Are We About Experience Shifts Of All Of Earth's Tectonic Plates At Once?

Has anyone noticed that we are experiencing an extraordinary number of earthquake and volcanic events. I've gleaned a flurry of headlines to illustrate that something dramatic seems to be happening. I'm looking for expert feedback as to whether these events might be related to global ice melt. Global ice melt would create a significant shift in weight across all of the tectonic plates. It seems logical that the planet might have a self regulating mechanism in response to global warming. Finally is it possible that a very large earthquake that generates a very large tsunami might in turn create more quakes and then more tsunami's in a chain reaction. Add possible volcanic eruptions...whoa! I've also read that the loss of the ice is allowing magma to draw closer to the surface in artic areas. Again I'm just a layman but all of this has me deeply concerned. Is the press just hyping events that would normally never make the news if it wasn't for the earthquake in China, or are we seeing the beginning of a sequence of events that could have vast implications for all of us? Again looking for expert feedback from the scientific community. Thanks!!!!!

Here are our most recent earthquake and volcanic related news links:

Toll of Dead, Missing Climbs in Japan Earthquake - 7.2
Voice of America - 13 hours ago

Mountain Collapsed After Japan Earthquake
동아일보, South Korea - 5 hours ago

Earthquake in Uttarakhand - India
12 hours ago

Eruption gain strength at Chile's Chaiten volcano
14 hours ago

Scientists warn tourists off White Island volcano - eruption warning
Stuff.co.nz, New Zealand - Jun 13, 2008

Volcano erupts in eastern Indonesia
Xinhua, China - Jun 15, 2008

Giant tortoises threatened as Galapagos volcano erupts
AFP - May 30, 2008

Indonesia raises alert of volcano as it spews lava
Reuters.fr, France - Jun 8, 2008

Java Largest Volcanic mudflow ever recorded leaves 50,000 homeless
Independent, UK - May 31, 2008

World's Fastest-growing Mud Volcano Is Collapsing, Says New Research
Science Daily (press release) - Jun 2, 2008
2, 2008) — The world's fastest-growing mud volcano is collapsing and could subside to depths of more than 140 metres with consequences for the surrounding ...

Patagonian volcano may be about to blow its top
New Scientist (subscription), UK - May 30, 2008

Ecuador records 125 explosions of Tungurahua volcano
Xinhua, China - May 25, 2008

Emergency Meeting called to discuss Vog
KHON2, HI - Jun 9, 2008
The gas plume at the summit of Kilauea volcano is spewing 5 to 7 times the level of sulfur dioxide it had let out before december of last year. ...

Strong earthquake hits Greece; 2 dead
The Associated Press - Jun 8, 2008

Iceland shaken by magnitude 6.1 earthquake
The Associated Press - May 29, 2008

Volcano warning after earthquake
Melbourne Herald Sun, Australia - Jun 12, 2008
NEW Zealand scientists today warned people to stay away from the country's most active volcano after an earthquake rocked the region. ...

Mod Edit: All Caps – Please Review This Link.

[edit on 15/6/2008 by Mirthful Me]

Anyone else feel like these events might be linked to global ice melt?

Originally posted by mikesdenver
Anyone else feel like these events might be linked to global ice melt?

Well, there certainly IS a big increase in the number of earthquakes sized 5.5 and over, but I do not believe there is a 'global ice melt'.

Granted, at the northern and southern ends of the Atlantic, there is melting, but there is build-up of ice elsewhere.

Take a look at: www.iceagenow.com... for some interesting facts about sea levels, glaciers, and ice-caps. It is data such as found on this site, that helps drive skepticism of claims made by people like Gore - who incidentally stands to personally and financially profit from his stance on climate change.

Currently my USGS feed, gives me about an average of 1.2 earthquakes of size 5.5 PER DAY - instead of one or so a fortnight. This trend has been current for the last 3-4 weeks, and many of the quakes are not reported as they are in remote locations.

Take a look ...

