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Newgirls · 14/11/2023 08:26

Glad to hear you are ok puffin. I’ve experienced earthquakes in the us and it’s surreal. Locals barely register them.

YoKookoY · 14/11/2023 08:51

Newgirls · 14/11/2023 08:26

Glad to hear you are ok puffin. I’ve experienced earthquakes in the us and it’s surreal. Locals barely register them.

I had the opposite experience when I lived in California. It was the locals genuine fear when there was an earthquake that made me so nervous. I guess having previously gone through a big earthquake they were understandably nervous of it happening again

Newgirls · 14/11/2023 09:05

Oh! Maybe they get them a lot. There was no damage or anything after the one I felt so maybe it barely registered for them

Puffinshop · 14/11/2023 14:23

Nothing much going on today. People still going in to retrieve items with the SAR workers. Some of the warehouses are being emptied too. The area gets more dangerous as time goes on and the land continues to deform and new cracks appear. Víðir from the Department of Civil Defence says they are treating it a bit like a glacier with snow-covered crevasses, which is of course very dangerous. Some houses are completely ruined with cracks right through the walls, some are perfectly fine. The town as a whole faces a very uncertain future.

The infrastructure defense bill was passed, the one that sets a new tax to pay for defensive walls and other action to protect infrastructure on Reykjanes. It's infuriating that the first proposed wall is made longer to go around the Blue Lagoon as well as the power plant and this will be funded completely by homeowners with no contribution at all from the owners of the Blue Lagoon. Both the BL and the power plant are private companies and the BL especially is incredibly lucrative with its rip off prices and thousands of visitors every day, they make billions. It only benefits the owners, who are rich as Croesus, and I am pissed off that they won't pay for their own defences. It is absolutely typical Icelandic politics. Though this wall is just one of the things the tax is supposed to fund.

Anyway the wall is supposed to be 4 km long, 6-8 metres high and they reckon it'll take them 30-40 days to build so that will be quite the feat. Let's hope it works.

Puffinshop · 14/11/2023 15:03

Sirens in Grindavík apparently and an emergency evacuation going on. Something is happening.

Puffinshop · 14/11/2023 15:06

Heightened levels of sulphur dioxide. It's actually not an emergency they say - a calm evacuation then.

RedToothBrush · 14/11/2023 16:25

YoKookoY · 14/11/2023 08:51

I had the opposite experience when I lived in California. It was the locals genuine fear when there was an earthquake that made me so nervous. I guess having previously gone through a big earthquake they were understandably nervous of it happening again

I think earthquakes in Iceland differ somewhat from earthquakes in California in that Iceland has a small population, doesnt have large buildings and scientists are hopeful they can give fair warning. I believe the biggest known was about 7.1. In terms of a volcanic eruption, if there's a big one we'll be feeling the effects in the UK too and it'll be climatic issues rather than lava that's the issue.

So there's not the history of 'The Big One ' in terms of earthquakes in the same way as California.

I was reading up on this the other day, in part because of events in Iceland but also because Mount St Helens has been a bit more noisy than usual and eruptions in this area are known to be triggers for big earthquakes.

California and the Pacific Northwest are overdue for 'The Big One'. San Andreas is over due and will cause 'thousands of lives lost' but by the sound of it they are more concerned not about the San Andreas but up in the Pacific Northwest because it's perhaps less prepared and they think the earthquake may be bigger.

If you read up about the 1700 earthquake it's really frightening. It wasn't documented because it was still tribal land - however they know when it was partly through oral history, tree evidence and documents in Japan that describe a massive tsunami...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1700_Cascadia_earthquake

If you scroll down to future threats for some sobering reading:

The geological record reveals that "great earthquakes" (those with moment magnitude 8 or higher) occur in the Cascadia subduction zone about every 500 years on average, often accompanied by tsunamis. There is evidence of at least 13 events at intervals from about 300 to 900 years with an average of 570–590 years.

As seen in the 1700 quake, the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake, and the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, subduction zone earthquakes can cause large tsunamis, and many coastal areas in the region have prepared tsunami evacuation plans in anticipation of a possible future Cascadia earthquake. However, the major nearby cities, notably Seattle, Portland, Vancouver, Victoria, and Tacoma, which are located on inland waterways rather than on the coast, would be sheltered from the full brunt of a tsunami. These cities do have many vulnerable structures, especially bridges and unreinforced brick buildings; consequently, most of the damage to the cities would probably be from the earthquake itself. One expert asserts that buildings in Seattle are inadequate even to withstand an event of the size of the M7.9 1906 San Francisco earthquake, let alone a more powerful one.

Kenneth Murphy, who directs FEMA's Region X, the division responsible for Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and Alaska, stated, "Our operating assumption is that everything west of Interstate 5 will be toast."

Recent findings conclude that the Cascadia subduction zone is more complex and volatile than previously believed. In 2010, geologists predicted a 37% chance of an M8.2+ event within 50 years, and a 10% to 15% chance that the entire Cascadia subduction zone will rupture with an M9+ event within the same time frame. Geologists have also determined the Pacific Northwest is not prepared for such an earthquake. The tsunami produced could reach heights of 80 to 100 feet (24 to 30 m).

Look up where Interstate 5 is.

The thing that's scariest to me isn't necessarily the earthquake either. It's the chaos that would follow with looting and break down in civil defence and Americans running around with guns.

