MORE PROOF  THAT SEAQUAKES ARE HAZARDOUS TO WHALES AND SHIPS

by Captain D. Williams (email)  (under heavy construction)

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Marine mammal scientists have never considered the likelihood that many species of whales are able to sense coming earthquakes before they happen. They find no difficulty in supporting the idea that whales might strand PRIOR to undersea earthquakes. They suggest that the strong geomagnetic signals emitted prior to large earthquake can confuse an imagined geomagnetic compass and cause a entire pod of whales to run blindly onto the beach. What is surprising is that the scientists are aware of geomagnetic precursor signals but can't grasp the idea that the whales might use them as a warning to move out of the way of the pending danger.

Scientists in Japan have observed changes in VLF electric field emissions, ULF geomagnetic variations, transient electric potential changes, and changes in geoelectric potential (link). Precursor signals days before big earthquakes have been confirmed; the only question is whether whales understand theses signals or not. There is no reason to think that a means of detecting big earthquakes would not have evolved in whales, especially in view of the fact that these animals have lived for 40 million years in seismically active waters.

As you will learn below, shock waves from quakes greater than 7 magnitude have been known to complete demolish ships on the surface. The violent disturbance often exceeds 200 miles in circumference. If whales could not detect these earthquakes many hours prior to the event, it is doubtful that they could survive in seismically areas of the sea.

The size of the average injurious quake uncovered in this research is ~5.2 magnitude.  Magnitudes below 4.5 and above 7 rarely appear in the suspicious category.  This suggests that: (a) magnitude 4.5 are too small and magnitude 7 are too easily detected in advance.  Magnitude ~5.2 events are also thought to occur without precursor signals.   

OTHER SUPPORTING FACTS

(1) Only species that feed above the earthquake-prone mid-oceanic ridges live strand en masse. For every earthquake on land, ten occur in the seabed.  For every ten that occur in the seabed, nine occur along the rift valley of mid-ocean ridge system--the feeding grounds for toothed whales and dolphins. In other words, roughly 90% of all earthquakes on our planet occur in the backyard of the whales and dolphins known to mass strand.

(2) The facts are simple: vertical jerking motion in the seabed during certain submarine earthquakes generates low frequency acoustic pressure waves that propagate from the seafloor toward the water's surface. The pressure jump behind the wave front can attain 1.5MPa, or 15 atmospheres above ambient (+220.5 pounds per square inch). It follows that the negative pulse will represent a drop of 1.5MPa, or 15 atmospheres below ambient (-220.5 pounds per square inch). A pod of diving whales or dolphins would experience a fluctuating series of pressure changes, bouncing back and forth eight times per second across a range of 441 pounds per square inch, over a period of 10 seconds to 15 minutes. The vertical component of the floor-displacement velocity is estimated at about 10-100 centimeters per second, the accelerations of floor motions can amount to about 10 m/s² - all happening over a region up to100 kilometers across (ref).

(3) Oscillations in the surrounding water pressure too extreme for the whales' pressure-regulating anatomy will travel through internal organs that contain pockets of gas, such as sinuses, air sacs, and middle ear cavities. The air pockets will implode and expand again as each wave cycle passes. Strong pressure differentials develop between the air pockets and surrounding incompressible body tissues, blood, and bones, resulting in barotrauma from shear forces that tear and disrupt tissues and membranes(ref). Diving whales closest to the area of strong ground motion feel these tearing forces most significantly (ref). These enclosed air spaces are meant to serve as acoustic mirrors to channel and reflect sound and to isolate the two inner ears (ref) (ref) (ref). Their importance explains why such an injury disables echo-navigation and likely causes intense pain when the animal tries to dive. The injured whales would still be able to hear and respond to sound, but would be unable to determine direction or dive much deeper than 4-5 meters without severe pain.

The schematic at right illustrates an odontocete head (dolphin) showing the positions of the air sacs (black) relative to the respiratory tract (blue) and skull (individual bones indicated by various shades of yellow). Only the left pairs of air sacs are shown. The dashed outline through the skull indicates the bony nasal passageway of the left side. A posterior portion of the mandible has been removed to reveal the sacs and larynx under the skull. In the diagram, B indicates the blowhole; L, laryngeal sacs; N, nasofrontal sac; PM, premaxillary sac; PT, pterygoid sac; V, vestibular sac. The nasal sacs (black) are shown in their epicranial position overlapping the skull. Each sac has a separate opening into the single external nasal passageway. The opening of the nasofrontal sac is not shown, as it lies under the vestibular sac. The pterygoid sac is visible (black) where it emerges from under the pterygoid bone. However, the rostral aspect is largely enclosed within the pterygoid bone and extends both superiorly (under the palatine, maxillary, and frontal bones) and caudally (under the occipital and temporal bones, to surround the ear region). These bone-enclosed extensions are indicated with a dotted gray outline and are shaded dark gray. The laryngeal sacs are positioned on either side of the midline laryngeal fold. (From Sisters of the Sinuses: Cetacean Air Sacs)

(4) Whales with broken biosonar would huddle together for protection against sharks and swim downstream away from the point of injury. In fact, any animal swimming through a dynamic body of water without a sense of direction will always move downstream, along the path of least resistance. If a non-navigating whale attempted to swim upstream, the increased drag would quickly turn its streamlined body around. In short, surface currents determine the swim path of injured whales and dolphins injured by seismic shock waves, not the whales. 

(5) Pods of injured whales and dolphins will remain in a tight group for protection against sharks, swimming with the surface flow until they: (a) recover from their injuries, (b) are eaten by sharks, (c) are struck and killed by a passing ship, (d) are killed by swimming too close to a naval sonar unit, (e) are driven ashore by fishermen in small boats, as done in Japan and the Faroe Islands, or (f) are washed onto a sandy beach by the very currents they ride.

(6) Beaches serve as principal stranding locations simply because the current that carried each grain of sand to build the beach in the first place is the same energy directing the lost whales.

(7) Evolution didn't stop with equipping whales with the ability to detect quakes in advance – it also equipped them with a means of surviving seaquake injury. Whales can go weeks without fresh water; they live like camels in a desert. Most of their digestible fat is stored internally. Their external blubber serves as a wetsuit, protecting them from hypothermia. Evolution made this insulation indigestible, allowing whales to survive for weeks without eating.

(8) Seismic energy from events focused deeper than ~20 kilometers below the seafloor spreads out in an ever-widening funnel, dispersing energy and weakening before it reaches the rock/water interface. Events with predominately side-to-side shearing motions are not as dangerous since water will not transfer shear. Research over the last 20 years indicates that the most dangerous earthquakes for diving whales and dolphins are extremely shallow-focused events between magnitudes 4.5 and 7 that erupt explosively without precursory signals. The current opinion of this researcher is that the most injurious events are associated with volcanic hot spots and hydrothermal vent fields along the rift valley of mid-oceanic ridges. On the contrary, earthquakes along transform faults associated with the ridges do not appear to be so dangerous since the movement in these quakes is predominately side-to-side, sliding through the water with little effect like a boat paddle turned sideways.

(9) Seismological records over the last 20 years reveal that an extremely shallow mid-sized undersea earthquake has occurred on average about 2,600 miles upstream and about 27 days prior to every mass whale beaching. About 1,500 of these shallow quakes occur annually along the 65,000 km-long mid-oceanic ridge system, the primary feeding grounds of the species that consistently mass strand. Seismological records show that there has never been a mass stranding without a preceding undersea earthquake along the ridge in the last 20 years.

(10) The energy of a magnitude 4 event is equivalent to 120 thousand pounds of C4 plastic explosives, while a magnitude 6 event is equivalent to 120 million pounds of C4 (ref). The closer this energy release is to the rock/water boundary, the more danger to diving, air-breathing mammals. Thus, a magnitude 4 event only 2 km deep in the crust is likely to be just as dangerous as a magnitude 6 event at a depth of 15 km. The average thickness of Earth’s crust below the continents is ~45km, while the average thickness of the oceanic crust below the mid-oceanic ridge system is only 7 km, and composed of a much simpler and more uniform basaltic structure. A shock wave propagated upward from a continental hypocenter at 30 km would spread much farther before reaching the seabed/water boundary and would be severely attenuated and fractionated by the crustal structure, especially by the nonhomogeneous fractures near the surface. However, when the vibrations from an undersea earthquake propagate through the thin crust of the mid-oceanic ridge into the homogeneous medium of water, there is far less attenuation (ref) and thus more seismic energy enters the sea, creating a greater danger to whales diving near the area.

(11) Surface currents build beaches and direct non-navigating whales. The wind determines the direction of the surface currents. In coastal waters, however, the effects of outflow from rivers, the geographical shape of the land, and tidal flow must also be considered. Non-navigating whales and dolphins moving downstream with the major offshore currents are pushed into coastal waters when strong winds shift the surface flow towards land. The major stranding beaches around the world have large hook-shaped land masses, sand spits, or sand bars that extend out to sea, opposing the general flow of the surface current. These areas trap sand, sea weeds and other flotsam, including non-navigating whales swimming with the flow. In general, whales strand were beaches are building; they do not strand where beaches are eroding. A non-navigating pod washed into an inlet by an incoming tide will be left in the mud when the tide recedes. Pods that enter backwater lagoons on a tidal inflow are left on a sand bar or in a mangrove swamp when the tide ebbs. The odds of a stranding greatly increase when a strong wind blows shoreward as the tide is rising. Beachings almost never occur when a strong wind is blowing out to sea with an outgoing tide. This observation alone confirms that the whales are not navigating when they go ashore. However, most observers fail to see this simple connection between strandings and the current. Furthermore, the direction and speed of the wind, the tidal conditions, and the direction of the currents are never recorded at the scene of a stranding. The reason why this vital information is never recorded is a mystery almost as large as the mystery of strandings.  

(12) When whales re-beach after being set free, the new stranding site is always downstream from the original, proving that once-stranded, whales always swim with the flow of surface currents. When the wind is blowing toward shore, freed whales will often turn and come back to the same beach. Rescuers on Cape Cod have recently discovered that the best way to ensure a successful rescue is to transport the non-navigating animals to a different deep water location where the flow of the surface current is out to sea and away from the shore. In this fashion, "rescued whales" swim downstream and out of sight.

(13)Whales and dolphins that beach during very strong shoreward winds, when sea conditions are highly favorable for a stranding, may have already partially recovered from their original barotraumatic injuries. They might be able to navigate somewhat and make relatively shallow dives and find food during relatively calm conditions. However, the weakened navigational abilities of such recovering pods might be defeated by heavy seas that fill the water with sand, bubbles, and strong currents. Rescued and tagged individuals from these pods that are released into relatively calm waters tend to swim against the flow and show other signs of their partial recovery. These animals will make shallow dives at first, increasing the diving depth over time. On the other hand, pods that strand when conditions are relatively calm and pods that strand in obviously poor health are the ones with less chance of recovery. Here are two videos illustrating this point: (link) (link). In the first, a beaked whale is carried near the beach by surface currents. The tell-tale signs that the currents are flowing shoreward are: (a) the presence of seaweed and flotsam washed into the beach by offshore currents, and (b) the blue color of offshore waters can be seen close to shore. The first line of color change off this particular beach is usually 5-6 miles offshore, but in the video we can see that it is less than a mile from the beach. Oceanic currents are easy to spot since they are much cleaner and bluer than nearshore waters. This particular beaked whale was swept toward the beach by local nearshore currents. The tide was likely rising. This whale, obviously swimming with the incoming flow, is in deep trouble since it can not avoid the beach even in a calm sea. It died shortly after the film was shot.

