Any drop in USGS activity would impact lesser developed nations such as the Philippines, which run smaller-scale monitoring and rely on the USGS for global earthquake data, Robert Geller, a professor of seismology at Tokyo University, said by phone. It would also affect ordinary citizens in the U.S, he said.
"If a big quake occurred now, hypothetically, inside the U.S., disaster relief work might be slowed down if USGS data wasn't available to the government," Geller said. The effect of the shutdown depends on whether the agency has curtailed the monitoring itself or stopped putting the data online, he said.
Earthquake Risk
Despite the warning, the National Earthquake Information Center of the USGS at Golden, Colorado, does not expect delays in earthquake monitoring and said data is being gathered at the same rate as before the shutdown. "At this point we are getting earthquakes posted on our website on time, within 20 minutes for magnitude 5 and larger worldwide, and earlier for a national event," Jana Pursley, a geophysicist at the center, said today in a phone interview.
The partial shutdown of the U.S. federal government began Oct. 1 after Republicans insisted on changes to the 2010 Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act. President Barack Obama and Democrats refused.
Earthquakes pose significant risk to 75 million Americans in 39 States, according to the USGS website. The USGS is the only federal agency responsible for recording and reporting earthquake activity in the country and its accurate and timely information is used by citizens, emergency responders, and engineers, according to the website.
At least 67 people were killed in the Philippines as a result of the strongest earthquake to hit the nation in a year. The magnitude-7.2 earthquake struck 2 kilometers (1.2 miles) south of Carmen, Bohol at 8:12 a.m. local time, according to the USGS.
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The World for People who Think
I just read several news articles here on SoTT, this one [Link] is just one of them. And I want to address and discuss some issues I see now.
First of all, it is true that many building in Los Angeles are made of concrete and are not earthquake-proof. So, the question is why is that? Why in the earthquake prone city such as Los Angeles as in all state of California, greedy buildings owner are still allowed to put people in danger who live or work there by not securing those building in case of an earthquake. Something needs to be done about that for sure.
Second, I really want to discuss a practice of conducting earthquake preparedness drills, especially in schools and daycare centers. I just learned that in my daughter's school such a 'drill' is scheduled for this Tuesday, during which the school will be in a state of complete lockdown. And I want to know who exactly decides when these 'drills' are gonna take place? And let me tell you, this practice is completely unacceptable. it's only scaring and traumatizing children. How is that going to help to prepare them for such eventuality as an earthquake? To be prepared is to have knowledge, and that gives a person a real sense of peace and calm. That is preparedness is all about. Telling children to go and hide under the table, so they will be safe is false information. It is simply not true. There are numerous accounts by the rescuers who worked in disaster areas that the safest place is not under the table during an earthquake, but near it. So, by promulgating this false information, schools are inadvertently endanger children, not helping them. Children need real knowledge how to protect themselves, and we certainly need to talk more with our children about the real facts how to be prepared. A lockdown event is even more traumatizing for them.
And how is that possible that this practice, these 'drills' are obligatory even in daycares. Can you imagine what it does to a young and very impressionable child? I can, because I saw it with my own eyes. When my daughter was about four years old, one of such drills was conducted in her daycare, which she attended only for a couple of days a week. And even the teachers didn't want to do it, they had to. They were obligated to do it. In the course of this drill my daughter was crying, because she thought it was real. That's how children think. They accept the world as it. So, this experience made a really big impact on her. She was traumatized for weeks after that, her health is deteriorated, and she simply didn't want to go this day care anymore, although before, because she loved her teachers, she was really comfortable going there to play and learn. So, I think this sort of abuse of children needs to be stopped. Now.
Having said all of that, I decided if nothing changes, my daughter won't go to school this Thursday. I simply won't allow anyone to traumatize her further. I want her to be happy and healthy as all people do for their children. Now, she is very healthy, happy, smart, curious, beautiful and playful child. A wonderful child, my real sunshine. And I want her to continue this way.
Just yesterday, I learned great news that the governor of California signed an array of new bills that help protect women's health and the health of their children. This shows me to me that he is a good man who really cares about women and children. And that is such a great news! I'm really hopeful that something can be done about this situation.
And now, I want to share really simple and truly beautiful Russian song "Солнечный круг" (The Solar Circle) that people sing now all over the world. In English it is called "May There Always Be Sunshine." _[Link] Let's listen to it together:
Солнечный круг _[Link]
Charlotte Diamond - May There Always Be SUNSHINE _[Link]
May There Always Be SunShine _[Link]