The huge cracks in the floor at ground zero...

[Red Shirt]

For further reading, there was a lot of discussion on the cracks, geology & simultaneity of outbreak locations during the discussion for Chapter 28, pt. 3/3.

And: some of my supposition from that thread:

Again the problem I have with this is the timing and perhaps the location of the University/College in relation to Inglewood. If there was an underground explosion of that sort of level that he could hear, then it is likely that the might have felt the ground move. To make cracks in the ground of that size it needs to be a reasonable major jolt.
An earthquake or explosion wasn't something that any of the reports they collected in the Tower mentions. It seems to be likely that might have come up at some point.

True, to crack open the Earth as deeply as it is implied by Saul's surveying, it would have to have been a significant quake. Something on the order of 6, 7 or even higher magnitude. Unless the widening of the cracks is something that has been taking place for a loooong time, slowly and steadily. The "explosion" could have been the "gas" build up inside the crack(s) finally punching through and there was no quake at all.

Another thing that occurred to me today is that Kolani said that this started on the Big Island and then spread. As it happens, only the Big Island has active volcanoes today. Two in fact. He also said that they were nastier there than the ones in LA... The crust is "thinner" in Hawaii, therefore it stands to reason that IF something welled up from below the surface, Hawaii would get a bigger/worse "dose."

The analogy I'm thinking of is an air bubble under a sheet of ice. It will spread out, "looking" for ways to escape. Either through holes (Hawaii) or cracks (San Andreas and sub-faults)

So, did this only happen to Hawaii and LA? Or did this happen all around the Pacific rim, along the "Ring of Fire?" Or globally, starting at faults and volcanoes?

Here's the thing. We can kick around all these reasonable hypotheses, but why the near simultaneity of the "event?" In my mind casts doubt on it being "natural." So is it the "End Times," the awakening of an Eldrtich Horror, or has Mother Nature finally had enough of our crap?

And more from 29; 2/3:

...Uh, Unless the Outbreak Didn't Start Along the Ring of Fire...
So all looks good for the Ring of Fire thing. However, way back in Ch. 2-3 ("The Two Things"), at 2:23, when they are listening to the TIVO of the news broadcasts about the outbreak, the following cities are mentioned as having 'rioting':

• LA, San Diego, Detroit, Houston, Chicago, New York

I don't think that it is strictly related to the Ring of Fire alone. It is just that that particular area of the planet is, shall we say, a bit more obvious in its seismic activity.

Houston is riddled with faults and Northwest Houston is apparently sinking.

New York Has a fault right under 125th street.

Detroit & Chicago

Close enough to the New Madrid and Wabash Vally Fault Complex/Seismic Zones in the Reelfoot Rift, that there could easily be undiscovered tangential faults. There could even be undiscovered fault complexes further north, as it has been noted that New Madrid activity is slowing and Wabash Vally is increasing. Like something is moving north.

Point of note: the two big quakes in New Zealand recently were on a previously undiscovered fault. I'd be curious to see what the status of other seismically active areas is in WA. Places like Iceland, the north Mediterranean and the Horn of Africa.

My research into this for the reply and for a fan fic I am working on revealed the Brevard Fault Zone in Atlanta. Cuts right through northwest metro, parallel to the Chattahoochee river and apparently the southeast border of my county. Snap.

Sure, I'm being lazy linking to those threads, but why retype them? I also wanted to put them into context as well, since they were replies to questions...


But during this, an idea I have been noodling for a bit has finally jogged loose...



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