(14) The most important conditions to be noted by observers at the site of a stranding are: (a) the direction and speed of the wind, (b) surface currents, (c) tidal condition, (d) color of surface waters, and (e) presence of flotsam. These important observations are generally ignored.

(15) The time between the injurious seaquake and the beaching is also important for assessing the health of beached pods. Those that beach closer to the time of their injury are usually more vigorous; those that beach during relatively calm periods more than 30 days after their injury are far less likely to recover. Knowing the nature of the injury and when it occurred, coupled with the conditions at sea and on the beach, are important factors for rescuers to assess the likelihood of survival.    

PUBLIC AWARENESS OF SEAQUAKE DANGER

Seaquake awareness has changed over the last 150 years ago.  If I had published my SEAQUAKE SOLUTION in the 1850s my work would have been an instant success. Folks in the 1800s and early 1900s knew about the powerful shocks emitted above the epicenter of an earthquake at sea because newspapers back then often published articles similar to the one in this link. These same newspapers also published more than 20,000 eyewitness reports from sailors and their passengers who had survived a seaquake/vessel encounter in which the ship had been violently hit by several powerful shocks.

These 20,000-plus seaquake encounters seem fictitious when compared to the limited number of such encounters published since the 1950s. One has to wonder if seaquakes were reported so often in the 1800s and early 1900s, why are there so few today?

 

One reason is that modern vessels generate up to 240 decibels of noise near the same frequency emitted into the water be seaquakes. The noise establishes an acoustic interference patterns that co-mingles with the seismic vibrations, canceling all but the most powerful seaquake shocks. 

Another reason is that seaquake/vessel encounters are not nearly as newsworthy in the modern world as they were in past. In the 1800s, most knowledge of the outside world came by way of vessel passengers and crews and the mail carried by these ships. Newspaper reporters hung out at the docks and were eager hear the latest eyewitness reports from far away lands. Most newspapers even devoted special sections to the news gathered from arriving ships. There was also a special need to report ocean phenomenon in the days before the marine radio just in case a vessel was overdue. The weather encounter on the journey and such events as seaquakes, volcanic eruptions, and other strange happenings were also extremely important to locals who might have relatives or cargo coming in on a different ship. In addition, land-based seismological observatories were reporting major submarine disturbances hundreds of miles offshore with nothing more than a wild guess as to where the epicenters were located.

When seismic stations did report a massive earthquake in some unknown location offshore, the news caused near panic in the minds of folks with relatives who might be living in the general direction. The relatives would go to the newspaper office searching for any word that might pinpoint the epicenter of the disturbance. Arriving vessels that reported seaquake encounters helped fix the locations and calm the worried families. Sometimes the local observatories would even send telegraphic messages to the vessels offshore trying to locate the epicenter.

News editors also gladly reported seaquake encounters because the average citizen was very much interested in the new science of seismology. On the contrary, if a reporter goes to the docks today, it's usually to get the latest drug smuggling story. 

Another answer is that many insurance policies exclude seismic damage causing vessels owners to change the way they report casualties. For example, the three most common insurance claims today are: (a) hitting a submerged object, (b) a busted/cracked pipe in the engine room, and (c) the sudden shifting of cargo. Any of these could be the result of a seaquake encounter, but would be denied if the vessel owner admitted a seismic disturbance as the cause. Another reason not to record seaquakes is because such reports might lower resale and mortgage values and might even lead to lawsuit if the ship was sold without disclosing that it had been damaged in an earthquake. Thus, today, it is far better not to mention any encounters with a sudden shock waves from a submarine disturbance.

As you will also read below, it was not uncommon for a captain of a luxury liner a hundred years ago to report that his ship was hit by a seaquake. Reporting such events was really not too smart so the cruise ship industry muzzled their captains and hired media managers to keep such reports to a minimum.You can't blame them... who wants a luxury cruise if there's a chance an earthquake might sink the ship.

Oil and gas companies also became concerned with keeping the dangers of seaquake from reaching the media. The last thing they want the public to do is worry about a loaded oil tanker busting apart during an earthquake just offshore. This is exactly what happened to the oil tanker Prestige in 2002. Nine members of the Filipino crew reported that the tanker was hit by an earthquake, but they were quickly loaded on a plane and flown back to the Philippines and told to keep their mouths shut. The Prestige was not the first oil tanker whacked. In March 1988, four empty oil tankers were hit in the Gulf of Alaska by shocks from the same earthquake (see below). In 1969, the empty oil tanker Ida Knudsen was totally destroyed by an earthquake (see below). Another oil tanker was hit off the coast of New Zealand in April 1962 (see below). We have no idea how many others have been hit since the oil and gas companies are certain not going to come forward on their own with such information.

But there's an even more important reason to suppress seaquake awareness entirely different from the all the above.

Many professional sailors who had experienced both a seaquake and an underwater mine were saying that the two events felt the same, but there was little or no talk about what might happen to a navy submarine hit by a seaquake. Enlisted men who served on submarines during the late 1930s were writing to their relatives, reporting that they had felt the violent shock of an earthquake during one of their many underwater missions. Word soon spread amongst the families of the sailors. Mothers and fathers started to worry about the serious danger their sons faced, not only from an enemy torpedo, but also from an undersea earthquake. These families started to pressure their sons to transfer out of the submarine service... many of them did. 

The fear in the minds of navy family members turned to stark panic in November 1941 when one of the USA's most respected seismologist warned that every submarine within ~ 500 mile radius of a powerful seaquake in the Atlantic might be "crushed like an egg" by the seismic compression waves (link).

Many US Navy surface ships and submarines reported undersea earthquakes during World War II (see samples). The concept of a seismic danger underwater was reenforced in 1943 when a submarine that was evacuating nurses from Bataan Philippines was hit by a seaquake--subs a hundred miles out to sea felt the shock. (link)   

At about the same time, World War II weapons experts start thinking there might be a way to cause natural catastrophic events and use them as possible weapons of mass destruction. For example, not long after Japan attacked Pearl Harbor, Leo Ranney, a famous oilfield engineer and inventor, proposed a plan to trigger powerful earthquakes under the Japanese industrial cities of Osaka and Nagoya. The idea was to set off huge underwater explosions in the seismic fault lines just offshore. Ranney was convinced the blast at the ocean end of the same fault running under the two cities would transfer down the fault and trigger the massive earthquakes (link), which were already overdue in the two locations. Even though the plan was never put into action, the idea of generating and/or triggering earthquakes and seaquakes as weapons of mass destruction grabbed the attention of elite military-minded scientists, especially those working for the US Navy.

It wasn't long before secret research was underway to develop a method to use the atom bomb to trigger earthquakes as a possible weapon.  The prefect place to do scaled-down experiments was New Zealand since both the North and South Islands sat on top of many fault lines that also ran into the open sea.  Of course, while you are trying to trigger earthquakes under cities with explosives, you might as well try your hand at generating artificial tsunami waves. This was the basis of "secret" research conducted by Professor Thomas Leach, at Auckland University.  The idea that his experiments might trigger an earthquake under a small town in North Island was too scary of a proposition for New Zealanders to handle so Professor Leach's secret efforts were passed off as research into how to use underwater explosives to generate tsunami waves (link) (link) (link). The earthquake triggering part of his effort was obviously "top-secret."  The operation was sponsored by the US Navy under the code name "PROJECT SEAL."

The US Navy was not only interested in generating artificial tsunami waves and triggering earthquakes under enemy cities, they also wanted to sink a few of their adversary's submarines with artificial seaquake waves. Seismic instruments in those days could not tell the difference between a large well-placed explosion along certain segments of the mid-oceanic ridge system and a seaquake in the same segment. Aiming and concentrating the explosive energy was relatively easy if the blast was set off in an undersea trench or in the depressed top of an undersea volcanic mountain called a guyot. Bottom line was that if done properly and in the right location, the US Navy could sink an enemy submarine and blame it all on Mother Nature.

Word leaked out on the campus of Auckland College about Professor Leach's work. P. W. Burbidge, a professor of physics at the same campus was greatly opposed to the use of atomic weapons is such a fashion. He released a newspaper article in November 1945 in which he stated, "The effect in submarine explosions for production of "tidal" waves, or in boring bombs for "earthquake" action has not yet been published, if investigated, but sufficient is known to be able to prophesy terrible action on waterfront regions and on ordinary underground shelters." (link)  Obviously, he was placing Professor Leach on notice that if "PROJECT SEAL" resulted in any damage to New Zelanders, he would expose the whole mess.

Shortly thereafter the US decided to test the atom bomb underwater at Bikini Atoll. After the results was digested, US weapons experts started conducting hundreds of underwater shock-wave experiments with the idea to develop a scalable mathematical model by which they could predict the height of the tsunami wave based on the yield of the explosive. The waves they were trying to generate were not called tsunami or tidal waves. Instead, they were gravity waves. One of the test site was Mono Lake, California (link). The lead researcher at Mono Lake was Benard B. Le Mehaute.  The knowledge he acquired in his research was assembled into a two-volume "Handbook of Explosive-Generated Water Waves." (link). On page 150 of this handbook, one can find the method used to calculate a tsunami wave generated by as nuclear explosion just offshore. The references starting on page 161 will give an idea of the research done Mono Lake, California (Notice that 10,000 pounds of TNT was used most often in these tests.)    

The US Navy was not only interested in artificial seaquakes, earthquake, and tsunamis. They had launched in 1962 a massive geophysical warfare research program to find ways to manipulate all sorts of natural phenomenon. They called their effort "Blue Sky Research."  Believe it or not, the US Navy even placed a press release in the Washington Post and the New York Times calling for civilian scientists with any good ideas on how to generate and use natural disasters as weapons (link) to submit them to the Office of Naval Research.  Obviously, they were trying to say something to the Soviets that only the Soviets understood.

But the Soviet Union already understood how to trigger earthquakes with explosives. On 25 August 1967, they released their own program to trigger submarine earthquakes (link) with massive explosive but they were clearly not testing a weapon. They had built a massive submarine base at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky, on the southern tip of the Kamchatka Peninsula. The offshore area is known for its undersea earthquakes. What the Soviets were doing was using explosive to release the stress from any pending earthquakes and clear a safe passageway for their ships and subs to enter the base.   

Obviously, security was lax when it came to seaquake research during the 50s and 60s. But it wasn't long before seaquakes reached "TOP-SECRET" status.

On or about 25 January 1968, the Israeli submarine Dakar vanished in the earthquake-prone Mediterranean Sea. In 1997 former Israeli Navy Captain Michael Eldar published a book titled Dakar, claiming the Israeli search for the submarine had never been serious because officials knew what happened to it. Although it had been cleared for publication by Israel’s military censorship authority, the book was banned on national security grounds and copies removed from bookshops. Police even raided Eldar's home and confiscated all documents he possessed relating to Dakar. Then, on 24 May 1999 a joint U.S.–Israeli search team using information received from U.S. intelligence sources, detected Dakar on the seabed between Crete and Cyprus at a depth of some 3000 meters (9800 ft). The tail of the submarine, with the propellers and dive planes attached, broke off aft of the engine room and rests beside the main hull.  The exact cause of the loss was reported as "unknown", but it appears that no emergency measures had been taken before Dakar dove rapidly through her maximum depth, suffered a catastrophic hull rupture, and continued her plunge to the bottom. The emergency buoy was released by the violence of the hull collapse, and drifted for a year before washing ashore. The exact cause was reported as "unknown" but no emergency measures had been taken before Dakar dove rapidly through her maximum depth, suffered a catastrophic hull rupture. (link) The big question is: did a seaquake shock-wave knock her tail off? If so, did the Soviets have anything to do with it?

