Earthquake strikes Chicago

[Darth Wagtaros]

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.

The Tunguska Event was teh result of a PKE surge of massive proportions.  The Twinkie size would be like a modern football statium.

[Agelastus]

The Tunguska Event was teh result of a PKE surge of massive proportions.  The Twinkie size would be like a modern football statium.

"Who you gonna call?" 

I thought it was all the fault of the Vulcans, myself.

[The Brain]

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.

And when you look at energy release it's even worse.

[merithyn]

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...

Same here. 

I didn't feel the quake, but I was out cold. I did feel the last one (and it's tremors after).

[Neil]

As the theory goes we should expect earthquakes to begin migrating northward toward someplace in the middle of Canada, when they'll cease.

You know, Winnipeg could only be improved by an 8.0 earthquake.  9.0 would be even better.

[Barrister]

As the theory goes we should expect earthquakes to begin migrating northward toward someplace in the middle of Canada, when they'll cease.

You know, Winnipeg could only be improved by an 8.0 earthquake.  9.0 would be even better.

Winnipeg has some beautiful old buildings that would be destroyed in an earthquake.

[Maximus]

You know, Winnipeg could only be improved by an 8.0 earthquake.  9.0 would be even better.

The floods haven't helped yet so you're probably being optimistic.

[Razgovory]

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...

Same here. 

I didn't feel the quake, but I was out cold. I did feel the last one (and it's tremors after).

You didn't know about the New Madrid fault?

[Caliga]

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.

It's not "my theory", but since I have no idea where I read about it in the past, I unfortunately cannot provide more details on it.  Isostatic rebound will also eventually make both the Great Lakes system and the Baltic Sea vanish.  I think it's reasonable to assume that changes in the shape of the crust/reduction in pressure on it could cause seismic activity though.  What's unreasonable about that?   I realize you have a degree in geology and certainly know more about this topic than I do, so my question is not meant to be a leading one.

[Admiral Yi]

Caucasian fight!

[The Brain]

Yes, Cal, rebound does cause quakes and yes they are orders of magnitude smaller than fault line quakes.

[Barrister]

An earth quake is just that - movement of the earth.  It can be caused by just about any large force: explosives, an asteroid, landslides, volcano, can all cause earthquakes, to name a few.

I have no problem believing glacial rebound could cause small quakes.  What it won't do is cause new tectonic fault lines.

[Neil]

Winnipeg has some beautiful old buildings that would be destroyed in an earthquake.

Their sacrifice would not be in vain.

[Strix]

I had heard that Oprah fell out of bed. I hope she is ok?!?

[merithyn]

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...

Same here. 

I didn't feel the quake, but I was out cold. I did feel the last one (and it's tremors after).

You didn't know about the New Madrid fault?

I learned about it after the last earthquake. I mean, I'd heard of it, but didn't really understand what it was. Now I know.. and I'm not happy.