BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes

Subject: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 01:17 AM

It seems that there has been a dramatic yearly increase in the number of major earthquakes worldwide since 1997. To quote from the article I found:

"Trends since 1986

For example, between 1986 and 1996 (incl), a period of 11 years, there were "just" 15 earthquakes listed by USGS of magnitude 7.0 or greater. This is not markedly different (albeit a slight decrease) from previous (similar periods) of 20th century, where an average of about 18 might be expected.

But between 1997 and 2007 (incl), a period of only 11 years, there were 99 earthquakes with magnitude 7.0 or greater : This is more than a six-fold increase on the previous similar period - and is a stark increase on any earlier decades in 20th century too."

This certainly is worth taking notice of. I'm not drawing any specific conclusions about it, but it does seem to indicate that we are living in a time of increasing seismic instability on planet Earth (as well as increasing climate instability). What might be the reasons for an increasing number of large earthquakes? Does it link to instability in magnetic north, and evidence very strongly suggesting that the physical north polar location (meaning the center of the planet's axis of rotation) is shifting gradually to a new location (it has shifted about 40 miles in the direction of central Russia in recent years)? And what would cause that to happen? Possible changes in gravitational effects due to other more distant factors in the Solar System or the Milky Way Galaxy? Or changes that are limited to the Earth itself? Or changes connected to the Moon? (which is an extraordinarily large satellite for a planet the size of the Earth).

Here's the page:

historical frequency of earthquakes worldwide

Feel free to speculate, argue, object, debunk, poke fun, add your opinion, etc. ;-D As I said, I'm drawing no specific conclusions myself about it, so I don't necessarily have an opinion for you to oppose.

I merely note that there ARE more earthquakes happening of late, and that there is notable instability in magnetic north of late. There is also a quite notable decline occuring in the strength of the planet's magnetic field (not its gravitational field, its magnetic field).

All these things suggest that we are in a time of significant planetary change. We are also in a time of significant social change, political change, and financial change...and climate change.

Interesting that it's all happening at once, isn't it? There might be something more than mere coincidence in that.

Some, of course, are speaking of the "End Times". I would respond to that by saying...the end of one thing is most definitely the beginning of another. The word "apocalypse" is often taken by people to mean "destruction"...but it can also mean a radical change in the overall status quo. It does not have to mean a physical destruction of the world as we know it.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Don Firth
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 01:25 AM

Those bloody Mayans and their bloody calendar!

Don Firth

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Ebbie
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 01:50 AM

It is a difference in perspective, I suppose, but the USGS website doesn't seem to agree.

Increase in earthquakes


Are Earthquakes Really on the Increase?
We continue to be asked by many people throughout the world if earthquakes are on the increase. Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant.

A partial explanation may lie in the fact that in the last twenty years, we have definitely had an increase in the number of earthquakes we have been able to locate each year. This is because of the tremendous increase in the number of seismograph stations in the world and the many improvements in global communications. In 1931, there were about 350 stations operating in the world; today, there are more than 8,000 stations and the data now comes in rapidly from these stations by electronic mail, internet and satellite. This increase in the number of stations and the more timely receipt of data has allowed us and other seismological centers to locate earthquakes more rapidly and to locate many small earthquakes which were undetected in earlier years.

The NEIC now locates about 20,000 earthquakes each year or approximately 50 per day. Also, because of the improvements in communications and the increased interest in the environment and natural disasters, the public now learns about more earthquakes.

According to long-term records (since about 1900), we expect about 17 major earthquakes (7.0 - 7.9) and one great earthquake (8.0 or above) in any given year.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Ebbie
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 10:41 AM

Hmmmm. Don't know how that happened- but at least it goes straight to the website. lol

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 11:05 AM

Granted that we tend to focus our attention on our own personal worlds, but Little Hawk, I just can't believe that there would have been a "more than six-fold increase" in major quakes and no one would have noticed.

