Bwoy I tell you earthquake and tsunami mek

[Islandman]

hurricane look like a likkle punk.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/world-15...-town-24518186

[Time]

hurricane look like a likkle punk.

http://news.yahoo.com/video/world-15...-town-24518186

Mr Islandman, Don't feel left ou, Kingston probably got hit by a tsumami in 1907 and Haiti go hit by one recently.

[Mosiah]

Whatever hit us or Haiti never look lakka dis. Only Hollywood could match dis!

[Time]

Out tsunami was 6-8 ft, that is still a lot of water, perhaps we were lucky that out tsunamic hit the main one north coast and only a minor one hit the south coast.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1907_Kingston_earthquake

[Islandman]

If Kgn get hit by anything like dat, it kill everything up to bout Half-way-tree!

At least we have some high ground, can live up inan the hills for a few years.
Every time me go Cayman and look pon dat deh pancake, me shake me head.

[TDowl]

I guess you never felt an earthquake Columbus?

[Islandman]

Not one anything close to that scale. Have you?

We not talking the dibby dibby five-point ting dem. I was on the 3rd floor of a building in New Kingston when one struck in the early 90s. Scary yes, but not as scary as Gilbert taking off me housetop while I was inside.

[TDowl]

Yes I was in a 8.0, I believe the epicenter was around Chigwell in Hanover, and some dibby dibby that rattle along. Ummm same year as Kendal crash, but kiss me neck the quake was in March of 1957, me rathid let mi gu check the Kendal date.

[Willi]

nah man, we never had an 8 in recorded history:

Although Jamaica is in a seismically active region, seismologists claim that large earthquakes are comparatively rare through usually of relatively high intensity. The majority of earthquakes are minor ones of low intensity. The island experiences much less seismic activity than the Eastern Caribbean or Central American region. Jamaica’s reputation for earthquakes rests on two major disasters, those of 1692 and 1907.
About 200 earthquakes are located in and around Jamaica per year most of which are minor, having magnitudes less than 4.0. The most seismically active areas are the Blue Mountain block in eastern Jamaica and the Montpelier-Newmarket belt in western Jamaica. Other areas of notable seismicity include the near offshore south-west of Black River on the south coast, and offshore Buff Bay on the north–east coast.

Earthquake of 1692
Earthquakes in the area were not uncommon, but were usually rather small. In 1688, a tremor had toppled three homes. But four years later, on June 7 1692, within the space of less than 30 seconds, a massive earthquake devastates the infamous town of Port Royal in Jamaica, killing thousands. The strong tremors, soil liquefaction and a tsunami brought on by the earthquake combined to destroy the town, putting half of Port Royal under 40 feet of water. The HMS Swan was carried from the harbor and deposited on top of a building on the island. It turned out to be a refuge for survivors.
On the main island, Spanish Town was also demolished. Even the north side of the island experienced great tragedy. Fifty people were killed in a landslide. In all, about 3,000 people lost their lives on June 7. There was little respite in the aftermath–widespread looting began that evening and thousands more died in the following weeks due to sickness and injury. The city of Kingston was built and remains to this day the largest city in Jamaica.
What was left of Port Royal later became an important British Naval station, but the town never regained its former prosperity. Disaster dogged it: a fire in 1703, hurricanes in 1721, 1726 and 1744, another disastrous fire in 1815, and an earthquake in 1907. In modern times, the hurricane of 1951 left only 10 out of 260 modern buildings standing. After this, the government rebuilt the town supervised by a statutory body known as the Brotherhood of Port Royal. Today it is little more than a fishing village with perennial (unrealized) plans to restore it as a cultural centre and tourist attraction.
Port Royal remains a historical treasure chest with most of its archaeological riches still buried in the sand or beneath the sea.
In 1744 October, 20, Jamaica suffered from storm and earth-quake. Port Royal and Kingston were severely affected and Savanna-la-mar was destroyed. Twelve persons were drowned.
Earthquake of 1907
On 14 January 1907, the capital, Kingston, was severely damaged by a magnitude 6.5 earthquake and following fires that burnt 56 acres of the city. The earthquake destroyed a large part of Kingston. Within twenty minutes fire blazed through the streets of Kingston and lasted for up to four days in many cases finishing off what the earthquake had started. It was also not long before rampant looting broke out and armed guards had to be posted throughout the city.
Days later Kingston resembled a ghost town empty, silent, dark and broken. £2,000,000 of damage was assessed and over 800 people lost their lives. Only a few received proper burial. Some were buried in large trenches in the May Pen Cemetery and some were burnt without ceremony.
Fortunately within the next few months there was no rain. In Kingston with many people forced to live in the open air, the fear that rain would lead to the outbreak of epidemics like typhoid, dysentery or even the plague was very real. Port Royal, located six miles to the south of Kingston suffered moderate damage.
In March 1957, fifty years later, another earthquake, the heaviest since 1907, struck the island. This time the western side was the most affected. Luckily, few lives were lost but there was severe property damage the St. James Parish Church was wrecked and in Port Royal a 180m long strip of coast disappeared beneath the sea.
Jamaica itself is traversed by a number of geological faults that feature Quaternary left-lateral offsets. In eastern Jamaica there is the Plantain Garden fault that runs into the Yallahs, Blue Mountain, Wagwater and Silver Hill faults, which together control the tectonics of the Blue Mountain block. In western Jamaica the topography is influenced by the South Coast, Spur Tree and Montpelier-Newmarket faults that exhibit large downthrows to the south and west, respectively. Earthquakes occurring across the country today predominantly exhibit strike-slip faulting, which mirrors the movements along the OFZ.

