Violent shaking at El Hierro (Magnitude 5.3 earthquake – preliminary)

usgs ^ | 12/27/13 | staff

[winoneforthegipper]

M5.4 - 31km NW of Frontera, Spain 2013-12-27 17:46:06 UTC

[winoneforthegipper]

31km (19mi) NW of Frontera, Spain

27.915°N 18.271°W depth=22.8km (14.2mi)

[winoneforthegipper]

Further out than the volcano but given the swarm it has to be associated...?

[cuban leaf]

5.3? Can people feel that?

[Errant]

Thanks for the ping. It’s pretty shallow as well! Bet it gets things to humming again underneath the island.

[Black Agnes]

If the face of El Hierro lets go we won’t have to worry about the corruption in DC. Pele would take care of that for us.

[Red Badger]

Isn’t this the one that could send a tsunami across the Atlantic and wipe out DC-NYC?.....................

[Red Badger]

Pele?

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pele_%28volcano%29

[Black Agnes]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pele_%28deity%29

[Errant]

Looks like they've had a recent swarm under the island as well:

"December 23, 2013 – CANARY ISLANDS - The new earthquake swarm under the island’s central-SE sector continues. So far, about 120 quakes of magnitudes above 1.8 including a handful of possibly felt ones (up to magnitudes 3.2) have occurred since yesterday morning. Preliminary GPS data suggest a new phase of uplift has started as well, which supports the idea that a new magma intrusion is occurring at the base of the upper crust beneath the volcanic island. A new earthquake swarm started under the island on December 22nd. The earthquakes are located at about 15 km depth under the southeastern central part of the island. IGN recorded more than 40 quakes with magnitudes up to 3.2 so far. Whether the earthquakes are related to new magmatic intrusions at depth is a unknown but a possible scenario."

Seismic unrest: new earthquake swarms reported at El Hierro Island

[Red Badger]

Hokay, different Pele.............

[sevinufnine]

“5.3? Can people feel that?”

Oh yeah....they sure can. I live about 4 to 5 hours drive south of Mineral, Virginia where there was a 5.8 earthquake about 2 years ago. It shook my entire house for about 20 seconds or so (kind of in “waves” for lack of a better explanation). My son came out of his room and said what is that? I had never felt an earthquake but was sure that’s what is was and told him so. Sure enough. It was.

[sevinufnine]

Earthquakes often come in clusters/groups (however you want to word it). When there’s one there will be more and not necessarily in the same area. Kinda weird. Like the earth’s crust re-shifting about or something.

[Dog]

I’m in southern jersey....I felt that quake also and agree it was like riding a wave.

[winoneforthegipper]

Oh most certainly. Couple things though is that 5.4 is quite large for a volcanic quake. Reports are coming in with rock slides and such but the meaning in regards to the volcanics on this Island is the more important issue.

[winoneforthegipper]

It’s been theorized but more importantly it’s more of a concern to Africa and the Azores.

[Veto!]

I lived in CA for 22 years. We got so used to quakes we could tell whether they were 4.3 or 5.3 or 6.2, even 3.1 registered on our mental meters.

And yes, a 5.3 is definitely noticeable. In general, if you live on soft ground, your house would sway for awhile; if you live on a granite cliff, like Nob Hill in San Francisco, the building gives one emphatic jump up and down — stuff inside can shake for a few seconds after.

Most damage from quakes occurs from stuff falling off shelves. Books are killers, so people were advised to NEVER have tall bookshelves, particularly near beds. Canned goods are killers too. Imagine that.

[winoneforthegipper]

Yeah Machogirl and I had a conversation on the swarm...I was not expecting a quake this large in truth.

[Errant]

I was on the third floor of a building in Alaska attending a meeting when a minor quake hit. One of the participants had brought their dog. I thought the dog was leaned against my chair scratching himself. I looked down and no dog. But that’s exactly what it felt like. Later, we had a really large one and there was no mistaking it! That one sloshed the water in swimming pools all the way to New Orleans!

[winoneforthegipper]

Local photo of the rock slides!

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=10202561213132216&set=p.10202561213132216&type=1&theater

[Errant]

fyi,

http://www.seattlepi.com/news/article/Alaska-pipeline-damage-checked-1100132.php