Earthquake in Santiago? Yes, it happened earlier today.

[jflorez]

According to Antena 3 News in Galicia, A small earthquake of magnitude 3.3, and with an epicenter in Oroso was felt this afternoon from Muros on the coast to Arzúa inland, and in Santiago and surrounding areas. The tremor occurred, according to data from the National Geographic Institute, at a depth of 6 kilometers. Of all the things to experience on a Camino, I can't say that I have ever experienced an earthquake. For those unfamiliar with earthquakes, a 3.3M quake is just strong enough to be felt but rarely does more than rattle shaky nerves. The map indicates where it was reported to be felt.

 

[ivar]

I noticed it.. in old town. Lasted for about 4-5 seconds.

 

[Peregrinopaul]

It reminds me of the occasion one beautiful Boxing Day morning when I was taking my sailboat out to sea through the channel from the boat harbour here. I'd checked the tide-table - but not the news - in advance, and was perplexed to find that the tide was obviously coming in instead of out. It was the morning of the 2004 tsunami.

 

[John Crawford Howell]

We here in the Pacific Northwest who live in coastal areas await the anticipated massive next movement of the Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) that runs from northern California to just west of Vancouver Island. The resulting earthquake is forecast to be an 8 or more on the logarithmic Richter scale. The last one was January 26, 1700. It was estimated to have been around 9.0. Tsunami warning signs punctuate every coastal community in Waashington, Oregon, and California. We go about our daily lives, but . . .

 

[Bradypus]

We go about our daily lives, but . . .

A little different from my own situation. I grew up living almost on top of a geological fault line in central Scotland. The Ochil Fault. So minor that very few people have even heard of it. Even in the area! Every few years there would be very slight tremors and someone's teacup might fall off the table and break on the floor. That was front page news in the local paper when it happened.

 

[FourSeasons]

As stated above a 3.3 is a little rattle the nerves for those not used to the earth moving. I’m a Sounthern California girl who grew up with the ground shaking and school earthquake drills. I recall as a young girl taking a bath with my sister when an earthquake struck. The water swishing back and forth, oh what s fun game that was. Shake, rattle and roll. Many quakes in between with my last experience in January 1994, the Northridge earthquake. I lived in Burbank on the 4th floor of a five story building. It sounded like a fright train, so loud. My daughter and I were in the same room and I was yelling at her to stay where she was. It was pitch black. The quake lasted what seemed like forever. Many aftershocks to come and many lives lost. So grateful the quake today was a small one.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

Whilst I am not knocking the effect on the nerves of those who are not used to earthquakes 3.3 is very small. Most New Zealanders would be a bit blase about it to be honest .
New Zealand - like areas of the United states, Canada and Japan - is a major earthquake zone. We have literally thousands of earthquakes per year of which generally something between 150 to 200 are big enough to notice. It's quite common to notice a lamp swinging or your water sloshing in your glass - that's a three to three and a half. A 4 is slightly more noteworthy. (Remember that for every point increase the severity goes up tenfold. That means a 4 is ten times stronger than a 3, a 5 is 100 times stronger than a 3).
We've had 12 above three on the Richter scale this month, 3 of which were five or over - which is a moderate Shake; depending on the depth etc things can come flying off the shelf, and subject to a buildings construction it can cause structural damage. It's one of the reasons that New Zealand has such strong earthquake mitigation measures and building regulations.

 

[truenorthpilgrm]

Being a born and raised San Diegan, I would quite literally sleep (not advised) through earthquakes, they were so commonplace.

During my years in Bali, there have been some strong shakers, as the Indonesian archipelago sits on a ring of volcanoes. A little unnerving!

 

[MaryLynn]

As stated above a 3.3 is a little rattle the nerves for those not used to the earth moving. I’m a Sounthern California girl who grew up with the ground shaking and school earthquake drills. I recall as a young girl taking a bath with my sister when an earthquake struck. The water swishing back and forth, oh what s fun game that was. Shake, rattle and roll. Many quakes in between with my last experience in January 1994, the Northridge earthquake. I lived in Burbank on the 4th floor of a five story building. It sounded like a fright train, so loud. My daughter and I were in the same room and I was yelling at her to stay where she was. It was pitch black. The quake lasted what seemed like forever. Many aftershocks to come and many lives lost. So grateful the quake today was a small one.

