Earthquake Signs:

TEN EARTHQUAKES IN ONE WEEK; IS IT AN AN END-TIMES OMEN?

ADAM ELIYAHU BERKOWITZ

The study of geology just got exciting as tremors were recorded all over the globe for the past week. Beginning with the deadly earthquake in Fukushima last Wednesday, the Azores in the Atlantic Ocean are still shaking from a wave of over 1,100 tiny tremblors. The tremors could point to an ominous era as the seismic activity is prophesied in the end-of-days.

WEEK-LONG WAVE

Since Saturday, around 1,100 earthquakes ranging in intensity from 1.9 to 3.3 shook the Azores,  an autonomous region of Portugal in the mid-Atlantic made up of nine volcanic islands. Authorities are concerned that the tremors could presage a major volcanic eruption.

Several automobile plants were shut down due to supply chain disruptions. The industry was already suffering due to the pandemic and preexisting supply chain difficulties exacerbated by the war in Ukraine.

A 6.7 magnitude earthquake hit southeast Taiwan early Wednesday at 1:41 a.m., followed by a magnitude 6.1 quake two minutes later.

A 3.6 earthquake hit the Bay Area in California on Saturday, and again on Tuesday, a 3.4 magnitude earthquake hit Southern California. About 200 earthquakes in the magnitude-3.0 to 4.0 range are recorded in California every year. They’re often felt but rarely cause damage.

Also, on Saturday, a 2.5 earthquake hit Newfoundland, Canada.

At the same time, a magnitude 4.5 earthquake shook the Waikoloa region of Hawaii.

And also, on Saturday, a 6.3 magnitude earthquake shook Tonga in the South Pacific.

On Sunday, a  2.4 magnitude earthquake hit Ohio. 

On Monday, a rare 5.1 magnitude earthquake hit the Norwegian Sea off the coast of Greenland, close to the volcanic Jan Mayen island.

On Tuesday, a 6.7 earthquake hit the northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge.

Last  Wednesday, a 7.4 magnitude earthquake hit Fukushima, Japan, killing at least four people, injuring over 100 others, and cutting power to millions of homes. The quake brought back harsh memories of a 9.0 undersea megathrust earthquake that hit 72 kilometers offshore, generating a tsunami that killed about 20,000 people and led to a meltdown at the nuclear power plant.

INCREASING EARTHQUAKES

This seems to be a trend. The National Earthquake Information Center now locates about 20,000 earthquakes around the globe each year or approximately 55 per day. According to long-term records (since about 1900), we expect about 16 major earthquakes in any given year. That includes 15 earthquakes in the magnitude seven range and one earthquake magnitude 8.0 or greater. In the past 40-50 years, our records show that we have exceeded the long-term average number of major earthquakes about a dozen times.

Last year was exceptional, with 16,849 earthquakes of magnitude six or greater. In the previous decade, only 2014 had more, with 17,552 recorded. Three earthquakes were over 8.0, and it was the most seismically active year since 2007.

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