Catchings suggests that more seismometers should be deployed in and around Washington and other cities along the eastern seaboard, to assess to what degree seismic waves generated in the region might be amplified. “My guess is, it’s going to be substantial,” he notes — possibly as much as three to five times the values normally expected. Besides shedding light on seismic risk, this exercise would reveal whether particular buildings need to be retrofitted in order to stand up to future quakes.
Record rockfalls
The unusually large ground motions for a magnitude-5.8 quake also triggered rockfalls across an unexpectedly large area, reported Randall Jibson, a geologist with the USGS in Denver. He and a colleague surveyed the area surrounding the quake for fresh landslides in the days immediately after the event. None of the rockfalls caused any damage or injuries.
Although individual landslides weren’t especially large, the pattern of rockfalls set a record. Previous studies suggested that a magnitude-5.8 quake shouldn’t trigger landslides more than 60 kilometers from its epicenter, says Jibson. But last year’s quake caused rockfalls at least 245 kilometers away, he reported. “This is by far the largest distance recorded for a quake that size,” he notes.
This article is reproduced with permission from the magazine Nature. The article was first published on November 7, 2012.
See what we're tweeting about
6 Comments
Add CommentSomeone came up with the underground nuclear war theory. Underground cities was allegedly destroyed near Washington and Colorado.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thishttp://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=endscreen&v=hu4GfikuJEA&NR=1
Nov. 6th, 2012, 7.4 earthquake to the west in Guatamala. Over the last couple of weeks, sounds like Mother Nature is having the grumblies under North America.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisJust to continue, are there any inactive volcanoes in North America?
Me thinks they might become active soon.
Large explosions used in coal mining and oil drilling have proven to cause earthquakes. Smart business can work cleaner and safer.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisHow many quakes do we need to exceed the national debt in damages?
How many super storms?
What about leaving a few natural resources for the future generations?
What about the problem of GLOBAL debt?
Check out the global debt map, very few areas are not in debt, just like us. This is a global problem, not just about the US.
See the clean water global map and the population global map!
Where is the US in educational scores world wide?
You know the game. Who is writing the test?
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisTypical article. Worried about cracked gargoyles to deflect any unfortunate thoughts about why North Anna Nuclear Power Plant, 11 miles from the epicenter and shaking beyond its design limits, nearly drained Lake Anna, it's only source of cooling water to keep the reactors from melting down, Fukushima Style, below the intake of the cooling pumps.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to thisThe solution? Build a THIRD new nuclear power plant to increase the load on Lake Anna's lake level WHEN, NOT IF, the fault line so near this plant, only 68 miles from Washington, DC and the gargoyles cracking, starts shaking so hard yet again.
They really don't know what the condition of the miles of piping and conduit under the plant suffered as it's buried in the ground. NRC let them go back online after the coverup and they run at 100% tonight.....
.......just waiting for another VA quake.....
That would be the Yellowstone super caldera. If it blows then roughly half of the USA and part of Canada get depopulated. I'm sure that there are dormant volcanoes where ever the plates meet. Don't hold your breath on any eruptions happening soon. Earthquakes have been happening for centuries and rarely impact volcanoes.
Reply | Report Abuse | Link to this