2008-06-15 08:37:18 (Mw 5.8) SOUTHERN EAST PACIFIC RISE -36.4 -107.4
2008-06-15 01:13:11 (Mb 5.7) FIJI REGION -17.8 -179.7
2008-06-14 06:47:10 (Mb 4.9) OFF COAST OF OREGON 44.2 -129.1
2008-06-14 00:20:13 (Mb 5.5) EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN 39.0 140.4
2008-06-13 23:43:46 (Mw 6.9) EASTERN HONSHU, JAPAN 39.1 140.6
2008-06-11 02:30:11 (Mb 5.7) SOUTH OF KERMADEC ISLANDS -33.5 179.8
2008-06-10 04:13:35 (Mw 5.8) VANUATU -18.0 168.0
2008-06-08 12:25:29 (Mw 6.1) GREECE 38.0 21.5
2008-06-06 20:02:58 (Mb 5.6) NORTHERN ALGERIA 35.9 -0.6
2008-06-06 13:42:49 (Mb 6.0) KEPULAUAN BARAT DAYA, INDONESIA -7.4 127.9
2008-06-05 05:22:27: (Mw 5.8) WEST CHILE RISE -38.9 -91.7
2008-06-05 02:16:48: (Mw 6.0) WEST CHILE RISE -38.8 -91.4
2008-06-04 17:03:05 (Mw 5.6) HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION 41.6 139.1
2008-06-03 22:04:28 (Mw 6.1) FLORES REGION, INDONESIA -8.1 120.2
2008-06-03 17:31:32 (Mb 6.1) FLORES REGION, INDONESIA -8.2 120.3
2008-06-03 16:20:52 (Mw 6.2) SOLOMON ISLANDS -10.4 161.3
2008-06-02 17:50:25 (Mb 4.7) OFF COAST OF OREGON 44.2 -129.4
2008-06-01 00:31:14: (Mw 5.5) BOUVET ISLAND REGION -54.8 0.9
2008-06-01 14:31:06 (Mw 6.4) WEST OF MACQUARIE ISLAND -59.0 149.8
2008-06-01 10:33:28 (Mb 5.8) BANDA SEA -4.5 129.6
2008-06-01 01:57:22 (Mb 6.4) BATAN ISL REGION, PHILIPPINES 20.1 121.3
2008-05-31 23:16:05: (Mw 5.8) EASTER ISLAND REGION -28.8 -112.1
2008-05-31 04:37:55: (Mw 6.6) MID-INDIAN RIDGE -41.3 80.5
2008-05-30 07:25:43 (Mw 5.6) IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION 30.8 141.6
2008-05-29 15:46:01 (Mw 6.1) ICELAND 64.0 -21.0
2008-05-27 11:28:01: (Mw 5.6) NEAR COAST OF GUATEMALA 13.7 -90.9
2008-05-27 08:37:51 (Mb 5.7) SICHUAN-GANSU BORDER REG, CHINA 32.7 105.6
2008-05-27 05:51:12 (Mw 5.9) WEST OF MACQUARIE ISLAND -56.6 147.4
2008-05-26 15:01:36: (Mw 5.5) PANAMA-COSTA RICA BORDER REGION 8.5 -82.9
2008-05-25 19:18:23 (Mw 6.0) KODIAK ISLAND REGION, ALASKA 56.1 -153.8

peace

Duncan

This is really scary! i live in the midlands in england and we had a 5.2 quake a few months ago! We hardly ever get large quakes in the UK and i have never ever experienced an earthquake before!!! after that i started looking at quakes and eruptions on the net and reading stuff about them! seems to me like something is going on! but then again with media coverage and communication being unlimited these days it could be down to the fact we hear about them more not that they are happening more! either way when your home decides it might just shake you off it's back it's a bit disturbing!!

reply to post by mikesdenver


Mike, I think this exact thing is about to happen, and have mentioned this to others on here at ATS. Also the fact that Edgar Cayce predicted continents dividing , he had said to watch for Vesuvius or Pelee to become active, and although these have not, there are other volcanos that have not been active for many years, over 9000 years, that are waking up.

