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The Worlds Ending!!!
- Thread starter starcrafttom
- Start date
El and Bill
New member
Back in the days when I was active on research in what we call Environmental Geology (geology that impacts people, usually negatively - like earthquakes, volcanic eruption, land subsidence, natural radiation , etc.) we found an interesting conclusion from studying the after-effect of an earthquake felt over a large area (it was a left coast quake):
The most serous effect was psychological. The largest 'cost' was paid at hospitals and dr. offices.
According to the psychologist on our 'team,' we all like to believe in something 'concrete (pun intended). Like, the earth is solid and we can count on 'the rock is our salvation.' when the ground shakes, it may shake our psyche as much as our body. So if a person is not used to a ground shake, it can seriously affect many folks.
I personally can relate to that. With a geologist companion, we were monitoring a well to calibrate the reaction of the water table to a massive earthquake. Now, you usually can't predict the exact timing of an earthquake - but this one we could!
Countdown - 7,6,5,4,3,2,1 - BOOM! We were one mile from the epicenter - the closest people allowed there - we had a chopper a hundred feet above us ready to evacuate us if necessary. And the largest thermonuclear device ever detonated (it was underground) in the continental US went off. So big, they couldn't use the Nevada Test Site - too close to Vegas.
Waves like surf rolled toward us cracking the frozen ground. We stood, feet braced wide apart as the waves rolled and lifted us. A nearby
mountain shook like a dog and huge boulders rolled down the flanks leaving high dust trails.
It was awesome (real use of that overused word). I still awaken sometimes at night remembering the experience - and we knew it was about to occur! Imagine if it was a surprise!
I served on a national geological committee to evaluate whether geologists should inform the public of an earthquake prediction (as we get better at predicting the time of an event). We suggested "no - our prediction accuracy is nowhere near good enough - and panic could be caused by such a prediction and folks hurt. Also, calling 'wolf' when you can't be sure there is one is not a good scientific idea."
So, geologists try to be informative of where earthquakes have happened - and the general probabilities of another event - but a good scientist tries to restrain ourselves in saying 'when.'
Enough - just understand the right coasties - nobody wants the surprise of ground suddenly moving - left coasties might be more used to it, but I'll bet (if you are really honest) everyone's heart rate gives a jump - or so said the psychologist on our team - and I know mine does!
The most serous effect was psychological. The largest 'cost' was paid at hospitals and dr. offices.
According to the psychologist on our 'team,' we all like to believe in something 'concrete (pun intended). Like, the earth is solid and we can count on 'the rock is our salvation.' when the ground shakes, it may shake our psyche as much as our body. So if a person is not used to a ground shake, it can seriously affect many folks.
I personally can relate to that. With a geologist companion, we were monitoring a well to calibrate the reaction of the water table to a massive earthquake. Now, you usually can't predict the exact timing of an earthquake - but this one we could!
Countdown - 7,6,5,4,3,2,1 - BOOM! We were one mile from the epicenter - the closest people allowed there - we had a chopper a hundred feet above us ready to evacuate us if necessary. And the largest thermonuclear device ever detonated (it was underground) in the continental US went off. So big, they couldn't use the Nevada Test Site - too close to Vegas.
Waves like surf rolled toward us cracking the frozen ground. We stood, feet braced wide apart as the waves rolled and lifted us. A nearby
mountain shook like a dog and huge boulders rolled down the flanks leaving high dust trails.
It was awesome (real use of that overused word). I still awaken sometimes at night remembering the experience - and we knew it was about to occur! Imagine if it was a surprise!
I served on a national geological committee to evaluate whether geologists should inform the public of an earthquake prediction (as we get better at predicting the time of an event). We suggested "no - our prediction accuracy is nowhere near good enough - and panic could be caused by such a prediction and folks hurt. Also, calling 'wolf' when you can't be sure there is one is not a good scientific idea."
