Virginia Earthquake of 2011, Aug 23

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Discussion Overview

The discussion revolves around the 5.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred in Virginia on August 23, 2011. Participants share their experiences of feeling the quake across various locations, discuss its geological context, and reference historical earthquakes in the region.

Discussion Character

  • Exploratory
  • Technical explanation
  • Conceptual clarification
  • Debate/contested
  • Historical

Main Points Raised

  • Some participants note the earthquake's magnitude varied in reports, initially stated as 5.8, then 5.9, and later reverted to 5.8.
  • Several individuals describe their personal experiences of feeling the quake, with varying intensities and durations reported.
  • Some participants express surprise at the earthquake's occurrence, citing the relative inactivity of the Appalachian region in terms of seismic activity.
  • There are mentions of historical earthquakes in Virginia, including a significant event in 1897, and discussions about the geological history of the area.
  • Some participants report discrepancies in USGS data regarding the earthquake, indicating different sources may have reported varying details.
  • Several participants discuss the impact of the quake, including reports of shattered windows and concerns about potential damage in various locations.
  • There is a reference to other recent seismic events, including an earthquake in Colorado, which some participants connect to the discussion.

Areas of Agreement / Disagreement

Participants generally share their experiences and observations, but there is no consensus on the specifics of the earthquake's effects or the accuracy of the reports. Multiple competing views and uncertainties remain regarding the magnitude and impact of the quake.

Contextual Notes

Participants mention limitations in the available data from USGS and the potential for discrepancies in reported magnitudes and effects. There is also a lack of clarity regarding the historical context of seismic activity in Virginia.

Who May Find This Useful

This discussion may be of interest to those studying geology, seismology, or individuals curious about regional seismic activity and historical earthquakes.

  • #31
No damage here. My house has always looked like this.
 
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  • #32
Locally, the quake was reported in southern and far-western Maine. They must be far more delicate persons that I am. Kind of like the "Princess and the Pea" sensitivity.
 
  • #33
About 20+ years back, we had a young couple over for drinks and a few games of cards. The various bottles of olive oil, peanut oil, etc started clanging together, and the young woman told her boyfriend "stop jiggling your legs" (he has a lot of nervous energy and doesn't sit for long without fidgeting). He said "I'm not doing anything" and sure enough, the whole house was pulsating. Our property was located on a very large deposit of alluvial sand, and I was quite surprised that we could feel a small quake so strongly.
 
  • #34
It stirred some interest in the Fukushima thread - apparently North Anna NPP lost offsite power.
 
  • #35
It was a short while before learned about the quake, but around the same time within a few minutes, I noticed some slight vibration in SW MI.
 
  • #36
Holy crap. I couldn't wait to post. I was in class on the 4th (top floor) of the building when it happened. Ok so class was about to end when the floor started slightly vibrating like a big bus was outside or something fell on the floor below us. Then a second later, it got sort of violent and the entire builnding was really swaying back and forth pretty good, you could feel the building move. Everyone in my classroom was quiet and looking at each other when I said "Yo, is that an Earthquake!?". I looked outside to see the lightpoles swaying as well. Then we evacuated and went home.

Freaking AWESOME! I've always wanted to feel one and I finally have. Ok Hurricanes: Check. Earthquake: check. Up next is a tornado.
 
  • #37
CosmicEye said:
Freaking AWESOME! I've always wanted to feel one and I finally have. Ok Hurricanes: Check. Earthquake: check. Up next is a tornado.

I've never had any of those. How come everyone else gets to suffer through catastrophes and I don't? My life sucks!
 
  • #38
I was working out when it happened and I really wanted to believe it was my chest coming out >.>
 
  • #39
Well there's a decent Hurricane coming up the east coast. Where do you live to have no natural disaster?

I also forgot Blizzard on that list: check
 
  • #40
CosmicEye said:
Well there's a decent Hurricane coming up the east coast. Where do you live to have no natural disaster?

I also forgot Blizzard on that list: check

Oh - don't forget volcanoes!
 
  • #41
lisab said:
Oh - don't forget volcanoes!

