In message , Ian Bingham
writes


"Stephen Davenport" wrote in message
...

On Aug 23, 9:18 pm, "Bj rn S rheim"
wrote:
Today as I'm shure many of you know two earthquakes occured
in the US, one right at the Kansas/New Mexico border with magnitude
5.3, later in the afternoon, (UTC), a 5.8 magnitude in Virginia near
Wahington DC! These are magnitudes that I personally have not seen
in these areas, but they might occur at _long_ intervals as is known.

But what is strikingly apparent is that at this PRECISE
instant the worst hurricane since 2008 (which was Ike) is born in the
Carribean and is fast approaching the US east coast. Just north
of Hispanola at the moment. Name: Irene.

If someone were to tell me these three events were not related, I
don't know what I would do - probably just laugh?!??

Bj rn S rheim


Cum hoc ergo propter hoc.

In any case, Irene had formed before these earthquakes not at that
"precise moment".


Stephen.

I once spent some time working as a forecaster in Ancona on the Italian
Adriatic. One February, after a ridge of high pressure, an unusually
deep depression crossed the Italian peninsular, and just as it did so
there was an earthquake at Ancona. I was impressed by the coincidence
of timing. I wondered if it was possible that offshore oil-drilling had
left the subterranean strata in such a critically unstable state that
the slightest fillip – like the lifting of about 5% of the weight of
the atmosphere off the surface – could cause a movement. Then I
thought, “what, through 2 miles of solid rock, I don’t think so”.
So I concluded it was most likely coincidence, though I’m still
intrigued by the timing. I had a 98-room hotel all to myself for 4
days, but that’s another story!

Ian Bingham,
Inchmarlo, Aberdeenshire.

A question that comes to mind is how long does it take for the change in
the loading on the surface by the atmosphere to propagate down to the
depths at which initial earthquake ruptures occur?

Also, why does lowered air pressure in the tropical Atlantic trigger
earthquakes in Virginia and New Mexico? Shouldn't one expect the
earthquake to occur when the hurricane strikes Virginia?
--
Stewart Robert Hinsley