Free Website | credit report | credit cards | BlueHost Review  

What about the increase in earthquakes?


Another false sign has been the claim that earthquakes are on the increase. They
even use a graph to show the increase in earthquakes.

This graph seems to show an increase in large earthquakes, however it actually shows
the cumulative total, so the rising graph is not an indication of an increase in activity.
Typical dishonesty in the data put out by Planet X supporters.

Even more interesting is that whoever put this graph together seems to have missed
several 8+ earthquakes. Dishonest and sloppy.
 

The truth is that there has not been a increase in Earthquake activity.

______________________________________________________________________
 

Are Earthquakes Really on the Increase?

We continue to be asked by many people throughout the world if earthquakes are
on the increase. Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes,
earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant.

A partial explanation may lie in the fact that in the last twenty years, we have
definitely had an increase in the number of earthquakes we have been able to locate
each year. This is because of the tremendous increase in the number of seismograph
stations in the world and the many improvements in global communications. In 1931,
there were about 350 stations operating in the world; today, there are more that 8,000
stations and the data now comes in rapidly from these stations by electronic mail,
internet and satellite. This increase in the number of stations and the more timely
receipt of data has allowed us and other seismological centers to locate earthquakes
more rapidly and to locate many small earthquakes which were undetected in
earlier years. The NEIC now locates about 20,000 earthquakes each year or
approximately 50 per day. Also, because of the improvements in communications
and the increased interest in the environment and natural disasters, the public now
learns about more earthquakes.

According to long-term records (since about 1900), we expect about 18 major
earthquakes (7.0 - 7.9) and one great earthquake (8.0 or above) in any given year.
However, let's take a look at what has happened in the past 31 years, from 1969
through 2001.

Our records show that 1992 is the first time that we have reached or exceeded the
long-term average number of major earthquakes since 1971. The long-term average
for the number of earthquakes was exceeded in 1970, 1971, 1992, 1995, and 1996, but
there was less than half the average number of events in 1984, 1986, 1988 and 1989.
The number of events in 2001, is once again been below the long-term average. The
following is a list of major and great earthquakes during this period:

Number of Earthquakes Per  Year
 

Year       Major               Great
           Earthquakes     Earthquakes
 

 1969        15                      1
 1970        20                      0
 1971        19                      1
 1972        15                      0
 1973        13                      0
 1974        14                      0
 1975        14                      1
 1976        15                      2
 1977        11                      2
 1978        16                      1
 1979        13                      0
 1980        13                      1
 1981        13                      0
 1982        10                      1
 1983        14                      0
 1984        08                      0
 1985        13                      1
 1986        05                      1
 1987        11                      0
 1988        08                      0
 1989        06                      1
 1990        12                      0
 1991        11                      0
 1992        23                      0
 1993        15                      1
 1994        13                      2
 1995        22                      3
 1996        21                      1
 1997        20                      0
 1998        14                      2
 1999        23                      0
 2000        16                      4
 2001        14                      1
 

The number of Great earthquakes during this 33 year period was about at the level indicated by the long-term average, with
27 events in 33 years.

See also: Earthquake Facts and Statistics
 

The above taken from: USGS Earthquake Hazards Program
 

Home