Earthquakes, just to keep them in our thoughts.

Study Maps Faults for New York Quakes

08.27.2008

While earthquakes in the northeast United States are smaller and less frequent than in California or Japan, the risks still warrant attention from officials. Even a modest earthquake could wreak millions of dollars of damage on Manhattan.
A magnitude-5 earthquake occurs in or around New York City about once a century, and a magnitude-6 or larger quake occurs once every 670 years, according to a new study. The most recent magnitude-5 or larger was in 1884.
Researchers at Columbia University mapped out a family of faults after analyzing 383 quakes around New York City from 1677 to 2007. A previously unidentified boundary runs 25 miles to Peekskill, N.Y., from Stamford, Conn., passing within a mile of Indian Point nuclear plant.
Copyright 2008 The New York Times Company. All Rights Reserved.
New York City may seem immune to earthquakes, at least compared with its West Coast megacity counterpart, Los Angeles. But there is some danger.
A new analysis of 383 quakes in a 15,000-square-mile area around New York City estimates that a magnitude-5 earthquake in or around the city occurs on average once a century, and a magnitude-6 or larger quake occurs once every 670 years. An even larger magnitude-7 is estimated at once every 3,400 years.
Researchers at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory at Columbia University analyzed earthquakes that occurred from 1677 to 2007 as well as data gathered by seismic instruments in the past 34 years and mapped out a family of faults responsible for most of the earthquakes. Their report appears in the current issue of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.
''We now have some way to look at the geology and use it to map the hazards,'' said Leonardo Seeber, a senior researcher at Lamont-Doherty and one of the study authors.
The historical record includes three earthquakes of magnitude-5 or larger, the most recent in 1884. That quake originated offshore near Coney Island and toppled chimneys in the city.
While earthquakes in the northeast United States are smaller and less frequent than in places like California or Japan, the risks still warrant attention from officials, the researchers said.
''New York City is a major concentration of people and buildings, so if you combine the rate of earthquakes with what is there to be damaged, that combination becomes relatively high,'' said John Armbruster, another study author. ''There's a lot to be damaged. A magnitude-5 earthquake under Queens is going to be much more damaging than a magnitude-5 earthquake in upstate New York.''
Lynn R. Sykes, an emeritus professor of earth and environmental sciences at Columbia and the lead author of the study, said critical facilities needed the most attention. That includes schools, fire stations, bridges -- and the Indian Point nuclear power plant 24 miles north of the city. The study found a previously unidentified boundary, likely a fault, that runs 25 miles to Peekskill, N.Y., from Stamford, Conn., passing within a mile of Indian Point.
With the new data, engineers could better analyze what types of forces the plant might experience in an earthquake along that fault. The owner, Entergy, is seeking to extend its operating licenses of the two reactors at Indian Point by 20 years.
Even a modest earthquake could wreak millions of dollars of damage on Manhattan. And, surprisingly, the lack of large earthquakes makes the smaller earthquakes potentially more damaging. In places like California, the many earthquakes have weakened the top layers of crust, making for less buildup of strain and less powerful quakes near the surface. Thus, the most damaging earthquakes usually originate 5 to 10 miles underground.
In the New York area, most earthquakes are much shallower, within three miles of the surface. A shallow earthquake shakes the surface more violently than a deep one of the same magnitude. Mr. Seeber said a recent magnitude-2.3 earthquake near Warwick, N.Y., shook items off shelves, and there were reports of damaged foundations.
Stiffer rocks in the New York area also transmit farther the higher-frequency vibrations that shake objects harder. ''These very shallow earthquakes can deliver a big punch even though very small,'' Mr. Seeber said.
The Appalachians Mountains were first pushed up several hundred million years ago, and those ancient large faults, including the Ramapo fault that also passes near Indian Point, have been quiet. The earthquakes have instead occurred along smaller faults running perpendicular to the older faults.
PHOTO: HAZARD: What is thought to be a fault runs near the Indian Point nuclear plant, 24 miles north of the city. (PHOTOGRAPH BY SUZANNE DECHILLO/THE NEW YORK TIMES)
Document NYTF000020080826e48q0001b
____________________________________© 2008 Factiva, Inc. All rights reserved.Science Desk; SECTFStudy Maps Faults for New York Quakes By KENNETH CHANG 658 words26 August 2008The New York TimesLate Edition - Final3English

Buyer Beware of "Counterfit Electrical Products"

I ran across this recently along with a really neat video of counterfeit electrical cords. One day I will learn how to put video on this blog but for now you'll just have to read what I find.

Here's the article. You can click on the above link and try to find the video yourself too or you can try this link to the Consumer Product Safety Commission. http://www.cpsc.gov/

David

The Electrical Safety Foundation International (ESFI) encourages you to be more proactive in safeguarding your family and home from dangerous electrical products.


Here are the top 5 things you can do to avoid hazardous electrical products:

1) Avoid buying electrical products from deep discount stores. Many consumers unknowingly purchase counterfeit electrical products. Knock-off extension cords, decorative lights, receptacles, hair dryers, irons, toasters and hundreds of other consumer products have caused shocks, electrocutions and fires. These products are missing key safety features and are often found at deep discount stores, flea markets, and on similar online forums


2) Make sure that your home has Ground Fault Circuit Interrupters (GFCIs) and that they are working. GFCIs are special outlets that recognize when electricity is leaking from an electrical product and then cut power to that product in milliseconds. GFCIs have been credited for saving thousands of people from electrocution over the last three decades. If GFCIs were installed in all homes, experts suggest that 70 percent of the approximately 400 electrocutions that occur each year in the home could be prevented.


3) Use extension cords appropriately. No joke…this is an issue. CPSC estimates that about 2,000 people are treated each year for injuries associated with extension cords. Remember that extension cords are designed for temporary use only. Do not run them under furniture or rugs. Replace cracked, worn or frayed extension cords with new ones.


4) Use the appropriate wattage of light bulb. Want a brighter room? Just grab a higher wattage light bulb, right? Wrong! A bulb of too high wattage or of the wrong type may lead to fires. Some ceiling fixtures and recessed lights even trap heat.


5) Let common sense be your guide. Altering plugs or cords and using electrical products close to water are recipes for disaster.

If you ever have any questions or concerns about an electrical product, call the manufacturer or qualified service professional.