Speaking of Major Seismic Events, Did You hear about the Magnitude 22.

0
Earthquake??
A Star Wars Analogy
A couple of months ago (on Christmas actually, Merry Christmas Geologists!) the USGS, which
releases customized Earthquake Notifications based on a users settings, released the news that a
magnitude 22.0 earthquake just struck Montana (pictured below).

Now this was clearly a typo. It was meant to be 2.2, however, it does bring up an interesting
conversation.(You can see the updated page HERE). What is a Magnitude 22 earthquake capable
of?. Some of the comments on my Facebook post included (names abbreviated to protect their
identities, if you want your name un-abbreviated, let me know):
Steve R: Looks like NBC now has the plot for the completion of it's earthquake trilogy. First it
was "10.5"...then "10.5 Apocalypse"...now" Montana 22.0 the day the Earth went boom"...all
staring Beau Bridges as Beau Bridges acting like an authority figure.
Tyler S.: It wasn't flattened, there's a new 6 km high fault scarp.
Thomas H.: Mag 22.0? Impressive! The Chicxulub Impact should have produced only a 10.8!

Thomas H.: A 22.0 should have toppled every building on the planet, and probably caused
mountains all over the world to collapse into piles of rubble. At least.
Monica S.: Just as a reference, a Mw 10.0 would have a rupture length roughly equal to 1/4 of
the planet's circumference. That is why a 10.0 could physically never happen. A 10.5 would
rupture around the Earth 1.5 times. (If that movie 10.5 were real, Earth would have been
obliterated). This is assuming a max rupture depth of 30 km. Mw 22 is 316,227,766,016 times
more powerful than a 10.5.
To understand the audacity of a Magnitude 22.0 earthquake, lets give some earthquake basics.
The measure of an earthquake's magnitude is essentially equivalent to the energy released during
the initial rupture of the fault (I know they are not exactly the same, but it is close enough).
Identification of earthquakes often start with a Magnitude 2.0 and go up to a Magnitude 10, with
the largest recorded earthquake in history being a Magnitude 9.5.

The magnitude scale specifically measures the amplitude of the of the waves released from an
earthquake (USGS). The Moment Magnitude scale, as it is called (replaced the Richter Scale), is
a logarithmic scale. As it goes up one number the size of the amplitude increased by a factor of
10. To make it a little easier to understand you can compare this to the energy released. So, each
whole number is 31.62232 times more powerful than the last one (i.e. a magnitude 3 is 31.622
times more powerful than a magnitude 2).
For energy comparisons, let us convert the amount of energy to Joules that is released from an
earthquake. The largest earthquake ever recorded was the Chilean 9.5. That would have released
1.12 x 10^19 joules of energy. The Hiroshima nuclear bomb released 6.3 x 10^13 joules of
energy by comparison (Wikipedia), quite a bit less than a 9.5 earthquake. Now a magnitude 22
earthquake is 12.5 degrees of magnitude larger than a 9.5. So calculating it would mean that it
would be 31.662^12.5 more powerful than a 9.5 (5.7 x 10^18 times more powerful). This equates
to 6.31 x 10^37 joules of energy (calculated here:

http://www.convertalot.com/earthquake_power__calculator.html).
There is a limit to the size of an Earthquake based on the physical properties of rocks, but let us
just ignore that for now.
The energy released in a Magnitude 22 earthquake is a lot of energy, but it is a little hard to grasp
numbers that big. A magnitude 3.5 earthquake, which is on the limit of being felt by most
people, releases 1.12 x 10^10 joules of energy. On the other hand it has been estimated that the
power required by the Death Star in Star Wars (yes I'm going there) to destroy a Earth sized
planet was 2.2 x 10^32 joules of energy (as mentioned HERE and elsewhere).

So the amount of energy required to destroy a planet (2.2 x 10^32 joules) is actually equal to an
earthquake with a magnitude of 18.33, much smaller than the Magnitude 22 (6.31 x 10^37
joules) earthquake reported. Although the 2.2 x 10^32 joules is a bottom estimate, it is possible
that the Death Star could create much more energy than that, just to make sure the planet was
obliterated.
Therefore, I believe I have proof to indicate that the Earth was struck by a Death Star laser
on Christmas, 2013. But somehow, we survived, and now they are trying to cover it up.
Perhaps this was a test of the Death Star that the government supposedly wasn't building
(The White House).
Some other numbers courtesy of Dinogami:
1. Manicouagan impact = 1 x 10^21 joules
2. K-T (K-Pg) Chicxulub impact = 4.2 x 10^23 joules
3. Sun puts out 3.8 x 10^26 joules (however that is all over, not concentrated)
4. Impact of a Mars size body on the Earth = 4.5 x 10^31 joules

It appears that our Magnitude 22 earthquake was one of the largest events to happen to the solar
system since the last supernova.

