Yeah I've heard about it on TV, but I'm too far away to have felt anything.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Me too, that's 6 days after My next birthday...

Just thinking that California is due for a big one. :(

Not on your Birthday, Vic :)

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Me too, that's 6 days after My next birthday...

Just thinking that California is due for a big one. :(

Not on your Birthday, Vic :)

Earthquakes come when conditions are right and not before, I'm not worried, I grew up in Los Angeles County, so I know what to expect.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

Didn't know whether this justified a new thread over on the science board - so putting it here instead... miles off course from the ring of fire of course :)

Iceland raises Bardarbunga volcano alert to orange

and there might be something more up to date than this as it's been hanging around in my browser waiting for my broadband AND my brain to kick in - preferably at the same time... tonight's the night folks :)

In Seattle, sometime in the 60's, I felt the ground shaking, as if a large
semi was passing by -- except, there was no large semi passing by. It
turned out to be 5.5, on the Richter scale, and lasted about 7-10secs,
as I recall. Cornices were knocked down from the older buildings, but
minimal damage to the newer bldgs.

The dogs barked like crazy, about five minutes before the ground started
shaking.

I was told, later, that the safest place in a quake is in a wood-frame
building. It's flexible -- and, larger than most cracks, should they
develop, and swallow up an individual person. Nice, to know. . .

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Me too, that's 6 days after My next birthday...

Just thinking that California is due for a big one. :(

Not on your Birthday, Vic :)

Earthquakes come when conditions are right and not before, I'm not worried, I grew up in Los Angeles County, so I know what to expect.

I hope this one quietens down in the next few weeks, or at least doesn't "pop", or it could disturb my holiday plans, which include Iceland, Seattle and San Francisco...

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Bob Smith
Member of Seti PIPPS (Pluto is a Planet Protest Society)
Somewhere in the (un)known Universe?

:( ooh Rob... I will keep everything crossed for you! I heard this morning that they raised the alert level to red, so I will include my eyes... x)

npw wgere;s tge "poat repky" vuttin...?

I was told, later, that the safest place in a quake is in a wood-frame
building. It's flexible -- and, larger than most cracks, should they
develop, and swallow up an individual person. Nice, to know. . .

Wood frame building in an earthquake

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I was told, later, that the safest place in a quake is in a wood-frame
building. It's flexible -- and, larger than most cracks, should they
develop, and swallow up an individual person. Nice, to know. . .

Wood frame houses will flex in the shaking which is a good thing as long as the house is properly anchored to the foundation. Some older houses aren't and the picture was the result.

Block and concrete are safe if you have enough steel in the walls. If the wall lack steel but they want to keep them for historic reasons, they build a steel frame behind the wall and fasten the wall to the frame. In some building the cost of this work is so great, they tear the building down and rebuild it.

Many places upgrade their building standards after each quake adding what was learned from the last quake. Our condo was built in 1984 and it went through several major quakes in 35 years with no damage other than a few drywall nails backing out a bit.

If your are in a building when it starts to shake, a doorway is the safest place to be but they also recommend you stay put as you might injure yourself if you try to walk. Get under a solid desk or table or if nothing else, lay on the floor next to a bed or couch and stay away from the book shelves.

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The house pictured is badly damaged, beyond repair, but chances are the occupants where not injured. That's the idea with earthquake resistant designs. The building may sustain serious damage, but not collapse and kill the occupants.

Dena is correct about the reinforced concrete. The design of this is a major part of Civil Engineering here in NZ. Also isolating whole multi-story buildings on rubber shock absorbers etc.

In the Christchurch quake only 3 large buildings suffered serious collapse, and that accounted for most of the casualties. But ~50% of the centre city was damaged beyond repair. The steel in the concrete kept the structures intact and the occupants safe, but they were badly damaged. This was "as designed".

Many of the wooden framed houses where also badly damaged, Doesn't matter how well attached the foundations are if the ground underneath liquefies, or one 1/2 of the building moves 3 ft relative to the other side... But there were few injuries in normal homes, as they didn't collapse.

