Massive earthquake strikes Chile

[*RedBull*]

The Earth is not alive? Really?

How ignorant you are.

wow. Um next you'll say a car is alive as well? Please explain how it is that the Earth is alive. We're all waiting to read your explaination on that one. Otherwise you sound like a mentally disturbed individual who is making vague threats over the internet. Just pointing out the reality of the situation.

[Jolo]

Hello! I'm from Chile. I am a Neowin reader since 2001, although I do not write much in forums.

The earthquake was extremely strong and very devastating. It was felt in almost 75% of the country, except the extreme north (Arica, Antofagasta, Calama) and the extreme south (Magallanes, Punta Arenas).

Initially, the midwestern cities like the capital Santiago and Viña del Mar did not seem very destroyed. However, while the hours pass and the aftershocks occur, we have heard of cases of buildings that are on the verge of collapse. In any case, there are 10 or 15 cases among hundreds of thousands of buildings in the city.

Santiago International Airport, although not structurally destroyed, have internal damage in windows, equipment, computers, information screens and sections as International Police. Situation is critical, so it's closed through Wednesday. All domestic flights are suspended, and only today have started to accept international flights from around the world (only incoming). More are expected tomorrow.

Further south, in Concepción, the damage is devastating. A building collapsed and rescue teams had found survivors and dead bodies (by miracle, more the first at this moment). The Route 5 (Panamerican Highway) that connects all the country is damaged in several places and bridges, but not broken at all.

However, most terrible thing was the Tsunami, at South Concepción. Entire little cities and villages disappeared, despite all precautions. There are an unknown number of missed people.

Chile is a very, very seismic country (I would say the most seismic country in the world, along with Japan) and there's really a kind of "seismic culture", which our parents teaches us since we are children. That's why, to be a nearly 9-grade Richter earthquake, and carrying nearly 750 deaths (and counting), it can be considered a low number of victims. In a country without preparation, an earthquake like this could cause MILLIONS of deaths. It helped a lot too that the earthquake occurred at 3 AM. Many people were at home sleeping.

Finally, there are also reports of theft and looting at mid-size supermarkets, but they are extremely isolated cases in Santiago and Concepcion, but have already been controlled. Sometimes the media maximize some things. For precaution, the Government and the National Security team had implemented martial law in the most affected regions. At this time, the situation is under control. I believe that at the end the death toll will be between 2,500 and 3,000. Electricity, telephone and Internet is already restored in Santiago and Viña del Mar, though not yet in the most affected cities.

I really hope the situation gets better. The Chilean people appreciated all the help and prayers from all over the world.

Greetings from Algarrobo (a village near Viña del Mar).

Jolo.

[Rob2687]

I think he means it's "alive" in the sense of the global ecosystem and punishment, if any coming our way would be by our own doing for being so blind and ignorant to the natural processes which sustain us (over exploitation, climate change, global warming, crap like that?). It's foolish to think that if you alter or disrupt the system there won't be consequences but I guess this is all better reserved for another thread all together. I don't think there's many people who would say that human activities are causing severe earthquakes though... At least not outside of the foil hat domain.

[Scorbing]

I think he means it's "alive" in the sense of the global ecosystem and punishment, if any coming our way would be by our own doing for being so blind and ignorant to the natural processes which sustain us (over exploitation, climate change, global warming, crap like that?). It's foolish to think that if you alter or disrupt the system there won't be consequences but I guess this is all better reserved for another thread all together. I don't think there's many people who would say that human activities are causing severe earthquakes though... At least not outside of the foil hat domain.

You seem to be the only person with brains on this thread. That is exactly what I mean but Turion's mind is so small, he can't even understand what I was trying to say.

FYI Turion: The Earth, our planet (in case U didn't know..it's a planet) is alive. Trees, flowers, the ocean and it's creatures, they are all alive. You may think they are not, but they are.

[mudslag]

You seem to be the only person with brains on this thread. That is exactly what I mean but Turion's mind is so small, he can't even understand what I was trying to say.

FYI Turion: The Earth, our planet (in case U didn't know..it's a planet) is alive. Trees, flowers, the ocean and it's creatures, they are all alive. You may think they are not, but they are.

Id like to see the evidence that says the planet is alive vs just containing a bunch of life forms???

[Scorbing]

Id like to see the evidence that says the planet is alive vs just containing a bunch of life forms???

Just look around you.

[mudslag]

Just look around you.

Thats not proof, thats also the same excuse the religious nuts say to show there is a god. Plants living off the planet doesnt equate the planet being "alive".

[vincent]

Thats not proof, thats also the same excuse the religious nuts say to show there is a god. Plants living off the planet doesnt equate the planet being "alive".

Don't be Obtuse

[mudslag]

Don't be Obtuse

Care to elaborate on what exactly Im being "obtuse" about?

[vincent]

Care to elaborate on what exactly Im being "obtuse" about?

His stating that the earth being alive wasn't meant as it being an actual being itself that lives, c'mon bro, don't read too much into things.

[mudslag]

His stating that the earth being alive wasn't meant as it being an actual being itself that lives, c'mon bro, don't read too much into things.

Seems pretty clear that is exactly what he thinks, why dont we let him clearify if thats not what "he" meant. Its not like he is alone, there are others that think Earth is a living being, so taking what he has said so far, isnt exactly new thinking. Ok bro?

[*RedBull*]

You seem to be the only person with brains on this thread. That is exactly what I mean but Turion's mind is so small, he can't even understand what I was trying to say.

FYI Turion: The Earth, our planet (in case U didn't know..it's a planet) is alive. Trees, flowers, the ocean and it's creatures, they are all alive. You may think they are not, but they are.

