Earthquake in Haiti

[RationalGoblin]

http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/12/haiti.earthquake/index.html


I've seen threads about this on different forums, so I thought it was only right that there was one here.

I've had it cleared by Roland, so there you go. Discuss this terrible tragedy, and especially note what you are going to do to help the Haitians, or at least what you want to do to help. Discuss your donations, if any, if you want to, but do not make a point out of it.

Please do not get political, or even religious, as I really don't want this thread to be locked.

Here are links to three organizations that are confirmed as charities that actually get the money to where it is needed.

http://www.redcross.org/
http://www.doctorswithoutborders.org/
http://pih.org/home.html

[onthetown]

Pretty much the day of the earthquake, our college started brainstorming... We're pretty set in our ways in that we always have a bake sale for fundraising, which is going to be hosted by the class I'm in (Ward Clerk) this time. The bake sales are apparently always incredibly successful, probably because we're a small campus... We're also offering "dress down on business-dress day" for $2 a student. Each Wednesday everybody in the college has to dress professionally, so every time we offer the dress down option people are always willing to pay money to go to school in their sweatpants on that day.

I think there's a couple of other events going on, as well, but I haven't been informed or read any posters yet.

I'm not trying to make a point of donations or whatever you meant by that, so I hope you don't take it that way; you did say to discuss the things we're doing to help, after all.

[Gamerlord]

It is very sad, pity I don't have any money to donate.

[raitalin]

I think the saddest part is that it took a tragedy like this for people to take notice of Haiti. They could've used help before this.

[Gamerlord]

I think the saddest part is that it took a tragedy like this for people to take notice of Haiti. They could've used help before this.

Technically, I know more then a few schools who were raising money to help before.

[MethosH]

I gave money... I'm helping... Weeeeeeeeeeeeee.

No seriously... It was a real tragedy, but if you think about it they were pretty bad without the earthquake already. Its a pity that "haiti" threads need an earth-freaking-quake. :smalltongue:

[SurlySeraph]

One of my professors founded Partners in Health and has pretty much devoted his life to improving conditions in Haiti and is awesome, so I'm going to be donating whatever disposable income I can scrounge up to them.

Poor Haiti just can't get a break. After all the hurricanes in 2008, I'd say they're well overdue for sunshine and puppies.

[ForzaFiori]

While I myself unfortunately don't have any money, and my school is currently fund raising for another good cause (a student lost their house and all possessions to a fire tuesday), I'm pretty sure that my church was looking for a way to help, either with donations or sending people to help rebuild.

[Raz_Fox]

I think the saddest part is that it took a tragedy like this for people to take notice of Haiti. They could've used help before this.

A friend of mine went on a mission trip to Haiti after Christmas, working at a summer camp for native kids. He left (if I remember correctly) the day before the earthquake.

I'm pretty sure some of my money will end up helping Haiti, one way or another...

[_Zoot_]

My family has given some money all ready, we are also worried because we were sponsoring a child in Haiti and we do not know is she is still ok....

[Zeb The Troll]

For those who have not heard, and are capable and willing to donate $10 to the Red Cross, the State Department has set up a way to do this from any text capable cell phone. Simply text the word HAITI to 90999 and a $10 donation will be added to your cell phone bill. They raised more than $3M within the first 24 hours of this being set up.

Link to verify (http://www.state.gov/) that this is a valid means to donate.

Regarding "why weren't they getting help before the earthquake?", they were. CNN reported yesterday that the first aid on scene was actually aid that left its home port before the earthquake happened and was coincidentally en route already and was due to arrive the day following the quake.

What amazes me about this quake, in particular, is that in the hours following, there were roughly 30 aftershocks averaging 5.0 in strength on the Richter scale. A 5.0 can be pretty devastating in its own right. Imagine having 30 earthquakes in two days, the first and strongest of which turned your capital city into a dust cloud.

[golentan]

I really wish I could do more to help. As is my hopes and prayers go out to those affected by the quake.

[Killer Angel]

I usually don't donate money on such occasions.
But every 6 months, I donate to "doctors without borders", so they have my constant support... I like to think that is better in this way: with constant donations, they can organize.
It's hard for my coscience to negate a supplementary support (after all, in huge emergencies, they need MORE), but it's a form of self defense... there are so many emergencies, and so many battles to fight, that choosing to donate for one thing and not for another one, is a burden I prefere to avoid. Hence, my regular donation: they choose where to spend my money.

