Did the earth move for you this morning?

adamg — Fri, 19 Oct 2007 09:33:43 -0400

The US Geological Survey reports a magnitude-2.5 earthquake at 1:25 a.m., centered one mile west of Littleton Common.

Why Does the Earth Quake in New England?
The Cape Ann Earthquake of 1755, which occasioned a lament:

O God of Mercy thou art good,
Thou Care for us did take,
When by thy Hand thou did Command,
the Earth and Sea to shake.

What Heart so hard that can't be jarr'd,
when thoug the Earth doth shake :
O Lord what Eye can then be dry,
In terrible EARTHQUAKE. ...

Could the Big One hit Boston?

adamg — Fri, 18 Nov 2005 08:44:38 -0500

Little known fun fact: There are four areas in the U.S. considered to be at risk for potentially devastating earthquakes: the Pacific coast, southern Illinois and Missouri, Charleston, S.C. and Boston.

The main reason we should stop making fun of people who move to California is the Cape Ann Earthquake of 1755, which, Michael informs us, happened 250 years ago today:

In Boston, hundreds of walls and chimneys collapsed and fell to the ground. John Adams, one of many people who reported on the quake, noted that the tremors lasted for about four minutes. In Pembroke and Scituate chasms opened in the earth and sand reached the surface. Sailors on the sea felt as if the ships were striking land. The earthquake was felt from Lake George, New York to 200 miles east of the cape and from Chesapeake Bay to Montreal and Nova Scotia. ...

It also knocked the grasshopper off Faneuil Hall and, as Michael adds, was blamed on Benjamin Franklin, because God was expressing his ire at Franklin's attempt to stop divine lightning from smoting sinners with his newfangled lightning rods. Modern scientists estimate it between 6.0 and 6.3 on the Richter scale.

Also see:

The Cape Ann Earthquake of November 1755, by John Ebel, director of BC's Weston Observatory and a great person to be around during a major earthquake (because during a quake, Ebel wobble but he don't fall down).
Why does the Earth Quake in New England?
Stanford chuckles at the possibility of widespread devastation in Boston
Minor quake shakes Plymouth

earthquakes

Did the earth move for you?

Did the earth move for you this morning?

Could the Big One hit Boston?