Three days after the Dakar disappeared, on 28 January 1968, at about 08:00 hrs, the French submarine Minerve (a Daphne-class diesel-electric attack submarine) was traveling just under the surface, roughly 25 nautical miles (46 km) from her base along the shores of the earthquake-prone Mediterranean Sea. She advised that she would be at her berth in about an hour, but was never heard from again. Nor was her wreckage ever located.

Next, on 11 April 1968, the Soviet nuclear missile submarine K-129 disappeared mysteriously in the Pacific Ocean. The Soviets blamed the US Navy.

Six weeks later, on 23 May 1968, the nuclear powered submarine USS Scorpion sank directly above the Azores Triple Junction (aka: Azores Hot Spot), one of the most earthquake-volatile zones on Earth.

Then, on 4 March 1970, the French submarine Eurydice (another Daphne-class diesel-electric attack sub) founders during a naval exercise off Toulon, France. All 57 officers and crew are killed. A geophysical laboratory picked up the shock waves of an underwater explosion. French and Italian search teams found an oil slick and a few bits of debris, including a parts tag that bore the name Eurydice. The cause of the explosion was never determined. All 57 crew were lost.

As you read the rest of this report, ask yourself the following questions: Did a seaquake sink the Scorpion? If so, did the Soviets trigger it, or was it a natural event?

Shortly after Scorpion went down, French and American scientists, sponsored by the US Navy, began planning a special survey of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge between 36-50N and 37-00N. Then in 1971, they launched a massive joint research program ("PROJECT FAMOUS.") to determine the nature of undersea earthquakes along the section where the Scorpion was eventually found.

The public relations question all the above presents to the US Navy was and still is: what would folks living near seismically-active coastlines like Mexico, Chile, California, Oregon, Alaska, Japan, New Zealand, Micronesia, Indonesia, Iceland, Italy, Greece, Azores, British Columbia, Newfoundland, Hawaii, and Caribbean Island countries have to say about fully armed nuclear submarines cruising just off their shores if they knew a seaquake might destroy them in a heartbeat and create a nuclear disasters in their backyard? Surely, both the US and Soviet navies must have realized that a violent seaquake, either natural or artificial, under a fully loaded nuclear submarine could be a deadly hazard.

Japan, one of the most seismically-active countries in the world, did their own seaquake research and are decades ahead of everyone else. They know the seaquake danger and forbid nuclear armed submarines from anywhere near their shores. Many other countries have established programs to collect information on accidents with nuclear ships, safety aspects of nuclear ship propulsion plants, and the disposal of nuclear reactors. The only reason for collecting this information is to create a basis for risk assessments in case of nuclear ship/submarine accidents or in case of release of radioactivity near the sea bottom from disposed reactors or from sunken nuclear ships/submarines. Furthermore, what would countries with valuable fisheries have to say about nuclear submarines prowling on the bottom near their seismically-active fishing grounds?

One might also want to ask the Japanese about nuclear disasters and undersea earthquakes since the recent tsunami wave destroyed one of their nuclear power plants. If you read the Japanese language, by all means do a little internet searching for seaquake research. You'll find maybe 50 scientific articles detailing the hazards of seaquakes. Seaquakes in Japan are called "sea shocks."

Obviously, the military powers of the world have a need to control seaquake publicity so the public does not become as aware as our ancestors were of the great danger these events pose to public safety.  They can not do anything about what has already been published but they can stop any new research from leaking out.

The above is the main reason why the SEAQUAKE SOLUTION will have a tough time seeing the light of day.

Below is a list of articles and assorted seaquake reports.

 

 

SHIPS HIT BY SEAQUAKES

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1988_Mar_06: FOUR OIL TANKERS HIT At 22:35 GMT, a major earthquake with seven aftershocks occurred in the Gulf of Alaska about 200 nautical miles from the oil depot at Valdez. Four tankers were nearing Valdez when the following events erupted one after the next near their position:

 PDE    1988  03 06 223538.14  56.95 -143.03  10  7.8 MwHRV
 PDE    1988  03 06 230556.84  56.75 -142.99  10  4.7 MLPMR
 PDE    1988  03 06 231105.10  56.91 -143.04  10  4.4 MLPMR
 PDE    1988  03 06 231438.46  57.50 -142.80  10  6.3 MLPMR
PDE    1988  03 06 232359.90  57.67 -142.94  10  4.4 mbGS
 PDE    1988  03 06 233332.53  57.40 -142.89  10  4.2 MLPMR
 PDE    1988  03 06 233747.69  57.74 -142.97  10  4.1 MLPMR
 PDE    1988  03 06 233949.59  57.10 -142.90  10  4.5 MLPMR

The 500,000-barrel crude oil tanker Sansinena II, under the command of Captain Brent Christiansen, was streaming from Portland, Oregon, to Valdez, Alaska, to pick up a load of crude. Captain Christian in now chief port pilot for the Port of Los Angeles. Below is his account of what happened.

 

"Suddenly, without warning, an extremely severe vibration started to shake the entire ship. My first though was that we'd lost one or several propeller blades. I immediately pulled the throttle back to about 40 rpm, but there was no change in the intensity of the shaking. I did know what was happening so I ran out on the bridge wing to look around. I could see the stack shaking so hard I though it might collapse. I returned to the bridge and a few moments later the shaking subsided."

"About this time I heard a call over the very high frequency (VHF) emergency Channel 16. It was the Exxon Boston calling the Exxon North Slope and reporting that she had encountered heavy vibration, had lost power, and was experiencing some flooding. The Exxon North Slope also was without power and called a third Exxon ship, the Exxon New Orleans, which turned around and headed back to stand by the Exxon Boston. Meanwhile our radio operator heard about the earthquake from a station at Ketchikan. We proceed to check the deck and the engine room and found no signs of damage, so I gradually resumed speed. I called the Exxon North Slope, gave our position, and offered to assist if needed. They responded that they were restoring power and did not need any help at this time. The Exxon Boston reported that the flooding was under control and the Exxon New Orleans was now standing by. While this was happening we felt the first of several aftershocks, leaving no doubt that it was an earthquake we'd felt. We resumed course to Valdez, where eventually all vessels arrived without further incident."  link (see page 137)

 

1979_April_15:  Major earthquake strikes the Adriatic Sea area and causes severe shell plating damage to the Italian freighter Carso while she set comfortably berthed at the Yugoslav port of Bar. Before she could sink to the bottom, her master beached her in the harbor where she was declared a total loss and sold to Italian ship breakers for scrap. (Hooke, N. (1989) Modern Shipping Disasters, Lloyd's Maritime Information Service, Lloyd's of London Press) 

1970_April_29  &  August_11:  SHOCK WAVES AT ~90,000 POUNDS PER SQUARE INCH On April 29, 1970 a large shallow focused earthquake registering 6.5 on the Richter scale occurred in the Guatemala Basin off the coast of the Mexican. Approximately 18 minutes after the initial shock, the infrared sensors on the ITOS-1 spacecraft recorded the thermal increase in surface temperature of plus +3"K in a circular area approximately 60 km in diameter. On August 11, 1970 a major shallow focus earthquake of 7.6 magnitude occurred in the region of the New Herbrides Islands. At 1255 GMT the area was observed by infrared cameras on board the Nimbus 4 spacecraft. The water temperature in a 60 km circle of the earthquake was found to be about plus +2"K warmer than the surrounding water. Calculation done NASA scientists at Goddard Space Flight Center indicates a possible shock wave of about 90,000 pounds per square inch (6 kilobars) would be required to heat a 60 km circle of water 2 degrees kelvin. This is an excellent treatment on the potential for destruction by seaquake waves and high of the recommended list of reading. (link)

1969_Feb_28:  The oil tanker "Ida Knudsen" was sailing in the Atlantic 200 miles southwest of Lisbon, Portugal when it experienced a "violent vertical shock". The vessel sustained very serious structural damage. In the wheelhouse, chart room and radio station binnacles, compasses and permanent instruments were torn loose and collapsed. Doors and fixtures in the superstructure were torn loose and thrown about. The signal mast with the radar scanner was distorted and all its cross-bars were broken. Damage in the superstructure was more serious at midship than at the aft peak. From eyewitness accounts it appears that the vessel was lifted up bodily, the bow moving up faster than the bridge, and then the whole ship slammed back with violent vibrations, the whole event lasting about ten seconds. Serious damage was also caused both to the machinery and hull where piping was broken and leakage developed between tanks. After hours of drifting and with a misaligned propeller shaft the ship returned to Lisbon where it was drydocked and surveyed. The surveys proved that the hull, machinery and other equipment had sustained great damage and, on account of the permanent deformation and breaks, the ship had lost a substantial part of her longitudinal strength. The complete surface of the vessel's skin from cofferdam to cofferdam buckled, in places with permanent sets of 4 cm and the hull was twisted to port by 18 cm. Bulkheads, hull frames and girders were buckled or torn apart and all the wing tanks leaked. Moreover, the bottom parts of the side platings were torn away from the girders, in places by as much as 5cm, effects resembling those from an underwater mine explosion. The ship was condemned as a total loss. (link)

1966_June_15: The captain of the M/V Ninghai, while at about 10 S by 161 East in the Solomon Islands, reported being shaken repeatedly for over two hours by seaquake activity. The damage report read as follows: "The cathode ray tube shattered, the capillary tube in the barometer was smashed, valves were shaken out of their sockets in the wireless transmitter, the suspension wire on the gyro snapped and the azimuth mirror on the monkey island gyro repeater feel off. In addition we made some water in No. 3 double bottoms and after peak; also the main engine fuel line was broken and the sanitary tank on the monkey island was holed. No water was made after the tremors, which suggest that as the ship was being shaken water was entering these tanks through various rivets and seams which had started and opened, but only for the duration of these tremors. The mast whipped about a great deal, and the funnel rattled alarmingly."    (Lt. Frank Rossi, (1969) Seaquakes: Shakers of Ships, Mariner's Weather Log, 11 (5) pp 161-164)

1964_Mar_27:  At 5:36 p.m. local time, a great earthquake occurred in Prince William Sound region of Alaska. The epicenter was 90 km west of Valdez and 120 km east of Anchorage at Lat. 61.04N, Lon. 147.73W, at a depth of approximately 25 km. Many vessels within 200 miles of the epicenter experienced violent shocks as told in this article by Roland Von Huene, a member of the US Geological Survey Team (link). Aftershocks were reported by ~50 ships within a 500 mile radius of the epicenter. Crew members mentioned "running aground, hitting a reef, being hit by another ship, or losing part of a ship's propeller." Von Huene, R., (1972) Seaquakes, The Great Alaska Earthquake of 1964, Oceanography & Coastal Engineering, National Academy of Science 1972 -- Harold Harding, on the fishing vessel Roald, reported the initial shock felt hard like "hitting rocks." He said he felt many hard jolts during the night and could hear "booming sounds even above the engine noise." He described the jolts as like "explosive depth charges." Joe Clark, on the fishing vessel Quest, reported shocks felt as if the "boat were going aground." The captain of the Little Purser said it felt "like the boat was being pounded on the rocks." On 29 March, two days after the main event, the US Coast Guard Cutter Sedge was 10 miles offshore when crew members heard a sound like an underwater explosions, "similar to that of a depth charge or torpedo." During the next few minutes they experienced three minor tremors. The engineer reported that it felt exactly like going over a reef and asked if the captain intended to go back over the reef when he was ordered to back the engine to full astern. The Sedge later reported that during one aftershock, sensations were felt similar to the propeller cavitation in a smooth sea.

