What might really be happening in Washington State?

There's been quakes up here in Washington. Just not the building shakers we've seen the past few months elsewhere. usgs
Just noticed a 2.3 at Carbonado, WA. Base of Mt. Rainier, leading up to the mountain. And with a 3.4 at the southern base 5 day's ago.. Hopefully I won't have to pack our camping gear early.

reply to post by Isaac (RIP DUSTIN)


Yup, they have been back-filling the quakes from the weekend. Drives me crazy. The 2.3 is new....near helens.

The utter lack of any energy being released from the subduction zone is what concerns me most though. Those couple of small ones out near the peninsula that are deeper may be from it...but that is nothing. Only indicators that it is down there and very much alive.

Quoting this post to keep it on the new page:

Originally posted by westcoast
Okay, so I felt compelled a couple of days ago to put together a map indicating where we have had 6+ quakes along the cascadia subduction zone in recent history. I finally did it today. This info took several hours to wade through, but it paints a compelling picture.

Using USGS info, I went back ten years and made a list of all significant quakes along the West coast, including Alaska and Canada. It wasn't long before the different faults and depths became obvious. Although I think that the quakes in Alaska are tied into our cascade subduction zone it is not techinically considered the same so I am not including it on the map. However, I think it important to note that there have been MANY (nine to be exact) of 6+ and 7+ quakes in that region over the past ten years. My point being that quite a bit of pressure has been rleased, ruptures occuring. A stark comparison to our own region.

I could clearly see what quakes belonged to the San Andreas, the Juan De Fuca and the infamous Cascadia subduction. I threw out the Andreas and De Fuca for obvious reasons and then limited the quakes to only 6+ in mag. I want to add though, that even extending the range down to 4.0, there have only been a handful along the coast North of California in the past decade. Surprising.

SO....this is the map I came up with using those parameters:

I marked the 6+ quakes with red squares, then connected those dots with a red line. I added a few other note-worthy quakes of lower mags (4+) in orange, since I thought it obvious they also originated from the subduction zone, based on location and depth. I connected those dots with yellow to give what I think is a rather complete picture of where the next rupture is going to occur.




I then drew in where I feel the most destruction and motion will occur, using grey lines:
(please keep in mind we are talking a 9+ quake. the grey area is only where the most would occur but the damage will be massive and widespread)


Then I added the most likely subsequent tsunami damage:
(Obviously, this applies to canada too....but I limited the map to the US)





That the subduction zone is due for a mega thrust earthquake is not in question. Most scientist agree that it is a matter of when not if and that the when is most likely to be from now to the next 20 or 30 yrs. The less pressure being released, the more ominous it gets...indicating the 'lock' is increasing, thus the pressure.

I have talked a lot about the deep tremors. I want to post a couple of maps to show you why. Keep in mind that the deep tremors were first discovered back in 2001 and they began studying them a year or two later. It has been determined that it is a slow tremor and slip process, releasing around the equivalent energy of a 7.0 quake each year. It is a good thing, probably. Truth is they don't know for sure, but it makes sense to me that if we aren't having the quakes, the deep tremors are a good alternative. What concerns me is that they were chugging along up until the Japan quake. Since then, there have been hardly ANY in comparison. We also haven't seen any even moderate quakes in response. I don't like that.

Here is a map I did back on 3/17 showing how many tremors there had been in just the first three months of 2011. It clearly shows the subduction zone:





In contrast, here is one I just did showing post-quake until now. Note that almost half of those happened the three days following the Japan quake. There haven been almost none since then:



SOURCE
Also note that most of them have been on the southern end of the subduction zone. I don't like that either. Mother nature likes balance....which is why the silence here since the Japan quake has me on edge. It think it means one of two things:

A. The Japan quake relieved the pressure from the casadia subduction zone - or-
B. The Japan quake increased the pressure, thereby locking it up even more

Based on history, I have to go with option B, although I don't want to.


Look at the map. There has been only ONE quake in Washington that was greater than 6.0 in over a decade.

NONE in or near Oregon in over a decade.

Something has got to give.

edit on 11-4-2011 by westcoast because: (no reason given)

So I have a confession to make. I don't have earthquake insurance. Can you believe that? This is how deep the ignorance goes here. I never even thought about it before. I began to this week, and today called to find out if it was part of my plan. It wasn't. Tomorrow I go into the office to sign the binder and make the first payment.

For complete building coverage (with a deductible) it is under 20/mo. My insurance agent agreed with me that as soon as we have a moderate quake in the state that figure is going to jump WAY up.

It makes me wonder. I am living in a region that scientists keep saying has the potential to generate the largest quake in the world and yet the EQ insurance is under 20/mo while in Arkansas we have people stating that there is a moretorium on EQ insurance there. What the heck?

Wierd indeed.

reply to post by westcoast


More weird, my basic insurance has me covered for earthquakes but not floods...actually makes sense, we never get earthquakes but floods happen seasonally.

They're back

www.pnsn.org...

reply to post by berkeleygal


yup, I saw that tiny little 'burp' yesterday. I'll be curious to see what it does today. Will more appear? Will they be concentrated to the South or start to spread and even out?

I'll be glad to see them start back up again...so long as it is the 'norm'.

All those quakes to the south in Nevada and Southern California are distressing. Anyone looking for HT in Nevada????

Okay, bought my earthquake insurance today. I am prepared.

