Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

[SouthKona]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

My sister just called to say that Mayor Harry Kim is *snapping* on the radio about this rumour.

Go figure. It was 2 1/2 hours on Thanksgiving Day after the 5.0 before I heard anything on the radio about the quake by a rep of Hawaii County. But if there is NO quake, it is discussed right away.

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

My sister just called to say that Mayor Harry Kim is *snapping* on the radio about this rumour.

[SouthKona]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

We just got another warning call from family on Oahu.

[Palolo Joe]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

I heard this same rumour tonight, from a phone call by a friend whose somebody-related had heard from somebody that tonight, between this and that pm, the isles are gonna see a big nasty earthyquake.

Bizarre. My brother called an hour ago to pass on super secret inside information from a friend of a friend who knows someone who's going out with a girl whose mother's half-brother works in FEMA, and they're sure of a big bad earthquake coming in the near future.

I got this call as well, around 6:45 p.m. or so... just laughed at the person calling me, then hung up on them. Predicting an earthquake for later tonight?

[pzarquon]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

Funny.

Anyway. The Advertiser has now posted their second bulletin asserting that there's no impending threat. From the tone it sounds as if the weekend crew in the newsroom is getting annoyed with the panicked phone calls... and I guess KITV and KGMB are similarly getting deluged with reports.

It's also interesting how the rumors evolve. Like Pua'i Mana'o, the call I got was about a big earthquake to come, no mention of a tsunami. As if, of course, secret government scientists have had a way to reliably predict earthquakes all this time, and only tonight did someone decide to squeal.

But the Advertiser item talks about an unreported earthquake and a tsunami it may have caused that no one knows about. As if you'd have time to run to the store or get some gas before said killer wave arrived. I guess not everyone knows about the real-time earthquake reports... or they figure The Man is somehow suppressing a major geologic event.

I'm sure the case of the disappearing earthquake report hasn't helped any.

[SouthKona]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

Bizarre. My brother called an hour ago to pass on super secret inside information from a friend of a friend who knows someone who's going out with a girl whose mother's half-brother works in FEMA, and they're sure of a big bad earthquake coming in the near future.

Wow, I got a call also from someone with the same warning. Only, the warning I got included tsunami also.

We have been on the Big Island for a few years now. I never thought about earthquakes while on Oahu, but since we have many many MANY small quakes on the Big Island it is part of life. We've even built our shelves and placed our furniture in position "just in case" of a big quake. Last month's quake put us to the test, and thankfully we did pretty good!

EXTRACT FROM DOUG COPP'S ARTICLE ON THE "TRIANGLE OF LIFE"

According to Snopes.Com, Mr. Copps advice has been disputed by the Red Cross and scientifically questioned. His observations and suggestions might not be applicable to U.S. buildings ….
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/household/triangle.asp

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

I myself am skeptible of its source.

[Glen Miyashiro]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

Hey. Stop using made-up words!

Yeah, that one sounded entirely supposititious.

[scrivener]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

all we'd need now is a good temblor within the next day, and the conspiracy theorists the world 'round would have something to chew on for generations to come!

Hey. Stop using made-up words!

[Pua'i Mana'o]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

I heard this same rumour tonight, from a phone call by a friend whose somebody-related had heard from somebody that tonight, between this and that pm, the isles are gonna see a big nasty earthyquake.

[mainlines excedrin into the juggular]

frugmgramblererafrickingidiotserurgraugrrrrr...

[pzarquon]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

Bizarre. My brother called an hour ago to pass on super secret inside information from a friend of a friend who knows someone who's going out with a girl whose mother's half-brother works in FEMA, and they're sure of a big bad earthquake coming in the near future.

Don't tell anyone, because there'll be a panic! Just be prepared! Buy some supplies before everyone else does! The end is nigh!

Geez louise. And I see on the Advertiser thread there's even a news ticker crawl on a local news station about this rumor... and that it's false.

People. Can't live with 'em, can't keep a secret. Of course, all we'd need now is a good temblor within the next day, and the conspiracy theorists the world 'round would have something to chew on for generations to come!

[Konaguy]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

Is the Big Island undergoing some kind of gradual and maybe major geologic change in the areas between Kona/Waikoloa and South Kohala through the Hamakua coastline area? And while it may be silly to suggest this, is there a remote possibility that the Big Island could slip or even split in places causing amajor catasrophe statewide or regionwide?

The location of these quakes is a bit unusual. But it seems the immense weight of the Big island has on the lithosphere is causing these quakes.

link

"Fryer said all this moving and grooving means the layer of earth the Big Island sits on, called a lithosphere, has been sagging underneath the weight of the island."The whole thing is in tension," Fryer said. "Occasionally you have a little crack, and these earthquakes are the little cracks."All of the earthquakes' depths and motions have been consistent with the sagging, which has been occurring over the last half-million years, Fryer said."

Actually the Mauna Loa eruption of 1975 occurred in the summer of that year. The eruption that was triggered by the November 1975 earthquake occurred on Kilauea. Lasted for about a day.

Thanks for the clarification, it is much appreciated.

[mel]

In a high rise I doubt anyone would have much chance of surviving if the building collapses so there's your collateral loss right there.