1964_Oct_23:  A violent seaquake was felt on board a research vessel loaded with scientists from Woods Hole returning from a cruise to the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. When the seaquake was first felt the ship was steaming west at 12½ knots and was towing a hydrophone array for continuous seismic reflection profiling. The quake shook the ship violently; the motion seemed mostly vertical. Immediately the bridge rang the general alarm and the ship was stopped. Opinion on the cause of the disturbance varied. Some people thought the ship had run aground or hit a submerged object; others, that a shaft or screw had broken. After the ship was stopped the array was brought aboard for fear it would foul the screws. During this time the seismic recording gear was left running. Some people claimed to feel smaller shocks during this interval of about twenty minutes. That's when the scientist discovered they had recorded a seaquake. (link)

1962_April_18:  Oil tanker "Tanea" hit be seaquake off New Zealand coast.  "When I was at sea, 18th April 1962, I was shot out of my bunk at 5.43 a.m.The ship shuddered to a stop. One hell of a shock in the middle of the ocean. Reminded me of depth charges. The incident did not have the character of hitting a submerged object or whale. We were soon under way again, and I reported to Wellington Radio (still the morse code days at sea). The operator told me "We've just had quite a shake". Soon after, I received a report from the Seismic Centre to say that, from our position, they had judged us to have been at the epi-centre." (link)

1955_Nov_21:  Marine inspectors today completed a preliminary survey of the 70-tone "ghost ship" Joyita and reported the disappearance of her 25 passengers and crew could only be explained one way--- a seaquake!  (docslink)

1952_Dec_12:  The Norwegian Cruise Ship S/S Bergensfjord was plowing its way along the western coast of South America off Ecuador, one day out of Lima, Peru, heading towards the canal zone with 250 pampered passengers.  Suddenly, at 11:35 PM they were awakened by a rough shaking of the ship, a loud, bumping, rasping sound, as if the ocean liner had hit solid bottom and was skidding over rocks.  The ship listed and then just a quickly righted herself.  The violent shaking woke the chief engineer, O. Olsen.  He looked out of his cabin window at a completely white-topped and confused sea reflecting the vessels lights back to him. He thought that the engine was exploding or that they had grounded. Dressing quickly, he then ran toward the engine room. On the way, he noticed that the engine rpm increased as if the propeller was spinning freely. When he got there, three minutes later, the quaking had stopped. Captain Fasting ordered the engines stopped and all passengers to the lifeboat stations, ready to abandon ship. Now the sea was calm and as black as before.  No serious damage could be found.  Furniture had been thrown around, crockery and glassware had been shatter, and one passenger was dead due to a heart attack.  Later, after the entire vessel was inspected, Captain Fasting announced over the deck speakers that the ship had struck a rather large submerged object, but had apparently suffered no serious damage.  He knew he had not hit bottom, the water was 3,600 feet deep. The next afternoon, they heard a CBS radio broadcast telling of the 7.4 earthquake that had hit Peru at the same time as their encounter. The ship's position from the center of the quake was 70 nautical miles. (Hove, K., P.B. Selnes, and H. Bungum (1981) Earthquake Effects on Vessels in the Open Sea; A potential Threat to Offshore Structures, Det Norske Veritas Research Division, Technical Report #81-1260, Dec 1981)

1941_April_15:  Off the coast of Mexico, near 18 N by 103 W, a seaquake interacted with a vessel loaded with steel assembly causing "some pieces weighing 6 tons, to shift about six inches and to jump as much as five to six inches up and down from its blocks." (Lt. Frank Rossi, (1969) Seaquakes: Shakers of Ships, Mariner's Weather Log, 11 (5) pp 161-164)

1941_Nov_25:  NAVY SUBMARINES MAY HAVE BEEN CRUSHED BY EARTHQUAKE; New York. November 27, 1941 - The terrific earthquake on Tuesday may have destroyed any submarines that happened to be in the Atlantic between Lisbon and the Azores, Father Joseph Lynch, chief of the seismological observatory at Fordam University, said today. "The disturbance was one of the mightiest ever recorded, and if the wave it created were a complete compression wave in the Atlantic it might  have crushed all the submarine submerged in a wide area around the earthquake centre," he said. "We know it was partially a compression wave, and possibly a complete one. In the latter case it would act like a depth charge of terrific intensity, pushing in the sides of submarines as though they were eggs." Epicenter of the great earthquake is believed to have been about 500 miles off the Portuguese coast. (halfway between Lisbon Portugal and the Azores). (link)

1943_Apr_30:   NAVY SUBMARINES FELT EARTHQUAKE.—An earthquake struck Corregidor Philippines during the height of the evacuation of personnel from Bataan, according to Commander Eugene Paro who commanded the submarine which evacuated army and navy nurses from the area. The shock was one of the heaviest ever recorded at Corregidor and was felt by submarines hundreds of miles at sea. (docslink)

1939_Feb_21:  Liner Shook Violently PERTH, March 2. The strange effect on the liner "Orford" of an earthquake which from the record on the seismograph at Perth observatory, is estimated to have been a distinctly severe one, was related when the ship reached Fremantle yesterday. The earthquake occurred on the morning of February 21, when the liner was between Colombo and Cocos Island. According to the ship's log, the ship vibrated and shook violently fore and aft. The vibrations lasted about 2 1/2 minutes. No sea surface effect could be observed, and the weather at the time was fine and calm.Officers today reiterated that there was a completely smooth sea at the time of the tremors and that the only manifestation of the disturbance was the shaking of the ship. (link)

1936_Oct_19:  MARINE DISASTER  RESCUES BY AIR FLYING-BOATS FROM SINGAPORE  United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright, (Received October 21, 2.30 p.m.)  LONDON, October 20.  Aeroplanes and ships are still searching in the hope of finding further survivors from the "Van der Wijck", which mysteriously capsized and sank in two minutes in the shark-infested Java Sea, between Surabaya and Samarang. There were 226 people on board, passengers and crew, of whom all except 34, including 14 Europeans, were saved. The victims include the Dutch wireless operator, who stuck to. his post, sending out SOS calls. The saved include 16 Europeans besides the commander, Captain Akkerman, all the officers, and the chief steward. Captain Akkerman jumped at the last moment, when the vessel actually capsized, and swam for seven hours before he was rescued, saving a Dutch woman' and child by keeping them afloat.  Oil from the vessel covered the sea and probably kept the sharks away, as they do not like an oily sea. The cause of the disaster is believed to have been "a seaquake." Such, a phenomenon sometimes occurs in the Java Sea.  Immediately the SOS call was received the Defence Department dispatched nine flying-boats and light naval craft. The flying-boats saved 43 people, bravely risking collision with floating wreckage each time they landed on the sea. This is the first time these machines have been thus used. Native boats also effected rescues. (link)

1936_April_??:  Steamer Macalister severely shaken by earthquake 500 miles west of Perth, Australia. (docslink)

1936_April-02: Steamer Dalia.... an officer, said today that about 4.10 PM the ship began to shake as if on a reef and was being broken up below the water line. The ship was located near Rabaul, New Britain Province, Papau New Guinea. (docslink)

1934_Jul_19:  A Sensation at Sea. On July 19 the freighter "Anglo Canadian", bound to Newcastle (New South Wales), was in the zone of the Solomon Islands earthquake, and did not know it. Without warning, there was a shock which startled everybody and awakened men who were asleep. The sea was so calm that, the suggestion of a submarine earthquake did not at first enter the mind of anybody aboard. The vessel was stopped and investigations were made to discover whether there was any propeller trouble. No sign of this could be found, and soundings were then taken to discover whether the vessel had encountered an uncharted reef. Again the result was reassuring, and at last the true explanation of tho disturbance was guessed.  (pplink)

1932_June_03:  Although the epicenter was located 30 miles inland, the large shallow-focused Mexican earthquake of 3 June 1932 was felt by many vessels at sea. The S/S Solana, steaming through a smooth sea with light variable winds in water over 4,800 feet deep, 60 miles from the epicenter, experienced strong violent shaking for about seven seconds. Only 10 miles away, the M/V Sevenor experienced less severe vibrations but lasting nearly a minute. Conditions aboard the M/V Northern Sun were entirely different. Although the vessel was 115 miles from the epicenter, vibrations lasting for three minutes became so violent that the engines were stopped. Before the earthquake, the sea was smooth with a slight westerly swell, but after the event the sea had become confused and the swell pattern had changed. Further to the North, 130 miles from the epicenter, the S/S Arizona commenced to vibrate and continued to do so for about 75 seconds. The aftershocks continued for many days. Ship reports indicated that during the next 36 hours several strong seaquakes were experienced in the area. The M/V Silerwillow began to vibrate dangerously in every part and at the same time began an uneven short pitching motion followed by heavy rolling. The disturbances commenced at 0530 GMT on 4 June, and the rolling continued 15 minutes. Seven hours later at 1245 GMT the crew aboard the S/S Talmanca heard a loud noise like distant gunfire, then experienced severe vibrations, and at 1337 GMT two similar gunfire reports were heard again about 10 seconds apart but there were no apparent vibrations. However, 20 minutes later the sea surface was littered for five or six miles with small dead fish. Several hours later, the S/S Hanover reported violent shocks that "rocked the ship as a nearby explosion might." Fifteen minutes later two more shocks were felt. (Lt. Frank Rossi, (1969) Seaquakes: Shakers of Ships, Mariner's Weather Log, 11 (5) pp 161-164)

1929_Aug_19:  SEAQUAKE OFF BROOME. SEISMOLOGIST'S OPINION United Press Association—By Electric Telegraph—Copyright.  (Received 20th August, 1 p.m.) PERTH, This Day. Referring to the earthquake at Broome on Saturday, the Government Astronomer, Mr. Curlewis, said that it was evident that a severe dislocation in the ocean floor occurred about 400 miles west of North-west Cape. The seismograph boom swung over six inches, which is a very large displacement. It was the most severe earthquake reported within a 1000 miles of Perth. On November 19, 1906 a similar seaquake jarred the steamer "Omrah" throughout her whole length when she was 400 miles from North-west Cape. (link)

1929_Nov_19:  Luxury Liner Caledonia shaken so violently for two minutes, Captain fears that she has thrown a propeller. R.M.S. Olympic reports violent vibration. The Captain first though the propeller blade had been lost or that the ship had struck a submerged wreck. R.M.S. Olympic is the sister ship of the Titanic. (link)

1924_Feb_21:  EARTHQUAKE SHOCKS. SAILING VESSEL'S EXPERIENCE  A violent earthquake tremor, followed by more tremors at intervals of several hours, was experienced in the Pacific Ocean by the four-masted barquentine "S. F. Tolmie", which arrived at Brisbane on Saturday from Vancouver. It was on February 21st last, in calm and clear weather, when the officers were aroused from their sleep at 4.35 AM by a shock. At first they thought the vessel had struck a submerged rock and immediately rushed on deck. The tremor lasted about 20 seconds. It was accompanied by a roar similar to that caused by a heavy squall of wind. Thc vessel shook from stem to stern, the crockery rattled, and below could be heard the sound of the ship's timbers creaking and straining. The surface of the sea was very much disturbed. At short intervals four more tremors were felt, but no damage was done. A good lookout was kept for any heavy seas or seismic nave, but none was observed.  (link)

1923_Dec_??:   SUBMARINE DISTURBANCE SHAKES LINER, Auckland (N.Z.), Dec, 20. The day after leaving Panama on tho voyage from London to Auckland, the liner Rangitata steamed into a submarine disturbance, which shook the vessel violently for 30 seconds. It ls thought that the disturbance was connected with the South American earthquake. The Rangitata was in deep water. There was no alarm among the passengers. (trolink)

