We often hear of earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, hurricanes, and other forms of natural disasters in the news, but it does seem that in the last several years that the frequency and intensity of these has increased, especially earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Let us explore recent earthquakes, volcanic activity and hurricanes to see if there is a trend to support this.
Earthquakes
Everyone should be familiar with the two large earthquakes in Christchurch in New Zealand recently, which caused tremendous damage to the city.
Did you know however that since then there have been many hundreds of continued strong aftershocks, which have placed the rebuilding of the city and it’s future in jeopardy.
Similarly, after the recent earthquake off the coast of Honshu in Japan, which unleashed a terrible killer tsunami, there there have been multiple earth tremors daily that have had a magnitude greater than 5 on the Richter Scale.
The whole Pacific Ring Of Fire, a region around the whole Pacific Basin that is prone to earthquakes, has literally been sparking off major tremors one after the other daily over the last year.
In the last 7 days, according to the U.S. Geological Survey, there have been no less than 42 earthquakes with a magnitude greater than 5 on the Richter Scale around the Pacific.
Of course for the most part these did not make the international news. Likewise many people will be unaware of the 5.3 and 7.0 earthquakes that struck Peru, or the 5.4 that occurred off the coast of Norway on Aug. 24.
Everyone of course is by now familiar with the two quakes that hit Colorado, the largest being a 5.3 on Aug. 24. Even more familiar to many in the USA will be the quake that hit Virginia on Aug. 24, a 5.8 level which is extremely rare for this area.
Let us not forget that it’s not just the destruction caused by the tremors themselves that are the problem with earthquakes. Tremors at sea also have the power to create tsunamis, which can cause more damage than the earthquake itself, as we saw in Indonesia and Japan.
The big question is, are the number of significant earthquakes on the increase, or is this just a perceived trend?
Graphs using data from USGS showing worldwide earthquake trends show not only a marked increase in the number of earthquakes since 2009, they also show a significant decrease in the depth. The shallower the epicenter of the earthquake, the more likely it is to do major damage and to trigger tsunamis, therefore this is a disturbing trend.
Volcanoes
When we think of volcanic eruptions we often think of these as extremely rare and generally occurring in the distant past, but the reality is that there are many active volcanoes throughout the world. You might not be surprised to find that many of these are located in the Pacific Ring Of Fire, as can be seen on this map from volcanodiscovery.com.
Right now, according to Volcano Discovery, both Mount Etna and Stromboli in Italy are showing increased activity, as is Anak Krakatau in Indonesia, Tavur in Papua New Guinea, Puyehue-Cordon Caulle in Chile, and Kilauea in Hawaii.
Volcanoes can cause problems in multiple ways. Firstly there is the damage from a major eruption, the outpouring of rocks and lava. Then there is always the possibility of death caused by poisonous gas. Finally let us not forget the recent disruption to air travel that was caused by several eruptions in Iceland sending masses of ash high into the atmosphere.
It does seem as if volcanic activity throughout the world is on the increase, which is not unlikely since both earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are related to movements and activity within the earth’s core.
While it is hard to find any scientific reports that show a trend in the increase in volcanic activity in recent years, there are theories that the water from the melting of the ice caps is sinking, pushing on the ocean floor, and this is impacting on the levels of volcanic activity. If this theory is indeed valid, it ought to be possible to show a connection within the next 5 years, as polar ice continues to melt.
Hurricanes
By all accounts the 2011 hurricane season is predicted to be a busy one.
Hurricane Irene has pounded The Bahamas and Dominican Republic as a Category 3, as a Category 2 as caused enormous damage in North Carolina. Fortunately by the time it hit the most heavily populated areas on the East Coast of the USA it had lost the worst of it’s strength, and the damage in New York was far less than anticipated.
However, it would only take one major storm of this size to pass along the whole of the Eastern Seaboard of the USA to cause horrendous damage that would take billions of dollars to repair.
It is believed that the frequency and intensity of hurricanes in the Atlantic will increase in coming years, due to Global Warming. As a result, the National Hurricane Center is now considering the definition of Category 6 storms, the current strongest being Category 5.
The Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Laboratory, a department of NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration) , has conducted studies on global warming and hurricanes, and concluded that “it is likely that greenhouse warming will cause hurricanes in the coming century to be more intense globally and have higher rainfall rates than present-day hurricanes”.
There is significant proof that the ocean temperatures are increasing, and the NOAA Climate Services noted in July that the extent of the sea ice in the Arctic set a record low for the month.
So Is The End Of The World At Hand?
Well, unless you believe in the Mayan Apocalypse, then no. However with many countries having severe economic problems right now, including the USA, a major earthquake in California, a couple of major hurricanes, and maybe more flight disruption caused by volcanic activity, could only add to the present problems that the nation faces.
Should of course a significant meteor fall from the sky, or the super volcano under Yellowstone National Park decide to erupt, well then I think we will all be dinosaurs.
Sources:
Significant Recent Earthquakes
Recent Volcanic Activity