Strange seismic waves originating off French Madagascar

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

There isn't any relationship between the two beyond some immeasurable butterfly effect. The weather probably played a larger direct role creating conditions than a quake several weeks ago literally half the world away.

a reply to: jadedANDcynical

a reply to: charlyv Doubtful on the meteor impact. They have a very specific type of moment tensor that is easily distinguishable from other types of seismic signals.

I beg to differ on that. The lack of the P wave as well those powerful standing waves could be indicative of a water impact of a bolide.

My only thought here is that this somehow may have healed the planet in some way we do not understand. Anyone have any thoughts along these lines ?

a reply to: charlyv

That seems counter-intuitive to me, but I'm no seismologist.

a reply to: charlyv

If it was either a form of slow slip quake or magma movement, according to geologists, these are both likely, then there would not be either P or S waves associated with the signature.

From the original National Geographic Article:

Ekström thinks that the events on the morning of November 11 actually did begin with an earthquake of sorts equivalent to a magnitude 5 temblor. It passed by largely unnoticed, he suggests, because it was what's known as a slow earthquake. These quakes are quieter than their speedy cousins since they come from a gradual release of stress that can stretch over minutes, hours, or even days.

“The same deformation happens, but it doesn't happen as a jolt,” Ekström says.

These slow types of quakes are often associated with volcanic activity.

The area has only recently been studied in detail when compared to other parts of the globe due to its remoteness. Early studies show that the region is somewhat unique.

The development of the Comoros archipelago in the Mozambique channel has been diversely interpreted since the 1970s. The two end-member causes are, on the one hand, a deep mantle plume that developed a hotspot track from the Seychelles Plateau to the Grande Comore, and, on the other hand, a lithospheric deformation that reactivated transform faults and controlled the magma path.

The volcanism of the Comores archipelago integrated at a regional scale

The area has a combination of faults and different types of crustal rock not found elsewhere on the globe. As a result, there will likely be new discoveries with regards to the tectonic and volcanic sciences. In looking at the published works, a lot of what is available is in French and relatively recent in comparison to other areas which have been under closer study for longer periods of time.

I don't think that it was a meteor because those signatures are unique and although rare, are significantly different from other types of signatures that would be recorded. Any such signature which would be measurable at the distances indicated by the OP article would have to be generated by a very large body and would also produce massive shockwaves in the atmosphere.

Excluding the improbable scenario of impact occurring very close to a seismograph station, direct seismic detection of meteorite impact is effectively limited to objects greater than ~50 kg [Nicholls and Stewart, 1974].
...
Inspection of the original records by the present authors suggests that the seismic waves were locally coupled air seismic waves (precursor waves, see section 4), perhaps enhanced because of topographic coupling, rather than impact induced.

SEISMIC OBSERVATIONS OF METEORS: COUPLING
THEORY AND OBSERVATIONS

Because water does not transmit seismic energy, the source of the signature mention in the OP article has to be from the depths at which earthquakes and magma movement takes place. Any sort of shock waves that might occur over an ocean would not be detectable with seismometers.

What I think might have been happening is something like this : The magma shifted to balance our place in orbit somehow. That is the short answer of course and may also involve the sun.

Found this, which I found pretty interesting. No real answers, but a bit more data.
Also linked to this which is also one of the few things I've found that includes more info and doesn't just regurgitate the NatGeo article.

originally posted by: bluemooone2
My only thought here is that this somehow may have healed the planet in some way we do not understand. Anyone have any thoughts along these lines ?

Why do you think that. Could you explain please