1926_Aug_28:  Here's an long article all about seaquakes published in a New Zealand Evening Post, Volume CXII, Issue 51, 28 August 1926, Page 12. It should be MUST READING for all marine mammal experts. Tidbits extracted from this article: {If an earthquake is accompanied by such unpleasant results, what must be the effect of a seaquake? First comes a deep rumbling sound, then a series of shocks, under which the ship trembles or seems suddenly to stop as if it had run aground, says the Melbourne, Australia "Age." Perhaps after a number of shocks the ship appears to slide over a shoal and resume her course. On the morning of the San Francisco earthquake a ship some way off experienced heavy shocks as if she had struck bottom three times and then slipped over a shoal. The weather was quite calm and the sea' perfectly smooth. In the same region and about the same time another steamer "seemed to jump clear out of the water, the engines raced fearfully, as though the shaft or wheel had gone, and then a violent trembling fore and aft and sideways, reminding me of running full speed against a wall of ice." That is how a chief engineer described his experience.} (link)  

1926_Aug_30: Here's a similar newspaper article published in 1926 revealing how seaquakes affect ships. Excellent article that should be read by all marine mammal experts.  (link)

1924_May_30:  Twelve distinct earthquake shocks were felt by seamen on the full-rigged sailing ship "Monkbarns" during a passage from Iquique (Chile) to Melbourne, where she arrived on Monday with 3,000 tons of nitrate. The first and last of the shocks which occurred on May 30, were the strongest.  At the time there was a strong wind and a rough sea, but four hours later the sea had increased to such an extent that the ship was plunging heavily. During the shocks the ship was violently shaken. (somewhere in the Pacific Ocean) (link) 

1923_Jun_17:    In mid-ocean on the night of June 17, which was by a coincidence the day of the first violent eruption of Mount Etna, a severe earthquake shock was felt by the crew of the barque Cathgarry, which reached Sydney today after a voyage of 90 days from Callao. The vessel was in latitude 20.40 south, longitude 171.52 west. "At 9 o'clock at night," said Captain Roberts, "we experienced a heavy earth quake shock, and there was a low, rumbling noise. The ship trembled all over for about two minutes, as if bumping on a reef. All hands rushed on deck thinking that the vessel was ashore. Soundings were taken immediately, but at a depth of 20 fathoms there was no bottom. Next day nothing was seen to account for the disturbance, and no more tremors were felt for the rest of the trip." (weblink)

1922_Dec_28:    Captain J. Vellenoweth, of the Union Steam Ship Company's steamer Kaitangata, underwent a strange  experience. When the steamer was six miles off Lyttelton Heads (near Christchurch) a sensation was felt similar to that of the vessel being changed from full speed ahead to full speed astern. There was a bumping as though the stern had grazed a sandbank, the whole ship beng shaken and the masts quivering. It was at first thought that a serious mishap had occurred in the engine-room, but it soon became apparent that all the ship was experiencing was a strange phenomenon of an earthquake at sea.(link)

1922_Jan_31: Two ships report same violent seaquake encounter. Scared crews thought their ships had run aground.  The schooner "Hartwood" was 20 miles offshore of Eureka, California; the cod fisher "Golden State" was offshore of Point Arena, 140 miles south of the "Hartwood" yet they both report the same seaquake. (link)  

1917_Jan_??:  EARTHQUAKE SNAPS SHIPS PROPELLER A submarine earthquake which lasted for 48 seconds and was so violent that it snapped a blade off the ship's propeller, was reported by Captain Van Wyck Juriasse of the Dutch liner Tjikembang, on his arrival at San Francisco from Batavia (now Jakarta). The steamer was out one day from Nagasaki, Japan, steaming at 14 knots through a smooth sea when a shock was felt as if the liner had struck a submerged rock. Then the shaking started. The ship was shaken, said the skipper, like a rat in the teeth of a terrier, shaken until all on board feared she would fly to pieces. Panic seized the Oriental crew and the steerage passengers and the cabin passengers made frantic efforts to launch a lifeboat. Calm was restored when the vibrations ceased, but the Tjikembang had to limp all the way to Hong Kong, where she was dry-docked and another propeller shipped. (Marlborough Express, Volume LI, Issue 45, 22 February 1917, Page 3) (pplink)

1917_Oct_25:   THE LOST STEAMER MATUNGA. A "SUBMARINE DISTURBANCE." Sydney, October 25. Wreckage brought to Sydney from the islands has been identified as part of the missing steamer Matunga, and confirms the theory advanced some weeks ago that the vessel was lost with all hands. It is believed the vessel was lost as a result of a submarine disturbance.  (trolink)

1913_Jan_19:  STEAMER'S PASSENGERS STARTLED. The Norddeutscher Lloyd liner Scharnhorst, while crossing the Indian Ocean en route to Australia on 19th January, vibrated violently from end to end with a shock resembling that given if the engines had been run full speed astern. The startled passengers rushed on to the deck, and found the ship proceeding as usual in a delightfully calm sea in clear moonlight. The shock was explained as being due to a submarine earthquake. It lasted 45 seconds.  (link)

1913_Feb_26:   STEAMER SHAKEN FROM STEM TO STERN. Wellington, February, 25. Minor earthquakes have occurred at frequent intervals at Westport South Island, from Saturday to this afternoon, the longest interval being from 8 o'clock on Monday morning till 11.30 on Monday night. Much alarm was caused in the collieries, but nobody was injured. The miners, however, describe the scene on Saturday as pandemonium let loose. The steamer Kato when off Westport on Saturday was lifted by a submarine dis- turbance and shaken from stem to stern. The captain believed that the centre of the seismic disturbance was out to sea.    (trolink)

1919_Aug_02:  Six large battleships of the US Navy's Pacific Fleet were shaken severely by a double earthquake at 4:18 pm twenty miles off the coast of Colima, Mexico. The USS New Mexico trembled from bow to stern as if she had struck an uncharted reef. fleet_seaquake.pdf

 

1910_May_??:  Tho Canadian Pacific Royal mail liner Marama, whilst passing through the (Fiji Islands) group on her present trip to Vancouver, encountered a severe marine disturbance, or a submerged obstacle Steps are being taken to have soundings made in the vicinity.  (torlink)

1910_Sept_13: The missionary schooner "George Brown" reports that on September 13, when near Suva (Fuji Islands) she experienced a severe submarine disturbance. The weather was calm and the ship vibrated from end to end for several minutes.   (link)

1910_Dec_00:  Frightful volcanic eruption 600 miles east of St Johns, Newfoundland. (link)

1907_Jan_31:    PECULIAR EXPERIENCE AT SEA. A submarine disturbance caused some alarm on board the barque Largo Bay on her passage from Glasgow to Sydney.  She arrived in Sydney on Friday last, and the captain reported that when about 90 miles to the eastward of Tasmania, at 5 p.m. on the 31st ult., a peculiar sensation was experienced by those on board. The officers were at dinner, the weather at the time being fine, with a moderate breeze, when suddenly the ship began to vibrate. All hands, fearing the worst, rushed on deck, but nothing was visible likely to cause the shock. Some of the crew were of opinion that the vessel had passed over a submerged wreck but the captain stated the cause of the incident was nothing more than a submarine disturbance. The shock lasted nearly two minutes.  (trolink)

1907_Sep_07: The barque "Onyx," experienced an Earthquake on September 7th at latitude 23.30 south by longitude 162.20 east in the southern Cook Islands. (link) 

1908_May_26:  The barque "Pallas" had a remarkable experience in the Samoan Islands.  The vessel shook and quivered in a calm sea, and was then lifted bodily out of the water and slammed down with a severe bump. The vessel shook like a leaf. (link)

1908_Aug_17:  The captain of the bark Australia reports shock of an earthquake on August 17 while over the Chile Ridge in the South Pacific Ocean about 1,000 miles off Valdiva, Chile. It started with a low rumbling sound, which increased until shouted orders could not be heard, and the vessel trembled and seemed suddenly to stand still. A loud grating sound succeeded as if the ship was crashing into rocks.  (link) 

1908_Sep_25:   FATALITIES ON A STEAMER. The steamer "Radames" of San Francisco was suddenly lifted up and let down hard by seaquake off Acapulco. The falling of spars, caused by the vibration, killed four and injured two of the ship's company.  (link)

 

1908_Dec_04:  REMARKABLE EXPERIENCE OF A KETCH. Auckland, 4th December. The auxiliary ketch "Albatross" had a remarkable experience at Ohiwa on Sunday night and evidently felt the disturbance of the Whakatane earthquakes. The experiences of the crew on the Sunday night were graphically described by one of their number to a Star representative : "The first heavy shock came just as we had got into bunk, on Sunday night," he said, "and it startled us considerably to feel the boat bumping about alongside the wharf on. a calm night. Between Sunday night and Tuesday there must have been about a dozen shocks, but nothing further of much account happened until Tuesday. Just about breakfast time I was looking over the side at the time to see if there was enough water for us to get out. Then all of a sudden the boat lurched heavily on the water and began to rock violently. The wharf seemed to me looking up at it to be coming right down on the ship. The vessel creaked loudly and everything on board was badly jerked about. There were no more shocks until we left."  (link)

1907_May_31:    SUBMARINE DISTURBANCE, AUCKLAND, Monday.  While the barque Drammensteren, from Malden Island, was in latitude 21deg  32m south, and longitude 173deg 23m west, on May 31, the vessel was shaken from stem to stern by a sudden shock, her way being stopped for several minutes. A loud report was heard in the distance.  It is supposed that the cause was a violent submarine disturbance, due to volcanic activity.  (trolink)

1906_Feb_??: A passenger on board the steamer Norkoowa which arrived from the Solomon Islands yesterday gave information concerning an earthquake. He stated he left  Syndney in the schooncr "Eugene" for the Solomon Islands on the 22nd January and when off Marau Sound an earthquake happened giving off a noise and sensation as if the vessel had struck the bottom. Soundings were made and showed a great depth of water making it impossible for the vessel to have touched. (link)

1906_Apr_14:  Ship "Andre Theodore" was violently tossed about for 45 seconds on the afternoon of April 14 while steaming south of Australia. (doclink)

1904_Aug_09:  The barque Alma, from Malden Island, which arrived at Timaru yesterday, reports that a very severe earthquake was felt at 41 degrees 37 minutes south, 176 degrees 50 minutes east, being 75 miles east by north from Cape Palliser, at half past ten a.m. on 9 August.  140 miles SE of Wellington, New Zealand  (link

1902_Jul_20: British steamer "Homer" and German bark "Christine" both experience a severe earthquake shock in latitude 39 degrees north, longitude 36 degrees west. The shock, which caused the Homer's compasses to revolve violently, lasted forty seconds. Near Albany Seamount, 200 miles west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. (link)

1902_Aug_13:  Whaling vessel Alice Knowles reports a tremendous earthquake that stirred the sea into a commotion, and violently shook the ship. The surface was boiling and a deep detonation was heard on all sides. The whaler was located 209 miles off the Kuruie Islands,on the coast of Siberia.  (link)

1901_Feb_06: A violent earthquake threw the steamer "Guatemala" party out of the water and caused the vessel to tremble from stem to stern for at least a minute off the coats of Ecuador during her latest trip. (link)

