Quakes: Earth and Markets

We always pay close attention when BIG (>7.0) earthquakes take place.

The latest down off New Zealand today:

• Event type:                       Earthquake
• Region:                           Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
• Geographic coordinates:           29.747S, 177.224W
• Magnitude:                        7.8 REVISED 8.1
• Depth:                            10 km
• Universal Time (UTC):              4 Mar 2021  19:28:30
• Time near the Epicenter:           5 Mar 2021  08:28:30
• Local standard time in your area:  4 Mar 2021  19:28:30

The earlier “attention-getter” was:

• Event type:                       Earthquake
• Region:                           Kermadec Islands, New Zealand
• Geographic coordinates:           29.613S, 177.843W
• Magnitude:                        7.4
• Depth:                            55 km
• Universal Time (UTC):              4 Mar 2021  17:41:26
• Time near the Epicenter:           5 Mar 2021  06:41:26
• Local standard time in your area:  4 Mar 2021  17:41:26

Not “right on top” of one-another.  But, if I lived in a place near a low lying Pacific coastline, not a bad afternoon project to recheck water and other preps.

To be sure, a long ways from the location of Krakatoa (1883) in Indonesia.  On the other hand, there is a lot to worry about in the region.

As cited by Latter, J.H.; Lloyd, E.F.; Smith, I.E.M.; Nathan, S. 1992 Volcanic hazards in the Kermadec Islands, and at submarine volcanoes between southern Tonga and New Zealand. [Palmerston North, NZ]: Ministry of Civil Defence. Volcanic hazards information series 4. 45 p. ) in Kermadec Islands Geology, we found this of interest:

“All these volcanoes lie along the zone of collision of two of the major structural plates of which the Earth’s crust is composed, the Pacific plate to the east, and the Australian plate to the west (see Inside Front Cover). The line of collision is marked by the succession of deep ocean trenches which characterise this part of the south-west pacific, the Tonga Trench in the north, the Kermadec Trench in the centre, and the Hikurangi Trench in the south, off the coast of the North Island of New Zealand (Figure 1). Along this line, the Pacific plate is being forced beneath the overriding Australian plate as a result of the relentless pressure of convergence of these two huge regions of the Earth’s surface. The rate at which this process is taking place is relatively high, about 7cm per year on average (although it is not yet known whether the process is continuous, or whether it proceeds as a series of sudden jumps, perhaps associated with large earthquakes).”

Related?  We don’t know but activity in Tonga has been  noticeable this week including a

• Magnitude 4.2 earthquake
• Affected countries: Fiji and Tonga
• 186 miles from Nuku’alofa, Tonga · Mar 2, 2:47 AM

.  (My buddy, (the Major) sends his regards to the King.)

With this, we are watching to see if the “third time” will bring an 8+ or larger and then comes the matter of explosive eruptions in the subduction zone there.

Earthquakes II?

A little too much Fed-talk (with J. Powell admitting that demasking might bring a sudden shot of inflation) has hammered markets unexpectedly.  Down 700 briefly.  With 20 minutes to the close, the Dow was still down more than 300 with a -350 (or lower) possible by the close.

We did show you the 1929 comparison this morning, right?

More in the AM (but not on FM),

George@Ure.net

George Ure

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