Aw, heck, you build one of those. Just bury 2000 lbs of iron fillings and 2000 lbs of sulfur a few feet underground in the town square one night and the town will suddenly be full of news crews from CNN, NBC, CBS, ABC, BBC, and Al Jazeera.

http://www.lateralscience.co.uk/VicN2/vicN2.html

On the other hand, that's one of those things that might not be such a smart thing to do post 9/11.
 
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  • #43
edward said:
Tectonic plates on the east coast are one solid plate. The west coast has multiple fault lines.

http://abcnews.go.com/WNT/video/ear...?tab=9482930&section=1206853&playlist=1363340
The media really likes to sensationalize this stuff.

Code: 
          UTC DATE-TIME       LAT      LON     DEPTH    Location
Mag       y/m/d     h:m:s     deg      deg       km  
5.8   2011/08/23 17:51:04    37.936  -77.933    6.0    8 km ( 5 mi) SSW of Mineral, VA   
2.8   2011/08/23 18:46:50    37.931  -77.935    0.1    9 km ( 5 mi) SSW of Mineral, VA   
2.2   2011/08/23 19:20:26    37.911  -78.004    0.1   13 km ( 8 mi) S of Louisa, VA   

4.2   2011/08/24 00:04:36    37.912  -77.951    7.9   11 km ( 7 mi) SSW of Mineral, VA 
3.4   2011/08/24 04:45:26    37.925  -77.994    4.9   11 km ( 7 mi) S of Louisa, VA

17:51:04 UTC = 01:51 PM EDT

There were a couple more vibrations.
 
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  • #44
imagesizer?file=helenaspopkin277AE443-1089-F2FC-2D0F-05BBC83AAAE0.jpg
 
  • #45
lisab said:
imagesizer?file=helenaspopkin277AE443-1089-F2FC-2D0F-05BBC83AAAE0.jpg
Rofl, the headline makes it even funnier.
 
  • #46
That's hilarious.

I hope no one was in that lawn chair when it tipped.
 
  • #47
Newai said:
That's hilarious.

I hope no one was in that lawn chair when it tipped.
Oh, the humanity!
 
  • #48
I felt the one that happened here in Colorado last night around this time (11:46:19 MST, to be precise). Just a little shaking, lasted less than 10 seconds. Near the border with New Mexico.

First quake I ever felt here in Colorado!

I wonder if what let loose on the East Coast could have triggered the one over here?
 
  • #49
Looting begins in N.Y. as Wall Street reopens.

D.C. built on swamp, promises to rebuild if it sinks.

Film at 11:00.
 
  • #50
There was an earthquake in Oakland tonight. How come we don't get a thread for it?? Oh yea, we get em all the time >_>
 
  • #51


russ_watters said:
Felt it outside of Philly - my first. Didn't realize what it was at first.

Http://www.usgs.gov

Felt like 15 sec of 1 inch, side to side oscillations at around 80hz
Ok, Russ, I can buy 15 seconds of one inch movement, I will give you that, but how in the world did you come up with 80Hz ?
Technical reports of the earthquake, or seat of the pants feel, and if seat of the pants feel, how do you know it was 80hz ? lol.

Rhody... :biggrin:
 
  • #52
I have a lady friend in the DC area that is apparently really freaked out by the quake. I never pay all that much attention but from what I remember of my own experiences 5.9 isn't very bad. Just very.. noticeable.
 
  • #53
CosmicEye said:
Freaking AWESOME! I've always wanted to feel one and I finally have. Ok Hurricanes: Check. Earthquake: check. Up next is a tornado.

Newai said:
I've never had any of those. How come everyone else gets to suffer through catastrophes and I don't? My life sucks!

Well, living only 2 miles from the epicenter of the Northridge quake back in the early 90's, I can say you'd probably change your mind if you went through one of those.
 
  • #54
khemist said:
There was an earthquake in Oakland tonight. How come we don't get a thread for it?? Oh yea, we get em all the time >_>

I had a housemate once in silicon valley who had never been in an earthquake and was terrified of them. Within a couple of months moving there he got caught twice on the toilet. :biggrin:

I'm in Virginia Beach now and when my monitor started swaying I just looked out the window, saw that none of the building or trees were falling down, and went right back to work.
 
