- This article is about a natural disaster. You may be looking for Earthquake, a horse ridden by James T. Kirk.
An earthquake is a series of seismic waves resulting from the sudden release of energy within the tectonic plates of a planet's crust. The term "earthquake" is commonly used in reference to such seismic events on any planet, not just Earth, although the term planetquake can also be used. (Adventures RPG module: The Sciences Division, TOS novel: Serpents in the Garden)
History and specifics[]
Specifics[]
Earthquake levels are measured on the Richter scale. (TOS novel: Dark Victory, TNG novel: War Drums, SCE eBook: Past Life)
An offshore earthquake that significantly displaces ocean water can cause a tsunami. (TNG novel: War Drums, Adventures RPG module: The Sciences Division)
In the 2380s, an advanced structural geology class at Starfleet Academy taught earthquake mechanics. (Last Unicorn RPG module: Starfleet Academy Handbook)
When the USS Enterprise-B was caught in the Nexus, retired Starfleet Captain Montgomery Scott mentally likened the shaking of the vessel to an earthquake. (ST novel: Engines of Destiny)
Prediction[]
Seismographs and seismic probes monitor seismic activity. (TOS comic: "The Devil's Isle of Space", TNG novel: The Forgotten War)
The planetary sciences number in the technological/sociopolitical index assesses a culture's ability to deal with earthquakes. A "5" on the scale denoted basic earthquake prediction capability, which, for example, Iotians had achieved by 2271. (FASA RPG modules: Game Operations Manual, Another Piece of the Action)
Vulcans have an innate ability to sense impending earthquakes. [1] Cats and dogs also seem able to sense them, according to a statistical analysis of newspaper ads reporting numbers of lost pets shortly before a quake. [2] Genetically engineered jellyplants have been used to predict quakes on Elysium. [3] Weather and air quality tend to change prior to an earthquake, at least according to Charles Tucker III in 2153. [4]
Geologists can identify regions prone to earthquakes [5] as well as ways of reducing their severity. [6] By the 2150s, geologists were able to predict an eruption up to three weeks ahead with an accuracy of ten hours. [7] In 2267, terraformer Heston Prescott built an earthquake-warning device. [3] Occasionally an earthquake evaded prediction even in the 24th century, with research at Atlantis station at Isla del Fuego in the Atlantic Ocean serving to improve prediction efforts. [8]
Prevention[]
Pressure could be dissipated through controlled releases of magma. Centaurans on Alpha Centauri IV liberated seismic pressure through artificial volcanic-like vents. (TOS novel: Burning Dreams, Last Unicorn RPG module: Planets of the UFP)
By the 22nd century, structures in earthquake-prone San Francisco were fortified with billerite to absorb forces up to a magnitude of 6.5 on the Richter scale. [9] By the 2250s, California's San Andreas fault was stabilized [10] with seismic regulators installed within caverns along the fault [11] using Vulcan techniques that redirected energetic forces. [7] Additional seismic regulators were installed in 2368. [12]
In 2270, a method of redirecting earthquake epicenters was tested on Argo by the starship USS Enterprise using specially targeted detonations of photon torpedoes and phaser beam strikes. (TAS episode & Log Five novelization: The Ambergris Element)
Seismic regulators were also installed on Risa. (DS9 episode: "Let He Who Is Without Sin...")
Other causes[]
- Cosmic string [13]
- Dark matter [14]
- Deep-core mining [15]
- Engines providing axial spin to a planet [16]
- Forcefield power generator, simulating seismic waves [17]
- Genesis Wave [18] [19]
- Graviton emitter [13]
- Guardian of Forever [20] [21] [22]
- Hatching of a giant cosmozoan [23] [24]
- Iconian gateway locking onto a star, redirecting gravity into tectonic plates [25]
- Magnetic field reversal [26]
- Microsingularity [27]
- A moon's destruction [28]
- Multiple moon alignment [29] [30]
- Phaser or photon torpedo bombardment [31] [32] [33]
- Red matter exposure [10]
- Premature cooling of a planetary core [34]
- Sensor-bombs [35]
- Shedai Conduit [36]
- Stellar stress, disruption, or destabilization [33] [37] [38] [39]
