Why so many earthquakes?
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$10 Answers
Over the last 10 years or so, the Earth has averaged over 1600 earthquakes per year that were magnitude 5 or larger. As a rule of thumb, for every magnitude you drop down, there are roughly ten times more earthquakes, to a certain extent. No one is sure exactly how far down this can be carried.
When we have two or more fairly large earthquakes causing devastation and making news in a short period of time from each other, it seems related, but its likely coincidental. The two epicenters of the Haitian and Chilean quakes were roughly 4,000 miles apart from each other and occurred on the boundaries of two different tectonic plates. The quake in Chile was of a significantly higher magnitude (8.8 vs. 7.0) than the one in Haiti, even though the one in Haiti caused more destruction. The reasons for this has to due with proximity of the epicenter to major population centers, earthquake resistant construction, and time of day (if people are in their homes or not). Also, there was a fairly large foreshock in Chile which caused people to go outside before the main quake hit.
I have undergraduate and graduate degrees in geology, and took a graduate course in tectonics.
http://www.newton.dep.anl.gov/askasci/gen99/gen99281.htm
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$An earthquake like the one in Chile occurs about one per year
The one in Haiti didn't have big magnitude (only 7), just that it was close to the capital and some other factors contributed
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/americas/8456233.stm
Read FAQ
Why are we having so many earthquakes? Has earthquake activity been increasing?
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/faq/?faqID=110
Between other factors given in the link(read it) one is the cluster
quote"Earthquake clustering and human psychology. While the average number of large earthquakes per year is fairly constant, earthquakes occur in clusters. This is predicted by various statistical models, and does not imply that earthquakes that are distant in location, but close in time, are causally related. "end quote
That's a statistical phenomenon. Suppose you place randomly x-s on a paper. If it's truly randomly, in some places, there will be clusters of points. Randomness doesn't imply that the events occur at regular symmetric times. It is normal that at some periods of time, more earthquakes to hit, giving the impression that something goes wrong with the Earth
News media exploits this law and runs headwords like "Increasing number of airplane crashes", "Crime rate in a rampage. "
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
I didn't say the media blew out of proportion in the case of Haiti, though there were critics.
http://www.cbc.ca/q/blog/2010/01/whats_your_opinion_on_the_cove.html
Interesting, that so many quakes happen throughout the year. I agree that media does blow things out of proportion but the devastation has been quite huge.
It does seem that earthquakes happen close together time-wise. Unfortunately I can't give any links to evidence, there isn't much. I'm sure a statistical analysis would show earthquakes clustered together (time-wise).
I guess that wasn't very helpful... we know so much about some things and so very little about others. Isn't science fun?
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
except that the fat man in the video also runs before the earthquake
There's a lot of geological science about the earthquakes and the one in the Caribbean was predicted. It was even printed in the Haitian newspaper Le Matin http://www.lematinhaiti.com/Article.asp?ID=14646
However there's more to know but I disagree with "we know hardly how earthquakes work".
I did see the light in sky question but haven't seen the earthquake sensing video yet. I agree there are a lot of things we know very little about and it keeps the curiosity alive. Science indeed is fascinating!
Ah thanks for the video. I noticed that it the dog reacted 6 seconds before the quake. Just enough time to get out the way he ran. I read this article on http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2003/11/1111_031111_earthquakeanimals.html
It says,
---quote-----
Catfish moving violently, chickens that stop laying eggs and bees leaving their hive in a panic have been reported. Countless pet owners claimed to have witnessed their cats and dogs acting strangely before the ground shookâbarking or whining for no apparent reason, or showing signs of nervousness and restlessness.
But precisely what animals sense, if they feel anything at all, is a mystery. One theory is that wild and domestic creatures feel the Earth vibrate before humans. Other ideas suggest they detect electrical changes in the air or gas released from the Earth.
----quote-----
Dolphins are also mysterious creatures with strange abilities. And they are so much fun!!
Here is the video. Yet another thing about earthquakes that we just can't explain.
Many have asked the same question and I have found some interesting sites that asked and answered this question.
The one I like the most is the one from USGS Government because they answered in scientific way.
First of all they said that actually numbers of earthquakes scientifically are constant but there are some factors that make us believe they are increasing. The one reason is from the media report. I agree that since our media and communication becoming easily accessed, we are getting news in a matter of second now. So, when something happen we get the information so fast in a very short time that make us believe there are many things happen in the same time.
And in Wikipedia also there is a statement that said that earthquakes can be caused by human factors such as nuclear experiments.
Since our human numbers increasing so fast and we have so many people live in this world, especially since we don't care about our environment until recently, I believe that what we did in this world will have some effect, if not short-term, its long term.
Degrading of forests, ozone, and clean waters supply, global warming, toxic chemical waste, and so many more not to mention our galaxy dynamic activities. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy#Unusual_dynamics_and_activities)
http://www.nextearthquake.com/earthquakes_long_term_forecasts.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Earthquake
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/learn/faq/?categoryID=6&faqID=110
http://www.blogsmonroe.com/world/2009/10/why-so-many-earthquakes/
http://www.scientificblogging.com/florilegium/blog/why_so_many_earthquakes_...
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Galaxy#Unusual_dynamics_and_activities
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
The end of the world stuff is all hogwash to scare people to religion. Just like when we all died in Y2K, remember? I already know the next day after we survive 2012. Its not profitable for churches or disaster companies (any kind of food, shelter, goods, etc) to not have an end day hanging. It must be not so far off, as a hundred years form now wouldn't generate income. The next day will be around 2019, and this time it will be listed as a kilometer wide asteroid set on planetary destruction.
That said, lights in the sky and animals sensing possible vibrations, which animals can hear the super sonic (20k hz is human limit) makes me think of HAARP. Jesse Ventura made a tv episode about it on his conspiracy theory show. Geological warfare. Scary stuff, and it just might be happening right now and taking down cities as casualties of their conflicts...just a thought...
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$That said, lights in the sky and animals sensing possible vibrations, which animals can hear the super sonic (20k hz is human limit) makes me think of HAARP. Jesse Ventura made a tv episode about it on his conspiracy theory show. Geological warfare. Scary stuff, and it just might be happening right now and taking down cities as casualties of their conflicts...just a thought...
Look for Jesse Ventura's Conspiracy Theory episode on HAARP.
You can leave an optional "tip" with Mahalo's virtual currency, Mahalo Dollars. If you are asking a difficult question that might require some research, or if you'd like a wide variety of feedback, a higher tip often leads to more answers to your question.
M$
Interesting info but can you or somebody else give a source for "there was a fairly large foreshock in Chile which caused people to go outside before the main quake hit." ?
There's no mention of such foreshock in the press I read or on the Wikipedia page.
An even more accurate answer is in the Bible, in Matthew 24.3, 7, 8 and Luke 21.11, 31. This was written 1000s of years ago for us today, and yes, it is coming true like everything else in the Bible is!