In article ,
wrote:
On Sun, 2 Jan 2005 16:09:33 -0000, "Bob Hobden"
wrote:
"Mike" wrote ...
What are the views of those on uk.rec.gardening if it happens, and who
will
it effect?

The nearest tectonic plates to us are in the N.Atlantic and are divergent
boundaries causing the N.Atlantic Ridge, because these plates are pulling
apart there is little chance of a tsunami being caused. The plate boundaries
in S E Asia are convergent which is why they suddenly moved 100 ft over one
another, when they overcame the friction between themselves, causing the
waves.
I would be more worried about the effects of the change in the earths
rotation caused by this earthquake.

The main risk is the big piece of rock which is expected to fall off
an island in the Canaries, generate a tidal wave that will wipe out
the East Coats of the USA and not do a lot of good to the low
countries.

You may be right that divergent plates will cause less of a shock wave
than convergent ones, but I should be flabberghasted if they couldn't
cause enough of one to cause trouble, given the shallowing and focussing
of the Channel. Without doing some precise modelling, I can't say what
effects that would have on the UK, but it is relatively unlikely to be a
major event. Probably not more than 100,000 dead.

However, it is NOT true that the UK is safe from earthquakes. There
have been some Richter 5+ events on the mainland (including one that
killed two people, our only deaths), but there has been a Richter 6.0
under the Dogger bank. If that occurred under London, the carnage
could be immense, and it is not completely impossible. But it is
pretty unlikely.

However, the most likely cause of water-borne carnage is a certainty
in the next century or so, but our wonderful government is attempting
(and failing) to hide it using terrorism legislation. Probably so
that they can say "But we couldn't POSSIBLY have known" and the
resulting enquiry will acquit them of all negligence.


Regards,
Nick Maclaren.