The only reason I don't live in Vancouver right now...

[Corey]

As I was recently mentioning to Ted, this is actually the only reason I don't currently live in Vancouver:

http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/htm...uption05m.html

a tectonic time bomb

Scary beans. It's only a matter of time until some unbelievably dramatic geographical changes come to that spot, we know that for a fact given the position of the plates. Harrowing event to have looming over time. Vancouver is home to a very large percentage of resources from practically every single sector here in Canada, i.e. one of our 3 vital "nerve centers". The eventual effects of any major change there are going to be dramatic across the board.

[Corey]

Wow, here's one you don't read about everyday either:

http://www.cbc.ca/story/news/nationa...ake000629.html

Whole lotta shakin' goin' on.

[Corey]

Hmmm, 2 in Oregon today. Big week:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqs...kes/usviar.htm

If this keeps up we'll need to form a conga line.

[Corey]

Last week, shifting plates on the ocean floor triggered nearly 4,000 relatively small earthquakes along the Northern Juan de Fuca Ridge. about 250 kilometres south and west of the island.

http://vancouver.cbc.ca/regional/ser...quakes20050307

[gbrown]

As a geologist and geophysicist (yes, I did have a life in science before becoming a computer geek ) I've always been amazed and scared at the population density in the northwest US / southwest CN coastal regions. Pick you poison: volcanic eruption, massive earthquake, big landslides, and tsunami. Mix an match 'em, if you want !

When I'm in Seatle and look to the south at Mt. Hood, or in Portland looking at Mt. Ranier I see the beauty, but I also see a geologic Sword of Damacles hanging over the cities. Let's face, these volcanoes aren't dormant...they aren't inactive...they are ACTIVE VOLCANOES. It's not an "if they erupt" it's a "when they erupt." If we're lucky, they'll pop off with a slow but messy eruption. If not, well, just look at Mt. St. Helen for a hint.

By the way... if you ARE planning on moving into that area. Check out the maps for those interesting lahara (mudflow) features. It's not the lava that gets you...it's the mud coming off the mountains after the glaciers melt. There are neighborhoods in Seatle built on fairly recent lahara from Mt. Hood. Those flows can go out for well over 50 miles (80 km).

[JimS]

Gary,
I don’t mean to be rude, and I’m not arguing with what you have said, but I would like to help clear up one little type-o. Mount Hood is south of Portland, and Mount Rainier is near Seattle. You got the names switched around.

[gbrown]

Ummm, uuuuuuhhh, dddduuuhhhh, Senior Moment!

More cafine, please.

[Corey]

Hee! I'll take a coffee too.

[JimS]

I’ve lived here in the Northwest all my life. It is interesting to hear people from other areas discuss this sort of thing. I can tell you that the worry level about those sorts of things, by the general population living here, is absolutely nil. I’m not saying that none of that stuff will ever happen, just that in general, nobody here, ever worries about it.

An interesting note about the Richter scale, is that it is not a linear scale. Each full number is an apparent 10-fold increase in strength. A 3.0 earthquake feels 10 times stronger than that of a 2.0, a 4.0 feels ten times that of a 3.0 (actual energy release is 32 times stronger per number increase, but it feels like a ten-fold increase) Earthquakes below about 4.8 happen all the time, and are rarely even felt, much less likely to cause any structural damage. Earthquakes in the 6-8 range are real earthquakes.

On the other hand, I would imagine that the people living in Pompeii didn’t worry much either.


.

[gbrown]

Just so you know I've actually SEEN Ranier:



Gotta run to class! (Old dog - - New Tricks! )

[Corey]

I would imagine that the people living in Pompeii didn’t worry much either.

Exactly! That's the definitive word on this topic. Nic pic Gary, great composition. It's as though that little cloud is posing for the shot. Beautiful!

[JimS]

Great shot Gary. With all the rain in Seattle, even the locals rarely get to see Rainier like that. Seattle and the peninsula are actually designated rain forest. I can tell you that mornings, watching the fog lift through the pines, is truly a spectacular sight. It has the medieval fantasy feel to it. Lush flora & fauna, if I close my eyes I can still remember the smell of berry bushes, and the feel of morning dew on my legs. It was a lovely place to live as a child, so much of nature to explore. Thanks for sharing the picture, and bringing back those whimsical childhood memories.


Since Corey mentioned the cloud, it reminds me of one interesting factoid about Rainier. I’m not sure of the year, but a fellow named Kenneth Arnold flew past Rainier one day and saw some strange shiny disks, that he termed ‘flying saucers’, the name stuck. He later landed at the Pendleton airport, about 6 blocks from my current location. My grandfather was working at the airport, and was one of the first people to talk to him about what he saw. Grandpa said that at the time, at least, he thought the guy was nuts.

.

[Corey]

Mount St. Helens today:
http://www.cbc.ca/story/world/nation...ns_050308.html

It grew a dome top 80-stories high in December, which began expanding at a rate never seen before by scientists

[gbrown]

Thanks for the kind words on the photo! That was a fun trip...next day the mountain was socked in.

... and on to St. Helens:

VolcanoCam Home Page
Current Volcano Conditions
More than you wanted to know!
More Neat Stuff

And remember... this can happy to virtually ANY volcano in the cascade / coastal ranges from northern California up through BC.

Sleep tight tonight, and have an evacuation plan in place!

[Corey]

This is pretty wild, also this week. Cool photo too, you don't see that everyday.

http://www.spacedaily.com/news/volcano-05a.html