Ah, I see you resort to insult to make your position seem stronger. :sleep: As for your inane comment about the Earth being alive is bases less. The Earth is home to living creatures, not that the Earth is alive.

Don't be Obtuse

No you vincent and Scorbing are the only obtuse individuals posting on this forum.

His stating that the earth being alive wasn't meant as it being an actual being itself that lives, c'mon bro, don't read too much into things.

Read too much into things? Scorbing clearly stated the Earth is alive without explaining what he meant. So no one is reading into the statement but taking him at face value of what he meant. He needs to clarify what he means not the reader to "guess" he means something other than what he is saying.

[Juguard]

"For nation will rise against nation, and kingdom against kingdom, and in various places there will be famines and earthquakes."

[Growled Member]

How did we go from discussing an earthquake in Chile to whether the earth is alive? :blink:

[Wanderermy]

How did we go from discussing an earthquake in Chile to whether the earth is alive? :blink:

Since Scorbing post here.

[Rappy Veteran]

How did we go from discussing an earthquake in Chile to whether the earth is alive? :blink:

it's the inevitable path of discussion really :laugh: :unsure: :laugh:

[Scorbing]

His stating that the earth being alive wasn't meant as it being an actual being itself that lives, c'mon bro, don't read too much into things.

Vincent you are 100% right. By saying the Earth is alive I didn't mean as it being an actual living being. Turion and the others have very small minds and simply don't understand what I meant. Too few people with real brains around here.

[KoL Veteran]

Chilean Quake May Have Shortened Earth Days

The Feb. 27 magnitude 8.8 earthquake in Chile may have shortened the length of each Earth day.

JPL research scientist Richard Gross computed how Earth's rotation should have changed as a result of the Feb. 27 quake. Using a complex model, he and fellow scientists came up with a preliminary calculation that the quake should have shortened the length of an Earth day by about 1.26 microseconds (a microsecond is one millionth of a second).

Perhaps more impressive is how much the quake shifted Earth's axis. Gross calculates the quake should have moved Earth's figure axis (the axis about which Earth's mass is balanced) by 2.7 milliarcseconds (about 8 centimeters, or 3 inches). Earth?s figure axis is not the same as its north-south axis; they are offset by about 10 meters (about 33 feet).

By comparison, Gross said the same model estimated the 2004 magnitude 9.1 Sumatran earthquake should have shortened the length of day by 6.8 microseconds and shifted Earth's axis by 2.32 milliarcseconds (about 7 centimeters, or 2.76 inches).

Gross said that even though the Chilean earthquake is much smaller than the Sumatran quake, it is predicted to have changed the position of the figure axis by a bit more for two reasons. First, unlike the 2004 Sumatran earthquake, which was located near the equator, the 2010 Chilean earthquake was located in Earth's mid-latitudes, which makes it more effective in shifting Earth's figure axis. Second, the fault responsible for the 2010 Chiliean earthquake dips into Earth at a slightly steeper angle than does the fault responsible for the 2004 Sumatran earthquake. This makes the Chile fault more effective in moving Earth's mass vertically and hence more effective in shifting Earth's figure axis.

Gross said the Chile predictions will likely change as data on the quake are further refined.

Source

[Growled Member]

That's some interesting info, Kol. Thanks for the share. :)

[mr.r9]

I really hope the situation gets better. The Chilean people appreciated all the help and prayers from all over the world.

Greetings from Algarrobo (a village near Vi?a del Mar).

Jolo.

I also hope for a fast and steady recovery, God bless.

[valhalla_rk]

Ser fuerte Chile! solo bien!

[mudslag]

Vincent you are 100% right. By saying the Earth is alive I didn't mean as it being an actual living being. Turion and the others have very small minds and simply don't understand what I meant. Too few people with real brains around here.

Funny how you still ignore the part about explaining exactly what you meant. Dont say others are brainless for trying to understand a incoherent thought on your part.

[Rappy Veteran]

Source

wow that's quite interesting, thanks for posting (Y)

what happened to this thread :laugh:

[Scorbing]

Funny how you still ignore the part about explaining exactly what you meant. Dont say others are brainless for trying to understand a incoherent thought on your part.

I don't have to explain myself to you or anybody. If you are dumb enough that you can't understand what I meant, then too bad. It doesn't take a genius to understand what I meant and Vincent understood what I meant, and I didn't give him any explanations, why can't you understand it?

[mudslag]

I don't have to explain myself to you or anybody. If you are dumb enough that you can't understand what I meant, then too bad. It doesn't take a genius to understand what I meant and Vincent understood what I meant, and I didn't give him any explanations, why can't you understand it?

Keep up the insults there slick, the child in you is shinning through.

Our planet is angry at the abuse man has done it. It is reclaiming what belongs to it by destroying everything man has built on its surface. The atmosphere is in high gear and all these strange storms we are having (hurricanes that run backwards, tornadoes falling down where they have never fell down before, gigantic cold storms), it?s simply the Earth trying to clean itself and rid the enviornment of the pollution and garbage that man thrown into the air we breath. People don?t realize that nature is alive. It can hear everything we say and see everything we do and just because it can?t talk, doesn?t mean it can?t make it?s point come across and that is exactly what nature is doing by creating all these earthquakes and strange, destructive phenomenons. It is trying to communicate to man and trying to tell him to stop!...But we simply don?t get the message and the destruction is not going to stop until humanity begins to listen.

The Earth is not alive? Really?

How ignorant you are.

FYI Turion: The Earth, our planet (in case U didn't know..it's a planet) is alive. Trees, flowers, the ocean and it's creatures, they are all alive. You may think they are not, but they are.

Huge difference between living plants and animals to the planet being alive. You are the one attempting to associate weather phenomena to the planet as being alive and how its " It (referring to Earth) is trying to communicate to man". Well your ignorance speaks for itself.