- Tesseract effect from Spire network [40]
- Underwater concussive charge [41]
- Warp speed starship impact [42]
- Wormhole transit or gravimetric instability [43] [44]
Events[]
Historic earthquakes on Earth[]
- 8 October 1865, San Francisco [12]
- 18 April 1906 San Francisco Earthquake [45] [46] [47] [48]
- 14 November 1981, Aswan Dam, Egypt [49]
- 30 September 1993, Maharashtra, India (artificially induced by Vasily Hunyadi during the Eugenics Wars) [41] [50]
- 2005 San Andreas [51] [52]
- Great Victoria Earthquake, Vancouver, Canada [51]
- Gibraltar Locks, Nile River, Egypt [49]
- 2035 Tezqan, Peru [49]
- 2036 San Francisco [9]
- 2042 or 2142 Great San Andreas Quake [7]
- 2043 San Francisco [47]
- 2047 Hermosa Earthquake [53] [54]
- mid-21st century, Greater Quake [55]
- 2062 San Francisco [56] [55]
- 2109 San Francisco Earthquake [57]
- 2134 California [4]
- By 2153, Los Angeles [4]
- 2182 San Francisco [48]
- 2323 San Francisco [58]
- 2349 Great Alaskan Earthquake [59]
- 2353 Isla del Fuego, Atlantic Ocean [8]
Alternate realities[]
Notable earthquakes on Vulcan[]
Alternate realities[]
Notable earthquakes on other planets[]
- Arunu [64]
- Elarioh Saliwah cataclysm, Fillandia [65]
- Kartoof, Zondar [66]
- Age of Makto: T'Kon [67]
- 27,000 BC: B'hala, Bajor [68] [69]
- Prior to 22nd century: Dokaal [70]
- 2228: Elysium [3]
- 2250: Playamar [17]
- c. 2260s: Imprima [71]
- 2263: Buquair III [72]
- 2265: Erilon [73]
- 2266: New Boulder colony, Gamma Tauri IV [74]; Oordon [75]; Terrellian II [76]
- 2267: Ceti Alpha V [50]; Golmira [36]; Rimillia [16]
- late 2260s: Gateway [20] [21] [22]; Neural [77]
- 2268: Minara II [37]; Octavius IV [78]
- 2269: Nordstral [26]
- 2270: Aritani [79]; Argo [80] [81]
- 2273: Sherman's Planet [82]
- 2274: Argus IV [24]
- 2280: Belle Terre [83]
- 2281: Unnamed planetoid [1]
- 2285: Genesis Planet [84]
- 2286: R'o II [85]
- 2287: Pao'la [86]
- 24th century: Thesra, Thiopa [87]
- 2350s: Gamma Tobin [71]
- 2365: Lorca [88]
- 2366: Kirlosia, Kirlos [89]
- 2360s or 2370s: Sprague IX [90]
- 2368: Atropos [91]; Penthara IV [92]; Selva [93]
- 2369: ; Hyanth, Eloh [94]; Epictetus III [43]
- 2370: Rijar [35]
- 2371: Darane IV [31]; Veruna IV [95]
- 2372: Drenar IV [30]; Urrytha [96]
- 2373: Thallon [23]
- 2374: Kendra Valley, Bajor [44]
- 2375: Nyma IV [97]
- 2376: Evora [98]; Markania [25]
- 2377: Romulus [29]
- 2378: Tzenketh [34]
Alternate realities[]
- 2275: Zenith Colony, Benecia [13]
- 2366: Benecia City, Benecia [13]
- 2376: Yirgopolis, Keorga [99]
- 2285: Genesis Planet [100]
- 2380: Orisha [40]
- 2381: Andor [32]; Lejico, Ardana [101]; Sector 6837 planet [14]
Earthquake-prone locations[]
- Bersallis III [102]
- Blood Many homeworld [38] [103]
- Fourth planet's moon in Avan-aram system [104]
- Genesis Planet [105]
- Hellguard [106]
- Kendra Valley, Bajor [107]
- Khomi province, Na'nam, Vulcan [108]
- Mad Planet [109]
- Maxia Zeta III [101]
- Oblik III [110]
- Pelasht, Vulcan [111]
- Phaedra [112]
- Quake Moon, Belle Terre [38]
- Rakatan [113]
- Remus [114] [29]
- San Andreas fault, California, Earth [52] [7] [11] [115]
- Thalassa [116]
- Umrika's northern coast, Romulus [114]
- Uncharted planet, sector near Starbase 4 [117]
- Xir'tan continent, Vulcan [108]
- Qo'noS, after Praxis explosion [28]
Planets with virtually no earthquakes[]
Appendices[]
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 TOS novel: Dwellers in the Crucible.
- ↑ TNG novel: Into the Nebula.
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 TOS novel: Burning Dreams.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 ENT - Strange New Worlds VII short story: "Earthquake Weather".
- ↑ FASA RPG module: Star Fleet Officer's Manual.
- ↑ Last Unicorn RPG module: Star Trek: The Original Series Core Game Book.
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 TOS novel: Academy: Collision Course.
- ↑ 8.0 8.1 TNG - Starfleet Academy novel: Atlantis Station.
- ↑ 9.0 9.1 TNG - Starfleet Academy novel: Loyalties.
- ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 TOS movie: Star Trek.
- ↑ 11.0 11.1 TNG novel: The Best and the Brightest.
- ↑ 12.0 12.1 TNG episode: "Time's Arrow".
- ↑ 13.0 13.1 13.2 13.3 ST - Myriad Universes - Shattered Light novella: Honor in the Night.
- ↑ 14.0 14.1 VOY - Dark Matters novel: Cloak and Dagger.