1900_Jun_22:  Sydney, July 4. News from New Caledonia' states that some divers of the warship Ringarooma had a sensational experience when torpedo practice was being carried out at the New Hebrides on June 22. A torpedo was lost in 17 fathoms of water, and a diver was sent down to recover it. He had not disappeared beneath the surface more than a minute when he tugged the lifeline to be pulled up. He was bleeding from the ears, and nose, and he explained that there was a volcano underneath, and that the water was boiling hot. Another diver volunteered to get the torpedo, and he came up more suddenly than the first. A third man went down, with the same results, and. further attempts to recover the torpedo, which was valued at £250, were given up. Some submarine disturbance had apparently taken place.  (trolink)

1900_Sept_??: The mail steamer Coptic was off the coast of Japan, when a very heavy earthquake was felt. "The sea became suddenly ruffled, and we could see great mountains of water all about us. Suddenly the Coptic was in a turmoil, and there was every evidence that an earthquake was in progress. I was standing at the bow of the vessel at the time. A great sea came over, and I was swept away towards 'midships, receiving some bad bumps on the way." (link)

1899_April_02:  An earthquake at sea is an awesome sensation. The American barque "Refus E. Wood" felt the shock when on her voyage from Sydney to San Francisco. The captain says that the earthquake happened on April 2, when the vessel was near North Island, New Zealand in latitude 33deg. south, and longitude 180deg. west. There were several shocks, with little intervals between them. It was thought at first that the vessel had struck a sunken rock; the watch below came tumbling up, and all hands made a rush to stand by the boats. The vessel trembled and shook while the earthquake continued, and for some minutes afterwards terror reigned supreme on the barque's decks. (link)  

1897_May_03:  The British schooner "Zoe" reports that on May 3rd, 1897 a heavy earthquake shock was felt lasting 30 seconds. Above mid-ocean ridge in the North Atlantic north of the Azores.  (link)

1897_Dec_13:  The "Queen of the South" when about three miles north of Kapiti Island, off the west coast of North Island, New Zealand felt the shock on Wednesday morning, the sensation experienced being as if the vessel was grating over rocks. All the gear rattled as if the boat had been shaken of some giant hand.   (link)

1894_Feb_03:   Captain C. G. F. Peterson, of the schooner Sailor Boy, reports that at 12.50 p.m. 3rd February, 1894, when in lat. 41'25N long. 129'0 W, he felt three distinct shocks of earthquake. The disturbance lasted altogether 30 seconds. Wind calm, light rain. Several reports of submarine disturbances have been received from vessels sailing in this locality.  (trolink)

1894_Sept_10: The schooners "Lila" and "Mattie", from Coquille River (Oregon) and Excelsior from Redfish Bay (Oregon), had an exciting experience on September 10, when about 35 miles south-west of Shelter Cove (California). They were caught in tremendous seas occasioned by an earthquake at sea, and for several hours battled the waves that threatened to swamp them. The sea was perfectly calm, and not a breath of air was stirring. Suddenly the vessels commenced to rook violently. On board the Excelsior the crew were much frightened and could not refrain from showing their anxiety. The sailors of the Lila and Mattie were likewise much wrought up over the phenomenon. The ocean commenced to rise in angry cross-seas, though the wind did not blow. The vessels were tossed about wildly, their spars rattling in their steps in a dangerous way. For nearly an hour the heavy seas continued to break, and for some time after that the water was by no means calm. The actual shock lasted only thirty seconds.  (link-see column 7)

1893_Feb_13:   The steamer Wainui felt shock of earthquake while crossing Cook Strait. The hull trembled violently, and there was a noise and a feeling as if the vessel had struck and was bumping over rocks. (link)

1892_July_03:  A long story about a ship becalmed in the south Atlantic during a horrendous disturbance on the seafloor. Suddenly a whale, with its belly rent open, floats to the surface. All of a sudden the ship was trembling so severely. . . "By heaven!" exclaimed the captain, after taking a long look, "it must be a whale, or some fish as big as a whale, killed by the explosion!". The light was faint, plentiful as the stars were, and it was difficult to make out more than the vast mass of shadow the thing made close under our stern....... Now. when the dawn came, what we saw, hanging in the same spot where it had arisen, was the body of a great whale, "fin-out" as the whalers say, with its belly rent in the strangest manner, as though 15 feet of him had been clumsily gashed. It wouldn't make a pretty picture to describe the sight. You can realize what mutilation means when the carcass is half the size of the ship it floats alongside of. There were three or four sharks at work upon it, plunging their frightful teeth into the mass, and worrying the water with their dragging and tearing into little circles of foam. The hot sun coming up—hot do I call him?—roasting, 1 should say, with quick putrefying powers in every hour of his broiling light, made the dead whale a thing to be got away from as fast as possible. In the Atlantic Ocean somewhere near the equator at the mid-oceanic ridge. (link)

1892_July_30: About 7 o'clock in the evening the crew of  "Pilotboat No. 10" were suddenly startled by a noise which seemed to come from directly underneath. First it had a grating sound, and then it seemed as if the metal sheathing of the hull was exposed to a submarine hailstorm. The sharp rattling noise continued for about six seconds. The vibrations were steady, and, according to the pilot, were undoubtedly caused by an earthquake. Before the crew had time to cease wondering at the subaqueous disturbance, their attention was demanded by a brilliant and startling display overhead. The heavens from zenith to horizon were suddenly  streaked by a rift of light,serpentine is shape and clearly defined. The light show lasted an hour. On the same date and at the same hour the same phenomenon was observed from the steamship "Trinacria", which was sixty miles distances from the pilotboat.   Near New York City? (link)

1891_April_07:  Captain Davies reports that a seaquake slammed into the British ship "Glonfinlas" of Liverpool while in the Indian Ocean, 800 miles west of the Great Sunda Islands. This event over mid-ocean ridge. (link)

1882_Dec_02:  Seaquake.—The captain of the Anerold, of Swansea, which arrived in St. Bride's Bay, near Milford, on Janary 8th, wind-bound, reported that on December 2nd, while on a voyage  from Porto Cabello with a cargo of copper ore, the sky became overcast, with a light drizzling rain, very littel wind, and a very high sea from the northward. At 6 p.m. it felt calm ; the ship got broadside on to the sea, rolling rails under water, and at 6.30 p.m. a very heavy shock of shock of seaquake was felt. It lasted for three minutes and the vessel trembled very much. The captain says he has never heard of any similar occurrence in that part of the world—viz , latitude 24.29 N., longitude 64.38S W.  (Otago Daily Times , Issue 6576, 13 March 1883, Page 2) (link)

1888_Jul_02:  The British steamship "Tyrian," Captain Haight, bound to Philadelphia from Glasgow, experienced an earthquake at sea on July 2 (or July 25).  The forward part of  the vessel was lifted high out of the water, while the stern was partly submerged. A second shock struck the vessel aft and amidships, where the full force of the water was felt. (link) also reported on July 22  1888_July_25   

1888_Dec_17: The master of the Norwegian barque "Alert", which arrived at Port Adelaide last week, reports that on the 17th December, when his vessel was in the Southern Ocean, she experienced a sea-quake. Three distinct shocks were felt by all on board, and the sea became strangely agitated. It was at first supposed that the vessel had struck something, but on referring to the chart she was found to be in from 1400 to 1600 fathoms of water. (link)

1886_Mar_06:   A sharp shock of submarine earthquake was felt on board the Sharpshooter, barque, bound from Eureka to Sydney, on March 6, lat. 40 49 N., Iong. 135 58 W.  (pplink)

1884_March_02: Captain Holt, of the ship "David Stewart", reports that on March 2, at 10:20 A. M., in Puerto Orchilla Harbor, in the Caribbean Sea 90 offshore of Caracas, Venezuela, he experienced a heavy shock of earthquake, and again at 4 A. M. on the morning of the 4th another, but slighter, shock.  (link)

1884_Dec_22: SUBMARINE DISTURBANCE. The following is an extract from the meteorological log kept by Captain R. J. Balderston on board the ship Belfast: On December 22, 1884, at about ten minutes to 3 a.m., local ship's time, or 21d. 1h. Gm., Greenwich mean time, the ship Belfast, of Liverpool, was shaken by an earthquake, which lasted from about 75 to 90 seconds. The vessel at the time was in latitude 34deg. 34min. north, and longitude 19deg 19min. west, the island of Madeira bearing true S.E., distant 145 miles. The shaking of the ship was accompanied by a loud rumbling noise, which, as heard from the cabin, resembled the sound which would be made by rolling of large empty iron tanks about the decks, but which, as heard from the upper deck and in the open air, was as that of not very distant thunder, and it appeared to fill the whole of the air. I did not hear the commencement of the thunderous sound, and cannot say on what compass bearing of the visible sky it commenced, but it traveled rapidly through the air, and towards the S.W. The vibration of the vessel and the noise were greatest during the first 50 or 60 seconds; the former then died gradually away and ended in the very faintest tremor, while the latter, as it travelled south-westward through the atmosphere died out with a low roar as it appeared to sink beyond the horizon. The helmsman found the steering wheel much shaken as he held it, and in the cabins and cookhouse tinware, crockeryware, and other light articles were rattled about. This little earthquake occurred three days prior to the comumencement of the earthquake which caused so much loss of life and property in Spain. Meteorological Office, October 9. (trolink)

1883_Oct_03:  Steam-ship "International" experiences severe shock while near many seamounts in the Sargosa Sea ~1,350 miles east of New York City.   (link)

1882_Feb_15:   Bark Clyeder experiences shock of earthquake while over the mid-ocean ridge system. (link)

1881_Oct_04:   The Loss of the Koning Der Nederlanden. The following particulars of the loss of the above vessel have been received by the owners at Amsterdam, in a letter from the chief officer of the ship: — On 4th October we were steaming under pretty favorable circumstances, a light southerly breeze, with a heavy south-east swell, which had no effect, however, on the working of the engines. In the evening at about a quarter to nine, the engines were, on a sudden, heard to race violently, accompanied by a frightful rumbling noise, and bumping in the stern part of the vessel, which I can best compare to a seaquake or the striking of a coral reef. The engines were stopped as soon as possible— I may say; suddenly; and the chief engineer, after making an inspection, declared that the propeller shaft was broken, the water-tight bulkheads strained, the coverings of the metals in the peak and tunnel broken, and the main boss pushed forward about an inch and a half. By this straining a quantity of water rushed into the aft peak and bold, but not as much as was afterwards found in the magazines over the peak, which immediately after the accident were, half-filled, while the water in the peak had not reached the main shaft. From this the chief engineer concluded that the propeller boss was broken, or else that the sternpost was strained, or both. Meanwhile, all small sluices and doors of the watertight bulkheads had been closed, the steam and hand exhaust pumps set to work, and as soon as it was ascertained that the shaft was broken it was disconnected, and the engines got ready to try and keep the ship afloat by means of the bilge circulation. At about half-past ten the engines were started, at first with success, but it soon became apparent they would not be able to keep it up a long time, owing to several parts being strained. The captain and chief engineer attempted, in the gig, to inspect the broken aft parts, and discover whether the shaft was broken outside the boss or whether a.hole had been made in the ship, but the high sea and darkness prevented this. It appeared' to them that... (link)

1879_Jan_01:  A shock of  earthquake at sea was experienced during the voyage of the "Thomas Brown" from Foo-chow to Melbourne As the vessel was passing Singapore on the Ist ult., at 7 p.m. a strange sensation, as if she was trembling and shaking all over, was experienced for the space of 15 seconds. The vibration was of a peculiar character, and caused some astonishment on board. The weather at the time of the occurrence was tine and mild.       (link) 

