Huge Earthquake series in NOAA "Australia Region"

Within the past 5 hours there have been quakes of magnitudes 5.7, 5.8, 6.1, 6.2, 6.7, 7.3, 7.7, and 7.7 in the "Australia region" of the NOAA Earthquake monitoring service
earthquake.usgs.gov...

These are in the Celebes Sea near Vanuatu and the Santa Cruz Islands.

Why here all of a sudden? What does this mena, if anything?

These areas aren't normally that involved and of such magnitudes.

jw

[edit on 7-10-2009 by jdub297]

WOW

3 more major earthquakes in a period of a few hours?
It must be the terrorists!
But seriously, I hope everyone in the affected area are safe.

Were there any substantial tsunamis reported?

hmm noticed someone mentioning another 6.8 in the breaking news thread... then came here and realised they've been going all day.

Dang im not normally worried, but im starting to feel a little apprehensive. Sure quakes happen all the time but hell, that many big ones, that quickly?

Gonna keep the Quake watch thread open in my browser from now on and keep it periodically refreshed

reply to post by BigfootNZ

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All the warnings have expired. The most recent 6.9 quake has not yet resulted in a warning.

You haven't felt them?

jw

[edit on 7-10-2009 by jdub297]

Galactic cosmic rays hit 50-year high

www.msnbc.msn.com...

NASA says these pose no threat to earth...then how do they explain the abnormally high level of volcanic activity in recent years...

reply to post by warrenb

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The first image that comes to mind when I look at maps of the earthquake and volcanic activity of just the last 2 years, is of a cake can after you pop a fire[cracker in it.

Smoke coming out from torn places, the intact areas all bulged out.

After a couple more firecrackers, the can rips apart.

I've read that instead of contracting as they cool, the core and mantle are expanding and staying hot.

What would make the Earth expand and "shed its skin" as it outgrows the old one?

jw

I don't see that these quakes "mean" anything. They're earthquakes. They happen all the time.

It is unusual to have many large magnitude quakes in a short period of time, but not unheard of. Even completely random events sometimes appear in clusters. There doesn't have to be any causal connection between them.

Of course, it is always possible that there is some causal connection we don't yet know about. But so far, a few big quakes don't necessarily mean there is a pattern developing.

I haven't seen any credible evidence that cosmic rays affect earthquakes, but one never knows... I just think it would be hard to explain how some radiation coming from space could affect processes deep within the Earth. Similarly, it is difficult to understand how solar flares ciykd affect earthquakes.

The problem is, we really know so little about our Earth, and what makes it go.

yeah a 7.8 hit near Vanuatu, NE of Australia. all the islanders around that part of the pacific have been a bit worried of tsunamis lately

reply to post by jdub297

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Vanuatu Island itself is an active volcano, been erupting for years.
Earthquakes in this region would be expected from time to time.

reply to post by jdub297

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Jdub you just explained in a very easy way to understand, that which I have been thinking for some time now. It seems to me that the continents in certain areas are wanting to move. We are always moving, but slowly, a think a large movement is underway.

I thought we all basically agreed in that after the last great EQs and Tsunamis it was going to hit NZ and AU?

I don't get it, why is this some big surprise?

What I wonder now is the connection to the US and how soon before we see some activity in the Upper NE states as well as New Madras and San Andreas faults?

My sweet little one had a surreal dream the night before this last event and saw our home in the Mid West US getting hard hit, when he discovered the that it happened the following day he said "No, this happens "Here'".

I don't know about any of you but I have covered the family China and such with towels and linens...

Here is a link to a good earthquake watch site.
www.iris.edu...
I've been following the earthquakes with this site for a couple of years and this is the most activity in a 2 week period I have ever seen.

I took this quote from the newsgroups

"Planet ringing like a bell LOOK!!!"

aslwww.cr.usgs.gov...

reply to post by TrainDispatcher

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good link and analogy.

I just checked and it looks like the Vanuatu and Santa Cruz Islands are getting hit every 1/2 hour to 45 minutes by mag. 5+, including 6s.

earthquake.usgs.gov...

jw

Yes and there's been increased volcanic activity in recent days - so I'm thinking it's likely to be linked to these earthquakes.

www.radioaustralianews.net.au...