I was told by the agent that its so cheap here because we aren't really in an active area.

I just stared at her. I have a bad habit of clearly showing what I am thinking in a look. I imagine it looked somewhat like; "What, are you a total freaking moron or something?"

I told her that while perhaps we haven't had many large quakes here recently, we are in fact sitting on top of a subduction zone capable of producing the largest quake in history. She gave me a blank look. I gave up. My insurance company doesn't handle earthquake insurance, but farmed it out to someone who does. Still, they should at least be aware of the local risks so they can advise their clients. And some of you thought I was exaggerating about the ignorance here.

reply to post by berkeleygal


Okay, so kinda like I was afraid might happen, the tremors seem to be back in force but concentrated at one end. In the past I have noticed a correlation between this and a quake on the opposite end.

221 epicenters today. All located at the Northern End of California. I wonder. Do you think that if the array were to extend below that it would show something? Say......a whole heck of a lot of tremors right at the Cali/Nevada border????

source

reply to post by westcoast

Do you think that if the array were to extend below that it would show something? Say......a whole heck of a lot of tremors right at the Cali/Nevada border????

YES

reply to post by westcoast


How far away for that border are the Long Valley tremors being talked about? www.abovetopsecret.com...
Do you think it all is connected?

Ps. not laughing about my earthquake insurance anymore with 2 quakes in Queenland today. Super weird.

reply to post by zenius


YES...I do. Those of my friends that have been reading my multiple seismo threads know that I have talked about 'pulling them all together' some day. Well, today the light finally came on for me. I have another theory and I am going to be posting the thread explaining it all later tonight. There was only one thing that wasn't adding up until a few minutes ago. The 4.6 quake in Nevada. Look at the depth. Yes. Now it makes sense. And it isn't good.

I knew that it would eventually all form a bigger picture, but I had NO idea just HOW BIG it would be. So stay tuned. I am sorry for the teaser, but life prevents me from posting it right now and although it is all very clearly in my head I have multiple maps to make and some further research to do to paint the bigger picture and have it make sense to the casuall reader.

Originally posted by oppaperclip
Can you imagine the unrivaled destruction of a caldera in Washington and Yellowstone erupting at the same time? If the San Andreas fault goes a tumblin in a spectacular way I don't want to be near anything that has to do with the north west.

Don't forget that Long Valley is gonna go too since apparantly some on this site believe all the earthquakes in the world are linked and are gonna shoot off every single large volcano in the world. Oh yea don't forget about the comet about to hit us either or the poisons in the water supply. Of course none of this will happen if it doesn't correlate with the NWO.

Seriously man, forget about it and save yourself some stress. I would debunk this for you but frankly i'm tired of doing this in every thread about earthquakes or volcanoes so just rest assured that the experts are watching it closely.

They aren't controlled by the government either as you'll notice if you read up on all the false alarms they have issued in the past to the disgruntlement of local communities.

reply to post by TheBorg


This is so unbelievable! I live in the PNW, not far from Mt st Helens. I have felt the vibrations you are talking about, at my feet. At first, I thought I must have Parkinsons or something. I didn't mention it to anyone because I thought they would think I was crazy.

reply to post by westcoast


Well hurry up woman! LOL

Seriously though, I cannot wait to read your theory!

reply to post by UtahRosebud


I was gonna say the same thing!

Seriously, take your time, make it good, as i know you will! Can't wait to see your theory

Yeah I'm with them, eager to see your theory. But at the same time... I live in the North West and don't want to loose any more sleep..
Not sure if this has any meaning but we have 3 cats and two have been acting...well different tonight. I just peeked at the USGS site and saw a 1.7 just happened 9 miles east of Enumclaw. Which is around 9 miles east of my house. I've had a weird feeling all night since I got home from work and still have this feeling like "something is about to happen" feeling..

Okay, sorry it took me so long but I finally have it up:

Putting it all together

Issac...I don't want you to loose any more sleep. The thing with all of this, is that there isn't anything we can do about it except be prepared. We could move. But where? You can find something to worry over no matter where you go. I chose to live here because it is so beautiful and just a nice place. If the warning signs are ever big enough to warrant a vacation... than that is what I will do. Otherwise I am as prepared as I think I can be.

If my theory about the subduction zone is in any way right...I would feel a bit more anxious if I were in Northern California/Southern Oregon. But we can talk about that on the other thread.

Okay, since this is my thread about Washington State, I feel a bit more relaxed about what I can deem as pertinent and post here.

I have posted pictures of my area here before to help convey the beauty and diversity. So...just a bit of a break from all the earthquake talk. I was blessed the other day to be given a show from mother nature and had a blue heron pose for me right behind my yard. A slough (backwash from the skagit river) runs behind my house and offers a wide variety of wildlife viewing including eagles, otters, beavers, deer, coyotes, racoons, hawks and blue herons (among others). So enjoy!

Blue Heron (This one has earned a coveted spot on my 'wall of favorites'...16x20 frame )



In flight


what a beautiful bird!


Landing


Who's the pretty bird?


Oh, and then I had a humming bird buzz me! I managed to snap a pic of it as it fed on a bush in front of me about 20 ft away...




THIS is part of the reason why I am here in spite of the dangers. Hope you all have a beautiful day!!!

Heads up guys. Just read this thread. There's some strange stuff going on in the sky. Be on the look-out!

Strange lights and radar images over portland, oregon