RHS1 Connector – Feb/March 2008
In this issue...Fun Fact…TREASURE…Odyssey-Marine…FEATURE ARTICLE…MEHRGARH CIVILIZATION… THOM’S COLUMN… Rockhound Recipes and Tips… TRAVEL…Wisconsin…Earthwatch…Global warming-CO2-2 year earthquake report FEATURE ARTICLE… Meet the members… —RHS1 News.
FUN FACT OF THE MONTH…
Diamonds are not, as many believe, always most valuable gemstone. While gemstone value varies with the quality of the stone, carat per carat there are many stones when of fine quality have more value than the diamond.
Red Beryl – Bixbite
Red Beryl or Bixbite – Is one of the rarest gemstones, which are found only in three locations on earth (despite common thought there is only one location). Gem quality stones are few and far between, usually come from one particular location which is privately owned, and usually under one carat. Gems often have small inclusions, or “jardin”, just as the brilliant green counterpart, the emerald, has.
Emerald crystal.
Emeralds – These are the crisp deep brilliant green members of the Beryl family. A small amount of “jardin” is also allowable in these stones without destroying their value. Unlike it’s red counterpart above, however, emerald crystals of a carat or more are not as unusual among it’s own species. Fine emeralds are much more common than other stones which can out-price diamonds, but their beauty is coveted nonetheless.
Nevada fire opal.
Black Opal – This hypnotic stone is only found in two spots on earth. While the stones in the American location tend to be a bit unstable, fine quality stones can still be found there. Judging from the unrivaled beauty of the stone, it would probably be valuable even if not so scarce. It is scarce, though, and a carat of quality black opal can fetch up to $14,000 USD.
DEAD SEA SCROLLS ON EXHIBIT
IN SAN FRANCISCO
The Dead Sea Scrolls
The Dead Sea Scrolls, perhaps the most renowned archaeological discovery of recent times, will be on exhibit at San Fransisco Museum of Fine Art from February 14th through August 10, 2008. This is your chance to see ancient documents that many believe change the complete nature of religion.
The scrolls consist of fragments of 800 documents which were discovered in caves along the Northwestern shore of the Dead Sea (hence the name of the scrolls) in Israel. The scrolls are largely biblical manuscripts and are widely studied by the ecclesiastical scholars and achaeologists alike.
The exhibition will include fragments of the scrolls and other artifacts from 4,000 BC to the 11th Century AD from the Israeli Antiquities Authority. Many of the artifacts have never been outside of Israel before. Artifacts on exhibit with the celebrated Dead Sea Scrolls are funerary ossuaries, cultic alters, glass vessels, a mosaic from a Byzantine monastery, gold coins and more.
Odyssey Marine Exploration
Ruling Allows Odyssey Shipwreck Cases to Move
Forward U.S. Federal Judge Holds That Odyssey’s
Pleadings Meet Rules of Procedure In
Three Shipwreck Cases
“Shipwreck”
Tampa, FL – March 6, 2008 – Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. (NasdaqCM: OMEX) today announced that on March 6, 2008, Judge Steven D. Merryday issued an Order relating to Spain’s Motions to Dismiss the Amended Complaints that were filed by Odyssey in the arrest of three wreck sites.
Odyssey is pleased with the ruling of the judge in the cases of the three arrested sites which specifically states that “the allegations in the complaint and the disclosure in connection with discovery satisfy the requirements of applicable procedural rules and pleading principles. ”
“This makes it clear that the first phase of these cases is complete and we can get beyond Spain’s invalid arguments that Odyssey has not pled its case adequately. This means we can move forward to determine what basis, if any, Spain has for the claims it has made to these wreck sites,” said Gregory P. Stemm, Odyssey’s Chief Executive Officer.
The Court’s Order makes it clear that if Odyssey promptly complies with the disclosure rulings of the Magistrate Judge in a satisfactory manner, the Company is not required to disclose any hypotheses as to the identities of the vessels.
“Odyssey has always complied with the Court’s orders requiring prompt disclosure of all discovery, and will continue to do so. We certainly hope that Spain will now follow suit,” stated Melinda J. MacConnel, Odyssey’s General Counsel.
