8.9 earthquake in asia...

[Squidders]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/south_asia/4125481.stm

from BBC:

More than 7,000 people have been killed across southern Asia in massive sea surges triggered by the strongest earthquake in the world for 40 years.
The 8.9 magnitude quake struck under the sea near Aceh in north Indonesia, generating a wall of water that sped across thousands of kilometres of sea.

Grim

Earthquakes are one of natures events that are harder to cope with.

 

[tomtom]

i was thinking of going to sri lanka later on in the year.. not looking so good now, though im sure my concerns are much less than some of those effected! the death tools seem to be rising looks terrible!

 

[TheViking]

Not just 7000, 24000 is the latest number, unfortunately.

 

[BIG-TARGET]

BTW, If any of you are part of any fraternal organizations. See if their doing anything for the relief effort. I just got an email from my Lodge say theat grand Lodge of NJ(along with Grand Lodges of other states) offering assistance(money, food, blankets, medical supplies, etc.) to Lodges in the areas affected.

So check your answering machines, snail mails, emails. And be ready to cough up a few dollars/pounds/dinaro, or a can of beans.

 

[Paganwolf]

Hey BT are you a RAOBuff or a mason?

 

[BIG-TARGET]

Freemason, Laurel lodge 237, district 18, Grandlodge of NJ.

And you are probably thinking:"DAMN!! They must have lowered their standards to let you in.":yikes:

 

[maddave]

Sky news now reporting death toll at 55,000 people and possibly as many animals... This is a terrible event

 

[BIG-TARGET]

Infrastructure destroyed, dead carcasses(human & animal) everywhere. The whole region is ripe for anarchy & plague

 

[JakeR]

60,000 now i think. We've also just found out that a friend was killed, as well as two of her immediate family, I won't say who. It is an absolute catastrophe, the worst i have ever seen in my lifetime. And i have a horrible feeling of uselessness, i'd like to contribute, but can't.
Im also confused as to why i haven't heard Bush or Blair say anything on the matter, has anyone heard anything on what they plan to do?

 

[ronsos]

sorry for your loss ,jake.

 

[gillmacca]

Just proves how powerful nature can be.
We (I put loosely) believe we own this planet, but mother nature has just reminded us that she owns this planet and that we are just guests

 

[BIG-TARGET]

Just proves how powerful nature can be.
We (I put loosely) believe we own this planet, but mother nature has just reminded us that she owns this planet and that we are just guests

You're partly right. Everytime we humans start to revell in our own magnificence. Earth give us a reality check!!!

 

[JakeR]

Just read that "The United States more than doubled its pledge to $35 million and ordered 12 vessels, including the aircraft carrier USS Abraham Lincoln, to the region. "

You might find this link helpful http://newsbox.msn.co.uk/article.as...diaexportlive&ks=1&mc=5&lc=en&ae=windows-1252

Jake

 

[Roving Rich]

It is the biggest natural disaster I have ever seen. I'm very glad that my friends holidaying in Thailand are safe, one was scubadiving when the wave came over the top !
I'm sure bushcraft skill could be very useful out there right now. I hope they manage to get contol of things and get the cleanup sorted quickly or disease will be killing thousands more shortly.
Its a terrible thing.

Rich

 

[RovingArcher]

Has anyone seen what the news is saying now. Scientists think that the earthquake and Tsunami have slowed the rotation of the Earth by causing her to wobble on her axis.

 

[gillmacca]

Has anyone seen what the news is saying now. Scientists think that the earthquake and Tsunami have slowed the rotation of the Earth by causing her to wobble on her axis.

I will have to keep an eye out for that bit of news, but in the mean time, I am no scientist...do you know how or if it will affect us (us as in everyone)

 

[Great Pebble]

Has the potential to have messed up GPS apparently.

Not by much, certainly make no difference to us but if you were trying to drop a missile down somebody's chimney.......

 

[Gary]

The death toll is rising - the world aid agencies are complaining the west isnt doing enough (which is another matter all together as I dont see why its our responcibility, but that is by the by) however in some places the locals are getting very rich thank you very much!

My cousin and her family are in Fuket (sp?) and are currently paying £240 per night for a room on the seventh floor of a hotel - same hotel they booked before the tsunami - same hotel room they were in before the water came.

Only difference, it now costs a hell of a lot more and their choice is pay or they and their childrens (Remy is only 3) will be on the streets!

Lets see if the hotel owner/chain put their hands in their pockets, parasites like those make charities look foolish and are sad examples of the greed which plagues our species.

Sorry to rant but I sometimes wonder at mans greed!

 

[Adi007]

Has anyone seen what the news is saying now. Scientists think that the earthquake and Tsunami have slowed the rotation of the Earth by causing her to wobble on her axis.

From:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqinthenews/2004/usslav/neic_slav_faq.html

Question: What effect did this earthquake have on the rotation of the earth?

Answer: Richard Gross at JPL has modeled the coseismic effect on the Earth's rotation of the December 26 earthquake in Indonesia by using the PREM model for the elastic properties of the Earth and the Harvard centroid-moment tensor solution for the source properties of the earthquake. The result is:

change in length of day: -2.676 microseconds
polar motion excitation X : -0.670 milliarcseconds
polar motion excitation Y: 0.475 milliarcseconds

Since the length of the day can be measured with an accuracy of about 20 microseconds, this model predicts that the change in the length-of-day caused by the earthquake is much too small to be observed. And, since the location of the earthquake was near the equator, this model predicts that the change in polar motion excitation is also rather small, being about 0.82 milliarcsecond in amplitude. Such a small change in polar motion excitation will also be difficult to detect.

These small changes are not enough to have an effect on the GPS network and no almanac changes are planned as a result of this. The land in that area has moved approx 30 m in some areas but again this has no effect on the GPS network as the coordinate system is based on an imaginary grid system.

 

[al]

which just backs up my own personal thoughts that the whole thing is tragic,awful,terrible,heartbreaking yet fascinating at the same time ,am i alone on this ?