SUBSIM Radio Room Forums - View Single Post - Earthquake Scientists Sentenced to 6 Years

Catfish · 10-25-12, 04:14 AM

Seismic experts (usually specialised geologists or geophysicists) exist and have an institute to study and observe the thin earth crust's seismic action, tectonics etc., so that maybe one day someone might be able to predict such things as earthquakes. This is basic research, and always underfunded.
(Seismic analysis also encompasses sending seismic waves via explosions or vibrations through the crustand, and record the reflections, to determine layers and oil/gas traps and the like.)

Kranz, you asked:
"so which set of answers is correct when someone is given a seismic data and asked "will there be an earthquake?"
1.
a/yes
b/no
c/i don't know
2.
a/i don;t know"

Any honest answer would be 1.c: "don't know", or 2.: "don't know"

A counter question would be "are you willing to move and settle some hundred kilometers away?" If the answer is negative, you would probably suggest to relax take a glass of vine. Because, frankly, it can happen any time.

The problem ist that the tectonic plates or volcanic activity does not really announce itself, but through pressure and tension within the stone masses - and this tension can divert from virtually nothing to millions of tons within a few meters - you cannot plug enough sonds into the ground to rally measure that, let alone control it.

The pressure slowly rises by continental drift or micro-plate shifting, until the weakest point somewhere gives in, so it is not a continuous movement, but a building up of very high pressure, until it suddenly "relaxes" via what we call an earthquake, but really happens some hundred meters or kilometers below the surface and often hundreds of kilometers away. There is no exact 'point' where it happens also, but usually a whole fraction front of a length of kilometers.

We can measure a few points, but given that one 4000 meter drillling project costs 500 million dollars at least, such research simply cannot be financed under 'capitalistic circumstances' - some hundred sonds of that kind would maybe save a life, but will never earn money and finance itself, in any way.
No government which spends a trillion bucks a year for new war planes, can also finance such basic research. [/cyn]

Thanks and greetings,
Catfish

10-25-12, 04:14 AM	#22
Catfish Dipped Squirrel Operative Join Date: Sep 2001 Location: ..where the ocean meets the sky Posts: 17,822 Downloads: 38 Uploads: 0	Seismic experts (usually specialised geologists or geophysicists) exist and have an institute to study and observe the thin earth crust's seismic action, tectonics etc., so that maybe one day someone might be able to predict such things as earthquakes. This is basic research, and always underfunded. (Seismic analysis also encompasses sending seismic waves via explosions or vibrations through the crustand, and record the reflections, to determine layers and oil/gas traps and the like.) Kranz, you asked: "so which set of answers is correct when someone is given a seismic data and asked "will there be an earthquake?" 1. a/yes b/no c/i don't know 2. a/i don;t know" Any honest answer would be 1.c: "don't know", or 2.: "don't know" A counter question would be "are you willing to move and settle some hundred kilometers away?" If the answer is negative, you would probably suggest to relax take a glass of vine. Because, frankly, it can happen any time. The problem ist that the tectonic plates or volcanic activity does not really announce itself, but through pressure and tension within the stone masses - and this tension can divert from virtually nothing to millions of tons within a few meters - you cannot plug enough sonds into the ground to rally measure that, let alone control it. The pressure slowly rises by continental drift or micro-plate shifting, until the weakest point somewhere gives in, so it is not a continuous movement, but a building up of very high pressure, until it suddenly "relaxes" via what we call an earthquake, but really happens some hundred meters or kilometers below the surface and often hundreds of kilometers away. There is no exact 'point' where it happens also, but usually a whole fraction front of a length of kilometers. We can measure a few points, but given that one 4000 meter drillling project costs 500 million dollars at least, such research simply cannot be financed under 'capitalistic circumstances' - some hundred sonds of that kind would maybe save a life, but will never earn money and finance itself, in any way. No government which spends a trillion bucks a year for new war planes, can also finance such basic research. [/cyn] Thanks and greetings, Catfish