The Court’s denial of certain Counts of the complaints relates only to jurisdiction. The Judge did not determine that Odyssey has no right to damages against Spain as a result of Spain’s illegal actions against Odyssey and its vessels, only that he does not have the authority to award such damages. The most significant aspect of the ruling is the Court’s declaration that Odyssey’s pleadings and its disclosures have met all requirements of the federal rules of civil procedure. In every facet of its operations, whether they are archaeological or legal, Odyssey follows all applicable rules and procedures and conducts its business with the highest level of integrity.
About Odyssey Marine Exploration
Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc. (NasdaqCM: OMEX) is engaged in the exploration of deep-water shipwrecks and uses innovative methods and state-of-the-art technology to conduct extensive deep-ocean search and archaeological recovery operations around the world. Odyssey discovered the Civil War era shipwreck of the SS Republic in 2003 and recovered over 50,000 coins and 14,000 artifacts from the site nearly 1,700 feet deep. In May 2007, the Company announced the largest historic deep-ocean treasure recovery of over 500,000 silver and gold coins, weighing 17 tons, from a Colonial era site code-named “Black Swan.” Odyssey has several shipwreck projects in various stages of development around the world.
Odyssey offers various ways to share in the excitement of deep-ocean exploration by making shipwreck treasures and artifacts available to collectors, the general public and students through its webstore, exhibits, books, videos, merchandise, and educational programs. Odyssey’s “SHIPWRECK! Pirates & Treasure” exhibit is currently on display at the Museum of Science and Industry in Tampa, FL. For details on the Company’s activities and its commitment to the preservation of maritime heritage please visit www.shipwreck.net.
For additional information, please contact Natja Igney, Odyssey’s Manager of Corporate Communications, at 813-876-1776.
SS Republic is a registered trademark of Odyssey Marine Exploration, Inc
Odyssey Marine Exploration believes the information set forth in this Press Release may include “forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Act of 1934. Certain factors that could cause results to differ materially from those projected in the forward-looking statements are set forth in “Risk Factors” in the Part I, Item 1A of the Company’s Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2006, which has been filed with the Securities and Exchange Commission.
Odyssey Marine Exploration P.O. Box 320057 Tampa, FL 33679-2057 www.shipwreck.net
Hi folks Indiana here…
Errr…I havn’t got the copy for this section so I will have to add lib…How you doing members, whats new? My computer system bit the dust …Totaled its self…Had to call the geeks in…Thats why were a wee bit disorganised at the moment …Just put it all back together so normal service will be resumed ASP. All the best…
CHILLING OUT ON GLOBAL WARMING
Earth started warming about 18,000 years ago. Much of our land on many continents were buried under glacial ice for more than 100,000 years before that. Our earth’s temperature has risen about 15 degrees since then and sea levels are up 300 feet. Warming and cooling goes on in cycles with 2 complete cycles of cooling and warming occurring in the last 100 years. If our warming continues on patterns similar to previous patterns (and there is no reason to doubt they will not) we are actually just between ice ages and warming will reverse again. We can only hope that this current cold will be temporary!
In recent years the public has been mislead to believe that CO2 produced by our use of fossil fuel is the cause of the current warming trends. CO2 currently comprises around 1/10 of one percent of our atmosphere and is not the gas to be watchful of when worrying about the greenhouse effect. In actuality evaporated water with its large molecules is the main source of the greenhouse effect. It may be comforting to realize that these molecules are also reflective, so while they do hold warmth in, they also reflect warming rays. The earth’s wetlands result in more greenhouse effect than all of human sources combined.
The real causes of warming according to climatologists, are variations in the sun’s energy, orbital eccentricities of the earth, and our oceans. Climate scientists are studying how these factors work together in an attempt to more accurately predict climate changes.
The extent of the misinformation that has been circulated to the public in the matter of global warming is not only outrageous – it is just downright dangerous. One document used to uphold the “views of the scientific community” by the Clinton administration and others was reportedly signed by 2,600 scientists. Research into these “scientists” by Citizens for a Sound Economy reveals that only 10% of these scientists knew anything about climatology. Examples of signatures on this document include: a linguist, a hotel administrator, seven sociologists, two landscape architects, a plastic surgeon, a gynecologist, and a Chinese medicine practitioner. This is a document that has been used to sway legislation regarding our planet’s health? Grreaaaat.
As for why we have been so blatantly mislead? Power and greed of governments and corporations? Good ratings for corrupt and stupid news media? You can fill in the blanks on this issue.