Edit: my wife, instead, donates only in these moments...

[Cyrion]

The World Food Program is also trying to get food aid to the Haitians. You can donate to them for free through the Hunger Site (http://thehungersite.com). The site works by having sponsors commit to donating a certain amount of money for every click received on the site.

It's interesting to see who's stepping up to help out and how. Most people seem to be thinking about "we need to get food and water in" but you don't hear all that much about "we need to get food and water in." Royal Caribbean has made a point of saying that as soon as they can get into the Labadee harbor they're going to have at least one ship hauling in supplies.

[Thes Hunter]

I was supposed to go to Haiti at the end of next month.

That trip has now been called into question. We will see in the coming weeks if we will be able to go.

The priest we were going to stay with on Ile de la Gonave has said his community is running out of food. He is out of bottled water. (Even though he is from Haiti, he got Typhoid bad enough to land him in the hospital when he tried to drink the local water) The island sustained no major damage, but where we were going to take a boat from Hispanola to Gonave has been badly damaged. No boats are crossing for fear of being out at sea while an aftershock hits.

These boats are large sail boats, and yes, we were supposed to take these along with our medical supplies and equipment.

The place we were supposed to stay at in Haiti has been destroyed. Most of the organization's people have lost their houses. Almost everyone is sleeping outside for fear of structural instability.

I really want to go, and if the organization wants us, I will go. But the more reports I hear, I find it less and less likely that they will be ready to host us. Even though they will need us more than ever.

[RationalGoblin]

I was supposed to go to Haiti at the end of next month.

That trip has now been called into question. We will see in the coming weeks if we will be able to go.

The priest we were going to stay with on Ile de la Gonave has said his community is running out of food. He is out of bottled water. (Even though he is from Haiti, he got Typhoid bad enough to land him in the hospital when he tried to drink the local water) The island sustained no major damage, but where we were going to take a boat from Hispanola to Gonave has been badly damaged. No boats are crossing for fear of being out at sea while an aftershock hits.

These boats are large sail boats, and yes, we were supposed to take these along with our medical supplies and equipment.

The place we were supposed to stay at in Haiti has been destroyed. Most of the organization's people have lost their houses. Almost everyone is sleeping outside for fear of structural instability.

I really want to go, and if the organization wants us, I will go. But the more reports I hear, I find it less and less likely that they will be ready to host us. Even though they will need us more than ever.

Thank you for the info. As it is, at best, Haiti will get worse before it gets better.

[Pokonic]

It is a shame, but I did know they needed help before this earthquake.

[Gamerlord]

This is so sad a time :smallfrown: .

To make things worse, it turns out there are already people trying to defraud other people with fake charities for Haiti.

[PJ the Epic]

A few years ago, my school raised money to build a well there in a rural area. We found out in school that the well was around the epicenter of the earthquake. If it is broken, the people will probably never have clean water for a long time after the earthquake, as they never had clean water before. I hope that the people and the well our school contributed are okay, and I hope Haiti will be a better nation as pertaining to poverty levels after this.

[CrimsonAngel]

My friend is totaly convinced raising money to send o group of kids from our middle school to help is a good idea.

[RationalGoblin]

My friend is totaly convinced raising money to send o group of kids from our middle school to help is a good idea.

Tell your friend that going to Haiti right now is a horrible idea; unless he's a trained medic with armed backup. Not only is there the whole 'earthquake' thing, there's also looters, gangs, and thieves, as well as reports of mobs killing anyone who is suspected to be a looter.

So a better idea would be to raise money to send Red Cross workers to Haiti, they know what to do and how to survive.

[TRM]

My favorite is "Text HAITI to 90999."

With a single text, $10 is added to your phone bill and almost $10 is donated to the American Red Cross's relief efforts.

Edit: Zeb got there first.

The mobile donation technology is really cool, and efficient.

So I will talk about text geekery.

Less than 100% of the donation goes to the charity, because mGive (the company that sets it up) takes ~$.35, and Red Cross has to pay a set up fee.

But if you wouldn't donate otherwise, because it is too much hassle to go online, find your credit card, create a password, etc., texting donates money that wouldn't arrive otherwise.

