Science

Here’s What a Map of 114 Years of Earthquake Epicenters Looks Like

Map Shows Earthquake Activity Since 1989

(Image: John Nelson/IDV User Experience)

As John Nelson writes on his blog — IDV User Experience — this map may look like “fleet of Nickelodeon tankers spilled the world’s supply of floam,” what it really represents is more than 100 years of earthquake data.

With data from the Northern California Earthquake Data Center, compiled by the U.S. Geological Survey and the University of California-Berkeley, Nelson color coded epicenters since 1989 based on magnitude and “glued” that data onto a NASA Visual Earth Image.

He acknowledges that most of the “hard core” data collection really didn’t get started until the 1960s, but still “if historical epicenters were floaties, you could walk from Seattle to Wellington.”

He also says that the areas with more sensors are able to record more seismic activity, thus giving those them more data as well.

In late May, the Blaze reported on Nelson’s image of 56 years of tornado tracks. He has more recently animated this data based on tornados from 1950-2011 by month and year. Check them out:

Comments (40)

  • tharpdevenport
    Posted on June 27, 2012 at 3:16am

    You know, they should overlay the tornado and earthquake map, with a hurricane map, and find the areas of the country never struck in 50 or more years. Might be nice to live somewhere where you’re relatively safe from that cold mistress, Mother Earth.

    Report Post » tharpdevenport  
  • WaterTheTree
    Posted on June 26, 2012 at 11:26pm

    Testing out my ability to post. Hope no one else tried a similar username. Hope the picture shows right, might need to change it.

    As to the article — pretty picture. I also enjoyed the (only tangentally related) videos of the tornado tracks and would like to see the same kind of video for the earthquakes.

    Report Post » WaterTheTree  
  • superinfidel
    Posted on June 26, 2012 at 7:39pm

    Algore says it’s from global warming. Must be that.

    Report Post »  
  • Cabo King
    Posted on June 26, 2012 at 12:00pm

    Obama and his pet monkey better get on this, find a way to outlaw these pesky quakes

    Report Post » Cabo King  
    • dmerwin
      Posted on June 26, 2012 at 5:16pm

      Actually, the earthquakes were caused by George Bush and Dick Cheney who used Halliburton to initiate the quakes.

      Report Post » dmerwin  
    • Stratosaurus
      Posted on June 27, 2012 at 10:59am

      Odildo the Mad would rather tax them, and use the money to promote fairness to areas which do not suffer tornadoes.

      Report Post » Stratosaurus  
  • G-WHIZ
    Posted on June 26, 2012 at 10:58am

    Looks just like the back-O-head of BerrySoetaro.

    Report Post »  
  • hi
    Posted on June 26, 2012 at 9:44am

    The earth is young. Gravity is still pulling it into a tighter and tighter ball. That is the cause of earthquakes. The plate tectonic theory has no driving force. The plates are in all different shapes and couldn’t possible move around each other. It is mathematically impossible for a plate to dive under another plate and cycle around.

    Report Post » hi  
    • lfoa
      Posted on June 26, 2012 at 10:44am

      So by this theory the earth will continue to shrink in on itself… eventually ending in a singularity or black hole. Sounds right to me!

      Report Post »  
    • dont tread
      Posted on June 26, 2012 at 12:35pm

      you have to be a troll

      Report Post »  
    • clandaddy
      Posted on June 26, 2012 at 1:40pm

      Hmmm… So gravity can pull plates *in* and create earthquakes, but apparently *cannot* pull plates in causing one plate to subtend another.
      Where the plates are created is higher than where they slide beneath another plate. That sounds like the definition of downhill to me.

      Report Post »  
  • ScarletRose
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 11:25pm

    That is amazing, like the map with all the recorded history of tornadoes on one USA map. Just amazing.

    Report Post » ScarletRose  
  • fair2light
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 10:31pm

    Lived in so cal all my life 50+ years…..ride in dem quakes. Fun fun fun. Waiting fur da Big one. Well Sep in Haiti where dey kill people.
    Those folks are still getting aid….tells you something bout people with their hand out huh…..kinda like dems here.

    Report Post »  
    • iStutter
      Posted on June 26, 2012 at 7:58am

      What language was that?

      Report Post » iStutter  
    • stadylady
      Posted on June 26, 2012 at 8:20am

      What?

      Report Post » stadylady  
    • CaptMickeyd
      Posted on June 26, 2012 at 1:40pm

      The thing about Haiti, though, is that the infrastructure was not built to stand up against quakes, where most of So-Cal is. The one that hit Haiti would not cause near as much damage in a California city because we have the money and technology to prevent major catastrophe.