I, too, was thinking that a 3.3 quake was just a little rattle, then I read your comment! I lived in West L.A. when there was a 4.5 quake and all my dishes rattled, but no damage, and I lived in Pasadena CA when the 7.2 quake struck in Northridge early one morning, several miles away; the floor was rolling like a ship in a storm and everything was shaking and rattling - and, just as scary, were the many aftershocks for several weeks afterward. Now I live in Canada, near Toronto, and we have had some small quakes in the past few years!

 

[AnneO]

When I was studying in León in 1995 we had a little one like that. Stuff rattled on the shelves like a big truck drove by. Didn’t realize until later that it was an earthquake, my first and only.

 

[nycwalking]

As stated above a 3.3 is a little rattle the nerves for those not used to the earth moving. I’m a Sounthern California girl who grew up with the ground shaking and school earthquake drills. I recall as a young girl taking a bath with my sister when an earthquake struck. The water swishing back and forth, oh what s fun game that was. Shake, rattle and roll. Many quakes in between with my last experience in January 1994, the Northridge earthquake. I lived in Burbank on the 4th floor of a five story building. It sounded like a fright train, so loud. My daughter and I were in the same room and I was yelling at her to stay where she was. It was pitch black. The quake lasted what seemed like forever. Many aftershocks to come and many lives lost. So grateful the quake today was a small one.

Oooh, “drop drills”. I remember those.

January 1994’s quake was something else. Later that morning I picked up my aunt and we drove around Los Angeles basin then to the valley checking out the damage.

The 1971 Sylmar quake was 6.6 magnitude. I was 9 living in the duplex in which I now again reside but on other side with my mom.

I remember running to her bedroom buffeted back and forth against the walls of the hallway.

A friend of mine moved to Los Angeles a few years ago.

She was going to mount a pretty painting right over her bed’s headboard. I told her if she wished to live either secure it properly or place pic elsewhere.

 

[jflorez]

I live about 5 miles/8km to the epicenter of the M6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake that occurred in 1989 in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, USA, and which did over $10B in damages. I am old enough that I remember it vividly. Earthquakes are quite common in the area, though, and the saying here is anything less than a M4 is not worth mentioning. In the several years I've been on this forum, I couldn't remember ever seeing a post for an earthquake on the Camino (though a cursory google search shows they are more common in Spain than I had initially thought), and hence, why I posted it, despite it only being a M3.3.

The epicenter of the 1989 earthquake is located in a state park and I often go hiking there, my thinking being, what are the odds of it occurring again in the same exact spot?

 

[nycwalking]

I live about 5 miles/8km to the epicenter of the M6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake that occurred in 1989 in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, USA, and which did over $10B in damages. I am old enough that I remember it vividly. Earthquakes are quite common in the area, though, and the saying here is anything less than a M4 is not worth mentioning. In the several years I've been on this forum, I couldn't remember ever seeing a post for an earthquake on the Camino (though a cursory google search shows they are more common in Spain than I had initially thought), and hence, why I posted it, despite it only being a M3.3.

The epicenter of the 1989 earthquake is located in a state park and I often go hiking there, my thinking being, what are the odds of it occurring again in the same exact spot? View attachment 160734

Sometimes lightening strikes twice in same spot.

Take care.

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

The epicenter of the 1989 earthquake is located in a state park and I often go hiking there, my thinking being, what are the odds of it occurring again in the same exact spot?

Now that got me thinking! I'm from Hawkes Bay (NZ) and our Biggie there was way back in 1939. It was a nasty one, M7.8. Killed 256 people in HB - rather a lot considering that the combined population of Napier and Hastings back then was just 27,000 people.
So I had a quick look online and you and I should be safe - although our descendants may not be, bearing in mind that life expectancy is supposed to rise dramatically.
The shortest timeframe between repeaters is apparently just 300 years, the longest 1,200. - with an average of 500 years.
But before you feel too safe, the next one could occur just a few kilometres away......