And texting is fun.

[RationalGoblin]

http://www.bungie.net/News/content.aspx?type=topnews&link=BeAHero

So, you want to help but don’t have a way to get one of our shirts or make a monetary donation? Not to worry, we’ve got you covered with the easiest possible way to be a hero – playing Halo!

We are rallying our fan community to show their support by playing Halo 3 or ODST online next Wednesday or Thursday while wearing a special emblem signifying your commitment to the cause. For every thousand heroes that participate, we will make a $100 donation on behalf of Bungie and our fan community to the Red Cross for Haiti relief efforts, up to a maximum of $77,000. All you have to do is don a special emblem and play a game online and know that you’ve done a small part to help those in need.

Please mark your calendars and help spread the word!

Here are the specifics:

1. Round up all of your friends and hop online with Halo 3 or ODST any time next from 00:01AM PST Wednesday, 1/20, through 23:59PM PST Thursday 1/21.

2. Edit your appearance settings so your character is wearing the RED HEART emblem.

a. Press START
b. Select “SETTINGS” / “APPEARANCE”
c. Select “EMBLEM”
d. Select “Hearts” ICON, “Circle” BACKGROUND
e. Back out to the APPEARANCES menu and select “COLORS”
f. Set “EMBLEM PRIMARY” to RED (or MAROON / BRICK / ROSE depending on which game you’re playing!)
g. Set “EMBLEM SECONDARY” to WHITE

3. Once your emblem is set, play! This can be a custom game or a matchmaking game, just make sure it’s played online, on Xbox LIVE, or we can’t track it.


If you keep playing more games through midnight on Thursday, KEEP THE HEART EMBLEM ENABLED or you may not get counted.


So, even Bungie's helping. If you play Halo 3 or ODST, be sure to do this, to help Haiti more. It needs all the aid it can get.

[Faulty]

I saw Tegan and Sara Monday night and they said all the money from their poster sales will be donated to charities helping out in Haiti, which I thought was wonderful.

I donated $10 American to Unicef.

[Solaris]

I'm just cranked that they're not asking my brigade for volunteers to go help out there. Lucky 82nd.

[Mercenary Pen]

I will be donating via the church I attend.

I know for a fact that the charity we are using is a long-standing organisation which already works internationally, and they do periodically keep us posted on what they do with donations- which gives me the peace of mind to know that my donations will get through.

But yes, Haiti- like so many other countries outside the developed west- needed help well before the earthquake, and will continue to need help well after it drops out of the headlines.

[Ichneumon]

I'm willing to donate, but I can't say I'm not sceptical about the whole donation hype that's going on right now, considering there are other disasters throughout the world and people in developing countries that need the money just as bad yet don't have the whole media hype, current new disaster to help them raise money.

Of course, I'm not saying you shouldn't donate to help Haiti. I just think it is a bit odd people suddenly start donating very large sums of money, with the arival of good cause X, when they didn't donate to less spectacular but not less good cause Y before we learned about cause X.

[Arcanoi]

It's a tragedy, but what I think is the saddest part of this whole affair is how causes only seem to be important when they're in the news. Estimates say that anywhere between 100,000 and 200,000 people died in the quake. Each year, 200,000 homeless people die on the streets of cities around the world. How many Bungie unique emblems or 'Texting donation programs' do they get?

There are massive issues in our world that would benefit from such things, but so many of these issues apparently aren't news-worthy enough to warrant our attention, our concern, and definitely not our time.

[Zeb The Troll]

It's a tragedy, but what I think is the saddest part of this whole affair is how causes only seem to be important when they're in the news. Estimates say that anywhere between 100,000 and 200,000 people died in the quake. Each year, 200,000 homeless people die on the streets of cities around the world. How many Bungie unique emblems or 'Texting donation programs' do they get?

There are massive issues in our world that would benefit from such things, but so many of these issues apparently aren't news-worthy enough to warrant our attention, our concern, and definitely not our time.The difference is that these other needs aren't immediate. They're long term and ongoing. This is a crisis. Port-au-Prince didn't lose 200,000 people in a year, they lost them in a week. Two million people became homeless in the span of 45 seconds. This isn't a matter of people not having enough money to buy food, it's a matter of there not being any food to buy. For days, the immediate needs for resources couldn't even be met because there was no way to get it into the city. Both the sea and air ports were rendered useless. Their entire infrastructure literally fell down around their ears, including their government. All of this needs to be addressed, and quickly, just to get them back to being a "regular" poverty stricken country in need of more aid than they'll get.

