What might really be happening in Washington State?

Awesome view. Isn't that the North Cascade Loop? Been trying to make that drive for a couple of years now.
So I heard there was a small quake up in your area NorthWest
Darrington..
Observation/question.. What's up with Shoreline getting some quakes lately?

reply to post by Isaac (RIP DUSTIN)


Yup! North Cascade Loop....incredible drive if you ever get a chance, do it!

I saw that quake today...didn't feel it. I am about 1/2 hour from there.

Yes, I noticed those Shorline quakes...a bit odd. We'll see if they continue.

Heard about the recent landslide on Mt. Rainier on Northwest Cable News this evening, and the announcer said that they the releases were expected to continue for the next several weeks. I do not have a link, as it was just part of the news, and I know another member mentioned it on your other thread, hope this is the right place.

There is not anything on their website, but I did run across this article.

DEBRIS FLOW ON MT. RAINIER: WHY VOLCANOES ARE DANGEROUS EVEN WHEN NOT ERUPTING

We talk a lot about the hazards that are present at Washington's Rainier mostly in terms of what might happen if the volcano erupts. However, remember that even when Rainier is showing no signs of activity, volcanic hazards can still be present (video). Case in point is the debris flow that occurred on Rainier last week. The Landslide Blog posted an excellent video of the June 25 event that seems to start as a debris avalanche/landslide but as the flow runs down the slopes of the volcano, some parts begin to appear lahar-like as meltwater from the snow, ice and glaciers on the volcano is incorporated into the flow itself.

Link

reply to post by PacificBlue


Thanks for the link! I haven't seen/heard anything more about it. Funny how they say it appears 'lahar like'....uh-hum, okay.

Originally posted by westcoast
reply to post by PacificBlue

 

Funny how they say it appears 'lahar like'....uh-hum, okay.

It makes somewhat sense. If there is a lot of glacier/snow melt off, the water from it would travel down the river valley. For instance Mt. Rainier right now is still covered with snow. If the temperatures would hit in the 90's EDIT in the lowlands tomorrow it would cause a massive melting of snow/ice resulting in loose debris being carried in the river's, would it not?

reply to post by Isaac (RIP DUSTIN)


In all honesty, I can't answer your question. My understanding is that a lahar is caused by a massive, rapid melt-off (obviously due to increase in surface temp from rising magma). Although there is a very high snow pack still, I don't know if a rise in local air temps would be sufficient to cause a lahar. But again, I really don't know. Maybe someone with more knowledge in that field could answer the question.

reply to post by westcoast


There is something which i´m wondering about,not sure if it was already mentioned.

If i remember that right,the "North American Plate" is stuck on top of the "Juan de Fuca Plate",resulting in the Creation of the "Cascade Range",right? With this,the Magma Chamber(s) should be inbetween both Plates,right?

Now what happens if (or rather "when") the North American Plate finally slips? Shouldn´t the whole Cascade Range collapse in itself since the Resistance from beeing stuck on the Juan de Fuca Plate is gone? And since Magma is squeezed inbetween both Plates,wouldn´t it mean it goes wherever there is the least Resistance?


Hope some can answer that,i´m just a little curious if such a thing is even possible

FYI....just for the record, my 'large quake dog' just started going crazy for no apparent reason. I am hoping he just heard some fireworks or something that I couldn't...but it's very uncharacteristic behavior.

About 12:00 AM PST

reply to post by Shenon


Here is one of my favorite maps which illustrates how the plates are interacting:





As you can see, it is believed that the Juan De Fuca plate is actually a chunk of the Pacific plate that has fractured (I think due to the stress of the 'collision') and is subducting under the North American plate.

