Do you ever think about the geology below you, as you fly?

[Waldo Pepper 1,953]

Maybe I'm strange,   but I'm fascinated by geology.    Especially plate tectonics.   When I'm flying,  I'm always thinking about the forces that formed the surrounding terrain.  

It's been said that if the earth was represented by an exercise ball 25 inches (63.5 cm) in diameter,    the continental crust would be represented by the thickness of 11 pages of standard printer paper.    The oceanic crust,  just 2 pages thick.

In real terms this means that the continental crust averages approximately 25 miles (40km) thick,  but ranges up to around 40 miles (64km) thick in some places.  This includes mountain peaks.   On average,  the oceanic crust is around 4.5 miles (7.2 klicks) thick. In some specific locations it may be thinner.

The continental crust has a higher silica content,  thus it's more buoyant.     But the entire crust is just floating on the surface of the molten rock below.     Currents cause the plates to constantly drift,  converging in some regions,  subducting,   forming mountains,  fueling volcanism.    In other regions the plates diverge,   causing rifts and oceanic ridge lines.   

In my YT suggestions today there were clips of the 2011 Tsunami.    I thought to myself,  "wow,  that was 12 years ago?".    Decided to give one a click. 

In 2011 I was focused more on the Fukushima NPP situation than the Tsunami itself,  or the quake.

But rewatching the event now,   it was pretty insane.    We know that plates move.   We know that forces build up over time.   We know that the forces are released periodically in the form of earthquakes.

In Sendai the 9.0 quake lasted 6 minutes.  In the video you could see the earth split open, the rift violently shaking open and closed,   over and over and over again.   Subterranean water was forced to the surface like blow holes,   shooting water and mud into the sky.    This clip is from NHK World Japan,  a Japanese news organization.    YT doesn't allow it to be embedded,   which is why you don't see the preview window here.   It's really stunning to look back on it,  see the geologic scale of the event,   to see/hear the people as they watched the sea recede,  and then the flood surges arrive.    Putting myself in their shoes,   you just wouldn't know what's going to happen next.   Even months later you'd be wondering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E2Q7kr4L2c     

I had to consider that we are really lucking that it doesn't happen more often,  considering the relative thinness of the oceanic crust.   Also made me think about how many regions are completely unprepared for anything even remotely like that.  The tsunami penetrated up to 1.2 km inland.   Four distinct surges of water.   NOAA estimates that 3 petajoules of energy potential energy was released.   They say it's enough to power NYC for 7 days,   or all of Canada for 2.5 hours.  Unreal.

[Waldo Pepper 1,953]

One other thing,   when I was young and dumb,   I found myself walking up the spillway of a small local creek dam.    I was walking alone,   looked up,  and saw my friends standing near the 8 foot lever of the gate valve for that spillway.   Before I could scream "NOOOOO",   they opened the gate valve.    I saw a 4 foot high,   8 foot wide wall of water coming at me.    The walls of the spillway were concrete,   the floor filled will giant boulders for riprap.   I grabbed the closest,   biggest boulder.   

Two seconds later,  me and that big boulder were moving.   I released the boulder,  nothing else I could do and I figured that I didn't need it.   I washed up about 250 feet downstream,   torn up by the rocks,  half drowned,  coughing out water.

I don't care if it's 10 inches of moving water,   it will take you off your feet like you're weightless.   Kind of broke my heart to see the people running for their lives,  or to see them trapped in their cars as the road was inundated before them.     And everything they own,  everything they've known,   gone in minutes.     So many people who still haven't been found. 

Don't ever drive a car out into flood waters,  don't think you can walk through them.    I was too young to realize how stupid I was,  or even care at the time.  Thought I was bullet proof.

While I was still trying to recover from my near drowning,   my friends were standing on the creek bank laughing and mooning the passing cars.    They did it for around 20 minutes,  and then the next car was a cop car.   Might have been some alcohol involved.

I was underaged,  didn't have a drivers license,  didn't have a way home.    The cop asked me if I could drive.   I was around 15 at the time,   I was so surprised that I had to think about the answer for minute or two. 

He ended up telling me to drive their car home to my house, by myself,  and they all got to ride in a police car.   This would be around 40 years ago,  so early 80's.   I learned to never F with water.

 

[Waldo Pepper 1,953]

Just read this,

Quote

How much did Japan move in 2011 earthquake?

8 feet

According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake moved Japan's main island of Honshu eastward by 2.4 meters (8 feet) and dropped about 400 kilometers (250 miles) of coastline by 0.6 meters (2 feet).Mar 11, 2021

source:https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/images/148036/ten-years-after-the-tsunami#:~:text=According to the U.S. Geological,0.6 meters (2 feet).

 

[newtie 533]

1 hour ago, Waldo Pepper said:

I don't care if it's 10 inches of moving water,   it will take you off your feet like you're weightless. 

Water weighs seven pounds per gallon.