Richter Scale

Seismologists use a Magnitude scale to express the seismic energy released by each earthquake. Here are the typical effects of earthquakes in various magnitude ranges:
Earthquake Severity
Richter magnitudesEarthquake effectsLess than 3.5Generally not felt, but recorded3.5-5.4Often felt, but rarely causes damageUnder 6.0At most slight damage to well-designed buildings. Can cause major damage to poorly constructed buildings over small regions.6.1-6.9Can be destructive in areas up to about 100 kilomete
across where people live.7.0-7.9Major earthquake. Can cause serious damage over larger areas.8 or greaterGreat earthquake. Can cause serious damage in areas several hundred kilometers across.
Although each earthquake has a unique Magnitude, its effects will vary greatly according to distance, ground conditions, construction standards, and other factors. Seismologists use a different Modified Mercalli Scale to express the variable effects of an earthquake.
Each earthquake has a unique amount of energy, but magnitude values given by different seismological observatories for an event may vary. Depending on the size, nature, and location of an earthquake, seismologists use several different methods to estimate magnitude. The uncertainty in an estimate of the magnitude is about plus or minus 0.3 units, and seismologists often revise magnitude estimates as they obtain and analyze additional data.

[Willi]

Comparing the Richter and Modified Mercalli scales
Remember - Richter measures energy of the seismic wave or shock while Mercalli measures the intensity or effect on the surface of the earth.


RichterModified Mercalli

Effect
2 I Instrumental.Not felt except by a very few under especially favourable conditions detected mostly by Seismography.
II Feeble.Felt only by a few persons at rest, especially on upper floors of buildings.

3 IIISlight.Felt quite noticeably by persons indoors, especially on upper floors of buildings. Many people do not recognize it as an earthquake. Standing motor cars may rock slightly. Vibration similar to the passing of a truck.

IV Moderate.Felt indoors by many, outdoors by few during the day. At night, some awakening. Dishes, windows, doors disturbed; walls make cracking sound. Sensation like a heavy truck striking building. Standing motor cars rock noticeably.

4 V Rather Strong.Felt by nearly everyone; many awakened. Some dishes, windows broken. Un-stable objects overturned. Pendulum clocks may stop.
5 VIStrong. Felt by all, many frightened. Some heavy furniture moved; a few instances of fallen plaster. Damage slight.

VII Very Strong.Damage negligible in buildings of good design and construction; slight to moderate in well-built ordinary structures; considerable damage in ordinary structures; considerable damage in poorly built or badly designed structures.

6 VIII Destructive. Damage slight in specially designed structures; considerable damage in ordinary substantial buildings with partial collapse. Damage great in poorly built structures. Fall of factory stacks, columns, monuments, walls. Heavy furniture overturned.

7 IX Ruinous.Damage considerable in specially designed structures; well designed frame structures thrown out of plumb. Damage great in substantial buildings, with partial collapse. Buildings shifted off foundations.

X Disastrous. Some well-built wooden structures destroyed; most masonry and frame structures destroyed with foundations. Rails bend greatly.

8 XI Very Disastrous.Few, if any (masonry) structures remain standing. Bridges destroyed. Rails bend greatly.

XII Catastrophic.Damage total. Lines of sight and level are distorted. Objects thrown into the air.