 

[TravellingMan22]

I live about 5 miles/8km to the epicenter of the M6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake that occurred in 1989 in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, USA, and which did over $10B in damages. I am old enough that I remember it vividly. Earthquakes are quite common in the area, though, and the saying here is anything less than a M4 is not worth mentioning. In the several years I've been on this forum, I couldn't remember ever seeing a post for an earthquake on the Camino (though a cursory google search shows they are more common in Spain than I had initially thought), and hence, why I posted it, despite it only being a M3.3.

The epicenter of the 1989 earthquake is located in a state park and I often go hiking there, my thinking being, what are the odds of it occurring again in the same exact spot? View attachment 160734

I have not done anything of note in my life, and not yet reached the 15 mins of fame that Andy Warhol says we all get, but I was known as the ‘earthquake guy’ by colleagues around 30 years ago!!

My first trip to the USA (from London) was to SFO on the day of the earthquake in 1989. I was only going for one night for work!!! I spent a good part of the flight trying to buy a World Series baseball ticket off a guy on the flight as the event was on that day in SFO. I checked into my hotel at 501pm…there was something in the floor of my room, I knelt down to pick it up and the room started to shake violently. It was quite something.

I followed that up with being in California for the 1992 earthquake. The room did shake but not too much as a long way from epicentre.

Finally (yes really) I was in a major aftershock following the 1999 Turkey quake in 1999 in a 24th floor rooftop bar! I think the alcohol numbed the fear.

In my online dating profile I did used to say that the earth moved when I am around!

 

[nycwalking]

I have not done anything of note in my life, and not yet reached the 15 mins of fame that Andy Warhol says we all get, but I was known as the ‘earthquake guy’ by colleagues around 30 years ago!!

My first trip to the USA (from London) was to SFO on the day of the earthquake in 1989. I was only going for one night for work!!! I spent a good part of the flight trying to buy a World Series baseball ticket off a guy on the flight as the event was on that day in SFO. I checked into my hotel at 501pm…there was something in the floor of my room, I knelt down to pick it up and the room started to shake violently. It was quite something.

I followed that up with being in California for the 1992 earthquake. The room did shake but not too much as a long way from epicentre.

Finally (yes really) I was in a major aftershock following the 1999 Turkey quake in 1999 in a 24th floor rooftop bar! I think the alcohol numbed the fear.

In my online dating profile I did used to say that the earth moved when I am around!

Maybe your the Earth’s tremor bellwether.

Alert cities you are coming so they can prepare.

Just saying.

 

[Damico Walking]

I live about 5 miles/8km to the epicenter of the M6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake that occurred in 1989 in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, USA, and which did over $10B in damages. I am old enough that I remember it vividly. Earthquakes are quite common in the area, though, and the saying here is anything less than a M4 is not worth mentioning. In the several years I've been on this forum, I couldn't remember ever seeing a post for an earthquake on the Camino (though a cursory google search shows they are more common in Spain than I had initially thought), and hence, why I posted it, despite it only being a M3.3.

The epicenter of the 1989 earthquake is located in a state park and I often go hiking there, my thinking being, what are the odds of it occurring again in the same exact spot? View attachment 160734

Sometimes I feel like an earthquake magnet. I was working in down town San Francisco when the Loma Prieta earthquake hit. I was in Los Angeles in 1971 for the M6.5, in Los Angeles in 1979 for the M6.4, and Seattle in 2001 for the 6.8 quakes. But I was nowhere near Spain on Thursday so I dodged that blame.

 

[jflorez]

Sometimes lightening strikes twice in same spot.

Take care.

I've heard that, but have optimistically limited that risk to lightning and not earthquakes.

