An earthquake just took place and a big one at that! (Sofia, Bulgaria) (UPDATED - 5.8 USGS)

To me these EQs don't seem that important unless they are 7.0+ near a populated area.

reply to post by THE_PROFESSIONAL


Then why bother replying at all?

Anyway, they updated the last one and it is 4.9:

Type: Earthquake
17 minutes ago
Magnitude: 4.9
DateTime: Tuesday May 22 2012, 01:30:50 UTC
Region: Bulgaria
Depth: 9.2 km
Source: USGS Feed

EDIT - actually another one was registered at the same time:

Type: Earthquake
25 minutes ago
Magnitude: 4.7
DateTime: Tuesday May 22 2012, 01:30:50 UTC
Region: Bulgaria
Depth: 5 km
Source: CSEM-EMSC Feed

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
To me these EQs don't seem that important unless they are 7.0+ near a populated area.

i think the fact that 2 people in the thread felt it and said it shook really HARD is important. just because it was less than a 7 doesn't mean it wasn't strong enough to do damage. obviously it was significant judging by the reactions of the people that were there.

reply to post by pasiphae


You know what they say - it's always fun and games as soon as it's not happening in your own backyard...

And for the records, another aftershock was felt. EDIT - make them three:

Tuesday May 22 2012, 02:13:29 UTC 23 minutes ago Bulgaria 4.3 9.3 USGS Feed
Tuesday May 22 2012, 02:13:29 UTC 23 minutes ago Bulgaria 4.6 2.0 CSEM-EMSC Feed
Tuesday May 22 2012, 02:11:19 UTC 25 minutes ago Bulgaria 2.9 23.0 CSEM-EMSC Feed


(we decided not to leave the building because it seems the worst has passed)

Originally posted by pasiphae

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
To me these EQs don't seem that important unless they are 7.0+ near a populated area.

i think the fact that 2 people in the thread felt it and said it shook really HARD is important. just because it was less than a 7 doesn't mean it wasn't strong enough to do damage. obviously it was significant judging by the reactions of the people that were there.

that's all well and good, and i agree with you in principle, but how do you resist taking advantage of the boost in personal "coolness" one earns by dismissing an event as meaningless and unimportant that someone else feels is highly significant, even if it's merely because their home is shaking violently?

Things are quiet now and some of the media are picking up on the story - for now they are saying there are no victims and not much damage was caused - mainly cracked walls, broken windows, fallen chimneys from houses and such. They also state that more info will follow after the inspections during daylight.

To get things into perspective I'd like to quote this article:

After being asked when was the last time such a strong earthquake occured near Sofia, the director of the institute said in 1917, when there was a strong earthquake with an epicenter in the Vitosha fault. Nikolay Miloshev noted that the current earthquakes have no connection with that fault.

Read from another article that the EQ from 1917 was of magnitude 4.9.

reply to post by THE_PROFESSIONAL


So by your reckoning the 6.3 that killed nearly two hundred people and flattened a good part of our city doesn't rate because it's not over a 7? Yet it was a bigger deal than our 7.1 that killed (indirectly) only 1 person. A 5.8 at such a shallow dept is scary, potentially very damaging and could easily kill people if it struck the wrong place at the wrong time. And at the very least it was experienced by a couple of members and scared the s*^t out of them so it's well worth a mention.

Why am i getting deja-vu with this Sofia quake, did i read a thread in the last few days where someone mentioned a quake in this area?
If you know about this please link up.

reply to post by THE_PROFESSIONAL


Way to be a shmuck. My fiance, from Sofia, just heard about it and called her family which still lives back there. Everyone in their apartment building was huddled together outside as four after shocks have rocked the place so far. They awoke to their door slamming back and forth against the wall, a bookshelf fell over, bed was shaking like crazy, and both her parents ran outside as fast as they could. Most are hesitant to go back inside.

But I'm glad you find no reason to concern yourself with anything under a 7.0, as if that's the thresh hold for injury or fatalities.

map link
Because sometimes a visual helps.

peace and prayers to you and yours OP

Update from the media:

One 16-story block of flats in the Sofia district Nadezhda has been twisted, one building in the district Buckstone suffered serious damage, as well as three other buildings in the "Student City" district. All of the people living in those have been evacuated.

One house in the near city of Pernik has suffered severe damage (some news agencies claim it even collapsed).

Fortunately, there are no reports of serious injuries, but still, three people were hospitalized with high blood pressure.

I hope that the damage in the said buildings isn't that bad..

*and another aftershock was registered:

Tuesday May 22 2012, 04:09:59 UTC 26 minutes ago Bulgaria 3.3 0.0 CSEM-EMSC Feed

reply to post by silo13


Thank you for the good words silo, and for the visual as well.

It is helpful cause Bulgaria isn't that popular in general


reply to post by Evltre


I am not aware of any quakes happening recently here or at least such that would have enough impact to be even felt. I guess it's deja vu on your side but if you do find something - do share!

I see on RSOE there's a real 'swarm' in that area and Italy.

Makes me wish I had the time to go back and find out if this is 'common' or 'uncommon'.

I tend to lean towards the earth is feeling the effects of the planet alignment. I mean - that's got to have some effect! But how much? Hard to say - for me at least!

peace to Sofia and Bulgaria

Does this fall into the 188 day theory?

Just asking

Hope everyone is ok !!

Originally posted by THE_PROFESSIONAL
To me these EQs don't seem that important unless they are 7.0+ near a populated area.

Bit of a weird thing to say buddy.
It will be important if there are deaths..

Cheers

Isn't it truly uncanny how these earthquakes / natural disasters have been coinciding, with planetary alignments / eclipses & specific round about dates? Whats to come when the Mayan 21,2012 alignment comes? I mean really its not as if we don't see something big coming, considering the strangeness thats been witnessed around the world in the last 10 years, I just hope that whatever it is thats coming will be swift. And as if all that we've witnessed isn't enough, see what the Alaska Inuit people that have been there for thousands of years are saying on this video www.youtube.com...

I was woken up few minutes after 3 A.M and the lamp was shaking. Other than making me nervious as I then went to bed and every time I felt a shake I jumped out of bed ready to leave, it was all fine. Couldn't sleep well because my mind was awaken for just in case. I had no idea it is 5.8 Richter scale as I thought it would be a destructive one, if the number is correct at all. Now I read there has been damage to some buildings, and in other places.

I thought it was a remain of the Italy earthquake, though everything is fine. Should have the possibility of occurence in mind, although geologists say 'the biggest one is over'. Seeing Italy, which btw has it serious for real unlike here, there has been another one the next day/night, so I wouldn't say that possibility is excluded.

Originally posted by RoScoLaz
might be the culprit, IF these kind of alignments have an influence on plate tectonics, which they may, or may not. i don't know if this is the case, but i don't discount the possibility. or the possibility that i am on the wrong track completely.

The alignments of the stars, may effect the lunar orbit ... but they won't affect plate tectonics, because there is no such thing as plate tectonics. Plate tectonics, is a "convenience" theory, not a realistic one.