i installed that quake extension for firefox, it is quite eye-opening, though i set it low at 3.
i'm not that far from l'aquila, and in a 400 year old house, so i do think about it a lot.
i don't have the stats, do you?
the fact that it's prophesied by numerous seers from many cultures is not adding to my concern, at least on a conscious level, lol.
try the extension, the popups are interesting enough as you realise how much rocking is going on globally.
when the screen starts shaking, (local quivers), as it has the last two days in a row here, i start coiling my muscles, ready to spring somewhere safe(r).
i know science can't predict earthquakes very well yet, but it's getting good at linking the information. having indonesia and l'aquila last year, and haiti this year may be no formal trend, but it's walking and quacking, i'll be thinking about statistics i'm sure as i leap from a window!
ireland is unusually blessed with stability in this regard... ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
It sounds like you're saying that because you're more aware of quakes there must be more of them, which would be bullshit. I assume that's not what you mean.
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. En un viejo país ineficiente, algo así como España entre dos guerras civiles, poseer una casa y poca hacienda y memoria ninguna. -- Gil de Biedma
Are Earthquakes Really on the Increase?
Are Earthquakes Really on the Increase? We continue to be asked by many people throughout the world if earthquakes are on the increase. Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant. A partial explanation may lie in the fact that in the last twenty years, we have definitely had an increase in the number of earthquakes we have been able to locate each year. This is because of the tremendous increase in the number of seismograph stations in the world and the many improvements in global communications. In 1931, there were about 350 stations operating in the world; today, there are more than 8,000 stations and the data now comes in rapidly from these stations by electronic mail, internet and satellite. This increase in the number of stations and the more timely receipt of data has allowed us and other seismological centers to locate earthquakes more rapidly and to locate many small earthquakes which were undetected in earlier years. The NEIC now locates about 20,000 earthquakes each year or approximately 50 per day. Also, because of the improvements in communications and the increased interest in the environment and natural disasters, the public now learns about more earthquakes. According to long-term records (since about 1900), we expect about 17 major earthquakes (7.0 - 7.9) and one great earthquake (8.0 or above) in any given year.
We continue to be asked by many people throughout the world if earthquakes are on the increase. Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant.
A partial explanation may lie in the fact that in the last twenty years, we have definitely had an increase in the number of earthquakes we have been able to locate each year. This is because of the tremendous increase in the number of seismograph stations in the world and the many improvements in global communications. In 1931, there were about 350 stations operating in the world; today, there are more than 8,000 stations and the data now comes in rapidly from these stations by electronic mail, internet and satellite. This increase in the number of stations and the more timely receipt of data has allowed us and other seismological centers to locate earthquakes more rapidly and to locate many small earthquakes which were undetected in earlier years. The NEIC now locates about 20,000 earthquakes each year or approximately 50 per day. Also, because of the improvements in communications and the increased interest in the environment and natural disasters, the public now learns about more earthquakes.
According to long-term records (since about 1900), we expect about 17 major earthquakes (7.0 - 7.9) and one great earthquake (8.0 or above) in any given year.
Also, some stats here.
The stats are interesting - numbers for catastrophic quakes remain relatively constant, very small earthquake numbers have dropped, and there was a trend and spike for mid-sized earthquakes that peaked in 2008.
I'm not totally convinced that was an effect of improved monitoring. You'd need to check info about the total number of monitoring stations to know for sure.
This was 2000 to 2010 only. Numbers for previous decades are available, if anyone wants to dig through them.
apologies to all for not being fact based, and thanks to Colman for calling it out. ~"When an inner situation is not made conscious, it appears outside as fate." Karl Jung~