1875_Jun_04:  The ship "Hamilton" of Boston experienced severe earthquake shocks at 3 am on the 4th of June 1875 while sailing near Barbados. The ship trembled and shook exactly as if she was bumping over a sand bar, and the sea ran heavier and heavier. Then there was a heavy shock as if the ship had run square into the dock, and then everything was quite.    (link)

1871_Mar_23:  The Nelson Colonist says, the captain of the ship "Euterpe," arrived at Bombay, reports having experienced two shocks of earthquake at sea, in lat. 3 deg. N., long. 55 deg. 33 min. E., on March 23. The ship had a tremulous motion, as though grinding over a hard bottom.  (link)

1871_Aug_19:  An earthquake at sea was experienced on board the brig "Victory", while on her passage from Calcutta to Melbourne. It occurred on the 19th of August, in 4 deg. 47 min. South, and 98 deg. 36 min. east, at about halfpast eight o'clock at night. The position above would place the vessel a short distance off the Island of Sumatra. There was a fine breeze at the time, the speed of the vessel being about seven knots, and the water was very smooth. The shock shook the vessel all over, and for about thirty or forty seconds felt to those on board as if traveling over a pebbly bottom. (link)

1870_Mar_29:  Washington, May 23 - Commander Nicholson, of the United States steamer "Benecia", in a report dated the 24th, at Rio de Janerio, mentions that on the evening of the 29th of March, 9:55, while at about latitude 01-28S, longitude 24-40W, two very distinct shocks of an earthquake were felt. The ship was heading south south -west, one-half west, when two large meteors were observed, one falling to the zenith from the south-east, the other from near the star  Compas to the west. Immediately afterward the two shocks were felt, the first lasted about four seconds and the other about three. The vibrations were distinctly felt, and were accompanied by a noise resembling thunder. The sky was clear at the time excepting a low bank of cumulus clouds in the SW. Soon after a thick haze obscured the horizon. (New York Times, May 24, 1870

1870_Oct_31:   A shock of submarine earthquake was felt by those on board the schooner Amateur from Newcastle for Lyttelton, at 8.20 a.m on the 31st ult. The shock is described as being a strong one, and as lasting for three or four seconds, the direction being east and west. The vessel was about fifteen miles distant from the Kaikouras, South Island NZ, at the time. We have not heard of any corresponding shock having been felt on the land. (pplink)

1869_Dec_25:  The barque "Adeline Burke", which arrived at Lyttelton from Newcastle a few days ago, experienced a severe shock of "seaquake" at 4.52 p.m. on Christmas Day. The shock, which appeared to travel from NE to SW lasted for four or five seconds, and is said to have been accompanied by a tumbling sound resembling distant thunder. It caused the vessel to tremble and shake with a force almost equal to that of going over a reef of rocks, the rudder especially, being shaken with great violence. The barque was, at the time not far from, the West Cape, (South Island, New Zealand) and the weather was very tempestuous, the waves being described as " perfect mountains," and coming up from the N.E. (link)

1869_Dec_25:   A few weeks since we mentioned that a severe shock of seaquake was experienced by the barque Adeline Burke on Christmas Day while near the West Cape (South Island, New Zealand). From the Newcastle papers we learn that the shock was also felt by the barques Union and Indus, in Foveaux Strait. The Chronicle of the 12th nlst says:—"Captain Stephenson, of the barqueUnion, from Otago, reports as follows : At five o'clock p.m., on the 25th December, when off Solander Island in Foveaux Strait south of North Island, position about 20 to the N.E, felt three smart shocks of an earthquake in succession, duration about 30 seconds. The weather was cloudy and the barometer low. The shock came from the southward. The barque Indus, which was in company and about half a mile distant, also felt the shocks." As the shock appears to have been a very violent one, Captain Blake of the Adeline Burke stating that it caused that vessel " to tremble and shake with a force almost equal to that of going over a reef of rocks," it is possible that the rock on which the Laughing Water struck, and which is situated in what was formerly supposed to be deep water, may have been raised by its agency. It is also worthy of notice that a shock was felt at the same time at Cromwell and Queenstown (150 miles inland at the center of South Island). At the former place it lasted for a minute, and was described by a local paper as "a rather long and continuous wave of earthquake, rather than a shock" and at Queenstown, where earthquakes are of common occurrence, it attracted attention on account of the length of its duration.   (link)   

1868_Jun_??:  Those who arrived on the ship Rose of Australia, from Newcastle, New South Wales, which arrived at San Francisco, on 27th June, report that shortly after passing between Curtis and Macauley Islands, of the Kermadec group, in latitude 30 degrees south, longitude 179 degrees east, they experienced a severe shock of an earthquake, which lasted about four seconds and was accompanied by a low rumbling sound. Those on board thought the vessel had grounded. Another, but slighter shock was felt about seven hours after the first.    (link)

1868_Aug_17:  The barque "Hera" on her voyage from San Francisco, experienced two smart shocks of an earthquake in latitude 12 degrees N.; longitude 145 degrees 21 minutes W., on the 17th of August (1868), which appeared as if the vessel had struck a rock. Ship located 825 miles SE of Hawaii. (link).

1868_Sept_01:  In long. 110-20 W., lat. 19" S., on the 1st September, in the direct line of the Panama steamers, the barque Prospector experienced a severe shock of seaquake, which violently shook the ship as if she had struck the ground. A number of minor "shock" were felt for several days afterwards. (link)

1868_Sep_11:  Shocks of Earthquake at Sea. — The ship Broughton, which arrived at San Francisco from Glasgow, on the 2nd of October, felt several shocks of earthquake at sea, of which the captain gives the following account:— "On September 11, in lat. 20.15 north. long. 123.22 west, the vessel encountered a shock of earthquake. Again on September 18, in lat. 30.21 north, and long 123' west, the officers and crew felt a trembling, as if the vessel had grounded; and at ten o'clock the same night a fog arose, being clear overhead, accompanied with a smell of fire. This continued all night. At nine a m , September 19, the fog cleared off, but the smell continued some time after. Again, in lat. 34.23 north, long. 121.42 west, the air had the same smell as of fire. The weather was clear at the time, with a heavy sea running."      (link)

1867_Oct_05:  Earthquake at Sea. — The Weekly Express, of the 5th, says : — "The shock of an earthquake was felt on Tuesday evening last, on board the Lord Ashley, half-way between the Bay of Plenty and the Mercury Islands. The weather looked threatening, and the wind was coming from the N.E.  (link)

1862_May_23: Captain King of the "Black Swan" which arrived at Port Chalmers, from London, last evening, reports having, when at sea in lat. 48 ° 59' - South, and long. 127° 05' East, on the 23rd May distinctly felt the shock of an earthquake which shook the ship violently, a peculiar sound being at the same time Heard as if the vessel were grating over the bottom. It would be interesting to know whether any similar phenomena have been observed by the masters of any other vessels in the Southern Seas about the same time. This event above mid-ocean ridge. (link)

1875_Jun_19:  Whilst on the voyage from Sourabaya to Queenstown, the barque "Yanikale" experienced severe shocks from a submarine earthquake. Her position at the time was lat. 40 S., long. 23 W., date June 19th. Four shocks were felt, the first being the most severe, lasting three minutes. The barque shook and trembled as if she had struck ground.  (pplink) 

1878_Apr_17:   According to the New York Post of April 24, the ship Pacific, at that port from New Orleans, reported that on the 17th April, at 8.45 pm., latitude 27° 28' N., longitude 79° 28' (55 miles east of Ft Pearce, Florida), with a sea perfectly smooth, felt several shocks of an earthquake. It commenced with a noise like distant thunder, and kept increasing until it sounded like a heavy cannonade some few miles away. About the fourth or fifth shook was so heavy it shook the ship all over, as if she had struck the bottom, causing all the window panes to rattle and shake ; and it seemed as if someone was rolling a large empty cask about the deck. The shocks lasted about 12 or 15 minutes, but there was but one heavy one. The day had been very sultry, and the sky had a very strange appearance at sunset. The earthquake, or rather the sound of, was in a north and east direction from the ship. There was no swells or aftershocks, but, on the contrary, the sea remained perfectly smooth.   (link)     (link)

1868_Sept_18:   The Seaquake was very severe off Cape Farewell on the night of the 18th ult. The brig "Deva" was running 7 knots at the time, and it brought the ship up stationary. According to the captain's statement, sue appeared to be running over some rough rock, and the shock to the ship was something fearful. Everyone on deck was taken off their feet; every lamp in the ship was put out, glasses all shattered to pieces, whilst every timber in the vessel appeared to be tearing asunder. The shock lasted about a minute. — Dunedin Star, (link)

1867_Oct_01:   Earthquake at Sea. — The Weekly Express of the 5th says : — "The shock of an earthquake was felt on Tuesday evening last, on board the "Lord Ashley", half-way between the Bay of Plenty and the Mercury Islands. The weather looked threatening, and the wind was coming from the N.E.  (Wellington Independent, Volume XXII, Issue 2587, 22 October 1867, Page 4) (link)

1865_Jul_16:   Capt. P. E Lawson, of the barque Viking, of Sunderland reports that on the 16th ult., at 2 p. m., while in latitude 36° 18' north, and longitude 2° 32' west, (which position is in the Mediterranean 165 nautical miles east of Gibraltar, opposite the Bay of Almeria) he experienced a severe shock of an earthquake, as though the ship had taken a shoal of rocks ; and so severe was it that the vessel was shaken with great violence, and everything on board was similarly effected. This lasted above five minutes, when the shock subsided, and the vessel resumed her course, nothing the worse for the severe shaking she had undergone. The weather at the time was beautifully fine, and the water remarkably clear.—Record Newspaper, Aug. 21, 1865.  (link)

1865_Nov_17: The ship Orient, 1032 tons, Capt. John Harris, the arrival of which with a cargo of wool has already been announced, and which sailed from Adelaide Nov. 10, brings the report that on Friday, ~Nov. 17, at 7.15 a.m., when in lat. 51°, 44' S. and long. 160°, 49', * with a moderate wind from N.N.W., and a clear sky, the ship commenced ringing the bells and trembling violently, as if she were passing over a rough bottom in shallow water. In an instant all was confusion on board, as the crew and passengers thought she was settling down. The violent trembling lasted two or three minutes, with nothing visible. Sounded the pump well and found no water; and sounded over the ship's side with the deep sea lead, but found no bottom. The conclusion arrived at by all on board was, that the ship had experienced the effects of a submarine volcano.—Morning Advertiser, Feb. 16, 1866. (link)

1860_Apr_09:   The brig African reports having experienced a violent shock of an earthquake at midnight 9th of April when 30 miles from Port au Prince. On the night of the10th she experienced a similar shock. (doclink)

1860_Aug_05:  Earthquake at Sea.—The schooner Progress, Captain Warre, belonging to Messrs. Shilson and Son, from Rio Grande, with bone ash, which arrived at Plymouth, reports that on the 5th of August, at half-past one p.m. in lat. 01.11 north, long. 28.40 west, St. Paul's Rocks (supposed to be volcanic) being 43 miles west, the effects of an earthquake were experienced. It appeared as if the vessel was launching or grating over a bank of'stones. The plates on the cabin table shook, and all hands ran aft, panic-struck, declaring that the ship was on the rocks, which was impossible for there was a heavy swell running, which would have soon made a complete wreck of her. On looking over the side, the master observed that the water was in no way discolored. The movement continued about three minutes. (Colonist, Volume IV, Issue 340, 22 January 1861, Page 3) (link) 

1858_Apr_24: The Danish ship Hilalaya, which arrived at this port on the 15th inst., from Valparaiso, reports that on the third day out, April 24, in latitude 28° 54' S., longitude 75° 59' W., at 7 a.m,, at the distance of about 800 miles from land, a severe shock of an earthquake was felt, which lasted about 25 seconds. The ship trembled as if large casks were rolling over the deck.   (link)

