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You Gotta Wonder about these Quakes

I don’t believe in Biblical damnation  nor do I believe that the Mayan Calendar stopping in 2012 signals the end of the world.  But you got to wonder a bit when it is one earthquake after another! Over the last several months the number of quakes and volcano eruptions world-wide seem more than the usual.  There are earthquakes around the world every single day.  Often these are small ones, 2-3 in magnitude.  But to have so many larger quakes especially around the Ring of Fire is a bit unusual.  The most recent large quake was Sunday afternoon in Baja, Mexico.  Yes it was felt throughout Southern California and the Southwest. Although I did not feel it while I was driving to UCLA with my son for his baseball lesson.  But it was certainly the talk of Monday morning!

Whether we are talking Haiti, Japan, Chile, or Baja, Mexico there have been a lot of magnitude 5 and above quakes in recent months.  Not to mention the Iceland Volcano and Russian Volcano eruptions.

Here is a list of recent magnitude 5 or higher quakes  in the last week from the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

  MAG UTC DATE-TIME
y/m/d h:m:s
LAT
deg
LON
deg
DEPTH
km
 Region
MAP  5.5   2010/04/05 22:36:58   -19.918    -68.773  109.5   TARAPACA, CHILE
MAP  5.1   2010/04/05 14:40:17    -0.212    125.060  69.7   MOLUCCA SEA
MAP  5.1   2010/04/05 13:33:05    32.640   -115.801  0.0   BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP  5.0   2010/04/05 12:11:01    -0.133    125.156  10.0   MOLUCCA SEA
MAP  5.1   2010/04/05 11:23:41   -42.633    124.900  10.0   SOUTH OF AUSTRALIA
MAP  5.1   2010/04/05 11:14:15    32.662   -115.807  13.1   SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA
MAP  6.2   2010/04/05 10:05:43    -0.169    125.012  10.0   MOLUCCA SEA
MAP  5.0   2010/04/05 07:29:13    17.926    -81.548  10.0   CAYMAN ISLANDS REGION
MAP  5.0   2010/04/05 03:15:24    32.628   -115.806  0.1   BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP  5.1   2010/04/05 01:25:35    32.167   -115.103  6.0   BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP  5.2   2010/04/05 00:07:08    31.994   -114.951  10.0   SONORA, MEXICO

MAP  5.7   2010/04/04 23:25:06    32.203   -115.201  16.6   BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP  5.3   2010/04/04 23:15:10    32.040   -115.240  10.0   BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP  7.2   2010/04/04 22:40:41    32.128   -115.303  10.0   BAJA CALIFORNIA, MEXICO
MAP  5.1   2010/04/04 20:28:05   -17.197   -176.994  23.0   FIJI REGION

MAP  5.1   2010/04/03 22:33:44    -2.207    100.084  44.1   KEPULAUAN MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA
MAP  5.1   2010/04/03 02:19:53    25.834    128.516  6.6   RYUKYU ISLANDS, JAPAN
MAP  5.3   2010/04/03 01:35:34   -31.282   -176.869  10.0   KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION

MAP  5.0   2010/04/02 23:15:31    0.796    126.466  100.6   MOLUCCA SEA
MAP  5.9   2010/04/02 22:58:09   -36.194    -72.771  30.9   BIO-BIO, CHILE
MAP  5.1   2010/04/02 19:34:13   -35.984    -72.582  47.5   MAULE, CHILE
MAP  5.2   2010/04/02 10:24:49    16.984    147.463  48.0   MARIANA ISLANDS REGION
MAP  5.1   2010/04/02 03:50:23   -24.737   -176.124  33.7   SOUTH OF THE FIJI ISLANDS
MAP  5.1   2010/04/02 02:42:08    -7.671    127.514  177.8   KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA

MAP  5.0   2010/04/01 19:43:01   -34.118    -71.951  19.7   LIBERTADOR O’HIGGINS, CHILE
MAP  5.6   2010/04/01 15:46:51   -61.213    153.913  10.0   BALLENY ISLANDS REGION
MAP  5.0   2010/04/01 14:07:31    30.153    69.584  35.0   PAKISTAN
MAP  5.2   2010/04/01 12:53:08   -34.521    -71.725  11.2   LIBERTADOR O’HIGGINS, CHILE

MAP  5.1   2010/03/31 12:27:35   -42.157    82.403  10.0   MID-INDIAN RIDGE

MAP  5.0   2010/03/30 19:29:14   -31.457   -178.497  35.0   KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
MAP  6.6   2010/03/30 16:54:48    13.609    92.884  41.7   ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA REGION
MAP  5.2   2010/03/30 05:16:15   -31.274   -178.792  89.0   KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION
MAP  5.6   2010/03/30 01:02:51    43.298    138.424  7.0 

 EASTERN SEA OF JAPAN

 

 

If you go back beyond just the week–here is a list of significant quakes in 2010

I don’t think there is some Divine conspiracy theory here.  But I do think that there is increased activity. You just have to look at the lists to see that.  So what’s a person to do?  If you live in earthquake prone Southern California (or Northern California, or along the New Madrid Fault (Hey you who live in Memphis and Western Tennessee and Arkansas and Missouri and Western Kentucky) then I suggest it is time to make sure you have an earthquake plan! 

Where is your flashlight? Are the batteries fresh? How about a radio with batteries or better yet a crank handle.  Do you know how to turn off your gas in your home or apartment?  Do you have water and food stored up?  Do you keep your gas tank full?  Do you have someone you can call out-of-state and rendezvous plan with your family members? Do you have a first aid kit available?  Is your water heater secure and bookshelves anchored?

Link to this page at the USGS for important information on Earthquake Preparedness.  There are seven important documents that will have you and your family ready to shake, rattle and roll with the punches of  Mother Nature in an earthquake. 

We have all seen the devastating pictures of Haiti in the aftermath of the horrible January earthquake.  Let’s be prepared for the next big one in our neck of the woods.  It was only 16 years ago that the Northridge quake did so much damage here in Los Angeles.  San Francisco too has had its earthquake woes through the years.  

The time to get prepared is now.  Not during an earthquake event.  All these earthquakes in 2010 though has gotta make you wonder!

Today is the seventh day of counting of the omer. Which is one week of counting the omer.