Earthquake... in Buffalo

[Kevin]

My daughter lives in Buffalo and she called to say a 3.8 earthquake hit about 6AM today. She said it shook her house and sounded like a bomb went off. I can only imagine what it was like for those people in Turkey and Syria, with a 7.8. As I understand it, the scale is logarithmic.

[Sandman]

We had a small one here several years ago.. just cracked a few walls.. but I was in a church (no, it wasn’t lightning striking) school.. could see the suspended ceiling tiles moving inside their suspension frames.. was like being on a floating dock when a boat goes by..

Hope everyone in Buffalo is ok..

[TriGuy]

Having been just a mile or so from the epicenter of a 7.0 (Loma Prieta, 89 world series quake) and the 7.1 Arcata (1979, just off shore of Eureka and Arcata (Just south of Billy). In both quakes I was in buildings that were near sea level on alluvium that experienced liquifaction and severe ground movement. All you could do is hang on and hope that the building didn't collapse with you in it. Basically you are in a box and a giant is shaking it vigorously. I can only imagine how bad a 7.9 like what hit Turkey and Syria would be. Out here a 3.8 wouldn't even raise an eyebrow

[Dave Grubb]

The Richter Scale is logarithmic. Essentially, each successive magnitude is 33 times larger than the last. That means a magnitude-8.0 earthquake is 33 times stronger than a 7.0, and a magnitude-9.0 earthquake is 1,089 (33 x 33) times more powerful than a 7.0.

An earthquake is one of those things I did not need to experience---and may I never repeat again

[Kevin]

So there was a difference of 4 between the Buffalo quake and the Turkey quake. 33x33x33x33 is about 1.2 million. So the quake in Turkey was about a million times worse.

No wonder the buildings there look like sand piles. Not even rubble. Just shook them to pieces.

[Truckman]

So the quake in Turkey was about a million times worse.

No wonder the buildings there look like sand piles. Not even rubble. Just shook them to pieces.

That and the building codes in that part of the world may not quite match those in Buffalo......Ben

[UTAH]

So, I moved away from the San Andreas Fault to the faultline in West Valley. Fortunately, the Legislature funded seismic foundations for our Capital Hill Buildings and our SL Gov offices so they'll make it through moderate quakes.

Earthquakes are not preventable but we can prepare for them.

Hunter

[FredK]

That and the building codes in that part of the world may not quite match those in Buffalo......Ben

Did the building codes as a plan reviewer and inspector for years. County was one of the first in the state to set higher standards and as a result massive compaining when explaining why the plans needed engineered drawing instead of the usual back of paper napkin drawings previously used in so many cases.

Knock on wood that we're not around when the Cascadia subduction zone goes off the Oregon/Washington Coast. It destroy a large part of the Pacific Northwest maybe more than the San Andreas one in Cali. https://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2...really-big-one

As to Turkey and watching building falls I really feel for the people suffering over there.

[Mike]

.........As to Turkey and watching building falls I really feel for the people suffering over there.

My thoughts as well. These people were already living in conditions most Americans would find deplorable and unacceptable and now this happens to them. Friends or foes, no one deserves this.

[Dave Grubb]

As ironic as it is, the refugees still living in tents in Syria could be the lucky ones

[UTAH]

I like that positive spin on it, Dave.

Hunter