We are still scientists, so although everyone is incredibly jumpy, tired and worn out, we still are really into this natural phenomenon.
Apart from the game I mentioned “guess the magnitude”, which is actually really difficult because what you feel depends on how far and how deep the quake is, so it would be more appropriate to call it “guess the felt-magnitude”, we now all make up tremors. You think “wow, something trembles, another one?” and you ask your colleague “Do you feel that?!” and he says “ehm, no?” and then we check the recent quakes list which has become everyone’s favourite website now, and either one of us didn’t feel it (you do get used to the ones under 4), or you made it up.
Today we were all back at work and actually trying to work. Luckily I had some emails I needed to answer which didn’t ask for too much brain capacity, but when I turned to a proposal that needs some coherent thought I failed.
We got two really cool things emailed:
First a little video showing the fault line that appeared with the big quake Saturday. It is utterly amazing to see that kind of impact on the landscape. It also makes me shudder again reliving that moment in the dark with the howling earth and a swaying house and me alone under the coffee table.
Then some geologist at the university, that remains closed until at least Monday, made this “visualization” of ALL quakes since the big one Saturday morning. As he writes “to help those outside the affected area understand what those of us in Canterbury are experiencing”. Looking at it we do recognize all the big ones which is super freaky, and also you think “Holy Macaroni that are just sooooo !@#$%^& many aftershocks….” Although you do see they get less. But still. Let me know, all of you outside of Canterbury, if you think you can get a feeling of how shaky things are here.
What is interesting, is that when there is 1 quake, it is usually followed by a few more. After a few hours of rest, there will almost always be several quakes closely following each other. Which is all the faults that are affected by the first hit readjusting to it. They’ve had some fairly large quakes in Wellington and further North too, so somehow I wouldn’t be surprised if soon the whole of NZ is shaking soon. I don’t hope so though.
http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/
Yeah, they do get less but I just read that apparently in 1929 they had something just like this somewhere else around here, and there were events such as this one, a big quake followed by hundreds of smaller but still substantial ones, for 13 years. THIRTEEN!!! All the saints in heaven! Better not think about it. Pretend it will go away.
Apart from the game I mentioned “guess the magnitude”, which is actually really difficult because what you feel depends on how far and how deep the quake is, so it would be more appropriate to call it “guess the felt-magnitude”, we now all make up tremors. You think “wow, something trembles, another one?” and you ask your colleague “Do you feel that?!” and he says “ehm, no?” and then we check the recent quakes list which has become everyone’s favourite website now, and either one of us didn’t feel it (you do get used to the ones under 4), or you made it up.
Today we were all back at work and actually trying to work. Luckily I had some emails I needed to answer which didn’t ask for too much brain capacity, but when I turned to a proposal that needs some coherent thought I failed.
We got two really cool things emailed:
First a little video showing the fault line that appeared with the big quake Saturday. It is utterly amazing to see that kind of impact on the landscape. It also makes me shudder again reliving that moment in the dark with the howling earth and a swaying house and me alone under the coffee table.
Then some geologist at the university, that remains closed until at least Monday, made this “visualization” of ALL quakes since the big one Saturday morning. As he writes “to help those outside the affected area understand what those of us in Canterbury are experiencing”. Looking at it we do recognize all the big ones which is super freaky, and also you think “Holy Macaroni that are just sooooo !@#$%^& many aftershocks….” Although you do see they get less. But still. Let me know, all of you outside of Canterbury, if you think you can get a feeling of how shaky things are here.
What is interesting, is that when there is 1 quake, it is usually followed by a few more. After a few hours of rest, there will almost always be several quakes closely following each other. Which is all the faults that are affected by the first hit readjusting to it. They’ve had some fairly large quakes in Wellington and further North too, so somehow I wouldn’t be surprised if soon the whole of NZ is shaking soon. I don’t hope so though.
http://www.christchurchquakemap.co.nz/
Yeah, they do get less but I just read that apparently in 1929 they had something just like this somewhere else around here, and there were events such as this one, a big quake followed by hundreds of smaller but still substantial ones, for 13 years. THIRTEEN!!! All the saints in heaven! Better not think about it. Pretend it will go away.
