Holy cow-- that was a pretty big shake

Are you all ok down there? This was a larger trembler than is common for the area? Hope all is well...

== PRELIMINARY EARTHQUAKE REPORT ==

Region: VIRGIN ISLANDS
Geographic coordinates: 19.022N, 64.636W
Magnitude: 5.0 Mcd
Depth: 21 km
Universal Time (UTC): 14 Aug 2006 13:09:35
Time near the Epicenter: 14 Aug 2006 09:09:35
Local time in your area: 14 Aug 2006 08:09:35

Location with respect to nearby cities:
46 km (29 miles) NW (314 degrees) of Settlement, Anegada, British Virgin Islands
63 km (39 miles) N (354 degrees) of East End-Long Look, Tortola, British Virgin Islands
64 km (40 miles) N (358 degrees) of ROAD TOWN, British Virgin Islands
157 km (98 miles) ENE (64 degrees) of Carolina, PR

.... and here I thought the subject line was in reference to a milk shake from Crazy Cow.

Those were good, weren't they Richard?
That was a good shake this morning. It didn't last that long by me, about 15 seconds maybe?

RL

You got that right Ronnie. Even back then I was a creature of habit. Every Saturday morning I would order a scrambled egg sandwich from Crazy Cow before heading up the street to Place Vendome to clean the store before they opened. Then around noon I would head back to Crazy Cow and order a cheeseburger and chocolate shake before heading home for the day. Can't beat real milk and real ice cream from the diary.

Richard

Hello,

Jules & Iris, It was indeed quite a trembler compared to the smaller ones.

--Islander

I was in the car and totally missed it! I heard people were staring out at the harbor looking for the tsunami! 😉

Hi there,

Here is the info from the only site I have pegged for earthquakes but it still reads a 3.7. I would love to find the site you found the info on it being a 5.0 - it sure felt like that 🙂 http://earthquake.usgs.gov/eqcenter/recenteqsww/Quakes/prP0622601.php

Hi Piaa.

The Puerto Rico Seismic Network's Web site calls it a 5.2 here: http://rmsismo.uprm.edu/cgi-bin/mkfelt/mkfelt.cgi?language=english&output=webview&action=view_only

The Weather Underground called it a 5.0: http://www.wunderground.com/US/VI/Saint_Thomas.html

Also it is interesting to look at the Mercalli Scale, too : http://www.seismo.unr.edu/ftp/pub/louie/class/100/mercalli.html

Thanks guys - I'll add these links
Pia

That was my first earthquake! I felt the ground shake and immediately looked outside to see what was going on. Right at that moment someone had driven up to where I was working and I thought, wow I never realized the ground shook when someone drove up. Stupid me :). I heard later on the radio that there was an earthquake and ithen things all made sense. The sensation was pretty amazing but I would hate to feel a strong one and have to deal with the resulting damage. Pretty ironic that in today's Daily News there was a lengthy article about our the islands nonexistent tsunami warning system. Especially considering this a tectonically active region. The article even mentioned the Anegada Passage, which is where I believe today's earthquake occured.

Did any one feel one tonight? Around 9:30? Have not seen anything reported yet!

RL

Yes Ronnie, we felt it on the northside but it's not mentioned on the USGS site yet.

I mentioned on this board a couple of weeks ago that it seems to me like we've been having them more frequently lately and in the STT Source today an article noted that the Seismic Network claims 1,387 earthquakes in our region so far this year compared to a total of 1,087 during all of last year!

It's there now - a 4.5 almost the same spot.

It's interesting to compare the feel of the smaller ones we have (~3-3.5) to the 5.0 and 4.5. Quite a difference. Sure don't want to be in one that's considered "major".

4 quakes yesterday.

The tale of the tape:

MAP 4.5 2006/08/14 21:30:30 19.008N -64.728W 6.9 53 km (33 mi) NW of Settlement, Anegada, British Virgin Islands

MAP 3.6 2006/08/14 10:31:19 18.995N -64.632W 20.8 44 km (27 mi) NW of Settlement, Anegada, British Virgin Islands

MAP 5.0 2006/08/14 09:09:36 19.022N -64.636W 21.4 47 km (29 mi) NW of Settlement, Anegada, British Virgin Islands

MAP 3.7 2006/08/14 05:19:15 19.011N -64.626W 19.1 45 km (28 mi) NW of Settlement, Anegada, British Virgin Islands

Wow...you guys have been getting serveral small quakes nearly everyday lately. Can you feel any of them? Nothing as large as the 5.0 -er the other day though.