The Complete Idiot's Guide to 2012 - Dr. Synthia Andrews Nd [102]
In 1914, there were about 35 volcano eruptions each year. By 1990 that had grown to 50. Does this indicate an increase in activity? Hold on to that question, we’re getting there.
Earthquakes
As you know, earthquakes are measured on the Richter scale; up to a 3 is a small earthquake; over 7 is large one. The really super earthquakes have been over 9. Small earthquakes happen constantly around the world, especially in places like California, Alaska, Peru, Indonesia, Iran, New Zealand, Greece, and Japan. Large earthquakes happen less often. You might be interested to know that the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) estimates there are several million little earthquakes happening all over the planet each year! In contrast, since the 1900s it’s estimated that the earth has one large earthquake per year. This is considered a stable condition.
Earthquakes can happen in clusters, called earthquake storms, which can be misinterpreted as an increase in frequency. Basically it’s a lot of small energy releases from the same pressure buildup.
A new NASA study conducted with the USGS predicts that earthquake activity may be increasing. No, they haven’t read the Mayan prophecies; they’re pointing their finger at global warming! What does global warming have to do with earthquakes?
According to the USGS study, retreating glaciers are changing external versus internal pressures in the earth’s crust. Apparently the weight of the glacier stabilizes the plates underneath them. With the rapidly melting ice caps, shifts in weight distribution are increasing the likelihood of earthquakes. This confirms it: the Maya were right and everything is interconnected!
Celestial Connection
It’s no accident that volcanoes and earthquakes happen in the same areas, such as the Philippines, Indonesia, or California. The biggest and most active area where tectonic plates meet is the horseshoe-shaped Pacific ridge known as the “Pacific Ring of Fire.” It follows the Pacific coast in an arc from the southern tip of South America up along the North American Pacific coast to Alaska, then across the ocean to the entire Pacific coast of China. The Pacific Ring has 452 volcanoes—75 percent of the world’s active sites.
Tsunamis
A tsunami is actually a series of waves, some of which can be quite huge. They’re often incorrectly called tidal waves. While tidal waves are the result of tidal activity, tsunamis are the result of underwater activity such as underwater earthquakes, landslides, or volcanoes. Tsunamis are also caused by meteor and asteroid impacts in the ocean. Surveys of the ocean floor and examination of shoreline sediment reveal that every few thousand years an asteroid or meteor hits the ocean, causing a mega tsunami.
Increases in tsunamis happen with increased earthquakes and volcanoes. Of course, they happen more frequently along the Pacific Ring of Fire. Several times a year earthquakes measuring over 7 on the Richter scale cause a Pacific tsunami. Japan is reported to be hit by a tsunami at least once a year! Historically, about 1,000 tsunamis have been documented, with only about 100 being large enough to cause damage and loss of life.
The three most recent big tsunamis were:
◆ July 17, 2006: An earthquake measuring 7.7 on the Richter scale occurred south of Java, Indonesia, causing a tsunami that killed 700 people.
◆ December 26, 2004: An earthquake measuring 9.3 on the Richer scale off the island of Sumatra in the Indian Ocean created the worst tsunami disaster in living history. More than 300,000 people were killed in eight Asiatic countries, including Sumatra, Sri Lanka, India, Thailand, Malaysia, and Bangladesh. The flood wave even reached East and Southeast Africa.
◆ August 17, 1999: Northwest Turkey was struck with a large earthquake, 7.8 on the Richter scale, which generated a local tsunami. About