reply to post by realism


yh lol i rember bcuase i live in northants nd ma house had a big crack goin down one of the walls b cuase of it lol

Originally posted by space cadet
reply to post by mikesdenver

 

Mike, I think this exact thing is about to happen, and have mentioned this to others on here at ATS. Also the fact that Edgar Cayce predicted continents dividing , he had said to watch for Vesuvius or Pelee to become active, and although these have not, there are other volcanos that have not been active for many years, over 9000 years, that are waking up.

Mother Shipton also mentions volcanic and earthquake destruction, during times that seem quite familiar ...

---------------------------------

The signs will be there for all to read
When man shall do most heinous deed
Man will ruin kinder lives
By taking them as to their wives.

And murder foul and brutal deed
When man will only think of greed.
And man shall walk as if asleep
He does not look - he many not peep
And iron men the tail shall do
And iron cart and carriage too.

The kings shall false promise make
And talk just for talkings sake
And nations plan horrific war
The like as never seen before

And taxes rise and lively down
And nations wear perpetual frown
Yet greater sign there be to see
As man nears latter century

Three sleeping mountains gather breath
And spew out mud, and ice and death.
And earthquakes swallow town and town,
In lands as yet to me unknown.

And christian one fights christian two
And nations sigh, yet nothing do
And yellow men great power gain
From mighty bear with whom they've lain.

These mighty tyrants will fail to do
They fail to split the world in two.
But from their acts a danger bred
An ague - leaving many dead.

And physics find no remedy
For this is worse than leprosy.
Oh many signs for all to see
The truth of this true prophecy.

----------------------------

up there in Canada, there remains a geologic depression over a vast area
that was caused by the mile thick ice sheet during the last ice age...

so it takes a really long time for the crust to spring back and cause earthquakes fron ice melt...
Greenland is going through the same thing now, but the ice melt is more likely from geothermal activity rather than exclusively from the global air pollution of manmade greenhouse gasses.

My understanding though is the ice melt is occurring at significantly faster rates than normally would be the case. Is it possible we are entering uncharted territory because of the the rapid ice melt at the poles. I realize there are areas where there is buildup but there are vast areas where we have massive ice melt. Personally I believe the tectonic plates are in a dynamic balance. That balance is undergoing significant changes right now due to climate change.

My bigger question is the news reports would seem to indicate we have a period of significant volcanic action and earth movement. I can't recall in my lifetime this much going on all at once. The news link I listed didn't even mention the recent seismic activity in the midwest. I don't know this all seems ominous.

At the very least people should probably review what to do in an earthquake becuase it seems like stuff is happening in a big way all over the planet.

Additional comments definitely welcomed and thanks for the information posted so far!

After careful and prolonged research and calculation, I am now ready to confidently predict that the antarctic tectonic plate in eventually go north!

So even if you don't buy into global warming there is evidence that we have significant ice melt in some areas and ice build up in others. My understanding is this process is occuring at rates never before recorded during the period we have kept historical records. Wouldn't it be logical that such shifts would affect the dynamic balance of the Earth's plates?

I personally believe the quakes and volcanic activity are related to the shifts in placement of ice on the planet.

Has anyone else read up on anything about magma being detected closer to the surface in areas of significant melt? I read an article that some Univerisity in England had completed some studies that showed the loss of ice so reduced pressure on the rock below that additional rock was turning into magma.

Additional comments greatly appreciated because I believe this is the beginning of something significant.