I suspect that article you found has some hidden agenda.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 11:10 AM

Wow! Big blue clickie! ;-D Thanks for the interesting link, Ebbie.

Don - I just got a report on an ancient Mayan hieroglyphic carving that's been decoded at last. It apparently says: "That bloody Don Firth and his bloody damned opinions!!!"

Scholars and archeologists are at a complete loss to offer any explanation of this mysterious and seemingly incomprehensible message from the ancient Mayan civilization, though some have suggested that Don Firth may have been the name of a previously unknown Mayan god or nature spirit... (grin) I expect that a number of very interesting books will soon be written about it.

*****

Back to the earthquake thing. Okay, we have different opinions out there, it seems, as to whether there are more large earthquakes occuring in recent years or not. Hmmm. Now what about social instability, financial instability, political instability, and climatic instability all across planet Earth?

Would anyone say we haven't been having more of those forms of instability in recent years, specially since 2001?

Or is everything just quietly and predictably ticking along as it always has? ;-) What say, folks?

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 11:19 AM

leeneia - I too think that the article has a hidden agenda (As do a great many articles we read! Perhaps most of them.)

Nevertheless, it drew my attention to something that seems worth looking into further. Its hidden agenda might be:

- partly wrong
- partly right
- completely wrong
- or completely right

I don't know. But I do find it interesting. Most viewpoints that are out there are at least a partial grasp of the truth. Very few of them are a complete grasp of the truth.

Bush's phony propaganda spin to launch the Iraq War, for example, had a few bits of factual info sprinkled like salt and pepper through a much larger web of innuendo, scaremongering, and outright lies (about nonexistent WMDs and supposed links between Saddam and Al Quaeda). Most hidden agenda messages contain some truth and some falsehood. The challenge is to sort out the one from the other, and that takes time and diligence.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Ebbie
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 11:28 AM

"Now what about social instability, financial instability, political instability, and climatic instability all across planet Earth?"

Civil wars in any country probably compete for the title. Maybe not 'climatic', though. Climate change probably is incidental to all of the other; however, since it has happened before - a number of times - I imagine that if humans were present at such times climate change created quite a lot of instability.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 11:34 AM

No doubt. There have clearly been great human migrations caused in the past, due to climate change...and it often caused wars when that happened. We all need tolerable temperatures, food, water, and shelter. All these things become threatened in a time of severe climate change.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Megan L
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 11:43 AM

as private Fraser would say We're DOOMED

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Greg F.
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 11:57 AM

Obviouisly the beginning of the End Times. The Rupture is on the way.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 12:04 PM

Earthquakes 8.0 magnitude and above have struck at a record rate since 2004. But the increased rate was not statistically different from what you'd expect from random chance.

from

http://earthsky.org/earth/are-large-earthquakes-increasing-in-frequency

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,999
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 12:05 PM

ditto

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 12:42 PM

Getting all apocalyptic, eh Megan and Greg? ;-D Cute clip, Megan.

We're all doomed, in fact! You know how I know this? Well, it works this way...

1. We're mortal.

2. That means we're gonna die!!! (I know this, because I've already seen my parents and a whole bunch of other people die. It happens. It even happened to Napoleon and Liberace and Tallulah Bankhead. It happens to EVERYONE.)

3. Conclusion: we're ALLLLLL doomed! Yup. You and me and everyone we know is gonna die. But we don't know when. AAARGHHH!

So...ummm...whadda we do about that now? I suggest going out today with a big smile on your face, doing something you really enjoy, and having a lovely time. Maybe play some music. Read a good book. Go for a walk in the sun. Play with your dog (if you have one). Be nice to people.

Works for me. ;-) Matter of fact, I'm going out right now to have lunch. Yummy.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Ebbie
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 03:41 PM

Guest/12:04, earthsky.org and the US Geological Survey don't agree on that. I tend to believe the scientific fact-finders.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,999
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 03:47 PM

Good.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 04:23 PM

Those are all wise observations, Little Hawk. Good job.

