The lake is not frozen, and it won't get cold enough to freeze, so that is not an option.

This is pretty basic stuff. Ice is less dense than water typically unless you are able to ensure there is no trapped air in the ice. How often does that happen? Now, you aren't going to lose water itself as it freezes, it is just going to expand and spread out.

We could probably assume that as a lake freezes, it is spreading the weight out over a greater area. As far as the lake having any impact on the earthquakes, who knows.

I doubt it can be assumed that it would spread weight out over enough more area it would have any significance. Lakes freeze from the top down, so lateral movement outwards will be pretty small, especially near OKC were we rarely get more than an extremely thin layer of ice for a short period on any body of water of significance. Plus the short period that we might get a layer of ice also has the lowest amount of precipitation of the year, it seems like most years we are doing well to compensate for evaporation and what cities draw out of the lakes.

Yeah, you're joking about a frozen lake being somehow lighter than the same lake, fully thawed?

The suggestion to check for witches (and ducks) should have been a tipoff.

But, speaking of ducks . . . I realize that the lake would never freeze all the way to the bottom. However, if a large enough flock of ducks or other waterfowl got their feet frozen in the top layer of ice, then flew away, taking the topical ice sheet with them, it might take enough of the stress off of the soil to minimize future lake effect earthquakes.

lake arcadia was constructed in 1987. if the weight of the water is playing a role in seismic activity, you'd think that the frequency of seismic events would have increased not long after its construction instead of 25 years later. -M

I don't know. I have a hard time believing the connection between the weight of Lake Arcadia and earthquakes happening 4 - 6 miles below the surface.

I don't know. I have a hard time believing the connection between the weight of Lake Arcadia and earthquakes happening 4 - 6 miles below the surface.

That's where I am. There has been a pretty clear pattern with the earthquakes...at least with this latest swarm. It has been going on for months and finally had a larger one.

The suggestion to check for witches (and ducks) should have been a tipoff.

But, speaking of ducks . . . I realize that the lake would never freeze all the way to the bottom. However, if a large enough flock of ducks or other waterfowl got their feet frozen in the top layer of ice, then flew away, taking the topical ice sheet with them, it might take enough of the stress off of the soil to minimize future lake effect earthquakes.

"We shall use my largest scales!"

This was (http://www.edmondsun.com/x1267062872/Is-Arcadia-Lake-linked-to-recent-earthquakes) an article on the possibility that an earlier one could be related to the lake but they also said that the chance was low that there was a link between the two, a quote from the person they interviewed.
Earthquakes can be caused by high lake levels or rapidly changing lake levels, and there often (are) time-delays between these surface observations and earthquakes occurring at depth.

It concluded with

Ultimately, earthquakes are due to the natural accumulation of stress or pressure on faults, the authors stated. Occasionally, human activity or hydrological loads can slightly alter pressures on faults.

FAQ Category Content | USGS FAQs (http://www.usgs.gov/faq/?q=categories/9833)

At 5:43pm just felt a brief earthquake with the sound of distant thunder in Stillwater.

At 5:43pm just felt a brief earthquake with the sound of distant thunder in Stillwater.

Small 2.9 up there just east of Stillwater.

Small 2.9 up there just east of Stillwater.

Felt similar to the 3.0 one, also nearby, from two Monday mornings ago.

At 5:43pm just felt a brief earthquake with the sound of distant thunder in Stillwater.
Or 10 miles SSW of Glencoe from finding it here: List of Recent Earthquakes for Central US (http://folkworm.ceri.memphis.edu/recenteqs/Quakes/quakes0.html)

Does the above source have the most prompt reporting?

There haven't been any unconfirmed reports of sightings of this character in Central Oklahoma, have there?
http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/cityofate/Quake.jpg

Those kind of cereals were our red bull back in the day.

There haven't been any unconfirmed reports of unconfirmed UFO sightings out around Lake Arcadia, have there?
http://www.thefirstfew.com/wp-content/uploads/quisp_cereal_box.jpg

I'm not certain when Quakers started enhancing sugar with vitamins but it, for sure, led to an outbreak of Qwazy Energy . . .

No kidding.

A lake that freezes loses no mass.

A rolling stone gathers no moss.

In my opinion, the quakes have to do with old fault lines coming back to life from dormancy. At least what little known past history suggests they aren't near as violent as the New Madrid fault.

In my opinion, the quakes have to do with old fault lines coming back to life from dormancy. At least what little known past history suggests they aren't near as violent as the New Madrid fault.

