Earthquake

This subject is worth following

Central Arkansas growing weary of relentless tremors
/

/

And I thought all the earthquakes were in California! That picture is phenomenal! Joe took some similar pictures where he lives. If we could only harness it we'd have all the energy we need forever.

DK,


You and me both! I didn't know Arkansas had earthquakes.

There was one in Germany yesterday. It was mild, but could it become a trend? I hope they place a heavy duty on earthquake imports. I'm thinking about a place to export them. A few places come to mind, but then the innocents may be harmed. I don't think collateral damage is acceptable.

Abe,

Did you feef it? Earthquakes are the worst.

No, didn't feel that quake. The only quake I feel is when I get angry.

The greatest tragedy associated with earthquake is not the destruction wrought upon property and humanity, but in the failure of the scientific community to be forthright about its cause.

The immediate consequence is felt in the schools where hundreds upon hundreds of thousands of students are led astray. In communities that are unprepared to issue proper building codes, and (now coming full circle) the resultant destruction wrought upon property and humanity

???????????????????

It's all in understanding the real cause of earthquake, alice

It is in my initial post.

Happy Holidays - James

/

How would that prevent them?

You can't prevent earthquake, alice but in understanding them you can build in a manner as to reduce the destruction and the suffering!

/

As Abe said well built homes withstand time and weather best. I don't think folks build cheaply becasue they want to-- more like because they have to.

Is there a conspiracy everywhere?

Building cheaply has nothing to do with it alice.

It is building correctly, according to building codes that are written to prevent earthquake damage

And time and weather is not the issue

The issue is understanding the origin of earthquake

James
/

According to my son the PhD physicist, "Lightening is caused by a charge imbalance between the clouds and the ground resulting in an electric discharge when the charge separation overcomes the ability of the atmosphere between them to resist the flow of current."

alj

Quote :

According to my son the PhD physicist, "Lightening is caused by a charge imbalance between the clouds and the ground resulting in an electric discharge when the charge separation overcomes the ability of the atmosphere between them to resist the flow of current."

James) That is true, but what you did not mention is that there are charge imbalances between the clouds themselves (hence lightning from cloud to cloud) and there are charge imbalances within the earth that result in lightning discharges in the ground that we never see.

It is these in ground discharges that (when they reach the surface) are what we call earthquake

And don't forget that all power companies use the ground as the return circuit in the electrical distribution system. You can go out and look at your own power pole and you'll see a heavy copper line going from your power box to a rod in the ground. this is the return circuit

James
/

The copper wire goes into the earth to ground the potential of the circuit. Earth has a very low dielectric coefficient and thus acts as a resistor, and does not participate in the circuit. Earthquakes occur due to stresses between tectonic plates, which is why we see it happening mostly in fault zones where plates are shifting. I would say given the incredible loss of life in recent earthquakes in China and Haiti that the most productive use of scientific effort would be to participate in the real discussion rather than trying to take shortcuts and ignoring the scientific community.. Where did you train as a physicist?

Sincerely,
Ann's son

Here is a good plan alj

Look out your window at the wires coming into your power pole. There will be two black wires (each at 120 volts) and a bare ground wire. Get someone to open your power box and you'll see that the bare incoming ground wire and all ground wires from inside your house go to the same buss.

All these ground wires are grounded to the earth, There is NO outside overhead return ground wire

Where did YOU train as a physicist?

Here is a typical system
/


James
/

alj wrote:

The copper wire goes into the earth to ground the potential of the circuit. Earth has a very low dielectric coefficient and thus acts as a resistor, and does not participate in the circuit. Earthquakes occur due to stresses between tectonic plates, which is why we see it happening mostly in fault zones where plates are shifting. I would say given the incredible loss of life in recent earthquakes in China and Haiti that the most productive use of scientific effort would be to participate in the real discussion rather than trying to take shortcuts and ignoring the scientific community.. Where did you train as a physicist?

Sincerely,
Ann's son

The question came from Ann's son!

Here is a typical system (Notice the ground wires)

/

/
J

In the UK our over head cables are AC not requiring a 'return' cable due to the polarity of each feed changing as depicted in an AC sine wave hence the term alternating current. AC current is produced from the generators at the power station. The domestic Ground lead is just that an earth which allows the current to flow safely to earth in the event of a problem with the circuit. A safety measure, if one were to disconnect these it would not stop the power station from producing power.
Every generator requires two separate cables, an automobile alternator is a good example on a smaller scale the principle is the same. Our UK system is a phased AC supply, 3 phase the overland cables carrying thousands of volts which are stepped down through transformers to domestic voltage of 240V.
I would assume the system in the US would be similar only 110-130v.

dmondeo

Quote :

an automobile alternator is a good example on a smaller scale the principle is the same.

James) You are correct - but be sure you are understanding it correctly. The frame of an automoble is the ground wire. Also recall that an automobile alternator generates AC current - but it is rectified and DC current is fed into the system

Observe the ground connections at the battery and the alternator - they go to the frame
/


James
/

James,


Your sources please?

Thanks!

I am noticing a pattern here.

We are to believe you.

Why should we?

alice

Quote :

We are to believe you. Why should we?

James) because it's the wiring diagram for the automobile system that dmondeo said was

Quote :

an automobile alternator is a good example on a smaller scale the principle is the same.

NOTE he correctly said: the principle is the same

Just look at the grounding system, it is connected to the frame - just as the domestic and industrial AC systems are connected to the earth as the grounding system

James
/

James wrote:

dmondeo

Quote :

an automobile alternator is a good example on a smaller scale the principle is the same.

James) You are correct - but be sure you are understanding it correctly. The frame of an automoble is the ground wire. Also recall that an automobile alternator generates AC current - but it is rectified and DC current is fed into the system

Observe the ground connections at the battery and the alternator - they go to the frame
/


James
/

The frame or chasis of the automobile (depending on make ) will be either positive or negative polarity in the circuit this is designed like this to economise on usage of cable. There is no ground or earth in reality just positive or negative connections although the references to ground merely refer to grounding to the chasis.Their is no earth connection to the physical earth as in a mains system. The chasis is most commonly negative although I have owned vehicles that have been wired reverse making the chasis positive.
The alternator provides an AC current rectified to DC via a built in rectifier pack. I have replaced many of these in my time.

dmondeo

Quote :

There is no ground or earth in reality just positive or negative connections although the references to ground merely refer to grounding to the chasis

James) It is true that some auto systems ground the negative terminal - and others ground the positive. But it is not true that the ground refers to grounding the chasis! The chasis (or frame as I refered to it) is a return "wire" in every sense of the word.

The alternator is grounded internally and in turn is grounded to the chasis as a functional "ground" return "wire"

If you isolate the alternator mounting from the engine or chasis - the system will not work. In turn all electrical items in the vehicle have a single power line to it (with some exceptions) - and is then grounded as the return circuit

James
/