Posted by John Nichols on December 30, 2010 at 10:05:30 user Mcneacail.
In Reply to: Earthquake 8.9 miles below Coniston posted by Woll on December 22, 2010 at 01:35:13:
Dear All:
A 3.9 earthquake is one order of magnitude, M5.0, below that which will kill. We learnt that fact from the Italian school children in 2002, I believe.
The observations tally with what would be expected in a intraplate event at that depth.
Sadly 400,000 people died in earthquakes in the last decade, excluding the Tsunami. Fatal earthquakes have risen from 15 per year in 2000 to just over 22 per year in 2010. This is twice the decade average for the 20th century.
We should expect a reduction in deaths with the improved knowledge. Snow does not seem to have had an impact in engineering design, as one would expect after 150 years of trying to get better.
I wonder how AR would weave the earthquake into a story, maybe a collapsed building Dick and Nancy to the rescue?
JMN