Significant Earthquakes So Far for 2014

1. 4.12km SE of Rowland Heights, California2014-03-29 21:32:45 UTC9.4 km deep

2. 5.11km S of La Habra, California2014-03-29 04:09:42 UTC7.5 km deep
3. 3.61km ESE of La Habra, California2014-03-29 03:03:39 UTC6.8 km deep
4. 6.5South of the Fiji Islands2014-03-26 03:29:36 UTC493.1 km deep
5. 6.5113km E of Mohean, India2014-03-21 13:41:07 UTC10.0 km deep
6. 4.49km NNW of Westwood, California2014-03-17 13:25:36 UTC9.9 km deep
7. 6.760km WNW of Iquique, Chile2014-03-16 21:16:30 UTC20.0 km deep
8. 6.315km NNE of Kunisaki-shi, Japan2014-03-13 17:06:50 UTC79.0 km deep
9. 6.877km WNW of Ferndale, California2014-03-10 05:18:13 UTC16.6 km deep
10.

2.784km NE of Sinabang, Indonesia2014-03-07 18:55:11 UTC10.0 km deep

11.

5.331km S of Villa Alemana, Chile2014-03-06 04:37:06 UTC58.9 km deep

12.

6.5110km NW of Nago, Japan2014-03-02 20:11:22 UTC111.2 km deep

13.

6.5172km NNE of Bathsheba, Barbados2014-02-18 09:27:13 UTC14.8 km deep

14.

4.115km WNW of Edgefield, South Carolina2014-02-15 03:23:38 UTC5.2 km

deep

15.

6.9272km ESE of Hotan, China2014-02-12 09:19:49 UTC10.0 km deep

16.

6.534km E of Port-Olry, Vanuatu2014-02-07 08:40:13 UTC122.0 km deep

17.

6.5189km SSE of L'Esperance Rock, New Zealand2014-02-02 09:26:37 UTC44.3

km deep

18.

6.11km ENE of Lixourion, Greece2014-01-26 13:55:42 UTC8.0 km deep

19.

4.45km N of Fontana, California2014-01-15 09:35:18 UTC3.6 km deep

20.

6.461km N of Hatillo, Puerto Rico2014-01-13 04:01:03 UTC20.0 km deep

21.

5.026km NNW of Corralillo, Cuba2014-01-09 20:57:43 UTC10.0 km deep

22. 6.532km W of Sola, Vanuatu2014-01-01 16:03:29 UTC187.0 km deep

2013 Significant Earthquakes Archive

Note: This is a selected, incomplete list of significant earthquakes and may not have the most
up-to-date, authoritative information for each earthquake. For more up to date information,
please refer to scientific literature. For more comprehensive earthquake data, please refer to the
Comprehensive Earthquake Catalog - ComCat.

1.4.843km NNE of Camalu, Mexico2013-12-20 05:27:08

UTC6.0 km deep
2.4.123km NNW of Lost Hills, California2013-12-13
07:49:57 UTC22.2 km deep
3.4.59km ESE of Edmond, Oklahoma2013-12-07 18:10:24
UTC8.4 km deep
4.5.810km ENE of Borazjan, Iran2013-11-28 13:51:34
UTC8.0 km deep
5.7.0Falkland Islands region2013-11-25 06:27:33
UTC11.8 km deep
6.6.5Fiji region2013-11-23 07:48:32 UTC371.0 km deep
7.7.7Scotia Sea2013-11-17 09:04:55 UTC10.0 km deep
8.6.9Scotia Sea2013-11-16 03:34:31 UTC10.0 km deep
9.6.641km SSW of Coquimbo, Chile2013-10-31 23:03:59
UTC27.0 km deep
10.
6.346km SSW of Hualian, Taiwan2013-10-31
12:02:08 UTC10.0 km deep
11.
7.1Off the east coast of Honshu, Japan2013-1025 17:10:19 UTC35.0 km deep
12.
6.7East of the South Sandwich Islands2013-10-24
19:25:10 UTC22.9 km deep
13.
6.699km SW of Etchoropo, Mexico2013-10-19
17:54:54 UTC9.4 km deep
14.
6.862km WSW of Panguna, Papua New Guinea201310-16 10:30:58 UTC35.0 km deep

