Earthquakes and the French Nuclear Tests March 11th 2011

While the latest earthquake (with its attendant tsunami) near Japan is in the news, I am reminded of the series of underground - and some above ground - nuclear tests carried out by France between 1966 and 1996 at Mururoa Atoll. With regard to the underground tests specifically, I wonder whether these may have so damaged the ocean floor as to begin the slow process of ever-increasing and expanding cracks. There is a pic that shows one of the cracks in the ocean floor, off Mururoa.
It may be “drawing  a long bow” but the increasing amount of seismic activity along the Pacific Rim may well be due to the French Nuclear testing, seeing as how the edge of the Pacific Plate runs right near the atoll.

Christchurch, New Zealand - February 27th 2011

Bloody Channel Seven! In a news broadcast last week, the News Item was about Mr. Brian Coker, who was trapped in the collapsed Pyne Gould Building on Tuesday night. They had the story of how Mr. Coker was rescued by a female surgeon from Melbourne using only a hacksaw and a foldaway knife.  What they didn't mention was the rescue was carried out in confined space with the unnamed surgeon assisted by an anaesthetist, a policeman and a police medic.
Then - the final insult to the viewers -they showed old footage of a rescuer using a hacksaw to cut through what I think was some concrete reinforcement steel out in the street. To be sure, they didn't actually SAY it was the surgeon, but putting that story over that vision was one more instance of the sad development of what Channel Seven chooses to call "News".
The other thing that ALL news services are doing, is making silly puns about their stories. Story about racing - the commentator will be a little "hoarse/horse" that sort of thing. It might have been funny once, but enough is enough.

Christchurch - February 22nd 2011

Earthquake measuring 6.3, if the news service got it right. The 'quake that flattened San Francisco in 1906 was about that size - gives you some idea of the power of 'quakes when they do happen.
Christchurch looked like a nice city, and it doesn't matter where it is, we all send our healing thoughts to its people.