I'm not bloody surprised anyone on the West Coast lives in fear of the big one. 37% chance of another Big Cascadia earthquake by 2060... I don't like those odds.

Look at the odds for volcanos and earthquakes in Iceland and you don't see anything in the league.

1700 Cascadia earthquake - Wikipedia

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/1700_Cascadia_earthquake

RedToothBrush · 14/11/2023 16:34

Puffinshop · 14/11/2023 15:06

Heightened levels of sulphur dioxide. It's actually not an emergency they say - a calm evacuation then.

Worth posting this from ruv.is/English

Benedikt Ófeigsson at the Icelandic Met Office, has told RÚV that their new meters have detected increased levels of SO2, or sulphur dioxide.

The Office informed the police chief in Suðurnes about this and he decided to evacuate Grindavík.

Benedikt says there are no indications on other devices that an eruption is starting.

They still don't want to rule it out, as this gas doesn't appear in this way unless magma is very high in the earth's crust.

Now people just want to be "super careful," as Benedikt puts it.

Newgirls · 14/11/2023 16:51

Sorry to hear about the damaged houses

RedToothBrush · 14/11/2023 16:51

I've just seen this from sky news on twitter from about 20mins ago

Latest updates as smoke rises from the ground on an Icelandic peninsula and thousands of residents of Grindavik are evacuated amid a warning from scientists that everything points to a volcanic eruption in the coming days.

Now I'm looking for another source on the smoke but can't find one as yet.

I suspect it's a rehashing of 'news' of broken hotwater pipes that have been circulating for a couple of days.

Unless anyone has heard anything different of course...

RedToothBrush · 14/11/2023 16:57

This is a lady from Grindavik. Looking at her tweets she's genuine. She's been tweeting for days about the situation and how it's affected her.

Anyway an hour ago she posted the following, which doesn't just comment on the sulphur

The Mews From Iceland at mewsforcats
Things are progressing. Sulphur dioxide levels rising and friend who is now leaving the area called to tell me that the town is visibly sinking more as they are leaving.

greenacrylicpaint · 14/11/2023 17:10

I have a scientist friend who is now in the area.
I guess many geologists/meteorologists/vulcanologist are there or waiting for the data to help to develop early warning systems.

hope everyone is safe and that most belongings can be rescued.
must be tough having to leave your home not knowing if you can return to live in it.

Puffinshop · 14/11/2023 17:14

Yes, I think the 'smoke' will be the steam from hot water pipes.

The monitoring team apparently noticed elevated sulphur dioxide and alerted the police to evacuate. The chief of police in Suðurnes who was interviewed said that this was then reversed but the evacuation had already started so they just kept on with it.

Rae36 · 14/11/2023 17:52

Man, I found Jón's film really quite sad.

What a horrible situation for everyone who lives there and has no idea what their town will look like afterwards.

I hope everyone stays safe.

quivers · 14/11/2023 18:31

@RedToothBrush We have relatives in Seattle, so that does give concern.

Icelandtrip2024 · 14/11/2023 20:11

That video is really sad Crunchy, thanks for sharing. Are you able to translate the signs in people's windows?

CrunchyCarrot · 14/11/2023 20:16

@Puffinshop or anyone who might know, why are so many lights left on in Grindavik? I did wonder if it's part of an alert system. If some of the lights go out suddenly, then something may be afoot?

CrunchyCarrot · 14/11/2023 20:21

Icelandtrip2024 · 14/11/2023 20:11

That video is really sad Crunchy, thanks for sharing. Are you able to translate the signs in people's windows?

Only via Google translate, I don't speak Icelandic.

engi hér í húsino = no one here in the house
farin = gone

It is very sad.

EdithStourton · 14/11/2023 20:21

CrunchyCarrot · 14/11/2023 15:26

Grapevine publisher Jón Trausti Sigurðarson heading in to Grindavik with his parents who live there to collect things. In English.

That was very moving. I'm impressed by how calm they all were.

Mind you, I think the Icelandic landscape breeds self-reliance.

Puffinshop · 14/11/2023 20:54

Your guess is as good as mine with the lights. Are they maybe just the street lights going on automatically or is it more than that do you think?

Part of the evacuation protocol was to put signs in the windows saying that the house was empty, to make it easier for police to check everything. It's very poignant to see.

I did enjoy the woman today who was interviewed and said she just wanted to come home. "As soon as this damn eruption can make up its mind to start and we can come back, I'll be back in a shot."

Puffinshop · 14/11/2023 21:00

I think it's also worth noting that although a lot of police officers are involved with managing the area, there are also a lot of SAR people and they are unpaid (but well trained) volunteers. Funded completely by donations and selling fireworks.

It's a crazy situation in a country that needs SAR so much but they really are heroes.

The Icelandic spirit can be very impressive in times of crisis.

Icelandtrip2024 · 14/11/2023 21:12

That makes sense with the signs,thank you both.

CrunchyCarrot · 14/11/2023 21:19

The Fagradalsfjall cam has zoomed in. I can see a car with a blue light slowly going along the streets.

Trying to make out whether it's only street lights that are on or whether other ones are too.

Fagradalsfjall - Live from Iceland

The timelapse runs from midnight to midnight. Go to https://livefromiceland.is for more.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YAQzsB9ev9Q