[toasty]

It's a tragedy, but what I think is the saddest part of this whole affair is how causes only seem to be important when they're in the news. Estimates say that anywhere between 100,000 and 200,000 people died in the quake. Each year, 200,000 homeless people die on the streets of cities around the world. How many Bungie unique emblems or 'Texting donation programs' do they get?

There are massive issues in our world that would benefit from such things, but so many of these issues apparently aren't news-worthy enough to warrant our attention, our concern, and definitely not our time.

Its not so much as newsworthy as "extaordinary." Homeless people die everyday, just about. But Earthquakes don't happen everyday. That's the way the news works, sadly.

And, indeed it is a shame what happened in Haiti.

[Ichneumon]

The difference is that these other needs aren't immediate. They're long term and ongoing. This is a crisis. Port-au-Prince didn't lose 200,000 people in a year, they lost them in a week. Two million people became homeless in the span of 45 seconds. This isn't a matter of people not having enough money to buy food, it's a matter of there not being any food to buy. For days, the immediate needs for resources couldn't even be met because there was no way to get it into the city. Both the sea and air ports were rendered useless. Their entire infrastructure literally fell down around their ears, including their government. All of this needs to be addressed, and quickly, just to get them back to being a "regular" poverty stricken country in need of more aid than they'll get.

I agree that the other problems are ongoing, but so would this problem be Haiti if we didn't do anything about it. I'm not sure I'd categorise the other problems as "not immediate" or "long term". People dying of starvation or in the cold, seems rather not long term to me.

EDIT: Again, I'm not trivialising the events in Haiti, nor am I saying people shouldn't donate, they should.

[Serpentine]

Well spoken, Zeb.
Poor Haiti just can't get a break. After all the hurricanes in 2008, I'd say they're well overdue for sunshine and puppies.The sunshine will cause a horrible drought, and the puppies will reach plague proportions and devour all their kittycats :smallsigh:

My mum is a member of/donates to Medecin sans Frontieres regularly. She already tells me off for buying her Christmas and birthday presents, so for now I guess her donations will count for me...

edit: Icky & co., I don't exactly disagree with you, but they're completely different sorts of problems. Homelessness, chronic hunger, chronic poverty, etc. are long-term, social problems. They will require government and social reform, probably even international, before they will really be fixed - if then. The extent to which random donations will make any real long-term difference is very limited. Regular donations over a long period of time are the best most people can do, and this is not likely to do much more than help an individual, or family, or community, do a bit better than they would otherwise, unless circumstances outside of the donators hands change dramatically.
In the case of a disaster of this sort, on the other hand, the emphasis is on helping as many people as possible to survive now, to help them wake up tomorrow, to actually give them a chance. A large amount is needed right now, it needs to be used on very specific things, it will help whole communities - even an entire nation - to survive, and it will bring about tangible, immediate assistance right away.
Not everyone can afford (or, indeed, is willing) to give X amount of money every week for their entire lives, and to a large degree that amount of money will make little, if any, large-scale difference. On the other hand, most people can afford to give a lump of money in the case of an emergency, which is when a large amount of money is both absolutely needed, and actually useful.

edit mk. 2: To put it another way, it sure would be useful to have a doctor dedicated to every household. But, most of the time, that won't really do much good for a whole lot of money. So, instead, we all have a first-aid kit to make do most of the time, and call an ambulance in the case of an emergency.

edit mk 3: To add yet another snippet, it would take months for a thousand people to die of starvation and cold in another 3rd world country. It will take days for a thousand people to die of wounds, disease and thirst in Haiti.

[Zeb The Troll]

I agree that the other problems are ongoing, but so would this problem be Haiti if we didn't do anything about it. I'm not sure I'd categorise the other problems as "not immediate" or "long term". People dying of starvation or in the cold, seems rather not long term to me.

