No End Seen to China Quake Aftershocks

Another major earthquake in the making?

China Earthquake: Large Cluster of Powerful Shocks!

• Mainshock: 7.9 Magnitude - Monday, May 12, 2008 at 02:28:01 [time at epicenter]

• Latest aftershock: 5.5 Magnitude - Friday, May 16, 2008 at 01:25:48 PM [time at epicenter]

• Total number of major aftershocks: 59 [and continuing]

The last 4 aftershocks have strengthened in magnitude from 4.3 to 5.5 Mw. Is there another major shock in the making?

This map shows the predicted (theoretical) travel times, in minutes, of the compressional (P) wave from the earthquake location to points around the globe. The heavy black lines shown are the approximate distances to the P-wave shadow zone (103 to 140 degrees). (Caption: USGS)

Shadow zone

The shadow zone is the area of the earth from angular distances of 104 to 140 degrees from a given earthquake that does not receive any direct P waves. The shadow zone results from S waves being stopped entirely by the liquid core and P waves being bent (refracted) by the liquid core.

Did you know?

Through measuring how P and S waves travel through the earth and out the other side, a seismic wave shadow zone was discovered in about 1910. From the lack of S waves and a great slowing of the P wave velocity (by about 40%) it was deduced that the outer core is made of liquid. The shadow zone also defined the diameter of the core.

[If the outer core was not made of liquid, Earth could probably breakup into several pieces as a result of a v. large earthquake! FEWW]

Text and image: USGS.

2008 Beijing Olympics

Will the 2008 Olympics trigger the last phase of Beijing Collapse?

Fu Ying, China’s Ambassador to the UK [Toast at CBBC Cocktail Reception, Marsh’s Office - 2008-1-8 )

It will probably be one of the largest in the world. The figures I hear are daunting: Beijing is expecting over 5 million visitors . . .

Other Participants

Athletes and officials: 17,000
Journalists: 30,000
Volunteers: 100,000

Other Information

“Local” Impact
Duration of games: 16 days (8-24 August 2008 )
Visitors water consumption: 8-10Gl (gigaliters)
Drinking water: 0.5Gl
Food: 120million kg
Waste produced (municipal and industrial) : 10billion kg
Additional stress exerted on the sinking ground: 478Pa (nominal stress on an area of 225km²)

Beijing: Heavy air pollution has resulted in widespread smog. Source: Wikimedia Commons

Global Impact

Number of visitors: 5,000,000 (see the above statement by Fu Ying, China’s Ambassador to the UK)
Total amount of fuel consumed (Traveling to and from Beijing): 687 million liters
CO2 produced: 1.5mmt (million metric tons of CO2)

Can the world afford the Olympics? Isn’t it time the Olympics were relegated to the dustbin of History?

Related Links:

• Collapsing Cities
• Drying Aquifers, Sinking Cities