  • #55
daveb said:
Well, living only 2 miles from the epicenter of the Northridge quake back in the early 90's, I can say you'd probably change your mind if you went through one of those.

I've got friends who live about 2 miles from the epicenter of this quake in Va. So far the worst I've heard happened was a few book cases falling over and one oversized fish tank being destroyed. These people don't even know how to drive on icy roads much less deal with an earthquake, but when it comes to hurricanes and tornadoes they're prepared.
 
  • #56
I live in a suburb of Baltimore, just about 150 miles from the epicenter, and I felt nothing. Neither did the other two people in my house. Apparently, it was strong enough to cause some damage to older buildings about 20 miles away, but for some reason, we got nothing here.

My girlfriend texted me to ask if I was alright, and I said "yeah, why?" She said "earthquake" and I said "huh?" She was shocked I didn't feel anything. My grandmother called my mother about it, and when my mother said she didn't feel anything, my grandmother asked my mother "are you on pills or something?"

I'm a little bit disappointed. It would have been neat to feel an earthquake.
 
  • #57
I was on the 4th floor of an 8 floor office building in downtown DC. There were a couple of jolts that felt like a heavy truck going by, then a pause just long enough for people to start wondering what was happening before the peak motion started. It lasted about 30 seconds, I think. I don't remember any noise at all. We were debating whether it it was an earthquake or a terrorist bomb or what when the building alarm went off and everybody evacuated.

Walked past an old stone church near Mt Vernon Square later, and saw some minor damage from the quake, with chunks of masonry lying around that had fallen from the steeple.
 
  • #58
wuliheron said:
These people don't even know how to drive on icy roads much less deal with an earthquake, but when it comes to hurricanes and tornadoes they're prepared.


Yeah right. There was no milk and some of the shelves were stripped in the Grocerystore after the EQ :rolleyes: How lame is that. People can't even drive when it drizzles here. I can understand a heavy downpour but Christ, the speedlimit goes from 45 to 20 with a sprinkle.
 
  • #59
It's not a real earthquake until it ships water out of the toilet.
 
  • #60
Code: 
          UTC DATE-TIME       LAT      LON     DEPTH    Location
Mag       y/m/d     h:m:s     deg      deg       km  
5.8   2011/08/23 17:51:04    37.936  -77.933    6.0    8 km ( 5 mi) SSW of Mineral, VA   
2.8   2011/08/23 18:46:50    37.931  -77.935    0.1    9 km ( 5 mi) SSW of Mineral, VA   
2.2   2011/08/23 19:20:26    37.911  -78.004    0.1   13 km ( 8 mi) S of Louisa, VA   

4.2   2011/08/24 00:04:36    37.912  -77.951    7.9   11 km ( 7 mi) SSW of Mineral, VA 
3.4   2011/08/24 04:45:26    37.925  -77.994    4.9   11 km ( 7 mi) S of Louisa, VA 

2.5   2011/08/25 04:06:47    37.923  -77.988    0.1   11 km ( 7 mi) S of Louisa, VA 
4.5   2011/08/25 05:07:50    37.940  -77.896    5.0    7 km ( 5 mi) S of Mineral, VA 
2.3   2011/08/25 06:37:31    37.912  -77.969    0.1   12 km ( 7 mi) SSW of Mineral, VA 
2.4   2011/08/25 15:27:47    37.951  -77.924    0.1    6 km ( 4 mi) S of Mineral, VA 
2.6   2011/08/25 23:40:56    37.903  -77.814    4.9   14 km ( 9 mi) SE of Mineral, VA

17:51:04 UTC = 01:51 PM EDT

This is interesting, not only since it was about 8-9 miles from a nuclear plant, or that the magnitude of the initial event was within about 0.2 to 0.3 mag of the DBE of the NPP, but they have having a little swarm - and this is an area that doesn't normally get 4s and 5s.

In the NE, there's been a few more tremors.

It bears watching, because something has changed.
 
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