The document and issue we should keep our eye on but probably won’t see covered by the mass media is the Global Warming Petition, which is signed presently by 19,000 American scientists. The Petition is a plea for the government to reject the global warming agreement (Kyoto) in an effort to stop the damage that decreasing levels ofCO2 which will actually result from this plan.
THE CO2 FACTOR.
CO2 – WITHOUT MEDIA AND CORPORATE HYPE
It’s way past time to get down to brass tacks about the hype we’ve been stuffed with about C02.
First of all, as mentioned in the previous section of our Earth Watch Feature –CO2 isn’t the source of greenhouse gas that we have been led to believe it is. It is not the source of warming.
C02, carbon dioxide, presently composes roughly 1/10th of 1 percent of our atmosphere. Water vapor is 100 times more abundant and is the most important greenhouse gas. We are fortunate we have greenhouse gases because if we didn’t, life as we know it could not exist on earth. Even if the Kyoto Protocol went into effect worldwide, only a fraction of a degree difference would be seen related toCO2. Reducing the amount of CO2 during a time of warming could actually bring disastrous results.
Somewhere down the line someone decided that CO2 is a pollutant. C02 is not a pollutant, it is an essential nutrient for plant life – and therefore all life as we know it on earth. Higher concentrations of C02 helps plants grow faster and actually keeps them more drought resistant. It is not carbon dioxide that is causing desertification – it is our land usage.
The effect of CO2 on plants in a warming situation would merely be to protect them from the heat and allow for their expansion toward poles and altitudes where temperatures currently prohibit them to grow. Animals would also follow the new plant expansions. In actuality we have much less CO2 in our atmosphere today than there has been in past Geological periods. In the Jurassic Period concentrations were 4.7 times higher and in the Cambrian Period concentration was 18 times as high as today.
In the Late Ordovician Period concentrations were 12 percent higher than today — this period was, incidentally, an Ice Age. If CO2 were, in reality, a greenhouse gas, those periods should have all been extremely hotter than today, and conversely, they were not. The first primitive forests inhabited earth during the Carboniferous Period when the atmosphere held high level concentrations of CO2.
During that period the CO2 levels depleted from around 2500 ppm to 350 ppm and plant growth slowed substantially. Today we have only a 380 ppm concentration. We also have a world call to deplete this amount in an erroneous assumption that CO2 is a pollutant and greenhouse gas. The result could devastate our planet, which is already undergoing much desertification due to land use practices.
In light of evidence, reducing CO2 levels could have disastrous results. Scientists are now converging to stop dangerous actions against warming.
Scientists are now massing to stop the Kyoto Protocol, an action that has been increasing steam since 1997 despite growing evidence that CO2 has no relation to warming and is not a pollutant. The petition has been signed by 19,000 scientists as well as scientists actually involved in climatology from around the world. You can see this petition: HERE
A Conference of Scientists sponsored by the Heartland Institute will be held March 2nd thru March 4th in New York City to discuss the truths and the scams involved in the global warming issue.
The Conference titled “International Conference on Climate Change” has been appropriately subtitled “Global Warming: Truth or Swindle”
C02 will be one of the issues discussed as well as other factors of warming, and climate change. You can read more on this convention: HERE
Sally Taylor…
MEHRGARH CIVILIZATION PREDATES MESOPOTAMIA
Mehrgarh Pakistan.
When we think about ancient civilization, 4,000 BC is the usual period to which we ascribe working civilizations. There are finding that humans existed much before these times. Beads from over 100,000 years ago, 12,000 year old stashes of grain, a two million year old chopping tool, and other evidences show that man has roamed the earth for longer than most believe, but actual working civilizations are widely recognized to date only back about 6,500 years. The Mehrgarh civilization, however, has been found to have existed as far back as 7,000 BC.
Scientists are taking a very close look at this settlement, not only for it’s evidences of advanced civilized state at such early dates, but because of its possible relevence in the development of Indus civilization as a whole. Indications are that technology and symbolism may have well been spread from Mehrgarh to later Indus civilization, making Mehrgarh a likely seat of civilization in the Indus valley area.
Mehrgarh figurine 3000 BC.