I had a thought. Investment advisors often say that if something seems too good to be true, we should be on the qui vive. We don't hear about it, but if something seems to BAD to be true, we should also be on the qui vive.

My thing to do - prune roses today.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Little Hawk
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 05:04 PM

I think that's a very sensible approach, leeneia. I find that things generally work out somewhere in between the wild extremes of "the very best" and "the absolute worst" possible scenarios.

Well, lunch was great! And now I have song circle to look forward to.

Ebbie - Scientific fact-finders? Yeah, I have a reasonable amount of confidence in those people...up to a point. But they have sometimes proven to be in error, and they have sometimes been found to have been serving a hidden agenda themselves...usually one driven by their political leaders or their bosses or their primary funding sources...or just the general blind spots of their own culture and time. Rigid thinkers and maintain-the-status-quo aficionados are found among scientists too. Thus, although I have great respect for their expertise, I know darned well that they are not infallible nor are they totally dependable. I pay close attention to what they say, but I don't take it as gospel, no more than I would take any other supposedly authoritative source as unquestionable gospel.

I just give them fair consideration, as I would any other authoritative source. Everyone's got their own notions about what is an authoritative source, but that's one hell of a big subject, so I'm not even going to get into it. Not today, anyway.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Rapparee
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 05:48 PM

Get the data from MANY sources that theoretically have no ax to grind (government agencieS, universitieS, scientific associationS, etc.). Then make up your own mind. You can learn a lot in the process as you strive to understand what you're being told. For example, in researching a fairy tale I discovered that Little Hawk had originally been a frog, but after the Princess looked at what had come from her kiss (besides lip warts) she ran away screaming.

Seriously, use as many sources as you can, whether or not they support your original thesis. Then change your mind if the data shows you're wrong. (People live longer who can change their minds.)

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,999
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 06:34 PM

USGS Count the quakes for yourselves.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: skarpi
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 06:40 PM

have you thought of man made earthquake ....?? we make little one s
here in Iceland ...., and some people know about something is going on by your Goverment ....or the goverment behind the goverment ??

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Ebbie
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 06:58 PM

As 999 points out, we're not talking about opinions here but record keeping. OK?

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Rapparee
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 08:18 PM

It's a bit surprising to learn of all of the earthquakes with MAJOR fatalities you never hear anything, or very little, about.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: EBarnacle
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 09:43 PM

Mother Gaea is waking up and becoming irritated at the infestation on her skin. We'd better wise up and change our ways. Otherwise, she will do more than twitch occasionally.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Bobert
Date: 26 Mar 12 - 09:51 PM

The Earth is sick of us...

B~

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,number 6
Date: 27 Mar 12 - 02:16 PM

Hydraulic fracturing, commonly known as fracking can cause earthquakes. And God knows since there is lottsa $money$ to be made out of this process more and more of this will be going on.

biLL

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Megan L
Date: 27 Mar 12 - 02:23 PM

Little Hawk my mother used to say "You aren't dead till you die" Otherwise get of yer bahookie and live cause some day you wont be able to.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Little Hawk
Date: 27 Mar 12 - 10:38 PM

That is exactly my own philosophy, Megan. ;-) Today I put it into practice by doing several really enjoyable things, the last of which was cooking and eating a roast duck. Didn't eat all of it yet, though. There's lots more for tomorrow.

Ever hear this one?

O, ye cannae spend a dollar when ye're deid,
O, ye cannae spend a dollar when ye're deid
Singin' Ding Dong Dollar; Everybody holler
Ye cannae spend a dollar when ye're deid

Oh the Yanks have juist drapt anchor in Dunoon
An' they've had their civic welcome frae the toon,
As they cam' up the measured mile
Bonnie Mary o' Argyll
Wis wearin' spangled drawers beneath her goun.

An' the publicans will a' be daein' swell
For it's juist the thing that's sure tae ring the bell,
O the dollars they will jingle
There'll be no a lassie single
Even though they maybe blaw us a' tae hell.