EDIT: Again, I'm not trivialising the events in Haiti, nor am I saying people shouldn't donate, they should.Look at it from this aspect then. What the donations are being used for, right now, are not long term things. They aren't trying to cure hunger in Haiti. What they are doing is finite and critical right now. They need to police the streets until Haiti gets its own police back. They need to provide fresh water where the previous sources are currently unavailable until those sources can be repaired/replaced. They need to reestablish the infrastructure. The list goes on, but the each thing on this list has a definable end to it. "Hunger" does not. It is this end goal that requires immediate financing in order to accomplish. Where three million dollars a year can feed a lot of families in sub-Saharan Africa, if we waited for a year to get that same three million dollars to Haiti, instead of the mere hours it took, then the tragedy would have been exponentially worse.

EDIT: Ninja'd by Serp's edit. :smallcool:

[KuReshtin]

I was just sent a link from one of my gamer colleagues that there's a Gamer site that sys that if you buy a PDF bundle with RPG stuff from them for $20US, they will match that and donate $40US to Haiti help relief.

The PDFs and eBooks offered in their bundle would cost about $1300US if they were bought separately.

Now, I don't want to post the link here, since that could be construed as solicitation, or advertisement or whatever, but it seems to be a good deal for a good cause.

If you're interested to see the information I was sent and make your own decision, drop me a PM and I'll send it on.

[Ichneumon]

Icky & co., I don't exactly disagree with you, but they're completely different sorts of problems.

Well, I don't exactly disagree with you either.:smalltongue:

I agree they are different problems and have different causes and such and would require a different tactic from solving. It is an interesting idea how your perspective on the situation would be different if these earthquakes would start to happen on a monthly basis and would mean they aren't just "one time" aids anymore.

However, I would really like to point out that it wasn't my intention to critize giving donations to this charity and not to another, (which I find a deeply deplorable position to take). I only thought it was striking how the preparedness of people to donate to events like this is so much higher than to give money to help "normal/regular" suffering in the world, which isn't generally less bad (although it might require more money, different use of the money, to solve).

[Serpentine]

Deja vu.

If earthquakes of this scale started happening in one country on a monthly basis, I would
1. hope that everyone moves away asap!
2. be very very scared for the state of the planet :smalleek:

I know you're not really talking about earthquakes, specifically, but really, if disasters of this scale did start happening on a regular basis in one general area, either people would move or adapt, it would have international environmental significance, and/or, I simply don't think the world could cope with it. There is a limit to what anyone can do. I know few people in the world ever actually reach that limit, but it is there nonetheless.

[Ichneumon]

I just heard there has been another (level 6) earthquake in Haiti. :smallfrown:

[RationalGoblin]

I just heard there has been another (level 6) earthquake in Haiti. :smallfrown:

Confirmed. (http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/01/20/haiti.earthquake/index.html?hpt=C1)

Haiti needs even more help than before.

[paddyfool]

It will take days hours for a thousand people to die of wounds, disease and thirst in Haiti.

Good point, but it was worse than you put it even before this recent large aftershock.

On another front, I was reading how this fault has been locked for 150 years (http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8456233.stm) after a series of earthquakes for the 250 years or so prior to that, and elsewhere how these quakes may be leading to a build-up of seismic pressure further West, threatening Jamaica (http://www.caribdaily.com/article/246583/haiti-s-fault-rupture-boosts-long-term-risk-of-jamaica-quake/) (albeit not immediately). It would seem that greater quake preparedness and surveillance in the wider region may be called for.

In happier news, I've been very impressed by the response so far - even looking at the government response alone, it seems like almost all of the world is sending something to help, as shown by this map below (courtesy of Wikipedia (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanitarian_response_by_national_governments_to_t he_2010_Haiti_earthquake)):


http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/0/06/Helping_Haiti.PNG

[Faulty]

I'm willing to donate, but I can't say I'm not sceptical about the whole donation hype that's going on right now, considering there are other disasters throughout the world and people in developing countries that need the money just as bad yet don't have the whole media hype, current new disaster to help them raise money.

Of course, I'm not saying you shouldn't donate to help Haiti. I just think it is a bit odd people suddenly start donating very large sums of money, with the arival of good cause X, when they didn't donate to less spectacular but not less good cause Y before we learned about cause X.

Haiti has the troubles of a developing nation AND was hit by an earthquake, I feel like donating to them is reasonable. Plus, as long as you donate to someplace I guess...