The Neolithic settlement of Mehrgarh (7,000 – 3,200 BC) located on the Kachi plain of Baluchistan, Pakistan, was occupied until about 2,600 BC at which time it was abandoned. The site of the city shows a social center of mud brick huts, grain farming, herding, use of copper ore, bone tools, and basket containers lined with bitumen, and the possible use of cotton. There are some startlingly indications of advanced thought and activities in the excavated ruins. Burial rituals were practiced and graves have been found which contained baskets, tools, ornamental objects, and even animal sacrifices.
Mehrgarh is the first known origin of dental surgery and medicinal activities, dating as far back as 9,000 years. Flint drill bits were also used for the area’s bead industry. Scientists reproducing efforts to drill teeth with flint tools found the method quick and effective. The technique was used on only about .3% of the population, and only on back teeth, indicating that it was not an ornamental procedure. The procedure was also discontinued for some reason as no drilling has been seen in the teeth of those buried after 6,500 BP.
Neolithic mehrgarh.
Indications are strong that contact or trade with other areas existed in the early years of the Mehrgarh society. Ornaments of shell and lapis lazuli have been found there. Neither of these items would have been locally available to the people. By the second Mehrgarh Period (5,000 BC – 4,000 BC) long distance trade and manufacturing had been established in the area. Items produced included tin glazed (faience) beads, and detailed terracotta figurines were produced using stone and copper drills, kilns of various sorts, and copper smelting.
Mehrgarh was populated from 7,000 BC, and possibly before, until around 2,600 BC, when it is thought that the people migrated to other alluvial areas of the Indus valley as Mehrgarh became arid. Scientists have been able to follow the progression of the people of this area though stages of their development. It is now felt that historical importance of the Mehrgarh civilization in the development of civilizations has been largely overlooked. Experts are taking a much closer look at Mehrgarh while attempting to piece together our knowledge of how civilizations developed, came together, and grew.
ROCKHOUND RECIPES & TIPS
Baby Back Ribs with Mustard Glaze
Ribs are always popular when you have a barbecue. Most times they are cooked up with some barbecue sauce on them and that’s about it. This recipe kicks it up a little and gives the ribs a sweet flavor that’s hard to beat. It takes a little time getting this all together but it sure is worth it in the end.
First you will need to make the dry rub (yields 2 cups).
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup paprika
- 1 tablespoon coarse black pepper
- 1 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon chili powder
- 1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon cumin
- 1 teaspoon white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon dried mustard powder
Mix all imgredients together.
Take two medium sized racks of ribs and sprinkle liberally with the rub. Place the ribs in a plastic bag, seal and place in refrigerator for a minimun of 12 hours.
When they are ready to cook either place them on the grill under low heat or in a 325 degree oven and bake for 2 hours. When you remove the ribs from the grill or oven you will want to apply the following glaze to them while they are still hot.
Glaze
- 2/3 cups brown sugar
- 1/2 cup red wine vinegar
- 1/2 cup honey mustard
- 1/4 cup honey
Mix together well till sugar dissolves. Apply thickly to ribs will the ribs are hot so the glaze ‘cooks onto’ the ribs.
About Thom…
Thom Meyer is a retired professional chef who has a degree in Culinary Arts – Also an avid camper and most importantly a person who likes to eat. Lately he has been involved in marketing and building websites when not using WordPress for them, a process of which in some circles he is considered an authority. Among his many websites that he maintains are www.recipes-4-all.com and www.wp-revealed.com
“When the going gets weird, the weird turn pro”
Hunter S. Thompson
TRAVEL
Wisconsin.
Seal of Wisconsin.
WISCONSIN � A NOT SO CHEESY
VACATION DESTINATION
Wisconsin cheese.
There’s no doubt that Wisconsin produces some magnificent cheese. The State is not so well known for it’s gemstone hunting, but rockhounds might be surprised to find that hunting there isn’t cheesy by a long shot.
Agate lovers might be interested to know that coveted Lake Superior agates can be found in La Crosse County. If you go to La Crosse county , though, agates might not be the only thing you will want to hunt for as the area is also noted for jasper and diamonds. Agate is also to be found in Iron and Wood Counties – along with 40 other minerals such as epodite, Staurolite, calcite, jasper, garnet, and beautiful pale blue celestine baryte. In Marinette County zircons, garnets, flourite, calcite, and quartz can be found along with 26 other minerals including sharp green Allanite crystals.
In Lincoln and Oneida counties metal hunters can prospect for gold and silver. Gold and copper can also be found in Lafeyete County. If the rest of your party is more interested in crystals than metals, however, don’t worry, they won’t be bored. There are varieties of stones to be found wherever metals are to be hunted.