15.
7.14km SE of Sagbayan, Philippines2013-10-15
00:12:32 UTC19.0 km deep
16.
6.631km W of Platanos, Greece2013-10-12
13:11:53 UTC40.0 km deep
17.
4.953km WNW of Eureka, California2013-10-11
23:05:37 UTC8.7 km deep
18.
6.7Sea of Okhotsk2013-10-01 03:38:21 UTC573.0
km deep
19.
6.578km NE of L'Esperance Rock, New
Zealand2013-09-30 05:55:55 UTC41.5 km deep
20.
6.885km NNE of Awaran, Pakistan2013-09-28
07:34:06 UTC12.0 km deep
21.
7.146km SSE of Acari, Peru2013-09-25 16:42:43
UTC40.0 km deep
22.
7.761km NNE of Awaran, Pakistan2013-09-24
11:29:47 UTC15.0 km deep
23.
6.47km SSE of Ciudad Tecun Uman, Guatemala201309-07 00:13:29 UTC66.0 km deep
24.
6.581km SSW of Atka, Alaska2013-09-04 02:32:30
UTC20.0 km deep
25.
6.5Izu Islands, Japan region2013-09-04 00:18:23
UTC402.0 km deep
26.
6.5Kepulauan Barat Daya, Indonesia2013-09-01
11:52:29 UTC112.0 km deep
27.
7.0101km SW of Atka, Alaska2013-08-30 16:25:02
UTC29.0 km deep
28.
4.23km NE of Spanish Springs, Nevada2013-08-27
00:51:43 UTC13.9 km deep
29.
6.218km WNW of San Marcos, Mexico2013-08-21
12:38:29 UTC21.0 km deep

30.
6.529km SE of Blenheim, New Zealand2013-08-16
02:31:05 UTC8.2 km deep
31.
6.7101km WSW of Mutis, Colombia2013-08-13
15:43:15 UTC12.0 km deep
32.
4.910km SSW of Volcano, Hawaii2013-08-11
15:54:05 UTC31.8 km deep
33.
4.518km WNW of Bayview, California2013-08-03
02:25:49 UTC20.5 km deep
34.
5.913km E of Chabu, China2013-07-21 23:45:56
UTC9.8 km deep
35.
6.546km ESE of Blenheim, New Zealand2013-07-21
05:09:31 UTC14.0 km deep
36.
7.3218km SSE of Bristol Island, South Sandwich
Islands2013-07-15 14:03:43 UTC31.0 km deep
37.
6.629km NE of Kandrian, Papua New Guinea201307-07 20:30:07 UTC62.0 km deep
38.
7.3115km ENE of Taron, Papua New Guinea2013-0707 18:35:30 UTC386.3 km deep
39.
6.155km S of Bireun, Indonesia2013-07-02
07:37:02 UTC10.0 km deep
40.
6.6Northern Mid-Atlantic Ridge2013-06-24
22:04:13 UTC10.0 km deep
41.
5.815km NW of Copalillo, Mexico2013-06-16
05:18:59 UTC52.0 km deep
42.
6.546km W of Masachapa, Nicaragua2013-06-15
17:34:29 UTC35.8 km deep
43.
6.7177km ENE of Flying Fish Cove, Christmas
Island2013-06-13 16:47:23 UTC8.6 km deep
44.
5.354km SE of Pahala, Hawaii2013-06-05 00:12:39
UTC40.3 km deep

45.
4.85km W of Isla Vista, California2013-05-29
14:38:03 UTC8.0 km deep
46.
6.7Sea of Okhotsk2013-05-24 14:56:31 UTC623.0
km deep
47.
4.911km WNW of Greenville, California2013-05-24
08:02:19 UTC5.2 km deep
48.
8.3Sea of Okhotsk2013-05-24 05:44:49 UTC608.9
km deep
49.
5.710km WNW of Greenville, California2013-05-24
03:47:08 UTC9.7 km deep
50.
7.4282km SW of Vaini, Tonga2013-05-23 17:19:04
UTC171.4 km deep
51.
4.419km NNE of Shawville, Canada2013-05-17
13:43:22 UTC9.8 km deep
52.
4.010km S of Rancho Palos Verdes,
California2013-05-15 20:00:06 UTC1.2 km deep
53.
6.840km W of Agrihan, Northern Mariana
Islands2013-05-14 00:32:25 UTC602.3 km deep
54.
6.531km N of Rabaul, Papua New Guinea2013-04-23
23:14:42 UTC23.3 km deep
55.
6.656km WSW of Linqiong, China2013-04-20
00:02:47 UTC14.0 km deep
56.
7.2251km ENE of Kuril'sk, Russia2013-04-19
03:05:52 UTC112.2 km deep
57.
6.623km ESE of Aitape, Papua New Guinea2013-0416 22:55:27 UTC13.0 km deep
58.
7.783km E of Khash, Iran2013-04-16 10:44:20
UTC82.0 km deep
59.
4.28km ENE of Luther, Oklahoma2013-04-16
10:16:53 UTC5.0 km deep