But the Glesca Moderator dinnae mind,
In fact, he thinks the Yanks are awfy kind,
For it's heaven that ye're goin'
It's a quicker way than rowin'
An' there's sure to be naebody left behind.

Ye cannae spend a dollar when ye're deid,
Sae tell Kennedy he's got tae keep the heid
Singin' Ding Dong Dollar; Everybody holler
Ye cannae spend a dollar when ye're deid

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: JohnInKansas
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 03:12 AM

Most of the apparent increase in large quakes is attributable to more and better ways of detecting and measuring them. It's difficult to conclude whether there's been an unusual increase, or whether it's a "normal" variation - or even if it's a variation.

What is known is that earthquakes can happen anywhere, anytime, and there's no accepted method for predicting them (other than fundamentalist belief and/or voodoo divination). About all that's certain is that eventually there will be an earthquake at almost any point you wish to choose, and some of them will be huge.

Recent "news" articles have pointed out that the disastrous quake in Japan killed "only" about 20,000 people. The potential would have been more than 200,000 had there been no warning, and if the cities worst hit had not had established evacuation plans with known evacuation routes to identified "safe" places, and most of the people followed instructions promptly.

It has been pointed out that fault lines in the vicinity of the US Northwest coast imply a probability of a similar quake/tsunami event "sometime." Oregon and Washington states have no plans, although a few "radicals" have begun suggesting "maybe we oughta think about it some." There has been some progress in building "quake resistant" structures in parts of the area, but no real thought to responses to tsunamis.

In the Seattle area, it's well known that much of the population lives on a "mudslide" plain that was the result of an eruption of a nearby volcano that's been "dormant" for a time but is still considered "active." (The previous mudslide was recent enough to be known within "native lore" of the current tribes in the area.) As seen with the fairly recent eruption of the smaller St Helens, prompt evacuations to safe places are about the only viable escape, and Renton, in the middle of the prior slide, has no plan for resonding to Mt. Ranier. (Maximum warning could be as short as two hours? - plenty of time.)

There are numerous places in the US where a "6P" plan could be of immense help when an expected disaster might happen, but few places where it might be helpful have a plan.

John

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Megan L
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 03:21 AM

Jings lad its many a year since iheard that one it was popular around Springburn when i was a wean.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 10:28 AM

What are you talking about? What does a neighborhood in Glasgow have to do with anything?

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Megan L
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 11:21 AM

My comment was a reply to little Hawk. Are you always so rude?

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,Blind DRunk in Blind River
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 12:42 PM

The main flippin' reason why there are more flippin' earthquakes happenin' is becoz of women!

Yeah, you hearn me right, eh? Women are to blame. And I will tell you why.

It is a known fact that when a woman experiences, like, real powerful orgazisms that it can cause major earth tremmors. Everybody knows that...it is a known fact, and I ain't boastin', but I have SEEN it!

So...the thing is that back in the older tradishonal days the women were, like, sorta more strate-laiced than now and they were not havin' near as much sex as they do NOW! Things are gettin' WAY outta hand lately with all the internet porn and stuff that is avaylable to women as well as men.

Trust me on this. I been lookin' through a lotta windows late at night in this town (doin' reseerch for a book that I plan to right soon) and there is a lotta, like, necturnal activity happenin' out there that would curl yer hair! The girls these days got no flippin' shame at all, eh? They are, like, usin' vegetables...machines...youse would not flippin' bee-LEEV the things I have seen, eh? How are us men supposeta deal with this sichuation?

So...when ya got millions of these here young women that are engagin' in them kinda solidary activities on a flippin' nightly bases it can cause fault lines to, like, bust wide open! The hole flippin' west coast is in dyre perril becoz of this, coz the Vancouver and California girls are the absolute flippin' WORST!

Somethin' has got to be done about it.

- Shane

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,999
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 01:40 PM

High, Megan. Hope things are going well.

