Biggest earthquake in 40 years hits Southeast Asia

[Dis]

has anyone blamed Bush yet? If not, then I do.

[reds4ever]

Why are some scales made linear and some not?

[Kassiopeia]

Arbitrarily. I suppose, with the forces involved, it turns the scale from daunting (1 to 100 million billion) into more graspable by the average person (1 to 10). Same thing with pH.

[Hot Mustard]

Am I the only one who finds it a little strange that the (western?) media always cover these stories with headlines that include how many nationals died? (e.g. "Earthquake kills 11,000, including X Americans/Canadians" ) I think it is disrespectful.

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by dejon


Am I the only one who finds it a little strange that the (western?) media always cover these stories with headlines that include how many nationals died? (e.g. "Earthquake kills 11,000, including X Americans/Canadians" ) I think it is disrespectful.

Thats life, why else do you think the floods in China that kill thousands never make the news??

[reds4ever]

Originally posted by Kassiopeia
Arbitrarily. I suppose, with the forces involved, it turns the scale from daunting (1 to 100 million billion) into more graspable by the average person (1 to 10). Same thing with pH.

So why have the decimal? ie 7.3? Or just have another decimal? ie. 7.34 (or whatever)

[Nubclear]

Originally posted by dejon


Am I the only one who finds it a little strange that the (western?) media always cover these stories with headlines that include how many nationals died? (e.g. "Earthquake kills 11,000, including X Americans/Canadians" ) I think it is disrespectful.

Nuclear Accident in Kenya kills 100 million billion zillion.

Thats sad.

Including 2 Americans

[Kassiopeia]

Technology has developed since Richter came up with the scale, and the stuff can now be measured more accurately. Originally Richter intended to make it impossible to have a quake that would be in the negative on the scale, but such quakes can now be detected with modern equipment.

[Dis]

but surely this can be blamed on global warming, can it not?

In any case, people are using the armegeddon word? This really isn't that historic. It wasn't that long ago the quake hit Alaska. These things aren't that uncommong. It's good they don't happen more frequently though.

Sad. Hopefully they died relatively quickly and painlessly.

[Whoha]

Originally posted by reds4ever
Why are some scales made linear and some not?

because some things are better described logarithmically.

[Dis]

I wasn't expecting pictures so soon (the magic of digital technology). Horrific, and you can see how the loss of life is so high.

[Whoha]

Originally posted by Dissident
but surely this can be blamed on global warming, can it not?

In any case, people are using the armegeddon word? This really isn't that historic. It wasn't that long ago the quake hit Alaska. These things aren't that uncommong. It's good they don't happen more frequently though.

Sad. Hopefully they died relatively quickly and painlessly.

it can be blamed on the tooth fairie for all the good it will do anyone.

[Urban Ranger]

Originally posted by Drake Tungsten
The sad truth is that 10,000 dead is pretty light for an earthquake this big. Anywhere near a major urban center and we could be looking at hundreds of thousands of casualties...

I wouldn't call it a sad truth, but rather a fortunate turn of events.

[Odin]

8.9 and +10,000 dead, Christ, talk about coal in the stockings...

It seems that most of the Big Ones, like this one, occur at subduction zones, why is that?

[Dis]

Originally posted by Odin
8.9 and +10,000 dead, Christ, talk about coal in the stockings...

It seems that most of the Big Ones, like this one, occur at subduction zones, why is that?

most of those nations aren't christian. not that it matters. I'm not implying that this happened because they aren't christian. Just that the day of christmas probably doesn't mean much to them.