60.
4.412km ENE of Luther, Oklahoma2013-04-16
06:56:30 UTC5.0 km deep
61.
6.698km W of Panguna, Papua New Guinea2013-0414 01:32:22 UTC31.0 km deep
62.
5.86km WNW of Sumoto, Japan2013-04-12 20:33:17
UTC14.0 km deep
63.
6.489km SE of Bandar Bushehr, Iran2013-04-09
11:52:50 UTC10.0 km deep
64.
7.0240km E of Enarotali, Indonesia2013-04-06
04:42:35 UTC66.0 km deep
65.
4.720km ESE of Anza, California2013-03-11
16:56:06 UTC13.1 km deep
66.
6.532km E of Finschhafen, Papua New Guinea201303-10 22:51:51 UTC28.9 km deep
67.
6.589km SE of Ozernovskiy, Russia2013-03-01
13:20:50 UTC29.0 km deep
68.
6.984km SE of Ozernovskiy, Russia2013-02-28
14:05:50 UTC41.0 km deep
69.
4.21km WSW of Chelyabinsk, Russia2013-02-15
03:20:26 UTC0.0 km deep
70.
6.6135km WSW of Druzhina, Russia2013-02-14
13:13:52 UTC9.9 km deep
71.
5.172km W of Tonopah, Nevada2013-02-13 00:10:14
UTC12.4 km deep
72.
5.124km ENE of Sungjibaegam, North Korea201302-12 02:57:51 UTC0.0 km deep
73.
6.625km S of Lata, Solomon Islands2013-02-09
21:02:22 UTC15.6 km deep
74.
6.92km N of Yacuanquer, Colombia2013-02-09
14:16:07 UTC145.0 km deep

75.
7.131km SE of Lata, Solomon Islands2013-02-08
15:26:38 UTC21.0 km deep
76.
6.821km SSE of Lata, Solomon Islands2013-02-08
11:12:13 UTC15.9 km deep
77.
6.736km SSW of Lata, Solomon Islands2013-02-07
18:59:16 UTC10.0 km deep
78.
7.027km NNW of Lata, Solomon Islands2013-02-06
01:54:15 UTC9.8 km deep
79.
7.1114km WSW of Lata, Solomon Islands2013-02-06
01:23:19 UTC10.1 km deep
80.
8.076km W of Lata, Solomon Islands2013-02-06
01:12:27 UTC28.7 km deep
81.
6.919km SSW of Obihiro, Japan2013-02-02
14:17:35 UTC107.0 km deep
82.
6.856km NNE of Vallenar, Chile2013-01-30
20:15:43 UTC45.0 km deep
83.
7.5Southeastern Alaska2013-01-05 08:58:19
UTC10.0 km deep
2012 Significant Earthquake and News Headlines Archive
Note: This is a selected, incomplete list of significant earthquakes and may not have the most
up-to-date, authoritative information for each earthquake. For more up to date information,
please refer to scientific literature. For more comprehensive earthquake lists, please refer to the
ANSS Composite Catalog or NEIC Earthquake Catalog.

News

USGS Offers $7 Million in Earthquake Research

Grants

Earthquakes

Magnitude 6.8 VANUATU December 21, 2012

Magnitude 7.1 BANDA SEA December 10, 2012
Magnitude 6.3 NORTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND December
07, 2012

