To think all these earthquakes are strange??

[Mammylamb]

Recently there seems to have been a lot of earthquakes (Japan, nz, Mexico). Is it normal to get so many close together in time? (admittedly thousands of miles apart)

Fruitbat
Which one is that from?

Crowdie, the eclipse mention was a tongue in cheek reference to various religious factions claiming it's a clear sign that god's not happy.

It's all the Large Hadron Collider's fault

Chazs
You think our current weather is extreme but what about the ice age? That must have set a few records! In geological terms the ice age is a recent event. The last glacial period only ended 10,000 years ago.

The point is that the planet will cope with massive fluctuations in climate, but life as we know it
and certainly human "civilisation" will not

@Iamtheresurrection

An unmentionable newspaper promised it's the Rapture this weekend

Best leave a window open so you can be taken up to heaven. You don't want to miss out.

My dh is convinced that there is a link between the two recent hurricanes and the two big earthquakes in Mexico. Something about the drop in air pressure causing movement in the plates. I was a bit sceptical about his theory and actually posted about it on a weather thread yesterday.

A poster came back saying that scientists are starting to think there is a link. The poster gave lots of links to various articles on the subject.

I will see if I can repost the links.

www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/12/111208121016.htm

www.9news.com/mobile/article/weather/irma-registers-on-equipment-used-to-measure-earthquakes/73-471802338

www.google.co.uk/amp/s/amp.theguardian.com/world/2016/oct/16/climate-change-triggers-earthquakes-tsunamis-volcanoes

www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/hurricanes-may-cause-earthquakes-38447485/

It seems perfectly reasonable to me that climate change impacts on seismic activity. Changes in rainfall and temperature can cause subsidence, mudslides and desertification. Hurricanes can move huge volumes of sea water. Melting ice caps increase the weight and volume of the seas.

it's like climate change has said to someone 'is that right? Here, hold my drink'

But you can't mention climate change. Instead, you must pray for the victims.

Ta1kinPeece

You had said "sod all tests". Just pointing out that there have been some.

Nothing on fracking, though?

A poster came back saying that scientists are starting to think there is a link. The poster gave lots of links to various articles on the subject

I'm a scientist.
I'm beginning to think so.
Ergo...
(Not in any way a climate or earthquake scientist, though. )

Volcanic activity is a natural cause of global warming. It's scary shit to think that man-made global warming could cause even a tiny effect on seismic activity - more volcanic eruptions = more global warming = more eruptions

I'm not a scientist, but I don't think I'm taking entirely out of my arse.

Well the sort of good news is, more volcanic eruptions could slow global warming.
interesting link from usgs

More volcanic eruptions might slow global warming by cutting out the amount of sunlight (energy) that reaches the surface of the earth... but also reduces the amount of light/energy available for crop growth, so could cause crop failure, famine (similar to "nuclear winter")

Oh that's interesting, Kitty

I feel slightly less panicked now

And then Lettuce came along

yeah, I wasn't offering it as a happy solution.

Laki had a profound impact on Europes weather in 1783.
www.theguardian.com/world/2010/apr/15/iceland-volcano-weather-french-revolution

It's chaos out there.

It's a chaotic system, so sensitive to initial conditions and very difficult to predict.

whoops, sorry! Human history is dotted with these sorts of catastrophic happenings- but we are still here.
We would probably be more able to work our way through it now, I hope anyway. Somebody's (high level somebody's), got to be planning for this sort of thing, unlike the last time we'd know what was happening and act to mitigate as many of the effects as possible.

http://news.nationalgeographic.com/2015/04/150410-tambora-volcano-eruption-climate-change-famine-earth-science/

These unfortunate natural disasters have been happening for millions of years.
However, I heard the world is going to end on Saturday, so you may be on to something

There absolutely are people planning, but I'm not sure there are enough. DOD report on climate change

and some of the plans look like they may be going a bit wrong:
www.theguardian.com/environment/2017/may/19/arctic-stronghold-of-worlds-seeds-flooded-after-permafrost-melts

When Krakatoa exploded in 1883 the dust clouds affected weather around the world. Temperatures were reduced in Europe and there was record rainfull in the US.

It's all a bit grim we humans could/should be better at this sort of planning- it's kind of IMPORTANT.