[valadil]

I was just sent a link from one of my gamer colleagues that there's a Gamer site that sys that if you buy a PDF bundle with RPG stuff from them for $20US, they will match that and donate $40US to Haiti help relief.

The PDFs and eBooks offered in their bundle would cost about $1300US if they were bought separately.

Now, I don't want to post the link here, since that could be construed as solicitation, or advertisement or whatever, but it seems to be a good deal for a good cause.

If you're interested to see the information I was sent and make your own decision, drop me a PM and I'll send it on.

Came in here to mention that. Here's the deal: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=78023

[Gitman00]

My sister happened to be on a mission trip in Haiti when this happened. :smalleek: She was thankfully unharmed and is returning to the States soon, but what an unexpected opportunity for her missionary group.

[Gamerlord]

This is really getting crazy, ANOTHER earthquake?

To make things worse, I heard that the leader of the French peacekeeping mission there is dead, but I am not sure if that is confirmed, that and the archbishop of Haiti is dead.

[Solaris]

It's a tragedy, but what I think is the saddest part of this whole affair is how causes only seem to be important when they're in the news. Estimates say that anywhere between 100,000 and 200,000 people died in the quake. Each year, 200,000 homeless people die on the streets of cities around the world. How many Bungie unique emblems or 'Texting donation programs' do they get?

There are massive issues in our world that would benefit from such things, but so many of these issues apparently aren't news-worthy enough to warrant our attention, our concern, and definitely not our time.

Are you just the man on the soapbox, or do you have boots on ground to deal with this? People preaching about the hardships of others but not actively helping (or even passively donating substantial portions of their money) irritate me to no end.
I do share the sentiment, though. There's a reason we brought bottled water out to all the villages on our patrol route. It may be preferable for people to fend for themselves and sink or swim on their own merits, but few people can ignore an ongoing crisis.

[Ichneumon]

People preaching about the hardships of others but not actively helping (or even passively donating substantial portions of their money) irritate me to no end.

Agreed. <white text>

[KuReshtin]

Came in here to mention that. Here's the deal: http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product_info.php?products_id=78023

It's been mentioned in a few other (http://d20.heardworld.com/?p=928) places (http://www.thecoremechanic.com/2010/01/gamers-help-haiti-donate-today-get-over.html), so it seems legit.

[Arcanoi]

Are you just the man on the soapbox, or do you have boots on ground to deal with this? People preaching about the hardships of others but not actively helping (or even passively donating substantial portions of their money) irritate me to no end.
I do share the sentiment, though. There's a reason we brought bottled water out to all the villages on our patrol route. It may be preferable for people to fend for themselves and sink or swim on their own merits, but few people can ignore an ongoing crisis.

I volunteer at the local shelter at least three hours a week, generally cooking in the kitchen or driving the collection van that goes to local restaurants, exhort my friends to do the same, always donate to any local food-drives in the area, especially around the holidays. I really like when we can get all the homeless in the area in, on Christmas and Thanksgiving, when people realize that generosity is suddenly important for about a month and a half before forgetting about it for the rest of the year, we actually get enough food to feed most of the community, and it's amazing how thankful they are. It really doesn't take much to feed a person for a day, but we often end up having to turn people away anyway simply because we're out of food.

[Matthew]

It's been mentioned in a few other (http://d20.heardworld.com/?p=928) places (http://www.thecoremechanic.com/2010/01/gamers-help-haiti-donate-today-get-over.html), so it seems legit.

Yes; it might be worth mentioning in the RPG Forum, if there is not a thread there already (I have not noticed one).

[Solaris]

I volunteer at the local shelter at least three hours a week, generally cooking in the kitchen or driving the collection van that goes to local restaurants, exhort my friends to do the same, always donate to any local food-drives in the area, especially around the holidays. I really like when we can get all the homeless in the area in, on Christmas and Thanksgiving, when people realize that generosity is suddenly important for about a month and a half before forgetting about it for the rest of the year, we actually get enough food to feed most of the community, and it's amazing how thankful they are. It really doesn't take much to feed a person for a day, but we often end up having to turn people away anyway simply because we're out of food.

Awesome. My hat off to you, then.

[kamikasei]

Yes; it might be worth mentioning in the RPG Forum, if there is not a thread there already (I have not noticed one).