The cascade range was created by the upheavel of these two plates colliding together. One theory is that the friction of this collision turns the solid rock into molten and then forces it out through the path of least resistance, or the volcanos. Another is that they are fed by this theorized magma chamber. Essentially, it would be between the two plates. If you look at the above picture, where they show the small pool of magma...imagine a much, much bigger one. I believe that any displacement of either plate would result in movement of this chamber or displacement which could then result in a change in pressure and yes, eruptions. Either one, some or all of the involved volcanos. No, I do not think the cascade range would collapse....if anything they might grow. (just my opinion! )

reply to post by westcoast


Sorry,having Trouble explaining my thoughts sometimes

Imagine a sheet of Paper,hold the left side and push slowly with your right Hand to make it bulge in the middle. Now what happens if you stop holding the left side? It moves suddenly to the left and goes down.

Damn English is sooo hard sometimes

reply to post by Shenon


Good illustration with the sheet of paper! I see what you are saying, however, it is not the force from the East pushing to the West that caused the Cascades to form, but the subducting plate under them, and the displacement that it causes. In fact, if it were to shift to the west further, than the subducting plate would be 'shoved' under further and result in more upward pressure (including displacement of magma...IMO)

reply to post by westcoast


The flow of debris did appear very lahar like, and it was moving very fast, at least that is how it looked to my untrained eye in the video.

Okay, my little dog is REALLY freaking out. Shaking and cowering like crazy. I have NO doubt that we'll have a small quake near my house sometime tonight!!!

reply to post by westcoast


My little doggie nailed it once again! Sure enough, at about 4:30 this morning, we had a small quake less than 30 miles from my house:

Magnitude 1.6
Date-Time Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 11:36:10 UTC
Tuesday, July 12, 2011 at 04:36:10 AM at epicenter

Location 48.766°N, 122.178°W
Depth 15.2 km (9.4 miles) set by location program
Region WASHINGTON
Distances 6 km (4 miles) NNE (23°) from Acme, WA
8 km (5 miles) SSE (152°) from Deming, WA
13 km (8 miles) ENE (67°) from Sudden Valley, WA
22 km (14 miles) E (85°) from Bellingham, WA
34 km (21 miles) SSE (165°) from Abbotsford, British Columbia, Canada
90 km (56 miles) SE (129°) from Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 3.3 km (2.1 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST= 15, Nph= 15, Dmin=16 km, Rmss=0.38 sec, Gp=104°,
M-type=duration magnitude (Md), Version=1
Source Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network

Event ID


Too small and deep to be felt here, but for whatever reason she senses these hours before they happen. The seismo nearest our house picked it up the best too. Also of note, she woke me up this morning right after it happened! ugh...

reply to post by westcoast


I`m so glad it wasn`t any bigger! I worried all night about you in that region.

The west coast certainly seems busy today!

Stay safe,my friend!

reply to post by dragonlover12


Thank you! I am a bit concerned with the deep tremors silence this past week, along with the small quakes all over this half of the state the last few days. It has me wondering. California is really quivering and we are just SOOOO overdue. I cant remember now if I said it here or just on my 'putting it all together' thread, but lately I really think that if we see a 'mega' quake in the next year or so, California will be hardest hit. Washington will definately be impacted and we may very well have some major qaukes and volcanic action ourselves, but I really think California is poised for something catastrophic.

This goes along with my theory involving the whole coast as well as Nevada...perhaps much further.

As for my dog...what this tells me is that there IS a way to predict even micro quakes HOURS in advance. What is she hearing??? Or sensing?? These are small quakes she is picking up on. It tells me there are mechanics involved well in advance, at least with these types. Would she react the same way to a large quake near here? I would think so...I am hoping so. My whole family and now my neighbors are aware of her behavior and so I take some piece of mind that perhaps she could help us react someday.