 

[David61]

Back in 2008, just before 1am we had a local quake of 5.2. I was at work in a chemical plant which had a main structure of just steelwork clad in sheets of questionable 1950s material (think asbestos etc) a couple hundred feet high. When the quake struck the whole building swayed which was rather disconcerting. From the numerous insurance claims there was widespread but relatively minor damage, chimneys, small walls etc plus damage to vehicles from falling debris. What surprised me though was how far the effects were felt
"The tremors were felt across a wide area of England and Wales, from Hampshire in the south to Newcastle upon Tyne in the north, and as far west as Bangor, Northern Ireland. They were also reported in the Netherlands, Belgium, and the far north of France.[3] Structural damage was recorded in some areas, including one case where a chimney collapsed and injured a person in Wombwell, Barnsley, South Yorkshire."

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

There are so many factors that affect how destructive an earthquake is, and how widespread it is felt.
Obviously the magnitude of the earthquake is a significant Factor, however the depth of the earthquake is equally if not more important. (I'm no expert! Just repeating what I've learnt over the years)
Other factors also affect how destructive it is. The primary wave that an earthquake sends out is felt like a short, sharp, shock, and it travels in a vertical motion. But it's the secondary waves that do the damage. They travel perpendicularly. They are big rolling waves, kind of like massive waves at the beach, curling in under themselves as they hit.

It's when they hit the surface that it really gets nasty. Surface waves come in two types: version 1 rock from side to side - believe it or not they're called Love waves. Again though it's the churning waves that are the most destructive. I forget what they're called.
And of course there's timeframe - sometimes it's over and done with in a matter of a second or two, others can go on for for several minutes. They're scary. And I do not say that lightly.

Another major factor that affects both the destructive power of the earthquake and how widespread its felt is of course geology. Is the local geology predominantly rock - if so what kind? Or is it mainly sand and sediment? (In which case it could well liquefy, which is extremely destructive).

Whilst most of us talk about the intensity of an earthquake in terms of the richter scale, I believe most countries that routinely experience them - for example New Zealand and the United States - use a far more useful system called 'The Modified Mercalli (MM) Intensity Scale' . It describes how destructive an earthquake is, and is a far better measure than the Richter scale in terms of ascertaining how severe and earthquake has been. The New Zealand version measures earthquakes in 12 steps: numbers 1 and 2 are not noticeable, 3 and 4 noticeable but no big deal, 5 and 6 vary from mild anxiety to a bit scary, and stuff starts to break. Seven and eight go from hard to stand and your furniture dancing, to full-on panic and structural damage occurring to well-built buildings; weaker ones are destroyed.
Worst case, people start to die.

9 and upwards - believe me, you really don't want to know.

Incidentally those are my descriptions not the official ones!
There are numerous excellent online articles so I won't go on any more.

 

[John Crawford Howell]

Here is a link to a 2015 article in The New Yorker magazine that is instructive, but scary.

The Earthquake That Will Devastate the Pacific Northwest

When the Cascadia fault line ruptures, it could be North America’s worst natural disaster in recorded history.

www.newyorker.com

 

[Peregrinopaul]

Here is a link to a 2015 article in The New Yorker magazine that is instructive, but scary.

The Earthquake That Will Devastate the Pacific Northwest

When the Cascadia fault line ruptures, it could be North America’s worst natural disaster in recorded history.

www.newyorker.com

Not recommended reading for anyone living in the Pacific Northwest, unless they’re prepared to sell up and move.

 

[John Crawford Howell]

As some have. The rest of us are imbued with ostrich genes . . .

 

[natcire]

Thanks John for the link. Very informative article and eye-opening as I live 3 miles north from the I-90 fault line. Another reason to move soon....

 

[Peterexpatkiwi]

@John Crawford Howell, many thanks for the link, a really interesting article.

 

[John Crawford Howell]

Thanks John for the link. Very informative article and eye-opening as I live 3 miles north from the I-90 fault line. Another reason to move soon....

I'm in Anacortes.

 

[John Crawford Howell]

@John Crawford Howell, many thanks for the link, a really interesting article.

You are welcome.