The world is barely a couple of weeks into 2018 and there have already been some major tremors and earthquakes. What is more, scientists are warning that these could be just the beginning. As the earth’s rotation slows far more serious and damaging earthquakes could hit all along the Ring of Fire, bringing devastation and destruction in their wake.
On January 3, a 3.9 magnitude earthquake struck the Mount St. Helens area. It is the largest to hit the area since 1981; what is more, it has been preceded by over five dozen smaller quakes that hit from January 1 to January 3. Seismologists note that more than 80 quakes hit the area in December 2017 alone.
While tremors are not uncommon in the area, the number of tremors over the last two months is far above normal. Experts and some residents alike fear that the quakes could mean that the Mount St. Helens volcano could erupt sooner rather than later. The last eruption of the volcano took place in 1980, only minutes after a 5.1 quake shook the area, it too had been preceded by two months of smaller quakes. This eruption was not only the most lethal but also the most economically damaging eruption in the history of the country, killing 57 people and causing over $1 billion in damage.
A day after the 3.9 magnitude earthquake in Washington, a 4.4 magnitude quake hit Berkeley, California in the wee hours of the morning. Residents who are used to small tremors were jolted awake by the force of the quake while seismologists expressed concern that it could be a foreshock of a much larger shaking. An earthquake measuring about 7 on the Richter scale would kill tens of thousands of people and cause hundreds of billions of dollars in damage. The results of an earthquake measuring above 7 on the Richter scale would be unprecedented.
On January 6, a 3.5 magnitude earthquake hit near the San Antonio area. While residents were jolted by the quake, there were no reports of earthquake-related injuries or damage. However, the fact that the quake has hit an area that is not typically subject to tremors has fueled fears that fracking may the root cause of this and other, potentially more dangerous quakes that could occur in the future. Northern Texas has been hit by a number of small quakes in the past year and there is scientific evidence that the process used for extracting oil in the region may be causing the shaking.
The earthquakes have only gotten stronger as the year goes on. On January 9, a 7.6 earthquake struck the Caribbean Sea just a few miles off the coast of Jamaica. It was felt in a number of countries, including Belize, Honduras and Mexico; fortunately, it did not cause damage or bring about a tsunami as some seismologists feared would be the case.
While experts cannot predict exactly when or where earthquakes will happen they have given the public many reason to be concerned. Geologists have recently stated that the earth’s rotation is slower than it was in years past and the result could be more than twice as many earthquakes with a magnitude of 7 or higher as in 2017.
The area around the equator is most likely to experience an uptick in earthquakes; however, the effects will be felt around the globe as all the countries in the Ring of Fire area are at risk of increased, violent shaking.
Those who study earthquakes and their aftereffects are urging governments to make sure buildings in earthquake-prone areas are strong and resilient enough to withstand the damage. Those who live along the Ring of Fire are urged to have disaster preparedness plans in place should a strong quake occur in their area.
Earthquakes are nothing new, as they have been causing devastation and loss of life for thousands of years. However, the number and intensity of earthquakes is steadily rising and this year is set to be a particularly dangerous one for those who live in earthquake prone areas.
What is more, areas that are overdue for a large quake are far more populated than they were in times past. The result is that a powerful earthquake would cause devastation and loss of life that has not been seen at any time in recent history. Given the fact that the world is far more interconnected than it ever has been, such a quake would be felt even by those who don’t live in a quake-prone region.
~ Christian Patriot Daily