Glover Bluff.
If endless varieties of gemstones, metals, and fossils aren’t enough to keep you entertained, you might want to take a trip out to explore the area of Glover Bluff Meteor Crater just South of Coloma. This crater is about 5 miles across and is thought to be around 500 million years old. It is a little studied crater as there is a dolomite quarry operating in the central portion of the crater.
A few sites you might want to see between hunting fields include the Apostle Islands. These are a string of 22 islands in Lake Superior that might be worth your while to explore a bit. Cave Of The Mounds, near Blue Mounds, with its variety of brilliantly colored rock formations is definitely worth a bit of time. The Vila Louis, a mansion built in 1843, has been preserved complete with much of the original furniture for those of you in the Prarie du Chein area. Kettle Moraine State Forest Park near West Bend contains glacial hills and depressions (as well as a few lakes). You never know what a glacier will leave behind for the lucky rockhound to pick up. At Lost Dauphin State Park near De Pere, you can browse the homestead of Eleazer Williams, who was reputed to have actually been Louis XVII, the last French dauphin. At First Capitol State Park you can tour restored buildings from 1836.
The wildlife is not too threatening in this state. You may want to watch for an occasional bear or coyote, and of course, skunks and badgers are cute but not something to tangle with. Badgers can be ornery and might actually chase you when vexed so don’t let their small size fool you, they can be extremely vicious little guys. Skunks…well, they might not be very harmful, but you don’t want to wind up smelling like one!
Wisconsin can be extremely cold in the winter so plan your rockhounding visits for late spring to early autumn. Make sure to take rain gear with you. While it doesn’t rain continuously, you might expect to run into anything from a bit of rain to a heavy thunderstorm now and again. Flooding or forest fires are possible, so while it is unlikely you will run into either, in todays wild climates, it’s best to be prepared for anything.
Wherever you go in Wisconsin there is something to delight the rockhound, paleontologist, and history buff. A Wisconsin rockhounding adventure will leave you wondering why on earth what they are known for is cheese.
MEMBERS CORNER…
Member Announcement � from member “dragon”
Tired of lugging all those rocks to and from the various shows? Try our auction site and keep what you earn! We need quality sellers and buyers interested in expanding the competitive market within the lapidary trade. Buyers get the bonus of lower prices because of the reduced listing fees and NO FINAL VALUE FEES! Finally, an auction site where the customer is valued more than the dollar. Registration is free and only takes a few minutes.
Each seller who purchases a store has an additional benefit not listed in the fine print. We publish a featured seller page once a month. This page has additional advertising on several blogs as well as a variety of search engines. The page consists of a brief biography of the seller and a featured item, which is a direct link to that item in their store, as well as their banner, this also is a link to their store. The cost for this additional advertising, absolutely Free!
As we continue to grow, we realize sales are not quite, what are needed to be profitable yet! We have removed the listing fees from the auction site to allow the seller to post as many items as their store will hold, enabling the site to provide a wide range of quality merchandise. In turn, this will attract more repeat buyers and help to keep their interest longer. This will remain in effect until we notice a continuous flow of sales, at which time we will resume our low fees! What we would like in return is for all store holders to maintain their store with as much inventory as possible, (remember you can auto-relist up to 10 times), notify your customers of your new auctions on Dragonsaye Auctions and buy your banner ad.
We are confident that if everyone does his or her part, we will be a great success!
MEET THE MEMBERS…
This month we’re meeting member Jason Watts, “jhwatts” who can tell us a bit about rockhounding the Central Eastern States. If you take a browse through the photo gallery, you will find a few of Jason’s great examples of some Tennessee minerals � and some from elsewhere, too. Jason will be launching a website and Rock Shop real soon. He’ll be selling some pretty sharp rocks and minerals � but he’s also going to have lapidary services available. Look for announcements from RHS1 and Jason in the forums and the Gazette.
Here’s what Jason has to tell us as he introduces himself to the Global Rockhound community:
Some of my favorite’s mineral types are sulfides, oxides, and silicates. I am proud of my Indiciolite tourmalines from Brazil and I also facet and tumble gemstones. My home town is Erwin Tennessee and is located in Unicoi County.
