The End of The World Part 1: Natural Disasters
by How will the Earth meet its fate? This twelve-part series endeavors to look at a number of methods that might finish it – and everything still living on it.
In this episode, I investigate how a number of natural disasters might do it, including earthquakes, volcanoes, and tsunamis (Oh my!)
At the height of the Gulf Oil Crisis, where the ruins of the Deepwater Horizon platform spewed some 200 million gallons of oil into the Gulf of Mexico, there were many people Googling “end of the world” looking for answers on how likely it was that it could at least contribute to the “End of Days.”
Interested myself, I dug into the math and statistics of it a bit and wrote an article in an attempt to answer some of those questions in BP & The Gulf Oil Spill: The End of The World?
Perhaps I’m afflicted with some mild form of Post-traumatic Stress Disorder, but since 911, I have been much more attentive to the news, always on the lookout for that next disaster, half-expecting the end of the world to be just around the corner.
I like to think that I’m soundly rooted in reality, of course, and I know in the back of my mind that any given event is unlikely to change the course of the world in a serious manner, much less end it altogether… but then there’s always that chance, right?
If we learned anything from Deepwater Horizon, it’s that the oceans and seas are pretty resilient. Not to say that the Gulf Coast won’t be dealing with fallout from this crisis for years to come, but we are already back in the water fishing and shrimping the Gulf. Next summer, the beaches will be lined with tourists and vacationers once again.
So perhaps the burning oil rig isn’t enough to end the world. What other hazards might be willing to take on the job?
Earthquakes
A momentous shift in the Earth’s crust could easily cause cataclysmic events, some researchers admit, though it is far from likely. Quakes of just 7.1 on the Richter scale have reportedly caused upheavals of rock more than 11’ high just in recent history. Evidence of things like the famous North Atlantic Ridge fault line that runs through Iceland with cliffs more than twice that height might make it somewhat more believable, and we’ve all got the notion in our head that it’s just a matter of time before California falls into the Pacific Ocean, right? All that said, it’s very possible that a major earthquake could, if not destroy the world, certainly change the face of it.
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Post CommentKaren Gross
On September 10, 2010 at 11:02 am
Thanks for your comment on my end of the world part 1 article, and for your link back here. Very interesting article.
My part 2 was declined, quoting Bible verses often causes Triond’s cyber editor to kick my work back for duplicated content. Having a human editor take a look at it might have to wait until the glitches are fixed.
Skout
On September 10, 2010 at 11:44 am
Thanks Karen. That’s actually excellent forewarning for me and much appreciated – part 9 of my series will be on the Wrath of God, and I guess I’ll have to tread carefully to make sure I don’t suffer the same fate!
Skout
On September 10, 2010 at 12:13 pm
Just FYI, since she didn’t promote her own work here, Karen’s post can be found at http://relijournal.com/christianity/earthquakes-and-famines-and-pestilence-oh-my-part-one/ .