You're watching...
Bob Nowack, Professor of Geophysics at Purdue University on the quake that hit the East Coast and the difficulty in predicting future earthquakes.
Also in this playlist...
Auto-advance: ON
Auto-advance
This transcript is automatically generated
Robert Nowak is that geophysics professor at Purdue University live with us now from.
Professor we thank you very much for joining us today.
You know a lot about this subject of what in treated me right off the top was.
This was the most severe post -- suddenly on the East Coast I believe since 1897.
It was a very unusual event was a.
Yes it -- and the particular area particularly in the Virginia seismic sounds again the largest earthquake there historically.
And so very interest being eighty miles from Washington DC.
34 miles from Richmond Virginia -- again a very very interest being.
Mid size earthquake by California standards -- five but I'm very well well felt on the eastern seaboard and in the central united selling states you're telling us progressive.
Now what it all and -- Nolan.
Fault line.
That's yet to be determined and the difference here is in contrast to California.
Where there's the San Andreas Fault and other known falls in the central and eastern night United States that's less well known.
And in fact earthquakes of this size typically don't break the surface there buried under the ground by three or four miles or more.
And as a consequence that's the type of thing that's going to be ascertained.
In the days and months that -- Okay Japan in March -- -- Christ church New Zealand.
Monday night tonight Colorado a very rapid point stronger earthquake right -- and now of this in Virginia.
-- a -- favorable they know what's going -- they see this in the news and I think it's all linked.
Is it then.
It'd be very difficult to make that connection for these particular earthquakes.
And in fact.
People it's a very.
-- topic now of how earthquakes might be related.
But in fact the most.
Direct connection.
Of earthquakes is when earthquake happens and aftershocks happened thereafter.
And in fact there's already been a two point eight magnitude aftershock of this particular earthquake and there will likely be aftershocks than in the weeks and days to follow from now.
A lot that -- across the world that's a more tricky and more com.
Located subject will look a lot of people it's like it's the end of the world look what's going on both quakes pestilence frogs and fleas and all like -- I.
People say that you know I mean you did -- -- that totally billion.
Oh absolutely gut bucket is there any way to predict anything like this are you back good on you guys that good yet.
It's it's very difficult and in fact it it and the concept of forecasting earthquakes.
That there's some possibility but that's largely from the point of view of seismic hazard.
I mean when would it would where would be an air.
Area where earthquakes could happen.
But you can't afford this scene is when I'm in which precise I think that you wouldn't have seen was found come in -- you -- -- seen this want to go which is not known out at all.
And and in fact.
That.
Basically people it's similar to the stock market in some sense because -- people have passed knowledge.
And to do -- cast to say that yes it was obvious this that this event happened.
It's one thing but to do forecasts is very very difficult.
Maybe you just put down a whole bunch of stock market analysts who was sitting around this table right it would have been a professor at -- -- professor of public Nowak and we thank you very much for joining us so much appreciate -- -- future.
