So I just experienced my first earthquake

[Smid]

Our San Fransisco posters are probably all "wow, like that's yawn-worthy" but it's my first earthquake (they're insanely rare in Australia). Apparently 4.6 on the richter scale.

http://www.news.com.au/heraldsun/story/0,21985,25150188-661,00.html
http://www.theage.com.au/national/earth-tremor-rocks-metropolitan-melbourne-20090306-8rgc.html

So I was sitting on the couch and it all started shaking and my fiancee said "what's that" but it wasn't all that much more than when someone runs along the balcony outside. It was probably a little bit more and I said "perhaps someone's running along the balcony" but nobody came past and the rattling of the windows and glasses continued for quite a while after the main feeling stopped and she said "no one's out there" and I said "perhaps it's an earthquake, they don't happen often in Australia but they've happened in the past." It wasn't really strong enough to cause any concern, indeed, I was sitting on the couch and it made my sides feel buzzing like in a massage couch. We talked a little about in an earthquake you're meant to stand in the doorway or something, but this is a pretty small flat and there aren't many doorways and we talked about that for a bit (boring, I know). Then we sat down and watched a movie. It was only after the movie ended and we went online that we found that it had actually been an earthquake. I'm pretty excited about having been through one.

It was quite a distance off, so I don't know what magnitude it would have been here. I think Tik lives closer to it then I do, and I think Conor's a little further from it then me.

[dead0man]

I've been in at least two little guys like that, nothing big though.  I've never seen a tornado either (or ever had one hit close to me for that matter).

[Smid]

Yeah, I've never seen a tornado either, nor do I want to see one. I don't know if I could imagine anything more frightening.

[Fmr. Emperor PiT]

     Magnitude 4.6 is pretty weak. I don't think I've ever experienced anything much stronger since moving up here. However, back when I was living in Los Angeles I was party to the Northridge Earthquake.

[Lunar]

I think you can calculate apparent magnitude somewhere, at least you can with earthquake sites in the US.

I remember being introduced to a 4.2 earthquake once where the epicenter was a mile or two away.  I'm sitting there with my friend and it's 4:22 am, and I'm actually awake because I'm bored and it's summer, and suddenly I think that like a party has erupted on apartment above me.  Then I'm starting to think, wait, that sounds more like the cavalry and less like a party.  And then when it dawned on me that I in fact live on the top floor of my building and I had an "Ohhhhh crap!" moment where the truth dawned on me and then sprinted to my apartment door and stood in it hoping the building door.  Also, the Earthquake lasted 22 seconds.  That's how I remember those numbers, they're weird.

I'm always very scared because you don't know when they will end.  You know you are fine in the current situation, but you don't know how much bigger it's going to get before it cuts off.  I mean, 9.0 earthquakes build up through all of the other magnitudes first, they just don't start.  Also, the Bay Area is very overdue for a big earthquake considering historical frequency.

  When I had to run to a doorframe over last Christmas (I visiting home in Northeastern California), I had my first big Earthquake back home despite living in rural Northeastern California.  After it happened I couldn't fall asleep without going to a computer to see if I had experienced a local earthquake or if my apartment had been leveled way back in California and I was just rocking a little guy.

[Inks.LWC Supports Chuck Hagel]

I didn't know Australia got earthquakes, but I guess it'd make sense that they'd get one every once in a while.  I remember Detroit felt one that originated down in Ohio about 10 years back.

[Lunar]

I didn't know Australia got earthquakes, but I guess it'd make sense that they'd get one every once in a while.  I remember Detroit felt one that originated down in Ohio about 10 years back.

these places get them:

[bullmoose88]

I didn't know Australia got earthquakes, but I guess it'd make sense that they'd get one every once in a while.  I remember Detroit felt one that originated down in Ohio about 10 years back.

these places get them:

But what about those areas that get them, like Missouri etc...

[Lunar]

Earthquakes happen on areas besides the immediate border.

For example, forty years ago, a 9.2 (remember a 9.0 is ten times more powerful than an 8.0, 10x more powerful than a 7.0 etc.), hit here:

[Senator MaxQue]

Earthquakes happen on areas besides the immediate border.

For example, forty years ago, a 9.2 (remember a 9.0 is ten times more powerful than an 8.0, 10x more powerful than a 7.0 etc.), hit here:

100x more powerful than a 7.0 would be better.

[Lunar]

yeah that

[Smid]

I didn't know Australia got earthquakes, but I guess it'd make sense that they'd get one every once in a while.  I remember Detroit felt one that originated down in Ohio about 10 years back.

