LithiaWx Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 6.9 santa isabel, mexico 2012-04-12 07:15:48 28.790°N 113.142°W 10.3 6.2 santa isabel, mexico 2012-04-12 07:06:01 28.841°N 113.072°W 10.1 6.5 arteaga, mexico 2012-04-11 22:55:10 18.272°N 102.732°W 20.0 5.9 bandon, oregon 2012-04-11 22:41:47 43.593°N 127.557°W 10.2 8.2 off the west coast of northern sumatra 2012-04-11 10:43:09 0.773°N 92.452°E 16.4 6.0 north indian ocean 2012-04-11 09:27:56 1.281°N 91.731°E 9.8 8.6 off the west coast of northern sumatra 2012-04-11 08:38:37 2.311°N 93.063°E 22.9 Has anyone ever seen anything like what we saw yesterday? The string of powerful earthquakes was pretty interesting to say the least. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtlehurricane Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I'm not a geologist, but I think it's possible the schockwaves or plate movements from the big earthquake in Indonesia triggered some of the other earthquakes. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Met1985 Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 6.9 santa isabel, mexico 2012-04-12 07:15:48 28.790°N 113.142°W 10.3 6.2 santa isabel, mexico 2012-04-12 07:06:01 28.841°N 113.072°W 10.1 6.5 arteaga, mexico 2012-04-11 22:55:10 18.272°N 102.732°W 20.0 5.9 bandon, oregon 2012-04-11 22:41:47 43.593°N 127.557°W 10.2 8.2 off the west coast of northern sumatra 2012-04-11 10:43:09 0.773°N 92.452°E 16.4 6.0 north indian ocean 2012-04-11 09:27:56 1.281°N 91.731°E 9.8 8.6 off the west coast of northern sumatra 2012-04-11 08:38:37 2.311°N 93.063°E 22.9 Has anyone ever seen anything like what we saw yesterday? The string of powerful earthquakes was pretty interesting to say the least. I was just thinking the same thing this morning watching the news. Kind of like the ring of fire thing maybe. When one big one goes the rest go along. Crazy and a little scary if you ask me. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aslkahuna Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Two main shocks-6.9 and 8.6 plus aftershocks and one fairly run of the mill earthquake (5.9) nothing really spectacular. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LithiaWx Posted April 12, 2012 Author Share Posted April 12, 2012 Two main shocks-6.9 and 8.6 plus aftershocks and one fairly run of the mill earthquake (5.9) nothing really spectacular. Steve The 6.5 in Mexico you are considering an aftershock of the 7.4 weeks ago? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcworthWx Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Two main shocks-6.9 and 8.6 plus aftershocks and one fairly run of the mill earthquake (5.9) nothing really spectacular.Steve I wouldn't call a 5.9 earthquake, "One fairly run of the mill". If it was a 4.0, then you could probably go with that statement. Yes, I have been through numerous quakes in a wide range( undetectable-8.0) living in SoCal until five years ago. Not sure if you're saying that an 8.6(even the 8.2 aftershock ,ftm) aren't spectacular or that was in reference to the 5.9? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtlehurricane Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 I wouldn't call a 5.9 earthquake, "One fairly run of the mill". If it was a 4.0, then you could probably go with that statement. Yes, I have been through numerous quakes in a wide range( undetectable-8.0) living in SoCal until five years ago. Not sure if you're saying that an 8.6(even the 8.2 aftershock ,ftm) aren't spectacular or that was in reference to the 5.9? Globally on average 5.9's happen more than once a day. Locally 5.9 is kinda rare but you gotta look at the big picture. 8.0+ is pretty darn rare on the other hand. http://earthquake.us...ear/eqstats.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtlehurricane Posted April 12, 2012 Share Posted April 12, 2012 Energy released in the indonesia quake was about 800 times more than the one off the western US. http://earthquake.us...much_bigger.php Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcworthWx Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Globally on average 5.9's happen more than once a day. Locally 5.9 is kinda rare but you gotta look at the big picture. 8.0+ is pretty darn rare on the other hand. http://earthquake.us...ear/eqstats.php Where are your #'s to support that claim of 5.9's happening more than once a day? USGS gives you those #'s for 5.0-5.9, not just 5.9 alone. I suppose you also call an EF3 tornado or a Cat 3 hurricane "Run of the Mill"? Still, none of this makes any of these hohum run of the mill events. Go through a few 5.9's and higher, then get back to me on your findings and feelings on this matter. I don't live globally, I can only comment on what I have experienced "Locally". Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AcworthWx Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Energy released in the indonesia quake was about 800 times more than the one off the western US. http://earthquake.us...much_bigger.php What scaled earthquakes (x.x?) Are you using to come to your conclusion? Using the set formula provided by the USGS, I don't come to same difference in the amount of energy released. They even provide a simple calculator for the mathematically challenged. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
aslkahuna Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 First off you added some extra shocks after I posted. The 6.5 could easily be an aftershock of the 7.4 or even the more recent 7.0 in Mexico since aftershocks can occur for months after the main shock (or years for the really big ones). A 5.9 is actually a fairly common event though to someone right at the epicenter it can be scary (I still remember my 5.9 experience from 1955). For Californians and Oregonians and Alaskans a 5.9 would be more the equivalent of an EF 1 or 2 tornado not a 3. Threes would be more like a 6.9 while the 8+ ones are the EF5's of the seismic realm. The problem is perception I guess because if one lives in a highly earthquake prone region then 5's are relatively mundane affair (except to those who have just moved in). It was an active day, but such days have happened in the past so it's not as if we experienced something new. That zone off Indonesia is going to be producing shocks for some time-there's still some settling in to be done in the area where the 2004 shock hit and stress to be relieved in areas of the megathrust and related faults further south. About energy release, one has to understand the difference between magnitude and energy release. Turtlehurricane has the two confused. In terms of amplitude measured on a seismogram (which is what determines the magnitude) an 8.7 is nearly 800 times greater than the 5.8. In terms of energy release which is calculated using the seismic moment derived from measurements of the seismogram and the magnitude determination the former is some 23000 times greater than the latter. A 5.9 is a local event, an 8.6 involves a large area of movement. Steve Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtlehurricane Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Where are your #'s to support that claim of 5.9's happening more than once a day? USGS gives you those #'s for 5.0-5.9, not just 5.9 alone. I suppose you also call an EF3 tornado or a Cat 3 hurricane "Run of the Mill"? Still, none of this makes any of these hohum run of the mill events. Go through a few 5.9's and higher, then get back to me on your findings and feelings on this matter. I don't live globally, I can only comment on what I have experienced "Locally". The links had all the info in them, you're wrong and it's annoying. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mallow Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 Energy released in the indonesia quake was about 800 times more than the one off the western US. http://earthquake.us...much_bigger.php The links had all the info in them, you're wrong and it's annoying. You're right that the link has all the info, but you're wrong with your terminology. The magnitude scale is really comparing amplitudes of waves on a seismogram, not the STRENGTH (energy) of the quakes. So, a magnitude 8.7 is 794 times bigger than a 5.8 quake as measured on seismograms, but the 8.7 quake is about 23,000 times STRONGER than the 5.8! Since it is really the energy or strength that knocks down buildings, this is really the more important comparison. This means that it would take about 23,000 quakes of magnitude 5.8 to equal the energy released by one magnitude 8.7 event. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
turtlehurricane Posted April 13, 2012 Share Posted April 13, 2012 You're right that the link has all the info, but you're wrong with your terminology. Oh woops, yup I'm not an expert Sorry Acworthwx. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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