Fascinating. With the recent changes in Publix earthquake magnitude rating (moving away from the Richter scale and with the M equivalent) has the data from previous years been adjusted in historical archives?
Pielke Jr. ==> Strong earthquakes are rare and random (chaotic?) events that have no anthropogenic cause and no weather/climate cause (that we have yet been able to discern).
In fact, we are almost entirely ignorant of any cause for timing of earthquakes. We do understand something of the geological factors -- fault lines, etc.
Deaths from major earthquakes seem to be directly related to strength of the quake and the building methods or quality of construction of buildings. In the Dominican Republic's September 2003 earthquake destroyed poorly built schools (luckily, at night when they were unoccupied), and sub-par buildings of all kinds.
Economic loses are higher where built infrastructure is more valuable. (Think Northridge California).
Economic losses are interesting.. but richer countries would naturally have more (more expensive things destroyed) or less (better building codes)? I wonder what the death tolls instead would tell us.
Excellent post, thank you. A question for you, or someone on the reading list. I've been reading lately about how the earth's core rotation rate has been slowing. Is it possible that the change in angular momentum caused by that action affects earthquake cycles on the surface? Further, is the change in rotational velocity cyclic, much like the differences in earth's rotation are explained by Milankovich cycles?
Fascinating. With the recent changes in Publix earthquake magnitude rating (moving away from the Richter scale and with the M equivalent) has the data from previous years been adjusted in historical archives?
Pielke Jr. ==> Strong earthquakes are rare and random (chaotic?) events that have no anthropogenic cause and no weather/climate cause (that we have yet been able to discern).
In fact, we are almost entirely ignorant of any cause for timing of earthquakes. We do understand something of the geological factors -- fault lines, etc.
Deaths from major earthquakes seem to be directly related to strength of the quake and the building methods or quality of construction of buildings. In the Dominican Republic's September 2003 earthquake destroyed poorly built schools (luckily, at night when they were unoccupied), and sub-par buildings of all kinds.
Economic loses are higher where built infrastructure is more valuable. (Think Northridge California).
As to the last 8 earthquakes..
Economic losses are interesting.. but richer countries would naturally have more (more expensive things destroyed) or less (better building codes)? I wonder what the death tolls instead would tell us.
Excellent post, thank you. A question for you, or someone on the reading list. I've been reading lately about how the earth's core rotation rate has been slowing. Is it possible that the change in angular momentum caused by that action affects earthquake cycles on the surface? Further, is the change in rotational velocity cyclic, much like the differences in earth's rotation are explained by Milankovich cycles?