Earthquake strikes Chicago

[Caliga]

4.3 on the Richter scale, occurred at 3:59am local/4:59 am EST.  Epicenter about fifty miles west of Chicago, halfway between Virgil and Sycamore, Illinois.

No I didn't feel it, but I usually wake up right at 5 anyway.

This is interesting because there is a theory that the New Madrid mid-continental fault is 'migrating' northward.  There was an earthquake in southern Illinois two years ago (oddly at almost the same time of day) which I did feel, and which actually caused some damage in Louisville.

IIRC the theory is that the New Madrid fault is related to glacial rebound, in that the middle part of the continent's crust was compressed due to the weight of ice from the last ice age, and is slowly expanding back to its natural state.  As the theory goes we should expect earthquakes to begin migrating northward toward someplace in the middle of Canada, when they'll cease.

I see from Google Earth that over the past week there have been 3-4 small tremors in the New Madrid area (~1.5 on the Richter scale), too.

[Grey Fox]

[Grallon]

Let's organize a relief effort for the poor citizens of Chicago. 




G.

[Josephus]

I'm gonna adopt some Chicago children.

[Martinus]

We have had some minor tremors in Poland recently too. Maybe the Earth is falling apart.

[Grallon]

We have had some minor tremors in Poland recently too. Maybe the Earth is falling apart.

It's the magnetic shift prophecized that should culminate in 2012! 

Alternately there's the theory about a micro black hole being launched against us by neighbooring aliens, that arrived in Russia in 1908 and that's about to goble up the Earth. 




G.

[Caliga]

Nice work, boys. 

[Josquius]

Blimey, I had no idea earthquakes happened there, I always thought it was nice and safe in the middle of the American plate. This New Madrid fault thing is new to me...interesting...

[alfred russel]

This is interesting because there is a theory that the New Madrid mid-continental fault is 'migrating' northward.  There was an earthquake in southern Illinois two years ago (oddly at almost the same time of day) which I did feel, and which actually caused some damage in Louisville.

IIRC the theory is that the New Madrid fault is related to glacial rebound, in that the middle part of the continent's crust was compressed due to the weight of ice from the last ice age, and is slowly expanding back to its natural state.  As the theory goes we should expect earthquakes to begin migrating northward toward someplace in the middle of Canada, when they'll cease.

That can't be good for home prices.

Is that possible though? The last major new madrid quake (that i know of at least) was 200 years ago and centered in Missouri (I think). Chicago is significantly north of there. The glaciers left thousands of years ago; it doesn't seem likely that the line would move so far north so quickly.

[Barrister]

This is interesting because there is a theory that the New Madrid mid-continental fault is 'migrating' northward.  There was an earthquake in southern Illinois two years ago (oddly at almost the same time of day) which I did feel, and which actually caused some damage in Louisville.

IIRC the theory is that the New Madrid fault is related to glacial rebound, in that the middle part of the continent's crust was compressed due to the weight of ice from the last ice age, and is slowly expanding back to its natural state.  As the theory goes we should expect earthquakes to begin migrating northward toward someplace in the middle of Canada, when they'll cease.

That can't be good for home prices.

Is that possible though? The last major new madrid quake (that i know of at least) was 200 years ago and centered in Missouri (I think). Chicago is significantly north of there. The glaciers left thousands of years ago; it doesn't seem likely that the line would move so far north so quickly.

I think Cal's theory is complete nonsense, but glacial rebound that he mentions is very real.  Hudson's Bay is very rapidly (geologically speaking) disappearing as the land continues to rise.

IIRC not all earthquakes are connected to tectonic fault lines (although the major ones typcially are).  And a 4.3 is nothing.  The Richter scale is a exponential scale, with each integer being 10x more powerful than the one before it.  Haiti was an 8, so this would be 00.01% of the power of that earthquake.

[alfred russel]

Hudson's Bay is very rapidly (geologically speaking) disappearing as the land continues to rise.

That is a tragedy for the baby seals, and the men who club them.

[Grey Fox]

Seals are like Rats. Are Baby rats cute?

[Barrister]

Seals are like Rats. Are Baby rats cute?

They are cute.

Just because something's cute doesn't mean it doesn't need a good killing.

[DisturbedPervert]

That can't be good for home prices.

The +500 earthquakes per week have really helped to keep housing affordable in California

http://quake.usgs.gov/recenteqs/

[BuddhaRhubarb]

Seals are like Rats. Are Baby rats cute?

The white furry ones are. (not imo but lots of people think so.)