I grew up on the "ring of fire" and thought I traded earthquakes and volcanoes for tornadoes and lightning when I moved here.
But Oklahoma and Arkansas have been having earthquakes the last several months. Only one was strong enough for me to feel. I'm not worried, though, but it was surprising.

I live in the area of a high level seismic activity so I agree with Barb: I rather prefer many-many small or tiny earthquakes rather than the catastrophic ones happened here in 1888 and 1911.
Eric, don't forget about the New Madrid earthquake in the 19th century! It was pretty destroying even that old time!

More on Arkansas EQs.
😯

http://www.geology.ar.gov/geohazards/earthquakes.htm

I really hate (or afraid?) these EQs. Perhaps only one phobia I have :oops:. How often you perceive the EQs in your part of BC, Barb?

Don't blame you at all, Igor.
Me too.

I think hearing about the small EQ events constantly is the worst part. :sad11:
But there are so many tracking systems now--and internet communications--that we hear about things now that we never heard of pre-internet.
I'd frankly rather hear of things that I have some control over.

Many years ago, I felt what turned out to be a small EQ tremor.
It was over as quickly as it began.

I just hope the scientists are correct...that small EQs release pressure accumulations and may actually prevent "the big one".

Barb

More little EQs around Victoria BC than have been seen for quite some time.

Poor New Zealand. How sad.

http://www.geonet.org.nz/earthquake/quakes/recent_quakes.html

time to move Barb! I think we had an earthquake 10 years ago......LOL.

I have never been to Christchurch, but my folks got down there on holiday a few years ago and raved about it.
This link to a GOTE thread includes harrowing updates from a metalworker whose wife is a police officer.
http://www.growingontheedge.net/viewtopic.php?f=2&t=5490

--Erik, who has only felt one earthquake here in the past year.

We have earthquakes around here once in a while, usualy 1 or 2 on the scale. We had a 4.0 a few years ago. Im right in the middle of the canadian sheild, but Lake supirior is an old rift ( not unlike the african rift lakes), except it isnt active. Lake nipigon ( directly on top of lake Supirior), is actualy a failed rift.

There is a canyon less then an hour out of town called Ouimet Canyon. ITs whats left of the rift on the ground. This is where the earthquakes are centered.

Southern Ontario just had one the other day, 3.0.

A couple more little ones around Victoria, and a smallish one near Seattle the other day.

Some folks who recently vacationed in New Zealand for the first time said it's the most beautiful country on earth, and they've been just about everywhere.
Said some areas reminded them of a "prehistoric" age, with uneroded peaks covered in lush growth, incredible birdsong.

I think this is the Gorge they visited during the rainy period:
http://www.4x4newzealand.co.nz/blue-mountain-station-tour.html

There was a TV show last night on drilling and suspending instruments 3,000 feet down to record seismic activity near California's San Andreas fault. The narrator said readings came in as soon as sensors were placed. They then extrapolated the outward "flow" of activity where it would turn WNW and go through downtown Los Angeles. Apparently LA is built on the same type of silty strata as is ChristChurch in NZ (and Richmond in Vancouver). A lot of cities are built on floodplains and deltas.

Our hearts go out to the stoic people of New Zealand.
May they get through this...

Barb

New Zealand is on the top of my list of places to go. Besides the fact that i know people there, theres the milford track, which is regarded as the worlds best hike ( you basicly hike accross the south island. I cant remember the starting point, but you end up in milfords sound. Not to mention plants. On a Tv show I see, he was hiking through there during the wet season. The trailed were flooded, but there were thousands of water falls, pouring off of the mountains that surronded the trail. Id take trench foot to see that!

My firend lives in Napier. Other then the fact that 200 years ago it was under water, the city was completely destroyed in a huge earthquake in the 30s. She always tells me " theres always earthquakes here, we dont get worried unless its 6.0 or higher". We were talking on msn one day, when her internet went down. She came back on 5 minutes later, saying they jsut had an earthquake, and continued chatting non shalontly.

I think ive seen that show too Barb ( or one similar). If I remember right, they did something similar in yellowstone to monitor the super volcano ( which is 100 000 years overdue). Its interesting to say the least. You dont have to worry about earthquakes in the vallys there do you?

the top of my list of places to go

My visit will be via the internet 😉

Yellowstone has been compared to a finger on a trigger...likely a good thing it's continually active.
What a quandry for seismic folks...drill 3,000 feet to get accurate data, but not be there when big results are recorded.

You dont have to worry about earthquakes in the valleys there do you?

Doubt anyone can say that with any level of confidence.
Our biggest risk seems to be along the fault line that includes BC southern coast and Vancouver Island.
Historically the Okanagan gets small shakers, but MYA the eastern Pacific Ocean lapped Alberta... 😆

When we moved to Vernon from Vancouver nearly 35 years ago (ouch!), H recalls "people in utility trucks" laying wire in road ditches near our place extending for several kilometres, before moving onto another area. Asked what they were doing, they said they were students from an Alberta university recording seismic activity. Many years later I tried to find that study, came up empty.

The Niagara area is very interesting, good link --> http://shakingearth.blogspot.com/2009/05/earlier-niagara-earthquake.html

EQ Canada site: --> http://earthquakescanada.nrcan.gc.ca/index-eng.php
Quite a bit of activity 😯

And the famous Mt. St. Helen's volcano/earthquake connection:
http://www.platetectonics.com/book/page_3.asp

On a lighter note, we could use some warmth spewing up right about now with this brutal arctic cold... :confused1:
Barb

Oh man!

Move cursor over the "Before" pic and "After" appears.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/infographics/christchurch-quake/beforeafter.htm

Slightly off topic as not on the ring of fire, and no tragedy at all, but we had a minor quake last night which I slept through.
Here is a brief story about it:
http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/01/us/01earthquakes.html?_r=1&hp