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#294478 - 01/01/20 10:39 PM Earthquake Conspiracy Theorists Are Wreaking Havoc
AKSAR Offline
Veteran

Registered: 08/31/11
Posts: 1233
Loc: Alaska
Bogus pseudo scientists and conspiracy wingnuts are interfering with communications in earthquake disasters.

Earthquake Conspiracy Theorists Are Wreaking Havoc During Emergencies
Quote:
On an early Friday morning in November 2018, the ground gave way in Anchorage, Alaska. At 8:29 a.m., a magnitude 7.1 earthquake hit just north of the city. Street lights blinked off, highways began to buckle, and buildings shook as enormous cracks opened in the walls and floors, coughing plumes of dust into the air.
---------------snip--------
For Ian Dickson, things only began to get truly bizarre later in the day. At the time, Dickson was a communications specialist for the Alaska Earthquake Center, the U.S. Geological Survey’s contractor in Alaska. About three hours after the quake, he watched in alarm as all of the Earthquake Center’s social media channels—Facebook, Twitter, direct messages on both platforms—were flooded with people saying that a larger earthquake had been predicted. Worse still, Dickson said, “some of the things I saw were highly specific, saying an 8.4 earthquake was predicted in the next hour. Scientists can’t predict that. Absolutely not.”

I was in Anchorage during the November 2018 M 7.1 quake. Within an hour or so after the quake, I heard someone on the radio saying "They say there will be an even stronger quake within the hour!"

One of the most important and sought after things during and after a natural disaster is reliable information. These wackjobs posting totally bogus claims disrupt the flow of reliable information, and impede response to the disater.


Edited by AKSAR (01/01/20 10:40 PM)
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#294479 - 01/02/20 03:57 AM Re: Earthquake Conspiracy Theorists Are Wreaking Havoc [Re: AKSAR]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
I am a bit surprised that the article did not mention Dr. Lucy Jones, a valued and credible source here in SoCal. During the Ridgecrest events, I googled her and started receiving credible information immediately. The mdedia passon her information quite routinely.

I had heard of Dutchwhatshisname and even looked at his web page once. My BS detector was sounding multiple alarms. People have to learn to evaluate and discriminate sources of information, although that is becoming harder and harder these in days of widespread paranoia. It isn't that hard to read up on the basics of earthquakes and how much we need to learn about them before predictions are feasible.

The article gives a good summary of the distinctions between EQs and other natural disasters. Plan, stock up, organize, and then wait for the inevitable shaking.
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#294480 - 01/02/20 01:41 PM Re: Earthquake Conspiracy Theorists Are Wreaking Havoc [Re: hikermor]
hikermor Offline
Geezer in Chief
Geezer

Registered: 08/26/06
Posts: 7705
Loc: southern Cal
Appropriately enough, we experienced a 4.0 at 2:31 this morning just offshore from Port Hueneme - don't believe we had any prediction of this relatively minor shake. No accompanying tsunami

i slept through the whole thing
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