For more information about Unicoi County, Jason has provided this link: HERE
EARTHWATCH UPDATE:
EARTHQUAKE WATCH: END OF YEAR 2 STATISTICS
WHAT’S SHAKIN’ AT THE END OF YEAR TWO
2007 � More than Slightly Shaky
We have just completed Year 2 of the Earthquake Watch tracking series. Our tracking year has run from the first of March for both years until the last day of February. This little jag from the calendar year was not planned – we just found out about Chandler’s wobble stopping two years ago and started to track at that time. We will be putting out a first quarter report next month for Earthquake Watch Y3 (year 3). It will include stats from the first two months of this year which are now the last two months of our tracking year – but will put us in line with the actual calendar year. Over all, it won’t make a real difference. Last year we did not see the increase of quakes that had been expected – a few here and there at various magnitudes, but this year has been a killer for quakes – even though not for people. In 2006 the number of people killed due to earthquakes was 6,579, of this number 5,749 deaths were the result of one quake – a 6.3 magnitude quake in Java, Indonesia on 5/26/06. In 2007, despite an increase of strong earthquakes, only 681 were killed. As of this year, so far deaths due to earthquakes number only 47.
Averages The averages stated for quake occurrences are compiled averages for quakes occurring between 1990 and 2005. At the end of Earthquake Watch Y3, we will total the three years and create a post-2005 average for quake frequency which we can adjust in three year increments. By keeping 3 year post-2005 averages we might discover other relevancies that have been previously overlooked.
Solar activities and quakes.
You would have to be completely without nerve endings not to have noticed the record cold in the last few months. Many areas of the globe are experiencing record snowfall and snow temperatures. Ice has reached record levels on some parts of the North Arctic areas. There has been snowfall where it hasn’t happened before in recorded history.
This record cold corresponds predictably to low energy output of our Sun in recent months. While we exit solar cycle 23, cycle 24 has not yet begun. There are no storms on the sun surface, which is amazingly calm at the time. Receiving less energy from our sun, we are cold. If you have been following our Earth Watch series, you would expect as much. If you have been following mainstream media, you are probably completely astounded by the cold.
All in all – I had wondered if we would see a corresponding drop in earthquake frequency during a lull in solar energy output. For a week or two this appeared that it was going to be the case. We did experience a short calm, but then frequency sped up again, and actually became quite strong while the sun remained low in output. It would seem from this evidence that Solar Activity does not have much bearing on the frequency of earthquakes directly – at least directly.
THE YEAR 2 STATISTICS:
Magnitude 5 — we had 293 of this strength quakes in the 4th quarter. That brings us to 1390 in one year. Average is 1319 per year.
We have exceeded the annual average by 5 percent. Last year – there were only 1230. We went from down 7% one year to above by 5% the next.
Magnitude 6. We had 43 of these strong shakes in the 4th quarter. That brings us to 180 of 6 magnitude shakes in one year. Average is 134.
We exceeded the annual average by a whopping 34 percent. Last year – there were 139. That was a 4% increase, so in the short run at least, the frequency of this level of quake is above average and accelerating.
Magnitude 7 – We had 4 more of these in the 4th quarter bringing us to 14 of these massive quakes this year. Average is 17 per year.
We were actually under the annual average by 18 percent. Last Year – we experience only 8.
While these figures might make it seem that large quakes are fading out – the magnitude 8 statistics will show very quickly that this is not the case:
Magnitude 8 – We had 3 of these this year. Average is one – if any.
we are 300 percent above average for these destroyers.
Last Year – we had 2 – a 200% increase from normal.
We are experiencing unprecedented frequencies of these colossal events. That fact has not changed in 2 years.
While increases and decreases were a mixed batch during 2006, 2007 brought more quakes. Only magnitude 7 quakes seem to have slowed, but in light that magnitude 8s are off the charts that does not make for much comfort zone. The iffy results of 2006 have bled into a specific “yes” quakes are more frequent.
As stated earlier, I will be reporting the first quarter of Earthquake Watch Y3 next month to move to synchronizing with the calendar year. While it will not make any difference in the ease of tracking or results of yearly totals, it will put us on track with other reporting and may possibly reveal corresponding occurrences that have been previously missed.
Until next time – make sure you are prepared for disasters in your own area.
Image and info credits for this edition:
Wikipedia: Odyssey Marine Exploration : Jason Watts: Roger Weller Cochise College:
Rock Hound Station 1
Global Rockhound Community