earthquakes

[Pat]

Hey!  This is the second day in a row, or darn near, that this area is reporting earthquakes.  First was Seattle and now down here about 15 miles west of us southwest of Portland.  Mayhaps it's time to start to AZ.  I can just see myself trying to beat this thing down through California. 

--pat

 

[Mike (ex-f-221)]

Infos about earthquakes you'll get here
Hope the earthquakes stay as low in magnitude as they are now...

 

[Ned]

When you're in a seismologically active area, like the whole west coast, numerous, small quakes are a good thing as they show the continuous stresses are being relieved.  When the small quakes stop, then it's time to worry about a large event when the stresses get too big and release all at once.  It's not unusual to hear of over 100 quakes a week in an active area, most of which you never feel.

In the NW, the big event could be a volcanic eruption rather than a large earthquake.

 

[Mike (ex-f-221)]

Ned, I heard about that activities in W/NW-States. Ok, then let's hope there are a number of earthquakes - preventing a big one.
But I dont believe I could accustom to that. Maybe when I would live there... In my region we very seldom have earthquakes. Seems to be a stable ground under our feet.

 

[Pat]

The one here, as I mentioned, was only about 15 miles away, and I didn't feel a thing. 

--pat

 

[Carl L]

Hey!? This is the second day in a row, or darn near, that this area is reporting earthquakes.? First was Seattle and now down here about 15 miles west of us southwest of Portland.? Mayhaps it's time to start to AZ.? I can just see myself trying to beat this thing down through California.?

Hmm, 41km SW/o Portland and down 17 km. in the Willamette Valley.  Got to be the Juan de Fuca subduction zone on the move.  That would be The Big One zone for the Pacific NW.  However, it was a 2.7 tiddler.  It may well be just a hiccup, subduction zones do a lot of that -- after all they are subducting, no?  ;D.  What you really have to worry about in Portland is a whole bunch of tiddlers east of Portland under Mt. Hood, or SSE under Jefferson or Three Sisters.  That would mean magma on the move under one of those Cascadian firecrackers.

 

[Pierat]

Interesting coincidence with the Big One in Hawaii shortly afterward....

 

[Carl L]

Interesting coincidence with the Big One in Hawaii shortly afterward....

Its a big world with a lot of coincidences.  The Oregon quake was on a subduction zone of a tectonic plate, the Juan de Fuca.  The Hawaiian quake was on a volcano position over a pesistant hot spot, a plume of magma from deep in the mantle of the earth.  The Hawaiian Hot Spot sits under, and has melted a hole thru, the East Pacific Plate, the next one over from the Juan de Fuca.  Portland and Hawaii are 4200 km apart.

 

[Cabbie]

So Carl; are you saying that Hawaii is heading toward me? Cool, maybe I'll finally be able to use that map sticker after all.

 

[Carl L]

So Carl; are you saying that Hawaii is heading toward me? Cool, maybe I'll finally be able to use that map sticker after all.

Hate to disappoint.  You are headed N30W.  Hawaii is stationary and has been for a few million years.  Hell, put the sticker on your trailer.  That way when someone askes the inevitable dumb question you can give him his sign. ;D

 

[Pierat]

Many years ago, after the Army shipped my Hawaii-plated car back to SFO and I drove it home to Tempe, AZ, it was fun getting those questions about the Hawaii license. That is, fun until the question was from the nice Arizona officer who suggested that I get home-town plates or next time, I'd get a citation for meritorious driving (not).

 

[Pat]

Wait a second.  You're saying this Juan de Fuca thing is right over here someplace?  And next year I'll be up in the hills closer to Sisters. 

--pat

 

[Carl L]

Yup, right under your feet and on the coast just offshore.? ?To read all about it, click HERE.? ? A better explanation is HERE.

 

[John From Detroit]

Many years ago, after the Army shipped my Hawaii-plated car back to SFO and I drove it home to Tempe, AZ, it was fun getting those questions about the Hawaii license. That is, fun until the question was from the nice Arizona officer who suggested that I get home-town plates or next time, I'd get a citation for meritorious driving (not).

One of the questions I used to get asked in my Police Dispatcher days was "How long do I have to get Michigan plates when I move to Michigan.

Answer... A.S.A.P.  If it's Saturday, you have till 5pm Monday, Same for Sunday and Monday before 5pm  On Tuesday through Friday it's 5pm.