This is the most disturbing aspect of being in an earthquake, especially since I live in a high rise and many others in urban Honolulu do. In all the years of living on Oahu, we never ever had more than 1 felt earthquake in like every 6 or 7 years. And usually the felt quakes were very small, about 3 max on the Richter scale.

This year we already had at least 4 felt earthquakes starting in June or so. The first 2 were small, the big one on October 15 was very frightening for people living in high rises and I am sure the one on November 23 frightening enough, even though it was smaller. I was lucky enough not to be in my condo on Nov. 23, instead being caught at my parents' place on the Big Island.

Now when I think about the Oct. 15 and Nov. 23 quakes I would prefer to be caught in a single family home vs. my condo building.

I agree that many of us living or working in high rises don't stand a snowball's chance in hell of surviving a really big quake of greater than 6.7 intensity. I would also think that if we have more 6 point quakes in Honolulu, the structural integrity of many buildings will be compromised to a point that they could collapse during a big quake or sometime later... especially if the seismic activity continues as a series.

What is up with all of these earthquakes?

Ever since October 15 I view that earthquake map at least once a day. And it seems that the seismic activity is very active in areas of the Big Island that were considered not very active and relatively safe. I know most earthquakes that occur on the Volcano side of the island are generally not felt on Oahu. However now that we are getting more earthquakes generated from the Waikoloa side, the chances of us being hit on neighbor islands are greater.

Is the Big Island undergoing some kind of gradual and maybe major geologic change in the areas between Kona/Waikoloa and South Kohala through the Hamakua coastline area? And while it may be silly to suggest this, is there a remote possibility that the Big Island could slip or even split in places causing a major catasrophe statewide or regionwide?

This kind of stuff is always on my mind these days, many times when I am home in my condo.

If housing were a lot cheaper I think I'd opt to move. I am still considering it and should probably make a more active effort to find a way out of my building and taking residence in something smaller and less tall. That is very hard here on Oahu given real estate prices and the rental market.

I wonder how many of Honolulu's high rises are built to withstand major earthquakes? I would assume older buildings are not as earthquake proof as newer ones. Anyone know where copies of the building code can be found online?

Lastly in hindsight I think that whoever decided to have a building height limit on the Big Island was a genius, given the seismic risks there. People on the Big Island don't have to worry much about the collapse and destruction of high rise buildings like how I now worry about it here in Honolulu.

I've lived on the island of Oahu over 30 years of my entire life, and this past October's Earthquake was the ONLY earthquake I ever experienced... EVER. That's pretty darned infrequent, making it safe to say Oahu in particular has a pretty good record as far as natural disasters are concerned. As far as I'm concerned at least.

I've been a resident on this island from at least 1975 and an urban dweller since 1984. Never in all those years have I feared a major earthquake on this island until October 15.

I've felt a few minor ones on Oahu during all those years, but up to now, they were infrequent and almost rare.

This year alone we've had at least 4 felt earthquakes on Oahu, the last 2 being strong to very strong. Scary for us condo dwellers.

I remember in either 1973 or 1974 there was an earthquake that was felt statewide. I was on Kauai at the time and while I didn't feel that one, a few people at the high school I was attending at the time felt it.

That would have been the April 26, 1973 earthquake which was centered near Honomu on the Big Island and was clocked in a 6.25 on the Richter scale. I was on the Big Island at the time, in school watching some kind of public performance at our campus. When the quake struck, a thousand students tried to flee the building in panic during the quake, me included. It was my first experience with a violent quake.

A friend of mine living in Honolulu said he felt it in the office building he was working at the time.

I was attending UH Hilo between 1975 to 1979 and during my time there I only felt one earthquake there that shook my bed enough to get me out. However there would be times during class that some one would say "I felt an earthquake." Did miss the November 1975 quake since I was on Kauai at the time.

This would have been the November 29, 1975 earthquake which was more than 7 points on the Richter scale. I was at my folks place on the Big Island that early morning. The shaking as I recall was quite violent and frightening.

In hindsight I would rather be caught in my parents' home vs. my multi-story condo.

I certainly will never forget October 15, 2006. It felt so surreal and scary,as I never went through a quake that strong ever. My mom could recall one when she was pregnant with me in 1975 that was stronger. I believe that was 7.2 centered down by Kalapana. Around that time Mauna Loa started to erupt. It was surreal for my parents, as they lived below KTA. Mauna Loa can be seen from down there, so it appeared Hualalai was erupting, when it was really Mauna Loa.

Actually the Mauna Loa eruption of 1975 occurred in the summer of that year. The eruption that was triggered by the November 1975 earthquake occurred on Kilauea. Lasted for about a day.

That's a pretty damned dangerous rift zone as it runs the entire traffic corridor of the leeward side of Oahu right thru the heart of it's commerce and residential districts. An earthquake running thru that zone would definately turn Oahu into shambles and possibly kill off the majority of the state's population.

In light of that you did good to move away from this island. However the Big Island has its own share of risk too, but I think you folks will do better surviving a big quake than us.

I should move.

[GeckoGeek]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

You decide... under the table or beside the table... 3.2.1... it collapses?

Beside. I'll take my chance with the ceiling tiles.

But those old fixtures in the schools, I'd have to think about that one.

[damontucker]

Re: Hawai'i and severe earthquakes

You decide... under the table or beside the table... 3.2.1... it collapses?
Picture courtesy of Tribune Herald.