I don't see anything in the rules that suggests such a thread would be a problem, so here it is (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=139241) (just posting here to avoid dupes).

[Killer Angel]

This is really getting crazy, ANOTHER earthquake?


I would have been surprised if there wasn't.
It's pretty standard to have aftershocks after the main event. Given the strenght of the main one, a 6th grade can be terribly appropriate.
The worst thing is that the debris collapse, so the hope to find someone still alive, drops drastically. :smallfrown:

[Zeb The Troll]

I would have been surprised if there wasn't.
It's pretty standard to have aftershocks after the main event. Given the strenght of the main one, a 6th grade can be terribly appropriate.
The worst thing is that the debris collapse, so the hope to find someone still alive, drops drastically. :smallfrown:What's crazy is that they had more than 30 aftershocks, averaging 5.0, within 48 hours of the original quake, the worst of which was a 5.9. This recent 6.1, according to CNN, was not an aftershock, but another actual quake (probably distinguished only by the passage of time and that the original aftershocks had subsided already).

[Ichneumon]

Purely a scientific question, but what makes a certain shock an aftershock, other than being preceded by a more sefere one?:smallconfused:

EDIT: I mean, is there any causal connection between the shocks that we know of?

[Killer Angel]

What's crazy is that they had more than 30 aftershocks, averaging 5.0, within 48 hours of the original quake, the worst of which was a 5.9. This recent 6.1, according to CNN, was not an aftershock, but another actual quake (probably distinguished only by the passage of time and that the original aftershocks had subsided already).

OK, the differences from a main earthquake with aftershocks, and a swarm of earthquakes, are in terms of duration (swarm is usually more distribuited in time) and the lack (for the swarm) of a clear main quake..
30 aftershock of such magnitude are crazy, but this was HUGE, so it's possible...
With all the respect I have for the CNN, it's VERY difficult to distinguish a new quake from an aftershock (aka: an earthquake with a main event, a secondary one, and various shockwaves), while the event is still running. You should wait and examine the whole data, even if this last one could be very well a secondary event, rather than a "simple" aftershock.


Purely a scientific question, but what makes a certain shock an aftershock, other than being preceded by a more sefere one?:smallconfused:


What defines the main shock, is purely the bigger magnitude. We have some (relatively rare) cases, where you have an earthquake, followed by a bigger event (which became the main shock), and the aftershocks. At this point, the first one became a preparatory quake, an "anticipation".

Another factor is the time lapse between different events, and the position of the epicentre.
But this is moot. For the victims, it doesn't matter.

[Serpentine]

EDIT: I mean, is there any causal connection between the shocks that we know of?No doubt the two were caused by the same thing, and perhaps the second was inevitable after the first or something like that... But that's not what you mean, is it?

[Zeb The Troll]

OK, the differences from a main earthquake with aftershocks, and a swarm of earthquakes, are in terms of duration (swarm is usually more distribuited in time) and the lack (for the swarm) of a clear main quake..
30 aftershock of such magnitude are crazy, but this was HUGE, so it's possible...
With all the respect I have for the CNN, it's VERY difficult to distinguish a new quake from an aftershock (aka: an earthquake with a main event, a secondary one, and various shockwaves), while the event is still running. You should wait and examine the whole data, even if this last one could be very well a secondary event, rather than a "simple" aftershock.



What defines the main shock, is purely the bigger magnitude. We have some (relatively rare) cases, where you have an earthquake, followed by a bigger event (which became the main shock), and the aftershocks. At this point, the first one became a preparatory quake, an "anticipation".

Another factor is the time lapse between different events, and the position of the epicentre.
But this is moot. For the victims, it doesn't matter.Right, my understanding is exactly what you said. They're calling it a new quake because the initial period of aftershocks had subsided and there hadn't been any for days, making this new event a "new event". I only caught a blurb about it, though, so there may have been more information about why they're calling this last one something other than "the strongest aftershock yet".

[Killer Angel]

I only caught a blurb about it, though, so there may have been more information about why they're calling this last one something other than "the strongest aftershock yet".

Well, I know the argument (it's a part of my job), but obviously I have no info on the records of data.
The CNN, certainly spoke with scientists and geologists (specialist in that field) that are following the case, and they can have a better idea.

[Gamerlord]

I am listening to the help for haiti thing on....the music is.....lovely :smallsmile: .