BM

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,Blind DRunk in Blind River
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 01:45 PM

If you was high on the stuff I got here, man, you would be flyin'! Only 25 bucks a baggie, and no twigs. Ya can't beat that.

- Shane

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Megan L
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 01:45 PM

Hello my friend How are you doing these days the world keeps turning and i keep moving :)

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,999
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 01:52 PM

I'll message you, Meg.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Megan L
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 01:57 PM

Shane when that man said he would sell you grass that was exactly what he meant :)

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Little Hawk
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 02:24 PM

(chuckle)

Actually, Megan, I think Shane grows his own. It's the one thing he really knows how to do, other than breaking and entering...and air guitar, of course.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,TIA
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 10:56 PM

Nothing is going on that has not gone on just this way for millions of years.
The Earth's magnetic field fluctuates (and this has been directly tracked sine the 1400s, and there is archaeological evidence going back thousands more years, and seafloor stripes going back 200 million years).
The magnetic field is definitely in decline - this has been knwon for hundreds of years.
It is probably heading into another reversal (this happens every few hundred thousand years).
Again - nothing new.
Some small earthquakes are definitely related to fracking, but Sendai was natural, Aceh was natural, Concepsion was natural...all the big ones were natural...
Nothing here to spend any time worrying about or arguing.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Ebbie
Date: 28 Mar 12 - 11:21 PM

Tia, Little Hawk's suggestion is that the planet may well turn topsy turvey- is that what you are agreeing with? That the earthwill overbalance and in a short period of time, will turn end for end, that the North Pole and the Arctic will replace the South Pole in the Antarctic and that North America will become South America? That the United Kingdom will be in the southern hemisphere and all of Australia will be found in the northern?

I don' think so.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,leeneia
Date: 29 Mar 12 - 10:26 AM

thanks, TIA.

It seems that once a week I hear the word "fracking," uttered in a frightened way by a person who doesn't know anything about it.

Remember the Y2K scare? How all our systems were going to collapse on 1/1/2000? Then the big day came and nothing happened.

Fracking fear is just the new Y2K.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,TIA
Date: 29 Mar 12 - 10:31 AM

No no no. A magnetic pole reversal (happens all the time) does not involve a geographic pole reversal (impossible).

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Ebbie
Date: 29 Mar 12 - 10:41 AM

Thanks.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Little Hawk
Date: 29 Mar 12 - 12:29 PM

Ebbie, I wasn't suggesting that the world would turn "end for end". I was not suggesting a complete 180 degree reversal. What I was suggesting (merely a hypothesis that I've done some reading about...not saying I'm certain about it happening)...is that the planet may do a partial shift to a new position on its axis, and that this may occur at fairly regular intervals of between 20,000 and 25,000 years.

Such a shift would cause perhaps a 20 or 30 or 40 degree shift in the position of the planet relative to the axis of rotation. So, for example, the north pole could shift north to the center of Siberia, for example...or southeast to central Ontaro, for example...or in some other direction.

There appears to presently be a gradual drift occuring that is moving us (North America) in a SSE direction, which means that the North Pole is drifting NNW toward central Russia.

If such a shift were gradual...say over a period of a few years...it would certainly cause radical changes in weather patterns, melting of ice caps, extensive fooding, and it would probably cause much geological instability, confusion in animal migratory patterns, earthquakes, etc.

If such a shift were sudden (a few days or even less time than that) it would cause absolutely massive devastation on the planet.

I am not predicting this. I'm merely discussing a theory that I've read quite a bit about lately. I don't know if that theory is correct. For me to say categorically that it is would be a statement of pure faith...since I don't know for sure.

For someone else to say categorically that it ISN'T would also be a statement of pure faith! They also don't know for sure.

Such statements of pure faith come up from numerous conventional-minded people any time one mentions anything unusual to them, and I find that amusing, because I wonder how on Earth people can be that sure of something they have no way of actually knowing to any point of certainty.

