- The majority of news accounts of the June 3rd meteor
over Washington state near Puget Sound have described the meteor as approximately
between the size of a "baseball" and a "computer monitor.'
I am not a scientist, so I am genuinely curious if a baseball-sized or
monitor-sized meteor can cause a "micro-earthquake," measuring
1.6 on the richter scale.
-
- I have just received this information from a gentleman
named Charles, which seems to indicate that at the estimated time of the
meteor sighting (2:40 AM PST), a 1.6 quake was registered by the Pacific
Northwest Seismograph Network.
-
- Following this information, I will share with you an
anecdotal account I have received from a woman in Eugene, OR, that is worthy
of examination.
-
- From Charles' email:
-
- Flashes, booms reported over western Washington state;
officials say meteor possible source
-
- Associated Press
-
- SEATTLE - Bright flashes and sharp booms were reported
in the skies over the Puget Sound area early Thursday, and experts said
a meteor or falling "space junk" may have been the source.
-
- Nothing unusual was detected on National Weather Service
radar, and authorities also ruled out aircraft problems or military flight
tests.
-
- Toby Smith, a University of Washington astronomy lecturer
who specializes in meteorites, said scientists were looking into the cause
of the skybursts reported over a wide area about 2:40 a.m.
-
- http://www.billingsgazette.com/index.php?id=
1&display=rednews/2004/06/03/build/nation/78-space-junk.inc
- ------------------------------------------------------------------------
-
-
- Also, at the same time there was a reported earth tremor
in the Washington Puget Sound region at 2:39:57 AM. (See report below)
-
-
-
- Magnitude 1.6 - PUGET SOUND REGION, WASHINGTON
- 2004 June 3 09:39:57 UTC
-
- Preliminary Earthquake Report
- Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network
- A micro earthquake occurred at 09:39:57 (UTC) on Thursday,
June 3, 2004. The magnitude 1.6 event has been located in the PUGET SOUND
REGION, WASHINGTON. (This event has been reviewed by a seismologist.)
-
- Magnitude
- 1.6
-
- Date-Time
- Thursday, June 3, 2004 at 09:39:57 (UTC)
- = Coordinated Universal Time
- Thursday, June 3, 2004 at 2:39:57 AM
- = local time at epicenter
-
- Location
- 47.972°N, 121.978°W
-
- Depth
- 43.4 km (27.0 miles) set by location program
-
- Region
- PUGET SOUND REGION, WASHINGTON
-
- Distances
- 4 km (2 miles) NNE (19°) from Three Lakes, WA
- 4 km (3 miles) WSW (256°) from Lake Roesiger, WA
- 6 km (4 miles) ESE (119°) from Machias, WA
- 12 km (8 miles) S (183°) from Granite Falls, WA
- 44 km (27 miles) NNE (18°) from Bellevue, WA
- 47 km (29 miles) NE (35°) from Seattle, WA
-
- Location Uncertainty
- Error estimate not available
-
- Parameters
- Nst= 45, Nph= 45, Dmin=17 km, Rmss=0.69 sec, Gp= 86°,
- M-type=duration magnitude (Md), Version=1
-
- Source
- Pacific Northwest Seismograph Network
-
- Event ID
- uw06030939
-
-
- http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsUS/Quakes/uw06030939.htm
-
- (END REPORT)
-
- I have yet to see any news report which has drawn a connection
to these two events.
-
- Now here is the email I received from "Ann,"
a resident of Eugene, OR, describing what she saw on the morning of June
3rd, 2004:
-
- The early morning of June 3rd I was taking a friend to
the airport in Eugene, OR and we saw the sky-flash (2:45am)above WA ---
yes, that far away. The explanation was .... a computer sized meteor. (Ooookay)
- I've been a skywatcher since childhood and let me tell
you, no meteor makes that kind of skyflash. (go to KOMO news for videos
--- they should be archived. Or NWCableNews).
-
- If a small meteor made that kind of flash, then why didn't
the real meteors that have been falling make the same kind of flashes?
-
- (END EMAIL).
-
- My concern that the media in this country is, at the
very least, not giving proper attention to this cosmic activity is growing
deeper by the hour.
-
- Michael Goodspeed
- www.thunderbolts.info
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