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Merged 5.9 Quake Hits Virginia

AdMan said:
I've been in a number of quakes including today's, but never outside. It must be quite interesting to actually see waves going across the ground. The waves really moved slowly enough to see them?
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Seismic waves actually move pretty damn fast (many km/sec), but they are very low frequency which means the wavelength is quite long. This would account for the fact that SG was able to feel the rolling motion, as she puts it. It's king of like how a boat rolls up and down in a long lazy pattern when a long wavelength water wave passes by.
 
bound to happen....

BREAKING NEWS: President Obama has just confirmed that the DC earthquake occurred on a rare and obscure fault-line, apparently known as "Bush's Fault". Obama also announced that the Secret Service and Maxine Waters continues an investigation of the quake's suspicious ties to the Tea Party. Conservatives however have proven that it was caused by the founding fathers rolling over in their graves. (copied from a friend)
 
AdMan said:
I've been in a number of quakes including today's, but never outside. It must be quite interesting to actually see waves going across the ground. The waves really moved slowly enough to see them?
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I could not see waves rolling toward me. I was too distracted and there wasn't a view of a distant horizon. I was in the city. But the ground was very much rolling up and down, and it was slow enough to recognize ground waves were rolling by.
 
MattusMaximus said:
Seismic waves actually move pretty damn fast (many km/sec), but they are very low frequency which means the wavelength is quite long. This would account for the fact that SG was able to feel the rolling motion, as she puts it. It's king of like how a boat rolls up and down in a long lazy pattern when a long wavelength water wave passes by.
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That fits well with what I felt.
 
I think it's cool how you Americans have named the Quake "DC" after a prominent poster here. Do you get that accolade after a certain post count?
 
Myriad said:
ETA: Talking points for Republicans while awaiting the all-important Presidential anecdote: If Obama didn't feel the quake it means he's out of touch (literally). If he did, it means his position is shaky and easily influenced.
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Earthshattering perspective... :p
 
I was in a building and thought it was someone rolling a piece of heavy equipment down the hallway.

...that's no equipment...

...then it was over.

I held off celebrating my first earthquake survival until I was able to assess the severity. All in all I give it a 4.5 on the coolness scale. Kinda make a person feel small when this rock shakes like that.
 
News this morning in the DC area was all about reactions to the quakes. I have yet to hear of fatalities or even major casualties as a result of this sucker (even close to the epicenter), so forgive my impatience with the news when I personally wanted to know how Hurricane Irene was going to affect my weekend plans, darnitall!!! :mad:
 
Have fun today. When you're in a crowded area, point to a random place on the building and say out loud, "Say, has that crack ALWAYS been there??"
 
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