• Question: Have you ever experienced an earthquake? And if so, did your knowledge help you in this situation?

    Asked by sazzle to Davie, James V, Gemma, James P, Nuala on 25 Jun 2012. This question was also asked by jellytotayers, honorking, josephineclarke, lena.
    • Photo: Davie Galloway

      Davie Galloway answered on 25 Jun 2012:

      Hi,

      I’ve been working with the seismologist department at the British Geological Survey for over 20 years. In that time i have been to various places around the world but have yet to experience an earthquake. I usually arrive just after an earthquake or leave just before one occurs. The closest i’ve been to experiencing one was when I was on holiday in Greece … the earthquake happened during the night and although many got woken up I slept through it … it was the topic of conversation during breakfast the next morning and our tour rep at the time found out what my job was and i ended up giving a short talk about earthquakes round the pool.

    • Photo: James Verdon

      James Verdon answered on 26 Jun 2012:

      Hi sazzle,
      I’ve never experienced one either. We’re rubbish aren’t we. There was a very small one near where I live in Bristol a couple of years ago that some of my friends felt, but I was asleep at the time so didn’t notice 🙁

    • Photo: Gemma Purser

      Gemma Purser answered on 28 Jun 2012:

      Hi Sazzle,

      I have experienced an eathquake! The little one (5.2 on the richter scale) that we had here in 2008, its epicentre (where it started from) was in Market Rasen, which is in Lincolnshire, about 1.5 hours from where i lived. It happened at 1 o’clock in the morning, I was asleep and it actually woke me up (must be a light sleeper!). It was a really strange feeling! Even though I had never felt an earthquake before I knew that it must have been one. If I didn’t already know a little bit about earhtquakes I guess I would have been more scared but I was actually excited! The force of nature is truely amazing and it was cool that I got the chance to experience one that wasn’t so dangerous!

    • Photo: James Pope

      James Pope answered on 29 Jun 2012:

      HI sazzle, jellytotaers, honorking, josephineclarke & lena,

      I haven’t experienced an Earthquake, but I really want to, not a big one, but just a small one that doesn’t harm anyone, so I can feel the ground shaking beneath my feet!

      There was one in Leeds a year ago, but it was so small the fact my washing machine was on cancelled out any chance of hearing/feeling anything!

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