Totally off my normal topics but Friday will be a confluence of solar eclipse, spring equinox and perigree moon (when the moon is closest to the earth) History suggests that there could be a major earthquake or volcano somewhere in the world in the next few weeks, due to the extra gravitational stresses on the earth’s crust. I’m curious to see what will happen while hoping there is no further suffering caused if it does happen.
Update: 27/04/15
It isn’t only the tides which are effected by the moon, the entire earths crust also bulges slightly with the passage of the moon, not a huge amount, millimetres. A temporary increase in the force exerted on the earth’s crust can trigger already fragile areas. My point was that, the force on the Earth was temporarily increased beyond what is normal and as a result certain points in the earth’s crust, which were already fragile, were simply pushed over the edge. The tectonic plates all influence each other to a greater or lesser degree so even increased stress in a more stable area can ripple out and act on less stable areas.
It is terrible to see all the suffering caused by the earthquake in Nepal. Seismologist had recently concluded that the danger there was high but had not expected an earthquake to be imminent. My thoughts are with all the victims, one of so many tragedies happening around the world.
Russell Chapman 
A little more than a month after I wrote this, a surprising and major eruption happens in Chile http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/calbuco-volcano-first-eruption-in-almost-50-years-leads-to-evacuation-in-chile-10197308.html
The unstable west side of Teneriffe will one day fall into the Atlantic and cause many of us to drown in the resulting tsunami. Yellowstone will, sure as eggs, blast 12,000 cubic miles of the earth’s crust into the atmosphere to choke and freeze us. The earth is a living ball of intensely hot molten material with a thin and fragile floating crust, constantly destabilised and disrupted by the vast energy beneath. The earth has only been habitable for less than the past 10% of its total existence so far. The really surprising thing is that it is not an even more turbulent place.
You get yourself begat and you take your chance. Better to have lived and died than never to have lived at all. I have no idea what horrible end awaits me and I’m not going to waste my time thinking about it any more today.
The earth is a fragile unstable miracle. Let us rejoice in our good fortune that it is such a good home to us. That could all change in an instant so enjoy it as it is right now. We’re a long time dead.
I gave up astronomy at the age of eight because I was frightened at what I had read and learned. Seventy five years on I thank my good fortune to have been alive in the UK when I was and to have have sneaked across an 83 year time window (so far) almost unscathed. The rest will be a bonus. Age provides perspective and also desensitises. I now regret laying down my astronomy books and putting away my telescope.
Thanks for taking the time to write. I agree with you, we have a wonderful home despite the problems. Well done on making it this far Charlie 🙂
As I wrote originally, this isn’t a topic I usually touch on, I think you can see from the rest of my site where my interests lie. But knowing a bit about history and with the recent combination of astronomical events I felt sure something major would be triggered so I stuck my neck on the line and said something. I’ve worked in the middle of too many war zones to be afraid of what might happen but it doesn’t stop me from being interested in what happens.
It isn’t possible to be sad about everyone who suffers as a result of tragedy, that is the short cut to a short drop but I do care about people, after all we are all human beings.
By the way, if you haven’t already done so, why don’t you get yourself a telescope and pick up where you left off, you are the only one who can stop you, We are all in the gutter, but some of us can see the stars 🙂