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Did the earth move for you this morning?
By adamg on Fri, 10/19/2007 - 9:33am
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. ...
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Comments
Faultlines
I used to live in Littleton, near an extensive wetland. When it froze, we would get out the skates, and when it snowed on top we would take our cross-country skis and go exploring the frozen wastes.
We had a really nice snowfall overnight one night, so I got up at dawn and strapped in. As I traversed the wetlands I noticed this line in the snow extending across them, pretty much smack inbetween the neighboring hills. It went straight along, and all the way down through the ice (which was down to the pond bottom by that point in early February).
While driving into work, I heard that there had been a small earthquake near the Acton-Boxborough-Littleton intersection - pretty much exactly where I had been.
I think I know where the fault lie ...
New England's geologic past
Much more exciting than the present, back when the Great Blue Hill was a volcano (you can still see remnants of one of its lava flows in Hyde Park - the Dell Avenue Rock on Hyde Park Avenue) and the corner of Grove and Washington in West Roxbury was another volcano (you can still see what's left of its top). But then Africa separated from North America, tempus fugited and now we're left with boring rebounding quakes from the earth uncompressing after all those years of glaciers piled atop it, or something. Except for things like the Cape Ann Quake, which is why the Boston area is one of four areas in the U.S. rated as having a risk of a catastrophic earthquake - right alongside the Pacific coast, Charleston, SC and New Madrid, Mo. If the big one ever does come, you probably don't want to be in one of those lovely brownstones in the Back Bay ...
Great Blue Hill as a Volcano?
That was recent, right? I think 1980 or so?
http://www.museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/aprilfool/comme...
Ah, the good old days of Channel 7
But for something from the more distant past, drive down Hyde Park Avenue and stop at the Dell Avenue Rock (you can't miss it) and read the plaque. Also, see this description:
Volcanos et al
You mention the corner of Grove and Washington
in West Roxbury--is that documented anywhere?
I grew up a few blocks from there, and there
is still an active quarry. (West Roxbury
Crushed Stone--corner of Grove and Centre.)
That's pretty flat land, unlike Great Blue
Hill. There was an active volcano there?
Thanks.
You would ask me that
I read that in the Transcript a long time ago, and it always stuck with me, but I don't have anything more exact than that. I've always pictured the remains as being that rocky cliff thing right at the corner of Grove and Washington that stretches down Washington aways, behind the Venezuelan place and the liquor store (also fun: That part of West Roxbury is the only area left in Boston that doesn't have sewer service; God forbid I remember important stuff, like when the car payment is due, because I have to save room for the cool stuff like that). Hmm, for that matter, there are some pretty impressive cliffs in Hyde Park, as well.
That part of West Roxbury (The Grove)
My understanding of that neighborhood (called The Grove)
in the triangle 'tween center and Grove and Washington...
I think it used to be a kind of summer retreat/camp in the
1800's. I seem to Robert Gould Shaw referring to a summer
place there in a collection of letters written during
the Civil War. Partial explanation for the lack of
sewer service, maybe.
Thanks again.
The rocks of Newton
More interesting stuff - we used to have mountains as high as the Alps (OK, granted, 350 million years ago, but still):
Any other St.Helens witnesses here?
Gareth? Were you there?
My husband told me about that blue hill april fool - and how many people panicked and believed it! I think it last came up when Medford did fireworks the night we invaded Afganistan and people were convinced that Medford was being invaded. I get the feeling that geology and geography were not high priorities in the schools from the 1910s to the 1970s.
I've been presenting to 6-8th graders about what it was like to be their age and dealing with regular ash eruptions from Mt. Saint Helens. If somebody has an image of that Blue Hill hoax, I'll slip it into the power point. Any idea where I could find one?
I was!
I lived in Spokane at the time, where it got pitch black in the middle of the afternoon.
Kewl! Remember Ash Masks?
We didn't get much ash from the Main Event, but we got ashed several times before school was out. One thing I bring along to my talks with these kids are "ash masks" - powder masks you can buy at hardware and paint stores. I have them put them on and then ask them to think about playing outside at recess while wearing them.
Other props include a car air filter (had to bang that out lots and lots because of the shortage), a glass egg knicknack made out of ash, and pictures of how the sulfuric acid in the mud rain destroyed the paint on my parents' car.
I also toss in an obligatory pic of Drew Bledsoe, juxtiposed with a picture of kids playing in Ellensburg.
Ash masks!
I didn't go outside for about a week, because I too young. I remember the day of, it getting dark, and everyone freaking out and not knowing what was going on. Then I remember what must have been about a week later when there was a foot of ash on everything. I've seen pictures and been told about my older family members wearing the masks and shoveling ash. We made 293845238409 little bottles of the ash that we'd take to give to relatives for the next 10 years or so. They still sell little overpriced bottles of ash at the various parks and at Pike Place and a few other places.
Where are you from? I lived in Spokane, Walla Walla, and Seattle at various times.
OMG, John Ebel is still at the Weston Observatory!
He was one of the first people I ever interviewed for a real story at my college paper (i.e., not somebody having anything at all to do with the school). Good to see he's still there, because, after all, in an earthquake, Ebel wobble, but he don't fall down.
Come to think of it,
Sometimes, very late at night, when I've gone to bed, I notice slight tremors that seem to be coming from the earth, which stop almost as quickly as they come, but are a little unsettling, nonetheless. I, too, have heard that there are some "faults" here in the Bay State also. I'm also not too far from the Mystic River, so who knows what that might bring in the event of a real earthquake.
OMG I get that too. My Huzz
OMG I get that too. My Huzz thinks I am nuts but its happend a few times just like this: Last night between 7&8 watching Glen Beck I felt the floor shift back and forth and done. So now I read here an earthquake in littleton.
This happens about 2x a yr. a few hours later after that quick shift I feel theres an eq reported. weird.
Meh. I laugh in the direction of this 2.5 earthquake.
I spent the first 27 years of my life on the San Andreas Fault. I don't even notice plate movement if it's below 4.0 on the Richter scale. Heh.
~~~~~~~~~~~~
Jen Stewart