Recent Earthquakes

[boxedoffroader]

Are the the New Zealand and Japan earthquakes linked in anyway such as the same faultline?

[cottonfoo]

If you believe one of my girlfriend's home-schooled American cousins, and the American friend-of-a-friend now residing in the UK, it's got nothing to do with plate tectonics - it's because Jesus is returning.

[cal72]

It's the pre-party launch to the BIG 2012 final bash.

[RobDickinson]

Absolutly not. Not linked in any way shape or form.

NZ Darfield and Littlyeton quakes arnt on tectonic plate bondaries, there just smaller local faults.

If the Alpine fault goes that may be connected.

[Puggit]

According to today's Daily Soovy, it's due to the moon being closer than usual.

(I kid you not!)

[groan]

cottonfoo said:

......it's got nothing to do with plate tectonics - it's because Jesus is returning.

The scientific explanation is plate tectonics. The spiritual explanation is that it's part of the signs of the Second Coming. It's readable in the Olivet Discourse. Matthew 24 vv 3-14.

Edited by groan on Saturday 12th March 21:33

[Eric Mc]

Why didn't he turn up in 2004? Or maybe he did and we didn't notice. He obviously needs to get on The One Show.

[Pooh]

RobDickinson said:

Absolutly not. Not linked in any way shape or form.

NZ Darfield and Littlyeton quakes arnt on tectonic plate bondaries, there just smaller local faults.

If the Alpine fault goes that may be connected.

I am not sure where you got that from, NZ and Northern Japan are both on the western edge of the Pacific plate but they are a long distance apart and I am not sure that the Earthquakes are necessarily connected.

[grumbledoak]

They are both on the edge of the Pacific plate. One earthquake on a fault line does tend to allow the next, though it is not predictable where.

[Derek Smith]

Puggit said:

According to today's Daily Soovy, it's due to the moon being closer than usual.

(I kid you not!)

Does anyone know how much nearer the Moon will be? Is it yards, a mile or two? When was the last time it was this near? Were their massive earthquakes then?

Further (sorry about the pun) is it any nearer now?

Perigee isn't until the end of next week so one would assume, given that the Moon is moving at a fair old clip, 2300 mph average and it will speed up as it approaches Earth, that it's some distance from nearer is you see what I mean.

And not only that, why do we use the definite article before Moon? It is not required as it is a proper noun.

Edited to correct stupid error than I hope no one noticed.

Edited by Derek Smith on Saturday 12th March 22:06

[Puggit]

Derek Smith said:

And not only that, why do we use the definite article before Moon? It is not required as it is a proper noun.

But I didn't capitalise, therefore I was write to use the definite article - it is 'the moon'

[Derek Smith]

Puggit said:

Derek Smith said:

And not only that, why do we use the definite article before Moon? It is not required as it is a proper noun.

But I didn't capitalise, therefore I was write to use the definite article - it is 'the moon'

I would have said: Very clever, but you failed to answer any of my questions.

But the point remains. Earth doesn't require the but Moon does. Very odd.

[Puggit]

Article saying don't get excited about the close moon: http://www.tntmagazine.com/tnt-today/archive/2011/...

Derek - this might help answer the closeness questions: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/sciencetech/article-136...

[cottonfoo]

groan said:

The scientific explanation is plate tectonics. The spiritual explanation is that it's part of the signs of the Second Coming. It's readable in the Olivet Discourse. Matthew 24 vv 3-14.

I'll go with the scientific, proven one.

[groan]

cottonfoo said:

groan said:

The scientific explanation is plate tectonics. The spiritual explanation is that it's part of the signs of the Second Coming. It's readable in the Olivet Discourse. Matthew 24 vv 3-14.

I'll go with the scientific, proven one.

And why not? According to The Bible, you'll be in the majority (although there's really no reason why the two explanations should be mutually exclusive).

[cottonfoo]

groan said:

And why not? According to The Bible, you'll be in the majority (although there's really no reason why the two explanations should be mutually exclusive).

Because in the entire history of this planet's natural disasters, Jesus has never returned.

[RobDickinson]

Pooh said:

I am not sure where you got that from, NZ and Northern Japan are both on the western edge of the Pacific plate but they are a long distance apart and I am not sure that the Earthquakes are necessarily connected.

I get it from living on one of the faults mate.

The tectonic fault here is right down the alps on the west coast of the S island.

Its not that fault that caused either chch earthquake, the chch ones were new , undiscovered local faultlines.

[jmorgan]

Puggit said:

According to today's Daily Soovy, it's due to the moon being closer than usual.

(I kid you not!)

Wonder if they looked up apogee and perigee from previous years. What am I thinking, this is the daily wail.

[JohnnyJones]

cottonfoo said:

Because in the entire history of this planet's natural disasters, Jesus has never returned.

How do you know?

[Pooh]

RobDickinson said:

I get it from living on one of the faults mate.

The tectonic fault here is right down the alps on the west coast of the S island.

Its not that fault that caused either chch earthquake, the chch ones were new , undiscovered local faultlines.

As far as I am concerned the Alps are at the North of Italy so I misunderstood that part of your post.
I am sure there are many faults in the area, plate boundaries can be quite complex with lots of fault systems caused by the movement at the plate boundary. The fact remains that NZ is on the Western edge of the Pacific plate and so is Northern Japan so there is a link between the two areas but this does not necessarily mean that the quakes are related.