So, geologists try to be informative of where earthquakes have happened - and the general probabilities of another event - but a good scientist tries to restrain ourselves in saying 'when.'
Enough - just understand the right coasties - nobody wants the surprise of ground suddenly moving - left coasties might be more used to it, but I'll bet (if you are really honest) everyone's heart rate gives a jump - or so said the psychologist on our team - and I know mine does!
The Weather Channel says the east coast earthquake was caused by an unknown fault line running under D.C. and through Virginia. It is now being called OBAMA'S FAULT (Though Obama will say it's really BUSH'S FAULT). Other theories are; That was the Founding Fathers rolling over in their graves OR that what we all believed to be an earthquake was actually the effects of a 14.6 trillion dollar check bouncing in Washington.
Aurelia":34ni4q60 said:Funny, I shudder to think what it would be like to go months with nothing but sunshine. I thrive in moody weather.
Bummer about the smoke obscuring such a nice view Jim.
Greg
There's that perspective thing, again. :wink: Moody weather (after a few days) makes me... well... moody. 8) Mother Nature switched the wind, and the smoke is pretty well gone from this area currently. Another thunderstorm this morning, so I wouldn't be surprised if another fire pops up. When we lived in the Black HIlls, forest fires were a pretty regular occurrance... to the point where we sailed on a lake there while slurry bombers did their job less than a mile away. Pretty amazing to see the flames at night while on the boat. That situation might scare some away, but it was a perspective we were used to.
We love the PNW, but both of us need to feel sunshine on a regular basis. Couldn't live there year 'round, but we sure like to visit.
We've also been through a couple small earthquakes (including here, where the Teton fault is quite active)... I'm used to movement on the water; not a big fan of the ground moving.
Hope you're having a great summer, Greg.
Best wishes,
Jim B.
starcrafttom
Active member
Bill, cool job you had. I would have loved to see that. First quake I was in was in L.A. in the 70's. I think it was a 7. We lived in a 28 ft travel trailer behind the anheuser bush plant in van nays. I was maybe 5 or 6 at that time. My brother and I shared a bed. I rolled out of bed and pat fell on top of me. we both jumped back up and looked out the window. You could see the vacant spot next to us roll like a wave and block us from seeing the next trailer and then you would see the next trailer then the sky then the vacant spot. It was cool. I wanted my father to make it happen again. Just love the dam things.
While living in Texas the family would sit on the back deck over looking a large valley the ran 30 miles north when ever a tornado alert was going on. We say more then a few and I just loved the lighten storms that came with them.
I have watch forest fires from the next ridge but I never work the fire's like a lot of my friends did. The speed and destruction is impressive and a little scary. would not wish that on anyone.
Hurricanes are not worth sticking around for. If one is coming its time to leave. Its not that they scare me it's just that your being there is not going to have any affect on whether your house is destroyed or not so you might as well leave.
While living in Texas the family would sit on the back deck over looking a large valley the ran 30 miles north when ever a tornado alert was going on. We say more then a few and I just loved the lighten storms that came with them.
I have watch forest fires from the next ridge but I never work the fire's like a lot of my friends did. The speed and destruction is impressive and a little scary. would not wish that on anyone.
Hurricanes are not worth sticking around for. If one is coming its time to leave. Its not that they scare me it's just that your being there is not going to have any affect on whether your house is destroyed or not so you might as well leave.
Oh Brent (I'm assuming it was Brent's comment...),
OBAMA'S FAULT (...but actually BUSH'S FAULT). I was laughing so hard you made me spill my drink! Good one....
Bill: Fascinating story. I hope you had another pair of levi's in the hovering helicopter! (...I probably would have needed them!)
Casey
OBAMA'S FAULT (...but actually BUSH'S FAULT). I was laughing so hard you made me spill my drink! Good one....
Bill: Fascinating story. I hope you had another pair of levi's in the hovering helicopter! (...I probably would have needed them!)
Casey