Mystery solved. ☺️

 

 

[Waldo Pepper 1,953]

One other crazy thing,    If you watched the first video you'll learn that Africa collided with Pennsylvania 230 million years ago.   

Around 180 million years ago,  they drifted apart.

Then around 20-25 million years ago,  the East African Rift began to appear and the East coast of Africa began drifting away from the continent of Africa.

Geologist believe that the Earth's next ocean is beginning to form at the rift,  and it will take approx 50 million years.   A new continent will be born.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X13ntFfwXqY

[Waldo Pepper 1,953]

29 minutes ago, newtie said:

Water weighs seven pounds per gallon.

Mystery solved. ☺️

 

 

I wouldn't call physics a mystery. . 😁

[goates 576]

The Flyover Country app for iPhones and Android smartphones is great for learning about what you're flying over.

https://www.smh.com.au/traveller/reviews-and-advice/flyover-country-new-app-tells-plane-passengers-what-they-are-flying-over-20160406-gnzdq5.html

https://flyovercountry.io/

[Dominique_K 10,150]

Not tectonic plates geology as such but to look at how rivers, winds, volcanic activity have modeled the landscape below and how humans have settled in its nooks and crannies brings an additional fascinating purpose  to the joy of flying in MSFS. For instance, there are great flights to make in the 1000 km string of Indonesian islands East of Bali. Just an example, many more around the globe. 

[MaDDogz 242]

6 hours ago, Waldo Pepper said:

 

Started watching the vid, couldn’t stop. 

[dmwalker 607]

11 hours ago, newtie said:

Water weighs seven pounds per gallon.

Mystery solved. ☺️

But this creates a whole new mystery. What kind of gallon is that? A US gallon weighs 8.345 lbs and an Imperial Gallon (the only real gallon) weighs 10 lbs.

[Waldo Pepper 1,953]

1 hour ago, dmwalker said:

But this creates a whole new mystery. What kind of gallon is that? A US gallon weighs 8.345 lbs and an Imperial Gallon (the only real gallon) weighs 10 lbs.

Salinity and temperature are a factor too.   Something I never really thought about until I saw the Plimsoll Line on a ship.

8 hours ago, MaDDogz said:

Started watching the vid, couldn’t stop. 

Same here.

 

[Waldo Pepper 1,953]

I also listen to Nick Zentner when I fly over the Pacific Northwest.

I live in a geologically region,  which is flat as a pancake.  I have to credit Nick for getting me interested in geology,  he posted a ton of material during the quarantine.   I often let science videos play in the background while I work.

 

[n4gix 4,947]

16 hours ago, Waldo Pepper said:

 It's really stunning to look back on it,  see the geologic scale of the event,   to see/hear the people as they watched the sea recede,  and then the flood surges arrive.    Putting myself in their shoes,   you just wouldn't know what's going to happen next.   Even months later you'd be wondering.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0E2Q7kr4L2c     

Holy Smoke! I had no idea just how much was destroyed by this earthquake followed by a tsunami. The immense power of the inrushing water almost instantly caused huge buildings to collapse.

I too had to watch and absorb this well documented video presentation.

[dmwalker 607]

43 minutes ago, n4gix said:

I had no idea just how much was destroyed by this earthquake followed by a tsunami. The immense power of the inrushing water almost instantly caused huge buildings to collapse.

You might be interested to read this open ended documentation of the recovery efforts from one month after the tsunami up to November, 2022, including  "The enormous task of elevating the ground of coastal districts by several meters and re-enforcing the waterfront is finally approaching completion in many municipalities along the Sanriku Coast, clearing the stage for the actual rebuilding of the former town centers":

https://www.japan-guide.com/blog/recovery/#:~:text=Two and a half years after the tsunami 

[Waldo Pepper 1,953]

2 hours ago, n4gix said:

Holy Smoke! I had no idea just how much was destroyed by this earthquake followed by a tsunami. The immense power of the inrushing water almost instantly caused huge buildings to collapse.

I too had to watch and absorb this well documented video presentation.

If you think about it,   250 miles of coastline suddenly dropping 2 ft,  and enough forces to move the entire mainland eastward 8 feet,    basically "shoved" the Pacific Ocean away from the coastline.   First you see the ocean water recede drastically away from the coastline,   then return in four distinct surges.

In the next 2 or 3 days they had something like 211 aftershocks,   up to 6.7 Richter.   Between the blackouts,  no news,  no water,  no food,  no idea of what happened.   Freezing temperatures too.   

Then when you finally get news,  it's all bad.    The loss of cooling at Daiichi,  the hydrogen deflagrations. 18,000 deceased or missing.  Debris everywhere.

I was thinking about the logistics of bringing in the rescue helos,  and keeping them fueled.  They say that day 3 had the highest number of rescues.

Japan actively prepares for such quakes and tsunamis,    most of the world is completely unprepared.   I have to give them respect for how they handled it.

Shinzo had to make about some difficult decisions about venting radioactive gasses over Japan,   a nation with it's unique place in history.    Then in July of 22,   a man walked up to him through a crowd.