That was a quake that would have levelled most cities around the world. Although it didn't rate high on the Richter scale is was very shallow (~3 miles) and directly under the city. Acceleration forces where so violent that it was physically impossible to stay standing, and vehicles where being bounced off the ground.

Ian

A tourist in Papua New Guinea has captured the moment that Mount Tavurvur blew its top off.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/tourist-films-mount-tavurvur-in-png-erupting-and-sending-out-deafening-shockwave/story-e6frfq80-1227051052671

I wonder how those on the freighter took the shock wave.

Cheers.

A tourist in Papua New Guinea has captured the moment that Mount Tavurvur blew its top off.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/tourist-films-mount-tavurvur-in-png-erupting-and-sending-out-deafening-shockwave/story-e6frfq80-1227051052671

I wonder how those on the freighter took the shock wave.

Cheers.

From the pic there, Bow pointed towards the shock wave...

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

I just farted. I definitely feel like my ring is on fire.

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I just farted. I definitely feel like my ring is on fire.

Was it 1 of those Fosters jobs? :-D

Cheers.

THAT was impressive... Wiggo's shockwave I mean... :) erm... not to say yours wasn't Monday... it's just... as it wasn't caught on film... :)

THAT was impressive... Wiggo's shockwave I mean... :) erm... not to say yours wasn't Monday... it's just... as it wasn't caught on film... :)

Be glad it wasn't even bigger, think Krakatoa, it could have been heard in Southern Australia or even in New Zealand on the southern end of that sunken continent, now that would be a shock wave.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

I have build homes on both sides of the San Andres fault and work within sight of it. I would rather have the occasional rock and roll than the seasonal blows on the east coast.

I have build homes on both sides of the San Andres fault and work within sight of it. I would rather have the occasional rock and roll than the seasonal blows on the east coast.

Agreed Carlos, I like California too. Of course near where I live there are a few dikes, cinder cones and one huge mesa like mountain(Elephant Mountain), the mountain can be seen from either side of Barstow CA, which is also volcanic in origin, though I gather all of that here is extinct, no more hotspot.

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The T1 Trust, PRR T1 Class 4-4-4-4 #5550, 1 of America's First HST's

A volcano (Mount Ontake), part of the Ring of Fire, in Japan has claimed the lives of hikers, at least 30 are feared dead.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/japan-volcano-30-hikers-feared-dead-after-mount-ontake-erupts/story-fnizu68q-1227073087698

JAPANESE police say at least 30 people have been found dead on erupting volcano Mount Ontake.

Police say the hikers were found “in cardiac arrest” near the peak of the volcano, the country’s second-highest volcano, the Associated Press reports.

The volcano, which is about 200 kms west of Tokyo, erupted on Saturday, spewing clouds of ash and smoke into the sky.

The victims have been described as not breathing and their hearts have stopped, which is the customary way for Japanese authorities to describe a body until police doctors can examine it.

This year the Ring of Fire has certainly proved to be overly active.

A volcano (Mount Ontake), part of the Ring of Fire, in Japan has claimed the lives of hikers, at least 30 are feared dead.

http://www.news.com.au/travel/travel-updates/japan-volcano-30-hikers-feared-dead-after-mount-ontake-erupts/story-fnizu68q-1227073087698

JAPANESE police say at least 30 people have been found dead on erupting volcano Mount Ontake.

Police say the hikers were found “in cardiac arrest” near the peak of the volcano, the country’s second-highest volcano, the Associated Press reports.

The volcano, which is about 200 kms west of Tokyo, erupted on Saturday, spewing clouds of ash and smoke into the sky.

The victims have been described as not breathing and their hearts have stopped, which is the customary way for Japanese authorities to describe a body until police doctors can examine it.

This year the Ring of Fire has certainly proved to be overly active.

I saw some footage of it on Al Jazeera :/ I'm never quite sure what I'd do in such a situation - be so mesmerised by the awesomeness of the unfolding scene that I'd have no one to tell about because I'd be dead... or leg it at the first rumble and miss it all whilst piling down the mountain squealing.