Yeah, we're not on any fault lines, but they happen rarely elsewhere - such as that one in Ohio, although I think ones elsewhere tend to be quite minor and would probably be considered a light tremor to someone living along a fault line somewhere. To give some idea of how rare it is, the newspaper is saying that the last one near Melbourne that was this strong was a 5.0 back in 1973. I think there was a 3.0 in the eastern suburbs a couple of years back, but I think the paper said you probably wouldn't even notice it.

[Rin-chan]

You're all okay, right?

Rin-chan

[Smid]

You're all okay, right?

Rin-chan

Yeah, by world-wide standards it was pretty minor. No worries at all. I think a few cracks in a few walls (not that I've seen at my place, though) but no substantial damage. Walls crack over here because of the drought, too - the ground dries out and shifts because it loses its moisture, and that has nothing to do with an earthquake, so the effects weren't all that severe. This wasn't really a big thing - as I said, at first we thought it was either a freight train rumbling past or somebody a bit overweight running along the balcony outside the apartment.

[Rin-chan]

You're all okay, right?

Rin-chan

Yeah, by world-wide standards it was pretty minor. No worries at all. I think a few cracks in a few walls (not that I've seen at my place, though) but no substantial damage. Walls crack over here because of the drought, too - the ground dries out and shifts because it loses its moisture, and that has nothing to do with an earthquake, so the effects weren't all that severe. This wasn't really a big thing - as I said, at first we thought it was either a freight train rumbling past or somebody a bit overweight running along the balcony outside the apartment.

That's good   It must've been pretty weird.  I've never been around for an earthquake.  There were two very minor ones a few weeks ago in Jersey, but I was at school and missed them.

I hope you don't have cracks in your walls!!

Rin-chan

[Senator Sbane]

A 4.6 is just downright fun. It is no laughing matter though. Southern California is way overdue for the big one. I think the probability has climbed to about 99% that there will be a major earthquake in socal in the next 30 years. Norcal faces a risk but not as bad as down here.

[Tik]

I was watching a movie in the living room when it happened, it was my first one too. Not very exciting but disorienting for a few seconds.

[AkSaber]

Glad to hear you two are ok.

To me, no matter how large or small an earthquake is, they still creep me out. Whenever I feel one, I always stop what I'm doing and focus on it. I always make sure the quake doesn't get any bigger. When it goes away I resume my life.

[RosettaStoned]

A 4.6 is just downright fun. It is no laughing matter though. Southern California is way overdue for the big one. I think the probability has climbed to about 99% that there will be a major earthquake in socal in the next 30 years. Norcal faces a risk but not as bad as down here.

I can't wait!

[Lunar]

Re: AlaskaSabre: Considering what happened in the 1960's, rightly so.

I mean, wow.  

[AkSaber]

Re: AlaskaSabre: Considering what happened in the 1960's, rightly so.

I mean, wow.  

Oh yeah, utterly terrifying. My mom and grandparents endured it. My mom wasn't even 5 yet, and she still vividly remembers what it was like. The thing which sticks out most to her are the telephone poles. During the quake, they were hitting the ground, going back-and-forth like a metronome.

[Inks.LWC Supports Chuck Hagel]

I didn't know Australia got earthquakes, but I guess it'd make sense that they'd get one every once in a while.  I remember Detroit felt one that originated down in Ohio about 10 years back.

these places get them:

But what about those areas that get them, like Missouri etc...

That picture oversimplifies it a bit.  Those are the main places that they occur, but they do happen other places (like Missouri and Ohio).

[Lunar]

by "these places" I meant the whole world

[Senator Sbane]

I didn't know Australia got earthquakes, but I guess it'd make sense that they'd get one every once in a while.  I remember Detroit felt one that originated down in Ohio about 10 years back.

these places get them:

But what about those areas that get them, like Missouri etc...

That picture oversimplifies it a bit.  Those are the main places that they occur, but they do happen other places (like Missouri and Ohio).

Yeah its called the new madrid fault or something. I forget what it is exactly but its weird and can cause damaging earthquakes that can go on for 3-5 minutes.

[Robespierre's Jaw]

To me, Friday's tremor felt nothing out of the ordinary. If anything it felt as if those living below my residence were renovating the deteriorating flat once more! However, I did realise it was more than a 9PM renovation when two people I were conversing with at the time replied instantaneously "Conor, did you feel that?".

On a different matter altogether, I was amused when news reporters from Sky News pronounced Reservoir correctly upon they received reports that the tremors had reached as far as Melbourne's northern most suburbs. And I'm sure I wasn't the only person who was