Links for all things Volcanic:

VOLCANO LINKS
www.geology.sdsu.edu...
One of the best sites for the generalist is Volcano World, which encompasses a wide range of general information about volcanoes. More specific links on volcanoes are given below. If you find broken links, or if you have links you would like to see added to this page, please contact Vic Camp at [email protected]

EDUCATIONAL LINKS ON VOLCANOES (K-12):

USGS Volcano lesson Plans
Surfing Earthquakes/Volcanoes (Grades 6-8)
Volcano Problem Solving with Science Modules
(NASA classroom of the future)
Building Volcano Models
Teachers Guide to Hawaii Volcano Nat.Park
LandSat-7 Teachers Kit
Mt. St. Helens Lab Curriculum (Grades 5-12)
Puna Ridge (Hawaii) Learning Activities FEMA for kids: Volcanoes
Volcano Quiz, by Pascal Blonde
Volcanoes On-line
The Annenberg/CPB Project
Volcano Web
Volcano Lesson Plans
Vulcans Vocabulary
Teaching and Learning (Volcano World)

EDUCATIONAL LINKS ON VOLCANOES (INTERMEDIATE TO ADVANCED):

Calder Collapse Website
Volcano DataBase
Volcano Explorer
MBARI -Submarine volcanism
Mantleplumes.org
Stromboli On-line
Michigan Tech University Volc. Page
The Granular Volcano Group
The Electronic Volcano - Dartmouth
The Volcanic Home Page
Hawaiian Center of Volcanology
Volcano Information Center - UCSB USGS Phtoglossary of Volcanic Terms
Properties of Rhyolite Magma
Links for Mineralogists
Volcano Systems Center - Univ. of Washington
Volcanism and Hazards (Bill Leeman, Rice Univ.)
Info.on Volc. and Volcanism (J. S. Aabech)
Graduate Programs in Volcanology
Southwest Volcano Research Center
Mars, Moon, and Earth (J. Head, Brown Univ.)
University of New Mexico Volcanology Program
Teaching Petrology in the 21st Century (NAGT)

REMOTE SENSING OF VOLCANOES:

Landsat 7 volcano images (Synergy Project - University of Hawaii)
Sattelite Images and animations of the 10 most active volcanoes (updated every hour)
NASA Radar Images of Volcanoes
AVO Satellite Images of Volcanic Eruptions
Mt. St. Helens Blast Recovery
NASA EOS IDS Volcanology
Remote Sensing of Volcanoes (MTU)

VOLCANIC HAZARDS:

Int'l Volcanic Health Hazards Network
National Hazards Center
University of Geneve Volcanic Hazards
USGS Volcano Hazards Program
USGS Glossary of Volcanic Hazards
Volcanic Ash Advisory Centers
Types of Volcanic Hazards (USGS):
Degassing Lake Nyos California Seismic Safety Commission
Commission on Mitigation of Volc. Dis. (IAVCEI)
Mt. Vesuvius - the making of a volcanic disaster
Notes on Managing Volcanic Risk and Hazard
Volcanic Hazards Mitigation
National Hazards Data Base at NGDC
Volcano Monitoring Techniques
New Zealand Hazards Watch


WORLD VOLCANOES AND CURRENT VOLCANIC ACTIVITY:

World Volcanoes
100 Acive Volcanoes (updated daily)
Update on Current Volcanic Activity (Volcano World)
Global Volcanism Program: Worldwide Activity
Breaking Volcanic Eruption News (Volcano Live)
Current Eruptions in the U.S.
Volcano Watch
Current Submarine Volcanism
Current Eruptions in Japan
World-wide data base on historic eruptions (4322 entries)

VOLCANO BULLETIN BOARDS AND CHAT ROOMS

Volcano LISTSERV
VQOnline
Volcano Forums Digital Crossing
Volcano Forum
Volcano World Email Forums
Global Volcanism Program
Volcanoes and Volcanologists
The Granular Volcano Group Discussion Forum
The Granular Volcano Group Chatroom
Alaska Science Forum on Volcanoes

North Pole 'was once subtropical'

So with that in mind you have to figure out what was going on 55 million years ago, as far as earthquakes and volcanic activity.



news.bbc.co.uk...

So take this article and pick it apart.

www.nature.com...

Global warming 55 million years ago caused migration to North America
www.post-gazette.com...

