M 4.8 – 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake • Hacker News Board

Re: M 4.8 – 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake

#231

Post by mtreis86 » Fri, Apr 05, 2024, 4:49 PM UTC

bee_rider wrote: post #207

If any west-coasters are confused as to how this is news: the Northeast is sort of geologically unusual for the US in that we have almost no surprising, sudden weather thingies. No tornados, mild thunderstorm, occasional hurricanes (but they are usually weakened a bit compared to, like, Florida by the time they get up here and they’ve spent a long time going up the coast so they tend to be well tracked by forecasters…

We're also on a shelf of hard rock, so a quake in NJ is felt by all of New England. Keys on the wall were shaking here 100mi away.

Re: M 4.8 – 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake

#232

Post by hijinks » Fri, Apr 05, 2024, 4:50 PM UTC

tzakrajs wrote: post #212

bee_rider wrote: post #207

If any west-coasters are confused as to how this is news: the Northeast is sort of geologically unusual for the US in that we have almost no surprising, sudden weather thingies. No tornados, mild thunderstorm, occasional hurricanes (but they are usually weakened a bit compared to, like, Florida by the time they get up here and they’ve spent a long time going up the coast so they tend to be well tracked by forecasters…

What is a Nor'easter?

its a lot of warm moisture that comes up the coast from the southeast and slams into cold air from canada and can drop a lot of snow/wind. It can cause bad storms in the ocean and high seas.

Re: M 4.8 – 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake

#233

Post by chimeracoder » Fri, Apr 05, 2024, 4:52 PM UTC

bee_rider wrote: post #207

If any west-coasters are confused as to how this is news: the Northeast is sort of geologically unusual for the US in that we have almost no surprising, sudden weather thingies. No tornados, mild thunderstorm, occasional hurricanes (but they are usually weakened a bit compared to, like, Florida by the time they get up here and they’ve spent a long time going up the coast so they tend to be well tracked by forecasters…

Also, earthquakes on the east coast travel further, and are more likely to damage structures than earthquakes of the same magnitude on the west coast[0]. That's due to underlying geological differences.

The magnitude is one immediately-available measure of the strength of an earthquake, but it's not the only measurement that's relevant to determining the size or impact of an earthquake. Depth, duration, location - there are many other measurable (and also immeasurable) factors which parameterize a seismic event.

[0] https://www.usgs.gov/news/featured-story/east-vs-west-coast-...

Re: M 4.8 – 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake

#234

Post by saalweachter » Fri, Apr 05, 2024, 4:53 PM UTC

cmollis wrote: post #220

bee_rider wrote: post #207

If any west-coasters are confused as to how this is news: the Northeast is sort of geologically unusual for the US in that we have almost no surprising, sudden weather thingies. No tornados, mild thunderstorm, occasional hurricanes (but they are usually weakened a bit compared to, like, Florida by the time they get up here and they’ve spent a long time going up the coast so they tend to be well tracked by forecasters…

we've had tornadoes in NJ..

The East Coast gets microtornadoes that deshingle roofs or tip trees over.

The Midwest gets MS Paint eraser tool tornadoes.

Re: M 4.8 – 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake

#235

Post by chimeracoder » Fri, Apr 05, 2024, 4:53 PM UTC

tzakrajs wrote: post #212

bee_rider wrote: post #207

If any west-coasters are confused as to how this is news: the Northeast is sort of geologically unusual for the US in that we have almost no surprising, sudden weather thingies. No tornados, mild thunderstorm, occasional hurricanes (but they are usually weakened a bit compared to, like, Florida by the time they get up here and they’ve spent a long time going up the coast so they tend to be well tracked by forecasters…

What is a Nor'easter?

> What is a Nor'easter?

Literally: a cold hurricane.

Some people misuse the term to mean "a blizzard affecting New England and/or the Northeast", but it actually specifically refers to a storm that's been pushed inland by sea winds coming from the northeast, off the Atlantic Ocean. That specific pattern results in a particularly cold and brutal storm.

Nor'easters are technically cyclones, just like hurricanes, and the two are very similar in many regards. The difference is that a Nor'easter forms further north, in cold water, and it is actually strengthened by cold air, whereas hurricanes form further south and are diminished in strength as they cool off.

https://scijinks.gov/noreaster/

Re: M 4.8 – 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake

#236

Post by manojlds » Fri, Apr 05, 2024, 4:58 PM UTC

bee_rider wrote: post #207

If any west-coasters are confused as to how this is news: the Northeast is sort of geologically unusual for the US in that we have almost no surprising, sudden weather thingies. No tornados, mild thunderstorm, occasional hurricanes (but they are usually weakened a bit compared to, like, Florida by the time they get up here and they’ve spent a long time going up the coast so they tend to be well tracked by forecasters…

I am very confused with you classifying earthquakes under "weather thingies"

Re: M 4.8 – 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake

#237

Post by spdgg » Fri, Apr 05, 2024, 4:58 PM UTC

bee_rider wrote: post #207

If any west-coasters are confused as to how this is news: the Northeast is sort of geologically unusual for the US in that we have almost no surprising, sudden weather thingies. No tornados, mild thunderstorm, occasional hurricanes (but they are usually weakened a bit compared to, like, Florida by the time they get up here and they’ve spent a long time going up the coast so they tend to be well tracked by forecasters…

Eh, there are plenty of areas of the northeast that are affected much differently by these events than where you are. For example, Vermont has had multiple catastrophic floods in memory, including last summer and Hurricane Irene. Mountainous and coastal areas magnify these systems, the lowlands and developed megalopolis region may be truer to your claims.

Re: M 4.8 – 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake

#238

Post by SamPatt » Fri, Apr 05, 2024, 4:58 PM UTC

aragonite wrote: post #63

I distinctly remember the first time I created a Twitter account (& probably became aware of Twitter being a thing) was the day when a similar earthquake was felt in NYC back in 2011...

I worked in northern Virginia at the time, fairly close to the epicenter.

Our office building shook violently. A poor woman I worked with was quite panicked, dove under her desk... and admonished me afterward for staying calm?

Re: M 4.8 – 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake

#239

Post by streblo » Fri, Apr 05, 2024, 4:58 PM UTC

tzakrajs wrote: post #212

bee_rider wrote: post #207

If any west-coasters are confused as to how this is news: the Northeast is sort of geologically unusual for the US in that we have almost no surprising, sudden weather thingies. No tornados, mild thunderstorm, occasional hurricanes (but they are usually weakened a bit compared to, like, Florida by the time they get up here and they’ve spent a long time going up the coast so they tend to be well tracked by forecasters…

What is a Nor'easter?

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nor'easter

Re: M 4.8 – 2024 Whitehouse Station, New Jersey Earthquake

#240

Post by bee_rider » Fri, Apr 05, 2024, 5:02 PM UTC

tzakrajs wrote: post #212

bee_rider wrote: post #207

If any west-coasters are confused as to how this is news: the Northeast is sort of geologically unusual for the US in that we have almost no surprising, sudden weather thingies. No tornados, mild thunderstorm, occasional hurricanes (but they are usually weakened a bit compared to, like, Florida by the time they get up here and they’ve spent a long time going up the coast so they tend to be well tracked by forecasters…

What is a Nor'easter?

It’s just a hurricane in the winter, no biggie. We would enjoy the snow and check out the surf (from a safe distance). I think you aren’t officially supposed to suggest the latter though.