Fierce Planet

Earthquakes, Plate Tectonics, and the Richter Scale Infographic

Earthquakes in Fiction

My sense of awe for Mother Nature, my experiences living in earthquake country, and my aspiration to write thrilling stories all combine in the pages of my first novel.  Have you read a novel that features a natural disaster in the story?  You might want to give The Doctor’s Dilemma a try.  Set in a remote village in Mexico, the last thing the characters want to do is get involved in a romantic relationship.  They spend their time working hard in the pediatric clinic and trying to avoid each other.  When disaster strikes they soon realize they are equally committed to helping the community, and their close working relationship makes it impossible to ignore their attraction to one another.

The Doctor’s Dilemma is a finalist in the 2012 Booksellers’ Best Award. (A Published Author’s Contest for books published in 2011 sponsored by the Greater Detroit RWA) It finaled in two categories, Best Traditional Romance and Best First Book!  Winners will be determined in July 2012.  Cross your fingers.  Amazon currently has The Doctor’s Dilemma SALE priced!  Get your copy before they’re all gone.

Tragedy in Japan Continues

by Victoria M. Johnson

Earthquake, tsunamis, fires, aftershocks, and now a looming nuclear power plant disaster. Japan has been hammered in the last 24 hours. As the death toll rises and reports of over 700 hundred missing and thousands injured continues, we can only imagine what the survivors are experiencing.

National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) map on 11 March 2011 shows the predicted travel times of the tsunami.

The USGS reports that since the 8.9 earthquake hit Japan, at least 124 quakes magnitude 5 or higher have rattled the area. But it could be worse in the disaster-struck country. According to the New York Times, “from seawalls that line stretches of Japan’s coastline, to skyscrapers that sway to absorb earthquakes, to building codes that are among the world’s most rigorous, no country may be better prepared to withstand earthquakes than Japan.”

However, the quake has forced the closure of five nuclear power plants in Japan. Kyodo News reported at 2:00pm that radiation 1,000 times higher than normal is being detected at the Fukushima nuclear plant. MSNBC.com interviewed, Edwin Lyman, a senior scientist with the Union of Concerned Scientists. “It’s just as bad as it sounds,” he said. But Steve Kerekes, spokesman for the U.S.-based Nuclear Energy Institute, said that while the situation was serious, a meltdown remains unlikely.

New Zealand Earthquake

According to the USGS, the quake striking near Christchurch, New Zealand today was of magnitude 6.3. At a depth of 3.1 miles, the quake has already claimed 65 lives. And the city is still being hit by numerous aftershocks. This is a much shallower depth then the quake that struck the region in September. A 7.1 earthquake struck the city then.

New Zealand Earthquake

With residents already on edge, this quake has caused many to panic. The Christian Science Monitor reports collapsed buildings and major damage to downtown buildings including the Christchurch Cathedral. Christchurch is the country’s second largest city, where about 26,000 employees work full-time. The Daily Mail reported, “The quake was caused by the continuing collision between the Pacific and Australian tectonic plates, said Professor Mark Quigley, of Canterbury University.” New Zealand records more than 14,000 earthquakes a year, but only about 150 are felt by residents. Fewer than ten a year do any damage.

The Day the World Ended

If you’re at all like me, you enjoy watching disaster films. Asteroid collisions, volcanic eruptions, mega earthquakes, are all events I love to see (fictionalized—not the real thing). Today the Syfy Channel has a disaster film marathon. With movies like NYC Tornado Terror, Category 6: Day of Destruction, Megafault, and Volcano: Nature Unleashed, scientists and regular citizens scramble to prevent the ultimate disaster that will end the world. In these films earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or extreme weather systems threaten the world as we know it.

Earthquake Fault

I examined what it is I love so much about these kinds of movies and here’s what I discovered. There are people out there who dedicate their lives to studying our planet—disaster films give them the recognition they deserve—as it is often their expertise that saves mankind. The threat of disaster or dealing with the aftermath of the disaster brings people together, giving a sense of hope for the future, that facing the worst the planet has in store for us, we will survive. I also like that sense of survival that comes out in these films, people have to use their wits to stay alive, they have to step up and be brave and do whatever it takes to live. Another thing I enjoy is the often thought-provoking question that many of these films ask. What about you? Share your thoughts on this topic.

Chile Earthquake Update

Why has the Chilean earthquake disappeared from our radar? Is everything fine and well? Have things returned to normal in Chile? Strong aftershocks struck after the 8.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred on February 27, 2010, lasting 90 seconds and leaving hundreds dead. Since then, more than 1.5 million people have been displaced. According to those who experienced the quake, “cars lay mangled and upended on streets littered with telephone wires and power cables. A new 14-story apartment building fell.” With more than two-dozen significant aftershocks, Chile has to be in turmoil.

Did you know the ensuing tsunamis killed 500 people and caused $30 billion in damage? The earthquake triggered a tsunami which devastated several coastal towns in south-central Chile and damaged the port at Talcahuano. Tsunami warnings were issued in 53 countries, causing minor damage in San Diego and Japan.

Just hours ago, on May 2nd, USGS reported earthquakes in Chile and elsewhere in South America. And Reuters reported a 5.8 magnitude earthquake hitting central Chile. That quake was felt in Santiago but there were no reports of damage.

Sadly, it seems it will be a quite a while before things return to normal in Chile.