Yes, magnetic pole reversals have happened many times in the past. It would be interesting to know why. Significant physical shifts in the axis of rotation may also have happened at certain times in the past. If so, it would be interesting to know why.

The Mayan prediction may have to do with the ending of a great geological age, relating to pole shift. Or it may not. I can't say, because I don't know. And I have no way of knowing for certain. Nor does anyone else here.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Penny S.
Date: 29 Mar 12 - 01:44 PM

I think you may be referring to the precession of the equinoxes, which is due to the way the Earth spins, like a gyroscope. Ignoring the rest of the stuff, and especially the way the gyroscope stops spinning which the Earth will not be doing any time soon, the part of this video at about 1.28 min shows how the gyroscope top describes a circle in the air. So the Earth's axis describes a circle against the stars over about 26,000 years. It will be moving away from pointing at Polaris, and won't get back for that time. This is a steady process, as smooth as the gyroscope before it slows.

Axial wobble

In addition, at the same time, the angle between Earth's rotational axis and right angles to the plane of its orbit (obliquity) swings between 22.1 and 24.5 degrees on a 41,000-year cycle. It is currently 23.44 degrees and decreasing. Again, this is a steady process.

We are lucky in having the Moon, as, if it were not there exerting a gravitational pull on us, this swing would be much greater, chaotic, and not friendly to life.

But these long term changes are not going to cause any sudden catastrophes.

The Mayan calendar, by the way, simply records a number of multiples of Venus and other astronomical cycles. Venus and Earth have a resonant link so that in 584 days, Venus returns to the same relationship between Earth and the Sun. 5 of these periods add to 2920, while 8 Earth years (ignoring the odd quarter) adds to 2920. Clearly, by ignoring the quarter and the real length of the 584 day period, the resonance is going to get out of sync, which the Mayans spotted, but had not resolved by the time of the Conquistadors. There are further resonances involving the Moon, and the long period ending this year, when a new period starts is based on the working out of these patterns. They happen in the sky, not on Earth, although, since the Maya related Venus to war, particular parts of the cycles could have been seen as times when war was propitious, and so disastrous for neighbours.

Penny

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: radriano
Date: 29 Mar 12 - 02:23 PM

I work for the California Geological Survey. Our office is at the U.S. Geological Survey's Menlo Park campus.

Freqency of earthquakes has not altered much. There are continual predictions of upcoming earthquakes by many groups. So far they have all proved wrong. The reality is that a major earthquake will occur at some point. There is no scientific way to predict earthquakes. The best thing is to be as prepared as you can be.

For more information on earthquakes in California, here are links to both the U.S. Geological Survey and the California Geological Survey:

USGS Earthquakes Hazards Program

California Geological Survey

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: Little Hawk
Date: 29 Mar 12 - 05:47 PM

Thanks, guys. More information is good.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,TIA
Date: 29 Mar 12 - 09:29 PM

Neither the magnetic poles nor the rotational (geographic) poles move in a fashion that should be called a "shift" - implying a discrete event. The magnetic poles "drift", their intensity rises and falls, and sometimes when the field intensity declines to zero, the poles gradually re-emerge with reversed polarity. As Penny says, the rotational (geographic) poles precess, but again this is gradual. the geographic and magnetic poles cannot get too far apart since the magnetic field is produced by eddy currents (vortices) in the liquid outer core due to the slight differential rotation rates of the solid crust/mantle and the solid inner core (separated by the liquid outer core). These vortices are necessarily aligned sub-parallel to the rotational axis, so the mangetic field must also be sub-aprallel to the rotation.
No worries folks. Uniformitarianism prevails.

Subject: RE: BS: Increasing frequency of earthquakes
From: GUEST,TIA
Date: 29 Mar 12 - 09:31 PM

...that is until the next city-buster (or larger) extraterrestrial impact! But, it turns out that these catastrophic events are themselves uniformitarion. Imagine that - uniformitarian catastrophism.