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[HeySal]

Hi Everyone -- If you were with us until meltdown, you already know that I put the three year Earthquake Report up - but if you missed it, there will be a link for it in the NOV Newsletter.   
Now after meltdown - I stopped tracking but we know what was going on for the last three years after Chandler's Wobble.  This year I've kept my eyes open and I can say it's been a normal year...........until  September. 

For some reason in September Earth started shaking it up pretty hard -- the report on Mid September to Mid October will also be in the Newsletter.

Other than that - I will be keeping track of the higher mag quakes in here for the rest of 2009, and making some observations.   In 2010, we will be starting full tracking again and will see if there is any change from the three years report.   We saw what was going on while we were in warming and now that we are going back into cooling (you have a choice to believe politicians or scientists - and the scientists say we are cooling) I think it would be relevant to see if the planet shakes while it is cooling like it was when we were in warming.

So -- stay tuned.....and Welcome back.

[HeySal]

After almost a week of relative calm after a huge series of large quakes, there have been 2 quakes of 6 mag in the last 2 days.
 
10/22 - 6.2  mag - Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan
10/23 - 6.0 mag - Santa Cruz Islands

There were also 9 quakes of 5.0 - 5.9 mag over these two days.

[HeySal]

So much for a quiet week.  We just had another 7 mag quake.  That brings us to a total of 15 for the year so far.  In case you haven't seen our statistics - 17 was the yearly average for quakes on the Post 1990 average scale.  We haven't seen that many 7 mag quakes in 3 years, since Chandler's wobble stopped for a few weeks at the end of 2005.  We've had higher than normal 8 mags, and 6 mags - but sevens just didn't happen as much.  Looks like year four a.c.w. (after Chandler's Wobble stopped) is going to be an exception.

10/25 - Mag 7.0 -- Banda Sea

It was quite deep - around 135 kms so there was probably little damage.  I've not seen reports of any at this time, anyway.

[HeySal]

The 7.0 quake in the Banda Sea has just been re-classified as a 6.9 quake.   This happens after all the data has been reviewed sometimes.  It does change statistics a bit - but if that quake were to have been shallow and hit in a populated area, there wouldn't have been much difference in the damage caused.
 
We have still experienced more 7 mag quakes this years than we have in 3 years previous. 

[HeySal]

Another 6 mag on 10/27

 6.0  -- DRAKE PASSAGE

[HeySal]

Two more six mags in the last two days:


10/29 - 6.2 - Hindu Kush Region, Afghanistan
10/30 - 6.8 - Ryukyu Islands, Japan - only 35 km deep!


The depth is very important.  A 6 - 7 mag quake at 300 km deep might not even be noticeable on the surface but something shallow enough not to be below crust - or just under the surface of the same magnitude can cause major destruction.

[HeySal]

Another 6 mag:

11/02

 6.2   SOUTH OF TONGA

[HeySal]

11/05  Another shallow one this time (10 km).

6.0 - MACQUARIE ISLAND REGION

[HeySal]

More major quakes this last week:

Another 7....... We're closer to the post 1990 anual average for these now than in 4 years.
11/9
7.2 - depth 585.1 km -- FIJI

Also a couple of 6 mags.
11/8
6.6  - depth 32.9 --Sumbawa Region, Indonesia,
11/10
6.0 - depth 10.8 km -- Nicobar Islands, India Region.


Notice the depths of these quakes.  While the Fiji quake was quite some bit stronger than the on at the Nicobar Islands, it was pretty deep and probably not strongly felt.  Conversely a 6 mag quake at the depth of only 10.8 km can be very strong and cause much destruction and death.

There were no deaths reported from any of these particular quakes.

[HeySal]

Two more strong shakers in the last few days.....


11/13
 6.5 - depth 28.0 km -  OFFSHORE TARAPACA, CHILE
11/14
 6.1  - depth 141.7 km -  JUJUY, ARGENTINA

[HeySal]

Another strong shallow one


11/17
 6.6 mag -- depth 11.6 km -- QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS REGION

[HeySal]

After almost a week of relative calm  6 mag quakes are starting up again

11/22
 6.3 mag   depth: 523.1 km -  FIJI REGION
 6.2 mag   depth  438.9 km -  KERMADEC ISLANDS REGION

11/24
 6.8 mag    depth   10.0 km -  TONGA

11/28
 6.1 mag    depth    10.0 km -  KERMADEC ISLANDS, NEW ZEALAND
 6.0 mag    depth    74.8 km -  MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES

No fatalities were reported, which is amazing considering that quake in Tonga was so strong and so shallow.

[HeySal]

Another very shallow strong quake.

12/03
 6.0 mag - depth 10.0 km --    SOUTHERN EAST PACIFIC RISE

[HeySal]

12/09
MAG    DEPTH (km) 
 6.4     45.0   --    SOUTHEAST OF THE LOYALTY ISLANDS
 6.4     10.0   --    CENTRAL MID-ATLANTIC RIDGE
 6.0     19.0   --    SIMEULUE, INDONESIA

12/10
6.3       650.7 -- SEA OF OKHOTSK

[HeySal]

Mag          Depth         Location
12/14
6.0        73.8 km---- BOUGAINVILLE REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA
12/19
6.4        44.6 km--- TAIWAN
6.0       15.2 km--- MALAWI
Seems the last month of 2009 is pretty calm.  Not enough so to keep us from hitting average rates of 6 mag quakes though.