Well...this one was closer to home:

Magnitude 3.2
Date-Time Saturday, July 16, 2011 at 03:54:00 UTC
Friday, July 15, 2011 at 08:54:00 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location 48.248°N, 121.645°W
Depth 7.8 km (4.8 miles) set by location program
Region WASHINGTON
Distances 3 km (2 miles) W (261°) from Darrington, WA
20 km (12 miles) NNE (26°) from Verlot, WA
20 km (13 miles) E (97°) from Oso, WA
82 km (51 miles) NNE (28°) from Bellevue, WA
86 km (54 miles) NE (36°) from Seattle, WA

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 1.2 km (0.7 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST= 36, Nph= 36, Dmin=21 km, Rmss=0.36 sec, Gp= 76°,
M-type=duration magnitude (Md), Version=1
Source Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network

Event ID uw07160354


This is about 30 miles as the crow flies from my house. Can't say I felt it (I was playing guitar hero though and had the volume cranked up. Yes, I am still young at heart....and GOOD at it! ) but my little dog was bugging the heck out of me about a half hour before it hit. It wasn't her normal shaking and hiding, but whining and scratching at me and just wouldn't leave me alone. SO....perhaps this answers my earlier question? This wasn't a large quake by any means, but much bigger than the micros we have lately that she's reacted to.

Also of note, there was another, smaller quake about a half hour after the first but it isn't listed yet. Based on the seismos, I would say it is in the same area. This is VERY close to Glacier Peak, the same place there's been several mirco quakes this past six months or so. I think I commented before on whether this could be a seismic zone for Glacier Peak. Still has me wondering.....something on the move?

source

GlacierPeak, isn't that a volcano? albeit a dormant one.

odd that your dog is so sensitive, what breed is it? do your neighbors have any dogs, are they also aware/ able to forewarn of shaking?

reply to post by PatriciusCaesar


Yes, it's a volcano...a very big one. No, it is not dormant. I wasn't even aware of it until this past year and it's about 45 miles from my house (SE).....I'm actually sitting on top of the massive lahar that resulted from its last major eruption a couple hundred years ago. Mount Baker is another very large, active volcano and its about 40 miles from me in the other direction (to the NE). In spite of these mountains histories, there is only one seismic station located on Glacier Peak and two on Baker.

Glacier Peak is the most remote of the five active volcanoes in Washington State. It is not prominently visible from any major population center, and so its attractions, as well as its hazards, tend to be over-looked. Yet since the end of the last ice age, Glacier Peak has produced some of the largest and most explosive eruptions in the state. During this time period, Glacier Peak has erupted multiple times during at least six separate episodes, most recently about 300 years ago. ... .

Glacier Peak lies only 70 miles northeast of Seattle -- closer to that city than any volcano except Mount Rainier. But unlike Mount Rainier, it rises only a few thousand feet above neighboring peaks, and from coastal communities it appears merely as a high point along a snowy saw-toothed skyline. Yet Glacier Peak has been one of the most active and explosive of Washington's volcanoes.

source



I would say that most people here in Washington State don't even know it's there and that it's a dangerous volcano. I never knew my house was built on it's last lahar....scary.

They listed the second quake I mentioned. Here is an updated list:

MAP 2.2 2011/07/16 04:33:33 48.240 -121.653 8.6 4 km ( 2 mi) WSW of Darrington, WA
MAP 3.2 2011/07/16 03:54:00 48.248 -121.645 7.8 3 km ( 2 mi) W of Darrington, WA


ETA: Sorry, forgot to answer your question about my dog! She's a schnoodle. Mix betweem a mini poodle and schnouzer. I don't know about the neighbors...no one has ever said anything, so not that I know of. Several of them know about my dog. I have a video on here somewhere of her reacting to a recording of an earthquake, I'll see if I can find it.


Okay...I finally found it. First, she never goes under the desk, only when she's scared. She starts to react the most at 3:25 and shaking just past the 4:00 minute mark. She is not a dog that shakes (not a toy, about 15 lbs) so what you see in the video towards the end is how she acts before a quake. She 'points' at the ground, as if she can hear something and starts shaking, a wierd breathy whimper and either hides or climbs on/clings to me.

reply to post by westcoast


Oh man....my dog is driving me CRAZY!! I can hardly type this because she is sitting on me and pushing at both of my hands. This is how she was acting last night about a half hour or less before the 3.2 quake. She is also sniffing like she smells something. SO...either we are going to have another quake or my dog is getting really hormonal.