I tend to agree. My grandfather is a retired geologist and says he highly doubts any of the recent speculations (fracking, lake levels, etc.) account for the majority of quakes over 2.0. Simply put we are along a very significant fault line and throughout history there will be times of activity and times of dormancy.

I blame the movement of magma in a yet to be discovered hot spot under us. Just wait...sulphur dioxide will start bubbling up through Lake Dirtybird soon. ;)

I thought it was all the foot stomping over pot smoking and street cars.

A small, yet vocal, minority of religioscientists say the recent spate of earthquakes could have something to do with the Horta.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/STDevil_inTheDark.jpg
(but their fantasies are probably fueled by too much Quake and Quisp when they were kids watching TV)

Just out of curiosity, when did Earthquake coverage get filed with Weather coverage?

I blame the movement of magma in a yet to be discovered hot spot under us. Just wait...sulphur dioxide will start bubbling up through Lake Dirtybird soon. ;)

I propose we name the nascent volcano Mt. Boomer.

I propose we name the nascent volcano Mt. Boomer.

Is that you Tramel?
:)

A small, yet vocal, minority of religioscientists say the recent spate of earthquakes could have something to do with the Horta.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/c/c5/STDevil_inTheDark.jpg
(but their fantasies are probably fueled by too much Quake and Quisp when they were kids watching TV)

Just out of curiosity, when did Earthquake coverage get filed with Weather coverage?

:Smiley112

I always thought that horta looked like a big chunk of sausage and cheese that fell off the mother pizza.
:hungry:

:Smiley112

I always thought that horta looked like a big chunk of sausage and cheese that fell off the mother pizza.
:hungry:

Or was it a young Pizza the Hutt growing up? ;)

http://www.washingtoncitypaper.com/blogs/artsdesk/files/2013/11/pizza-the-hutt.jpg

Today according to OGS we have had 14 earthquakes/tremors/aftershocks. That's UTC/GMT. Is this normal or are we experiencing a lot of activity related to the 4.5 that we had a week ago?
C. T.

Today according to OGS we have had 14 earthquakes/tremors/aftershocks. That's UTC/GMT. Is this normal or are we experiencing a lot of activity related to the 4.5 that we had a week ago?
C. T.


Based on what I've seen...that's pretty normal for us now.

Pretty good rumbling in west Edmond just now

David,
Thanks, I had never monitored it before, but since I was/am less than 3 miles from the epicenter of the 4.5 earthquake, I was keeping an eye on it. Plus, I felt several a day or two after the big one. I don't worry, just interested in keeping an eye on the web page. I think I will stop now.
C. T.
Based on what I've seen...that's pretty normal for us now.

Pretty good rumbling in west Edmond just now

I guess you just answered my question about why weather somehow got tangled up with earthquake coverage.

4.2 mag earthquake just over the border in Kansas a short time ago.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/product/dyfi/usc000llhu/us/1387219430394/usc000llhu_ciim.jpg#usemap=imap_base

3.8 same spot about 11:00

3.8 same spot about 11:00

Looks like it is the same one. They pulled it down to a 3.8.

Hmmm...

Supervolcano Bigger Than Previously Thought - The Takeaway (http://www.thetakeaway.org/story/yellowstone-supervolcano-bigger-previously-thought/)

When I lived in Washington, the earthquake activity dramatically increased prior to Mt. St Helens erupting. I'm sure OK is too far away, but if this is really that big, who knows?

Tremors from movements in a magma chamber are normal and the best way to predict an eruption. The St. Helens eruption a few years ago was preceded by a few weeks of increased seismic activity with in the mountain.

While it is impossible to know everything underground, its probably unlikely magma movement has anything to do with us here. The closest active magma field is out in New Mexico. I believe it is a different hot spot than the one that caused the Valles Caldera. Granted volcanoes have occurred further east as well...especially an ancient one in present day Austin.

Hmmm...

Supervolcano Bigger Than Previously Thought - The Takeaway (http://www.thetakeaway.org/story/yellowstone-supervolcano-bigger-previously-thought/)

When I lived in Washington, the earthquake activity dramatically increased prior to Mt. St Helens erupting. I'm sure OK is too far away, but if this is really that big, who knows?

It was stated that the caldera is to be roughly 35 miles across so we're now assuming 70-88 miles wide? That's freaking insane! I don't think any point in North America would be safe from this thing blowing. Luckily a geological second is like 1,000 years so I (we) may miss it.

As for the earthquakes, I think Alaska--being along the Ring of Fire--would be a better measuring stick due to its proximity than Oklahoma. Our quakes seem to be isolated. Isolated from Wyoming as much as they are isolated from what I think would be a measuring stick for New Madrid activity precursors.

