Funny thing, but the first thing I thought of was how much they looked like I imagined "Volcano Adventure" by Willard Price would look like (I was 9 or 10 when I read it).
Looking forward to seeing a real volcano at the end of May - we've got your appartment thanks to your advice, so we'll try and look after it for you.
sorry to change the tone, but this just in for all who live on the West Coast of North America: One of NZ's leading architects wrote:
He said most modern buildings performed well in an earthquake that was twice as strong as they were designed for, but architects had to accept that people simply would not want to work in high-rise towers any more.
"I think in Christchurch in our lifetime there will not be any multi-storey buildings built."
He said the council would also have to take the hard decision not to allow rebuilding in areas with the worst liquefaction.
It's hard to put this one into perspective. I have too much information coming in right now to sort it out. There are so many human tragedies that I've barely been sorting through the data. Just starting to do that. Big accelerations probably due to shallow event. Close proximity to a big population center is not good. Large areas of liquefaction. Probably the soft, unconsolidated material has contributed to the severe shaking from a moderate magnitude earthquake. I've seen a couple of Coulomb trigger models to date but it is way too early to make that call yet.
Bottom line is this is a really sad time for a great city and country.
I can understand that. For a "small" quake it packed a hell of a punch aimed right at the CBD in the lunch hour.. it could not have been much worse. I think I know how you are feeling. I have the same experience with volcanos. On the one hand there is the awe of nature's power and the fascination with the symmetries and patterns and the way the whole thing ticks. On the other there is gut-wrenching tragedy when all of this results in human tragedy. It makes you feel physically ill, all the more so because you can see the other side of it as well. It's a strange and very unhealthy combination of understanding and sheer helplessness. Kind of like blowing a few fuses somewhere up there in the reasoning department because reasoning is no response.
Geo, if you have time... what's your call on this ChCh quake? Coulomb stress transfer in action? Is this what you were meaning by static triggering?
It's hard to put this one into perspective. I have too much information coming in right now to sort it out. There are so many human tragedies that I've barely been sorting through the data. Just starting to do that. Big accelerations probably due to shallow event. Close proximity to a big population center is not good. Large areas of liquefaction. Probably the soft, unconsolidated material has contributed to the severe shaking from a moderate magnitude earthquake. I've seen a couple of Coulomb trigger models to date but it is way too early to make that call yet.
Bottom line is this is a really sad time for a great city and country.
just in case anyone is interested, a new eruption has started up at Kirishima in Japan. Bit of lava fountaining and impressive ash clouds at the beginning. If it stays this way, it should be relatively harmless.
I'd still love to go there, burnt cheeks and all.
it's easier for blokes: we can pee more than 1m. 