Magnitude 7.3 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

December 07, 2012

Magnitude 6.4 KURIL ISLANDS November 16, 2012

Magnitude 6.5 OFFSHORE GUATEMALA November 11, 2012

Magnitude 6.8 MYANMAR November 11, 2012

Magnitude 4.3 EASTERN KENTUCKY November 10, 2012

Magnitude 7.4 OFFSHORE GUATEMALA November 07, 2012

Magnitude 7.7 QUEEN CHARLOTTE ISLANDS REGION

October 28, 2012

Magnitude 6.5 COSTA RICA October 24, 2012

Magnitude 5.3 CENTRAL CALIFORNIA October 21, 2012

Magnitude 6.2 VANUATU October 20, 2012

Magnitude 6.7 NEAR THE SOUTH COAST OF PAPUA,

INDONESIA October 12, 2012

Magnitude 6.4 ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS.,

ALASKA September 26, 2012

Magnitude 5.6 SICHUAN-YUNNAN-GUIZHOU REGION, CHINA

September 07, 2012

Magnitude 7.6 COSTA RICA September 05, 2012

Magnitude 7.6 PHILIPPINE ISLANDS REGION August 31,

2012

Magnitude 6.8 JAN MAYEN ISLAND REGION August 30,

2012

Magnitude 7.3 OFFSHORE EL SALVADOR August 27, 2012

Magnitude 6.6 MOLUCCA SEA August 26, 2012

Magnitude 6.3 SULAWESI, INDONESIA August 18, 2012

Magnitude 7.7 SEA OF OKHOTSK August 14, 2012

Magnitude 6.4 NORTHWESTERN IRAN August 11, 2012

Magnitude 6.5 NEW IRELAND REGION, PAPUA NEW GUINEA

July 28, 2012

Magnitude 6.7 MAURITIUS - REUNION REGION July 26,

2012

Magnitude 6.5 SOLOMON ISLANDS July 25, 2012

Magnitude 6.4 SIMEULUE, INDONESIA July 25, 2012

Magnitude 5.2 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA July 21,

2012

Magnitude 5.1 OFFSHORE NORTHERN CALIFORNIA July 21,

2012

Magnitude 5.7 HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANISTAN June

11, 2012

Magnitude 6.4 SOUTH OF PANAMA June 04, 2012

Magnitude 6.2 SOUTH OF PANAMA June 04, 2012

Magnitude 6.7 SANTIAGO DEL ESTERO, ARGENTINA May

28, 2012

Magnitude 5.6 BULGARIA May 22, 2012

Magnitude 6.7 TONGA April 28, 2012

Magnitude 6.6 NEAR THE NORTH COAST OF PAPUA,

INDONESIA April 21, 2012

Magnitude 6.8 EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG, PAPUA NEW

GUINEA April 17, 2012

Magnitude 6.7 OFFSHORE VALPARAISO, CHILE April 17,

2012

Magnitude 6.5 VANUATU April 14, 2012

Magnitude 6.9 GULF OF CALIFORNIA April 12, 2012

Magnitude 6.5 MICHOACAN, MEXICO April 11, 2012

Magnitude 5.9 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON April 11,

2012

Magnitude 8.2 OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN

SUMATRA April 11, 2012

Magnitude 8.6 OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN

SUMATRA April 11, 2012

Magnitude 7.1 MAULE, CHILE March 25, 2012

Magnitude 6.6 NEW GUINEA, PAPUA NEW GUINEA March

21, 2012

Magnitude 7.4 OAXACA, MEXICO March 20, 2012

Magnitude 6.9 OFF THE EAST COAST OF HONSHU, JAPAN

March 14, 2012

Magnitude 6.7 VANUATU March 09, 2012

Magnitude 4.0 SAN FRANCISCO BAY AREA, CALIFORNIA

March 05, 2012

Magnitude 6.6 SOUTHEAST OF THE LOYALTY ISLANDS

March 03, 2012

Magnitude 6.7 SOUTHWESTERN SIBERIA, RUSSIA February

26, 2012

Magnitude 6.0 OFF THE COAST OF OREGON February 15,

2012

Magnitude 6.4 SOLOMON ISLANDS February 14, 2012

Magnitude 5.6 NORTHERN CALIFORNIA February 13, 2012

Magnitude 6.7 NEGROS - CEBU REGION, PHILIPPINES

February 06, 2012

Magnitude 7.1 VANUATU February 02, 2012

Magnitude 6.3 NEAR THE COAST OF CENTRAL PERU

January 30, 2012

Magnitude 6.6 SOUTH SHETLAND ISLANDS January 15,

2012

Magnitude 7.2 OFF THE WEST COAST OF NORTHERN

SUMATRA January 10, 2012

Magnitude 6.6 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS January 09, 2012

Magnitude 6.8 IZU ISLANDS, JAPAN REGION January 01,

2012

84.

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