      Report Post » CaptMickeyd  
  • loneindividual
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 9:07pm

    Utah is safe from HARP

    THE MORMONS KNEW IT! lol

    Utah is America‘s Helm’s Deep

    ps: I’m Deist (former Mormon who will not toss em under the bus)

    Report Post » loneindividual  
  • CharlesMartel
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 8:48pm

    See Matthew 24:7
    http://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=matt%2024:3-31&version=NIV
    Of course, read it in context!

    Report Post » CharlesMartel  
  • avgconservative
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 8:25pm

    All of these are Bush’s fault!

    Report Post » avgconservative  
  • Deb C
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 8:14pm

    Fascinating

    Report Post » Deb C  
  • thegodfather
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 6:20pm

    Who knew this was all caused by fracking.

    Report Post » thegodfather  
  • Couyon64
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 5:43pm

    If the Earth‘s a rockin’, don‘t come knockin’!

    Report Post » Couyon64  
  • Rayblue
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 5:21pm

    In the early 80′s I was surveying the topography for the soon to be built Gulf Freeway. I couldn’t get a shot on the rod because it seemed to be moving up and down. I had to estimate the numbers from the highest to the lowest and divide. I later found out that an earthquake had traveled from Mexico all the way to downtown Houston. It was the only time I actually observed the motion associated with earth shocks. It was a keeper. And when you ride the freeway from downtown to Scott Street, you’ll feel the results.

    Report Post » Rayblue  
    • ThePostman
      Posted on June 25, 2012 at 5:31pm

      I remember that one, it sloshed water out of my pool in League City.

      Report Post »  
  • tharpdevenport
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 5:13pm

    I think The Blaze has maps confused. Pretty sure this is a map of all the Obama’s vacation spots since 2009. You see, when Michelle sits down, her large posterior creates an epicenter.

    Report Post » tharpdevenport  
  • Elena2010
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 4:42pm

    Beautiful display of plate tectonics :-)

    Report Post » Elena2010  
    • nzkiwi
      Posted on June 26, 2012 at 12:27am

      Yes it is. We call it the “ring of fire”.

      Report Post »  
  • momrules
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 4:40pm

    Speaking of earthquakes……..there were three in Texas over the weekend. Two in the Ft. Worth area and one in South Texas. All three were small…….but?

    There was a 4.3 in E. Texas, in Timpson, Texas near the La. border on May 17th with an even larger aftershock.

    I’ve lived in Texas all my life and only in the last year or so have I read so many reports of earthquakes here.

    Report Post »  
    • TexasHunter
      Posted on June 25, 2012 at 5:20pm

      I did not feel anything. Then again I was working out in the heat so I may have missed them. I hope it is not because of the under ground tunnels the government is building. Everything they get there hands on ends up failing it seems. When large cave ins occur you know why.

      Report Post » TexasHunter  
  • lukerw
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 4:27pm

    Just as you would expect: Fault Lines = Plate Edges = Earth Quake Centers!

    Report Post » lukerw  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 4:23pm

    Is there any chance we could have one just large enough to detach whatever golf course Obama is playing on and send it and him adrift into the Atlantic?

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • momrules
      Posted on June 25, 2012 at 4:51pm

      Wishful thinking Snow, wishful thinking.

      Report Post »  
    • CatB
      Posted on June 25, 2012 at 4:55pm

      Just one little thunderbolt ;-)

      OMG 2012

      Report Post »  
    • antiprogressive
      Posted on June 25, 2012 at 5:11pm

      I’d be happy sending California into the Pacific.

      Then again, Obama would just make us pay to bring it back…

      Report Post »  
    • Mr Sanders
      Posted on June 25, 2012 at 5:24pm

      Excellent maps BTW…. Since the Earth has a temperature…. Greenland may be available soon!

      Report Post » Mr Sanders  
    • rickc34
      Posted on June 25, 2012 at 5:41pm

      How about just having D.C. having a 9.9 while the President is speaking to the joint house and the 9th district is visiting the white house. Then we could just start over with a fresh group.

      Report Post »  
    • JACKTHETOAD
      Posted on June 25, 2012 at 6:28pm

      With our luck, it’d knock one of his crappy putts into the cup.

      Report Post » JACKTHETOAD  
    • fair2light
      Posted on June 25, 2012 at 10:32pm

      Luv luv luv you snow I needed to lol

      Report Post »  
  • Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}
    Posted on June 25, 2012 at 4:22pm

    No suprise on the brightness of the Pacific Basin; the area on the edges is not known as the “Ring of Fire” for nothing. Volcanic and tectonic activities going hand in hand.

    Report Post » Snowleopard {gallery of cat folks}  
    • OlefromMN
      Posted on June 25, 2012 at 6:56pm

      I was just humming a little Johnny Cash thinking about a burning ring of fire prior to reading your comment. It clearly shows in color what they mean when they call it that.

      Report Post » OlefromMN  

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