 

1858_Apr_??: Two ships, one 100 miles distance, the other 200 miles away, reported the same earthquake as experienced by the Hilalaya above. "The ship Gladiator, which arrived, reports having in the latitude of Coquimbo, experienced the shook of an earthquake. The brig Globe also reports having felt the same 200 miles at sea." (link)

1852_Jan_01: US Navy sloop-of-war, "Falmouth" hit by seaquake near Vancouver Island. The ship shook and trembled violently. Ship located in seismic zone ~80 miles from Endevour Seamount.  (link)

1852_Dec_21:   Captain Gardner of the vessel "A J Kerr" reports a severe shock at lat. 9-46 S, and long.104-15 E at 1 am in which the ship trembled violently for about 3 minutes. (doclink)

1850_Dec_16:  At 1:30 am, whaling ship "Messenger" (38S-96W 838 miles west of Chile) reports fearful tremling and heaving of the water. Ship "trembling and shaking awfully." Three shocks.  (American & Commercial Daily Advertiser - Sep 8, 1851) (link)  

1847_Oct_27: A phenomenon, which was nearly attended by the most disastrous consequences, lately occurred in the Black sea. An Austrian steamer, of Lloyd's company, the "Stomdoul", was proceeding to Constantinople, in a calm state of the weather, and was within an hour's distance of Synope, when suddenly the sea opened under it, assuming the form of a vast tunnel : the waves, in closing, covered it almost entirely, swept the deck, and did the most serious damage. The shock was so violent that several leaks were sprung ; and the vessel was some time in recovering itself from this terrible pressure and getting fairly afloat again. It rose, however, after some pitching; but injured to such an extent, that if another shock had taken place it would inevitably have been lost, ship and cargo. It was with the greatest difficulty that it reached the port of Synope to refit ; after which it proceeded to Constantinople, where it arrived safe and sound. Those who were witnesses of this accident thought at first it might have originated in an earthquake ; but nothing of the sort has occurred elsewhere. It must be admitted that some submarine dislodgment opened under the ribs of the vessel an abyss into which the waves rushed, and in this way they formed a gulf, in which she narrowly escaped being smashed and up. (New Zealand Spectator and Cook's Strait Guardian, Volume IV, Issue 234, 27 October 1847, Page 3) (link)

1843_Jun_26:  During the terrible earthquake which destroyed the rich and populous town of Pointe ou Pitre, on the Island of Guadaloupe, in 1843, the French war schooner "Juvencelle" happened to be within sight of the immense rock called Redondo, a very large fragment of which was seen to detach itself from the main body and plunge into the sea, which was boiling like a seething kettle. The Juvencelle, which had been going with a lead-trade wind at the rate of seven knots an hour, stopped suddenly, as if she had struck a rock, and was violently agitated far the space of half a minute, although at the time in 90 fathoms of water. The American brig Galen, of Portland, Me., was also violently affected, and it was some time before those on board could persuade themselves that the brig had not struck on some shoal or rock not laid down in the charts, although she proved to be in water so deep that no line on board could reach the bottom."-San Francisco Prices Current, June 26.  (link)

1839_Sept_27:  Submarine Volcano.—On the 27th of September, the ship Claudine, from Havre, being on the open sea, in 31° 41' north latitude, and 44° 30" west longitude, her crew felt a severe shock of earthquake, which lasted three quarters of an hour, by which the ship was violently agitated: two others less strong, then succeeded, interrupted by smaller shocks at intervals of from five to six seconds, frequently repeated. The noise accompanying each resembled that of thunder. The weather was fine and clear, and the sea tranquil, which did not appear to receive any peculiar impression. On the 9th of the following October, three small shocks were again felt at two in the afternoon, in 27° 37' north latitude, and 31° 7' west longitude. (link)

1835_Feb_12:   Earthquake At Sea.—Extract from a log-book of the James Cruikshank, Captain John Young, on her voyage from Demarara to London :—" Feb. 22, 1835. At 10h. 15m. a severe shock of an earthquake shook the ship in a most violent manner. Although it lasted about a minute there was no uncommon ripple on the water. It was quite calm at the time. Latitude 18 deg. 47 min. N.; longitude 61 deg. 22 min. W. Mid. calm and clear.  (link)

 

1835_Feb_20:  Effect of the Earthquake at Sea.—On the 20th February (1835), the same day that Conception, Chile, and nearby places were destroyed, Captain Townsend, in the whaling ship "Nile" of this port, was cruising for whales off the coast of Chili, in latitude 39° W. He felt the shock so sensibly that the spars and rigging over his head shook in such a manner that it was dangerous to stand under them. Thinking that the vessel had run aground, he immediately wore ship and hove the lead, but finding no bottom with twenty falhoms of line, concluded it was an earthquake. On a subsequent visit to Talcahuano, his suspicions were confirmed, in the desolation and ruin which that once thriving port, then presented; as also in the fact, that the water in the bay was five or six feet lower than the usual depth. Captain T. states that he has been on the coast of Chili a number of voyages during the same month, and thinks he never knew such a scarcity of whales, fish, and fowls, as in the present year. It is the general opinion that the earthquake has had a tendency to drive them from the coast. The shock was very sensibly felt by Captain Cotton, of ship Loper, 600 miles from land.—New Bedford Gazette.  (link) (Army and Navy Chronicle Volume 1, 1835)

1823_Feb_10:  Shock of an Earthquake at Sea.—On Sunday, February 10. 1823, at lh. 10'. P.M. the East India Company's ship Winchelsea, on her passage from Bengal to England, when in lat. 0.52° N. long, 85°. 33'. E. experienced a shock similar to that of an earthquake. Every individual was alarmed by a tremulous motion of the vessel, which gave a sensation as if it were passing over a coral rock, at the same time a loud rumbling noise was heard, similar to the rolling of a butt along the deck. The agitation and noise continued two or three minutes. The captain, being in the round-house, looked out at the stern windows, but saw no appearance of any shoal, though, had there been one, it must have been visible, for the water was clear and smooth, and the ship not going more than two knots an hour, it was considered out of soundings at the time. During the continuance of this phenomenon, there was no perceptible commotion in the sea, and the vessel was some hundred miles from any land. This remarkable phenomenon cannot be accounted for in any other manner than by referring it to some volcanic eruption, probably in one of the islands eastward of the bay of Bengal. (link)

1823_July_27:  Another instance of an earthquake being felt at sea, has been communicated to us by Capt. Miller, of the Layton. On the voyage from London to Bombay, on the 27th July last, the Layton being in S. lat. 35' 19", not far to the westward of Tristran d'Acunha, at halfpast eleven P.M., a shock of an earthquake was felt so strongly, that it awoke every person in the ship; it was a trembling motion, similar to that produced by a ship forcing its way over a wreck or a coral bed. The hands were turned up, and every part of the vessel examined, but no injury of any kind could be discovered; the trembling was accompanied with a hissing noise. On the following night, at about half past two, another and more violent shock was felt, which lasted a few seconds, but not so long as the first. On the 31st, in lat. 36' 51", the Layton having in the mean time run between five and six degrees to the eastward, the Dutch brig Phelentait, bound to Batavia, was spoken with, and her master reported that the first shock, but not the second, had been felt on board his vessel.—(Bombay Courier) (link)

1815_Nov_07:   (2 PM) Capt. Osgood reports severe shock of earthquake (1N-27-30W) duration one minute. Felt as if ship in contact with bottom made of large round stones.  American & Commercial Daily Advertiser - Apr 10, 1816 (link)

SCUBA DIVERS EXPERIENCE SEAQUAKES

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2006_July_26:     "A strange thing happened Thursday (26 July 2006). I was leading a dive around 10 am, when I heard some strange noises like explosions, and vibrations. I looked all around, and saw no boats overhead or anything weird. When I got back on board the boat, I asked if the navy or Coast guard had been doing anything around us. The Radio kicked on then, and said there had been an earthquake off Maui. Now I know what an earthquake sounds like underwater. Did anyone else have a similar experience?" (Aloha Turtleguy9)

2006_Sept._10:  "I just had that same sort of thing happen to me today (10 Sept. 2006)  in Gulf of Mexico off of Florida. I thought it might be a passing boat with loud boom box onboard. After finishing dives and going home found out there was a 6.0 quake 250 miles off the coast. We were out only about 20 miles or so. A lot of booming like thunder, followed shortly by shockwave that could be felt."  (Just Another Florida Diver - Brewone0to)  (5.8 earthquake report) 

2006_Oct_21:   "We were diving yesterday (21 October 2006)  in Atami at the point Bitagane. Water temp was 22 degrees, air temp about the same, sunny in the morning turning into cloudy conditions in the afternoon.  In the middle of the dive, we heard a loud noise, it seemed to be an explosion. My dive buddy and I looked toward the surface, waiting for a ship to come down on our heads or to see sticks of dynamite being tossed into the water (i.e. like in the Philippines)... We surmised that it was either an earthquake or perhaps some sort of explosion on Hatsushima Island, the possibility of earthquake much higher than explosion.  Anyone else experience such a phenomena?" (Mar Scuba, Tokyo, Japan) 

2006_Nov_24:  DIVER'S ACCOUNT OF BEING UNDERWATER DURING EARTHQUAKE: Sure, you awoke to teeth-shaking vibrations. Sure, your house shivered and rolled when an earthquake hit the Big Island Oct. 15. It was a 20-second adventure you'll remember for the rest of your life. But imagine being a scuba diver, deep underwater, when that 6.7 quake rumbled, when its huge sound shook the water all around you. When another 6.0 quake hit a few minutes later.

It roared "like there was a steam locomotive above us," says dive instructor Leo Trusclair. He was deeply involved - 85 feet deeply involved - on the far side of Molokini with four other divers at 7:07 that fateful morning. "We heard this sound, like giant pistons, louder and louder and louder. Vibrations hitting you from all around and they just keep getting louder and more intense and in the water, you don't know where sound is coming from. There is just this stunningly high volume and pressure. It felt like I had a plunger on each ear and someone was pulling and pushing out." Trusclair, raised in the Seattle area, says he is accustomed to earthquakes. He has survived shakers on a beach, in a parking lot, in the bedroom and on top of 20-story building. "But nothing like this," he says.

Another scuba instructor, Todd Winn, was 75 feet down with two novice scuba divers. Both Winn and Trusclair work with B&B Scuba in Kihei. Winn first thought a cruise ship was overhead and something was wrong with the engine. Winn signaled his students to stay put. They clung to each other, he says. He looked up and there was no ship, even as the sound grew louder vibrations began to shake his body. "There was a shaking in my chest like someone pounding on it," he remembers.

Winn noted a fine layer of silt kicking up from the sides of Molokini. Schools of fish that had been hovering overhead dove for the reefs and down into the coral. The sound increased until my ears were oscillating back and fourth, flexing. Sound travels four times faster in water than on air it carries a long way. As the roar subsided, Winn and his two students began making their way up the water column. Then the San Francisco native realized a tsunami might occur. He also realized being on a boat was a lot safer than being on shore. Being on a boat, he says, is absolutely best place to be, exactly where I want to be in a tsunami. On land the quake shakes buildings. Underwater, it shakes divers and fish. A third diver, William Makozak of Pro Diver, based in Kihei/Wailea, says the underwater quake was very physical, you felt it throughout your whole body."

Note: epicenter of this quake was 70 miles away from the divers and on the other side of an island. (link)  (link)

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