By Paul Wyllie
Some Unusual Activity
The end of September and first couple of weeks of October 2009 were really quite unusual as far as earthquake data goes. This period has been a rollercoaster with as many as 24 major earthquakes in one day and represents a heightened period of world major earthquakes. On either side of this peak at the end of September, there were some other fairly large daily totals too, so this activity is not just an individual daily anomaly, but a more sustained period of crustal unrest.
Putting it in Perspective
To put this all in perspective, normally there is an average of between 3 and 5 major earthquakes each day with occasional deviations away from this range sometimes up to about 10 or 11. However, 22 and 24 daily major earthquakes is very unusual and represents a move away from the norm which may or may not be significant. We wait and see if this trend continues.
Earthquake Trends
Common earthquake reporting seems to concentrate on showing maps containing earthquake locations and sizes, but often ignores trends that can give us some additional useful information on how the Earth is holding up. Trends can show a longer term view and will allow us to see individual groups of events in a different context which will either emphasize the group or reduce its relevance when viewed overall. The current trend of larger numbers of major earthquakes since the end of September does not fit into a normal pattern and so we should take more notice of this group of events and gather further information. For example, it could signify a change in Earth crustal movement which would need more research by scientists or it could be an anomalous 'glitch' in the longer term earthquake trend.
The Human Aspect
Looking at earthquakes in this way does not, of course, take into account the human aspect of the damage to buildings and local infrastructure that major earthquakes incur. On the ground, there are personal dramas and usually political opportunities that need to be addressed and we should always have this subjective aspect in the back of our minds when looking at earthquake data in an objective way.
Out of Sight....?
Often major events happen in far-off islands that have low numbers of population and are far from governmental support but these people could be our relatives and friends and just because they are few in number does not mean that we should not be concerned about the human suffering these major earthquake events cause. Where a major incident effects a modern city causing widespread damage to tower blocks and high numbers of population, it is easy for media to report and increases pressure on governments to act to limit damage and provide aid. Consequently more people hear about it and more public awareness is generated.
An Indication of Health
Sometimes I feel like a geeky sun-spot watcher, being concerned by the numbers of daily earthquakes, but I feel that it is an indication of the health of our planet. If anyone else is concerned about the rape and pillage by mankind of Earths resources, then they might be advised to keep an eye on the reaction of our Big Momma Earth to our mindless, un-caring, and profit-seeking technological advances.
What does it Mean?
I am not an expert in these matters, but in my non-expert opinion, I don't think there is anything particular to worry about in these figures - except to keep an eye on how things are going. The Earth is obviously more stressed than normal at the moment indicated by this unusually high number of major earthquakes. In case anyone is wondering about the scientist-predicted mega-earthquake, this period of unusual activity brings our minds back to this armageddon-ish warning and I too, hope we are not leading to the Big One in the near future. All we can do is to be spiritually and materially prepared and live our daily lives in a way that minimises our impact on the environment.
The end of September and first couple of weeks of October 2009 were really quite unusual as far as earthquake data goes. This period has been a rollercoaster with as many as 24 major earthquakes in one day and represents a heightened period of world major earthquakes. On either side of this peak at the end of September, there were some other fairly large daily totals too, so this activity is not just an individual daily anomaly, but a more sustained period of crustal unrest.
Putting it in Perspective
To put this all in perspective, normally there is an average of between 3 and 5 major earthquakes each day with occasional deviations away from this range sometimes up to about 10 or 11. However, 22 and 24 daily major earthquakes is very unusual and represents a move away from the norm which may or may not be significant. We wait and see if this trend continues.
Earthquake Trends
Common earthquake reporting seems to concentrate on showing maps containing earthquake locations and sizes, but often ignores trends that can give us some additional useful information on how the Earth is holding up. Trends can show a longer term view and will allow us to see individual groups of events in a different context which will either emphasize the group or reduce its relevance when viewed overall. The current trend of larger numbers of major earthquakes since the end of September does not fit into a normal pattern and so we should take more notice of this group of events and gather further information. For example, it could signify a change in Earth crustal movement which would need more research by scientists or it could be an anomalous 'glitch' in the longer term earthquake trend.
The Human Aspect
Looking at earthquakes in this way does not, of course, take into account the human aspect of the damage to buildings and local infrastructure that major earthquakes incur. On the ground, there are personal dramas and usually political opportunities that need to be addressed and we should always have this subjective aspect in the back of our minds when looking at earthquake data in an objective way.
Out of Sight....?
Often major events happen in far-off islands that have low numbers of population and are far from governmental support but these people could be our relatives and friends and just because they are few in number does not mean that we should not be concerned about the human suffering these major earthquake events cause. Where a major incident effects a modern city causing widespread damage to tower blocks and high numbers of population, it is easy for media to report and increases pressure on governments to act to limit damage and provide aid. Consequently more people hear about it and more public awareness is generated.
An Indication of Health
Sometimes I feel like a geeky sun-spot watcher, being concerned by the numbers of daily earthquakes, but I feel that it is an indication of the health of our planet. If anyone else is concerned about the rape and pillage by mankind of Earths resources, then they might be advised to keep an eye on the reaction of our Big Momma Earth to our mindless, un-caring, and profit-seeking technological advances.
What does it Mean?
I am not an expert in these matters, but in my non-expert opinion, I don't think there is anything particular to worry about in these figures - except to keep an eye on how things are going. The Earth is obviously more stressed than normal at the moment indicated by this unusually high number of major earthquakes. In case anyone is wondering about the scientist-predicted mega-earthquake, this period of unusual activity brings our minds back to this armageddon-ish warning and I too, hope we are not leading to the Big One in the near future. All we can do is to be spiritually and materially prepared and live our daily lives in a way that minimises our impact on the environment.
Paul Wyllie likes to examine earthquake data and look for trends. He runs a World Earthquakes site which concentrates on showing unusual graphs, tables and charts created from the standard USGS data. If you would like to see the Major Earthquakes Chart mentioned in the article above please go to the Pelicanbill website.
Earthquake Preparedness - Provincial Emergency Program
Earthquake Preparedness - Provincial Emergency Program