It was stated that the caldera is to be roughly 35 miles across so we're now assuming 70-88 miles wide? That's freaking insane! I don't think any point in North America would be safe from this thing blowing. Luckily a geological second is like 1,000 years so I (we) may miss it.

As for the earthquakes, I think Alaska--being along the Ring of Fire--would be a better measuring stick due to its proximity than Oklahoma. Our quakes seem to be isolated. Isolated from Wyoming as much as they are isolated from what I think would be a measuring stick for New Madrid activity precursors.

Maybe we're at the intersection of the New Madrid and Yellowstone areas of impact...

Probably not, but those two areas are pretty interesting.

3.2 out SSE of Prague today. I think it will be interesting to see if we have another 4.0+ quake out of that area here in the next few weeks or so. Hard to even begin to predict where one may happen, but seems to be a trend. The increased activity east of Edmond eventually resulted in one. The increased activity up by Enid did as well. Might be time again the "southern" area of this swarm to give us another one in the same area we had "the big one" a few years back. Just random thinking - nothing scientific at all. :)

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/product/dyfi/usc000lm1y/us/1387296832594/usc000lm1y_ciim.jpg

No rumbling in or near central OK today? Thought surely I felt a very minor rumbling just before 10AM today....Prague is too far away, I think, for that to have been what I felt if I'm the only one that felt it....

i Remenber as a Kid being told my the "old Timers " around the east reno & douglas Blvd area in the 50's that OKC (downtown somewhere) Sat on a volcano Or was in a Volcano ?

Updated the article just to get the seismograms added in. Will do a complete redesign though for 2014 when we get that article started.

So earthquakes are considered close enough related to the weather to be in the weather.

Discussed this with Pete and I felt since it attracts the same group of readers it made sense to place it here. Also the Wiki format will serve it well here.

So earthquakes are considered close enough related to the weather to be in the weather.

Maybe we should rename the Weather section to Natural Disasters or Calamities?

Maybe we should rename the Weather section to Natural Disasters or Calamities?

LOL...I was thinking like Weather / Environment or Weather / Nature - but then I'm afraid it'll get flooded with people talking about their flowers or hiking in the mountains.

Quake just now

3.7...didn't feel it down here in Norman.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/product/dyfi/usc000lr7h/us/1387942801344/usc000lr7h_ciim.jpg#usemap=imap_base

So earthquakes are considered close enough related to the weather to be in the weather.

I think it's official now.

I didn't feel it in NW OKC.

Queue the X-Files music...

12/24 9:04 PM12/24 9:14 PM12/24 9:24 PMhttp://www.weatherspotlight.com/screencap/dec13/24-1.pnghttp://www.weatherspotlight.com/screencap/dec13/24-2.pnghttp://www.weatherspotlight.com/screencap/dec13/24-3.png

Most likely cause for the quick radar burst would be birds flying away.

Most likely cause for the quick radar burst would be birds flying away.

That's AWESOME!

That's AWESOME!

Isn't it? This was also seen in the November 2011 earthquake as well.

Oklahoma Quake Stirs Bird, Bug or Bat Swarm Seen on Radars | Earthquake News, Oklahoma Birds | LiveScience (http://www.livescience.com/16921-oklahoma-quake-stirs-bird-bug-bat-swarm-radars.html)

I get text messages from USGS on earthquakes over 3.0 in Oklahoma and major ones elsewhere in the world. Got a text on Christmas morning regarding a 22 magnitude quake in Poison, Montana. After mulling over hurriedly getting the family up to open presents while the house was still livable, I turned on the news and they were still discussing a 3.7 in Edmond. Puzzled, I flipped channels finding no evidence of a 22 mag quake ANYWHERE. In a few minutes, I received a corrected announcement of a 2.2 magnitude earthquake in Poison, Montana.

Nevermind. Go back to your regularly scheduled life. Glad they corrected it!

A 22 mag quake would be interesting...though I have a feeling we would probably feel it here. LOL

yeah... a "22" would be 100,000,000,000,000,000,000 times as strong as a "2"... i think we'd feel it. -M

I'm pretty sure that would mean Earth just got blown up by the Death Star.

3.4 up by Medford a few minutes ago...

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/product/dyfi/usc000ltil/us/1388285397406/usc000ltil_ciim.jpg

Also a 3.1 near Perry.

Two earthquakes recorded Saturday in Oklahoma | News OK (http://newsok.com/two-earthquakes-recorded-saturday-in-oklahoma/article/3918807)