Talk:Virginia Seismic Zone

message: just experienced a side to side earthshake in Hampton Roads area 8/23/2011 at 1:53 pm
:USGS Confirmation  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 67.208.9.215 (talk) 18:05, 23 August 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: USGS confirmed the earthquake at 1:50 PM Eastern Time (USA). Tremors felt in Manhattan. --Uncle Ed (talk) 18:27, 23 August 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: USGS says 5.9 with updates coming.  Also we need to consider downgrading the 1897 Giles earthquake from "largest" to "Large".  Kanaugle (talk) 18:32, 23 August 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: I agree re: Giles earthquake. The list of earthquakes lists Giles at 5.9, the detailed account of the 2011 refers to Giles as 5.8; the two need to be reconciled, and if Giles is equal should be listed as large. More appropriately, the adjective should simply be removed, as the reader can ascertain from the included measurements which listed earthquake was "largest" or tied for the title. Wolfraem (talk) 19:45, 23 August 2011 (UTC)
thread_title: 5.9 Magnitude quake 2011-08-23

message: Self explanatory.... - Fan Railer (talk) 18:19, 23 August 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: Have to disagree.  It is a developing story.Kanaugle (talk) 18:30, 23 August 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: I second. Wolfraem (talk) 20:45, 23 August 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  MODERATOR, please lock this ASAP 

message: The section about the 2003 Earthquake needs updated too.  Everyone wants to add their 2 cents about the one we just had, but the 2003 earthquake is still listed as the largest recorded with modern equipment, and notes that the largest was estimated to be a 5.8. 24.170.248.74 (talk) 18:34, 23 August 2011 (UTC)
replies: text: Edits have been made to achieve more neutral delivery and align section with current information. Wolfraem (talk) 20:45, 23 August 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Updates to the 2003 earthquakes 

message: I object to the use of "richer scale" in the article.  Earthquakes are no longer measured by richer, but by moment magnitude scale, right?" can someone with more knowledge than me update this  — Preceding unsigned comment added by 165.112.61.208 (talk) 18:38, 23 August 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  Richter vs. Moment Magnitude scales 

message: There was no 4.2 aftershock.  There was a 2.8 aftershock, but it was at 2:46:50 PM local time.  Any aftershock above 2.5 would be listed on teh USGS website.  — Preceding unsigned comment added by Exit 0 (talk • contribs) 03:44, 24 August 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  No 4.2 Aftershock 

message: I started to work on a new lead that introduces the zones.
: Plate tectonics cause most of the Earth's earthquakes at boundaries between moving plates. However, Virginia is in the middle of the North American plate, far from plate boundaries.
Wonderful! But now I'm wondering why we have earthquakes in VA. The article I was using as a source does not explain this. 
I see that three zones, Central Virginia seismic zone, Giles County seismic zone, and Eastern Tennessee Seismic Zone got defined but it's not clear why these were defined rather than the system used in California which is based on individual Earthquake faults.
I got the impression a reason is because the USGS does not know where the faults are. Apparently in California the seismic monitoring network is dense enough the location of earthquakes can be pinpointed. In California our faults are constantly slipping meaning we see small earthquakes nearly every day. They are to small to be fault but are detected by instruments. Combined with the dense seismic monitoring network it means the location and depth of many of California's are well known.
What's not clear about Virginia is if the reasons for using zones rather than faults are because the USGS chose to not install a dense network and/or if the faults are largely static.
Anyway - I realized it's going to take more research to locate some reliable sources that explain why VA has earthquakes and also to explain why the USGS uses zones rather than naming the faults. Note that not all faults are mapped in California. From time to time we'll have an earthquake on a previously unknown fault. If a fault does not slip then it generates no data and we don't know about it. It's possible most of VA is like this. --Marc Kupper|talk 21:13, 28 August 2011 (UTC)
thread_title:  New lead - sources needed 

message: Hello fellow Wikipedians,
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thread_title:  External links modified