate become more pronounced. The movement has already created Italy, and I believe the Alps to its north, and it'll soon (in the next few million years) build a tall mountain range exactly where the Mediterranean Sea lies now. In doing that, it's going to cause a shitload of earthquakes.

[vgmaster]

They're only going to become more active as the effects of the African plate moving northward and colliding with the Eurasian plate become more pronounced. The movement has already created Italy, and I believe the Alps to its north, and it'll soon (in the next few million years) build a tall mountain range exactly where the Mediterranean Sea lies now. In doing that, it's going to cause a shitload of earthquakes.

Ooh nice, you got any sources from that?

[Yong]

I live in California. It's fun. At least until the next "big one" finally comes, which all these small ones we have often are alluding to.

[Kevin]

Many years ago, my area had a 3.0 earthquake that actually woke me up and felt. It was all over the news because an earthquake is extremely rare for where I live. No damage has been done thankfully.

[vgmaster]

Lawl

[eXtaticus]

Hmmm... Earthquakes...

Great for disaster movies, decidedly bad for the leaning tower of Pisa.

[vgmaster]

I actually just heard that New Jersey had another earthquake this morning. It was 2.6 on the scale.

[Light]

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/35615455/ns/world_news-americas?GT1=43001

SANTIAGO, Chile - A massive magnitude-8.8 earthquake struck Chile early Saturday, killing at least 76 people, triggering a tsunami and damaging buildings more than 200 miles away.

President Michelle Bachelet declared a "state of catastrophe".

What's up with these killer earthquakes?