I chose this article because it endeavors to answer the question that has captivated our class-why have there been so many earthquakes lately? The man with the answers is Michael Blanpied, who serves as associate coordinator for the USGS Hazards Program. He said that by looking at historical data, the number of earthquakes is not actually increasing. For example, an earthquake in the 7 to 7.9-magnitude range occurs on average 17 times a year throughout documented history, and fittingly in 2009 there was 16. He said the reason recent earthquakes seem more treacherous is because the quality of reporting is much higher, seismic technology allows earthquake data to be unfolded in real time causing instant worldwide horror, and the number of people living in earthquake prone areas is much greater. It is still unknown whether earthquakes trigger earthquakes across long distances, and that is an area of active research. As we know, earthquakes cause multiple aftershocks in their region. Some researchers are exploring the idea that melting ice and sea-level rise is changing the weight bearing down on faults, such that they might be more prone to making earthquakes. I thought this was interesting and I would be curious the see what scientists find. Overall, I enjoyed reading this article. However, some of the questions that they asked the geologist were so rudimentary that our class could answer it. A question I found unintelligent was “Would it be possible to trigger an earthquake deliberately, for strategic or political or criminal purposes?” The geologist did answer the question professionally though, props to him.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/discussion/2010/03/08/DI2010030802570.html
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/eqstats.php
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