What is becoming clear, however, is that this warming, which began in the late Paleocene period and continued into the Eocene, brought on the dawn of the age of mammals, said Beard, the Carnegie's associate curator of vertebrate paleontology.The defrosting of the normally frigid northern latitudes opened the way for mammals, including early primates accustomed to tropical and subtropical climes, to migrate out of Asia to North America and Europe, Beard said.

North America was connected to Europe then by a land mass stretching from Canada through Greenland to Scotland.

Bitter Creek area today is arid, windy and often freezing cold in winter. But 55 million years ago, it was a humid, subtropical forest, with an average of 60 inches of precipitation annually and winter temperatures that never dipped below freezing.

Cataclysmic Volcanic Eruptions 55 Million Years Ago Caused Global Warming, Formed North Atlantic
www.underwatertimes.com...

The eruptions also separated Greenland from Europe by giving birth to the North Atlantic Ocean, said the study in the April 26 issue of Science.

en.wikipedia.org...

Yea something really awesome is going to happen

Geologists witness 'ocean birth'
news.bbc.co.uk...

Scientists say they have witnessed the possible birth of a future ocean basin growing in north-eastern Ethiopia.

www.spiegel.de...

Don't let people fool you that this cannot take place quickly.

Yes, I believe it is call phase 1 of project blue beam, from what I have read and saw on youtube. I have a friend that has a project blue beam t-shirt.

Ancient fault lines may have become re-activated

rift system once responsible for the breakup of an ancient supercontinent.

Old continental crust contains a billion-year record of past tectonic activity. This area was once as seismically active as the Gulf of California is today," said Won-Young Kim. "The reactivation of this fault may be due to the forces that are moving the North American Plate over the Earth's mantle. The depth of this earthquake suggests that these forces are quite large, even though they far away from present plate boundaries."

www.scienceblog.com...

www.dailygalaxy.com...

blog.adamnash.com...

www.scotese.com...

www.scotese.com...

www.scotese.com...

Hothouse Earth would halt plate tectonics

environment.newscientist.com...

Here is a for instance, of how quickly earth changes

The geological scar left by the devastating earthquake off the coast of Sumatra in December 2004 has healed more quickly than expected.

Satellite measurements of Earth's gravitational field taken just after the quake show it left a depression 8 millimetres deep in the crust and shallow mantle. While this does not seem like much, the shifting mass jolted Earth's axis of rotation enough to move the poles by 10 centimetres. In under a year, however, the depression had nearly vanished – something that surprises geologists, because according to models of how rocks in the mantle move it should have taken 20 years. "It's almost impossible for rocks to move, that quickly," says Kosuke Heki of Hokkaido University in Sapporo, Japan.

environment.newscientist.com...

So Stormdancer, do you believe these events are in fact occurring at frequencies and magnitudes that they may be precursers to significant Earth changes, especially related to plate movement and vulcanism?

I think regardless of global warming and melting of the ice caps - the earths core is cooling. Perhaps not rapidly but it is cooling slowly but surely!

I think that during it's cooling we are going to experience huge earthquakes and other natural disasters. Think about it. Typically when something heats up it expands and the opposite is also true - when something cools it contracts. This is what is happening. Paint a balloon and then let it dry then prick it with a pin and let it slowly shrink. Eventually the surface area is reduced and the paint has no where to go but to break and crack and fall off. Well, mountains won't fall off the earth but there will be more massive mountains. But i hope there won't be much worse that what we have experienced lately in Japan etc during our life time.

Who knows. Just a thought

[edit on 17/6/2008 by shearder]

I think it arrogant of us as humans to think that nothing of the magnitude of a great earth change could or is taking place at this time. It is painfully obvious around the world that it is in fact taking place, earth changes. Pangea is proof, that it can, did and will continue to happen, even if it is at a snails pace. The continents are always expanding, moving away from each other, earth shows us that frozen areas have been deserts, and vice versa, the 'why' of that is insignificant, there is nothing we can do to stop it, all we can do is adapt.