Quakefinder Blog

We continue to see significant quakes occurring in places near where we have instruments, but not quite near enough to pick up signals. Taiwan had a M6.9 on Nov. 8, but it was off the coast and 500km from our nearest instrument, even though we just installed several new ones. And the quake in Peru on October 28 had the same magnitude but was, again, off the coast and too far from our instruments. These events give us confidence that we’re focusing on the right locations, and it’s just a matter of time before we record signals before another significant quake – in one of these locations, or here in California. The earthquakes in Oklahoma are another matter entirely! The Oklahoma Geological Survey is reporting that there are many times more earthquakes there since mid-2009 than in previous years. But that doesn’t mean we should to running to install instruments there. We need to be in the places that are most likely to have significant (>5.0) earthquakes frequently. That means California, Peru, Taiwan, and starting next week – Greece. (We had plans to go to Chile and Turkey this year too, but those installations were delayed by various political events out of our control.) Our five-year goal is to record signals for at least three more earthquakes. To help make that happen, we are working toward installing 100 instruments a year. But that will require new sponsors. We are working hard to build our people network as well as our instrument network, looking for like-minded people who want to change the world and save lives by making useful earthquake forecasts happen sooner. To donate or connect us with someone who can help, visit our Donate page or email Tom Bleier.