- ↑ TOS - Errand of Vengeance novel: Killing Blow.
- ↑ 16.0 16.1 TOS novel: Twilight's End.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 TOS - Starfleet Academy novel: Aftershock.
- ↑ TNG novel: The Genesis Wave, Book 1.
- ↑ TNG novel: The Genesis Wave, Book 3.
- ↑ 20.0 20.1 TOS - Crucible novel: Provenance of Shadows.
- ↑ 21.0 21.1 TOS - Crucible novel: The Fire and the Rose.
- ↑ 22.0 22.1 TOS - Crucible novel: The Star to Every Wandering.
- ↑ 23.0 23.1 NF novel: End Game.
- ↑ 24.0 24.1 TOS comic: "It's a Living".
- ↑ 25.0 25.1 NF - Gateways novel: Cold Wars.
- ↑ 26.0 26.1 TOS novel: Ice Trap.
- ↑ Adventures RPG module: The Sciences Division.
- ↑ 28.0 28.1 TOS novel: Cast No Shadow.
- ↑ 29.0 29.1 29.2 TOS - Vulcan's Soul novel: Epiphany.
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 VOY novel: Ghost of a Chance.
- ↑ 31.0 31.1 DS9 novel: Objective: Bajor.
- ↑ 32.0 32.1 ST - Typhon Pact novel: Paths of Disharmony.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 TOS - Rihannsu novel: Empty Chair.
- ↑ 34.0 34.1 ST - IDW Star Trek - A Savage World of Glass and Bone comic: "Part 4".
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 DS9 - YA novel: Space Camp.
- ↑ 36.0 36.1 VAN novel: Precipice.
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 TOS episode & Star Trek 10 novelization: The Empath.
- ↑ 38.0 38.1 38.2 TOS - New Earth novel: Wagon Train to the Stars.
- ↑ VOY - String Theory novel: Cohesion.
- ↑ 40.0 40.1 TTN novel: Sword of Damocles.
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 TOS - The Eugenics Wars novel: The Rise and Fall of Khan Noonien Singh, Volume 2.
- ↑ TOS novel: The Great Starship Race.
- ↑ 43.0 43.1 TNG novel: A Fury Scorned.
- ↑ 44.0 44.1 DS9 episode: "The Reckoning".
- ↑ ST - New Worlds, New Civilizations short story: "At Times of Peril".
- ↑ Last Unicorn RPG module: Starfleet Academy Handbook.
- ↑ 47.0 47.1 Adventures RPG module: Beta Quadrant Sourcebook.
- ↑ 48.0 48.1 TOS - Starfleet Academy novel: The Gemini Agent.
- ↑ 49.0 49.1 49.2 TOS novel: Strangers from the Sky.
- ↑ 50.0 50.1 TOS - The Eugenics Wars novel: To Reign in Hell.
- ↑ 51.0 51.1 TOS novel: Preserver.
- ↑ 52.0 52.1 TOS novel: Dark Victory.
- ↑ VOY episode: "Future's End".
- ↑ ST - Strange New Worlds 9 short story: "The Immortality Blues".
- ↑ 55.0 55.1 TOS novel: A Flag Full of Stars.
- ↑ TOS novel: The Lost Years.
- ↑ TNG novel: A Time for War, A Time for Peace.
- ↑ TNG novel: Q-Squared.
- ↑ TNG novel: Q-Space.
- ↑ ST - Myriad Universes - Infinity's Prism novella: A Less Perfect Union.
- ↑ TOS novel: Vulcan's Forge.
- ↑ Last Unicorn RPG module: The Way of Kolinahr: The Vulcans.
- ↑ TOS - Strange New Worlds II short story: "The First Law of Metaphysics".
- ↑ TNG - Starfleet Academy novel: Deceptions.
- ↑ FASA RPG module: Star Trek IV Sourcebook Update.
- ↑ NF novel: Martyr.
- ↑ TNG novel: Q-Zone.
- ↑ 1,000 years prior to settlement, in DS9 - Millennium novel: The War of the Prophets.
- ↑ settlement date in Last Unicorn RPG module: All Our Yesterdays: The Time Travel Sourcebook.
- ↑ TNG - A Time to... novel: A Time to Sow.
- ↑ 71.0 71.1 TNG novel: Fortune's Light.
- ↑ SCE - What's Past eBook: Distant Early Warning.
- ↑ VAN novel: Summon the Thunder.
- ↑ VAN novel: Reap the Whirlwind.
- ↑ TOS comic: "World Against Time".
- ↑ TOS comic: "The Empire Man!".
- ↑ TOS novel: Serpents in the Garden.
- ↑ TOS novel: Legacy.
- ↑ TOS novel: Mindshadow.
- ↑ TAS episode & Log Five novelization: The Ambergris Element.
- ↑ SCE eBook: Remembrance of Things Past.
- ↑ TOS novel: Pawns and Symbols.
- ↑ TOS - New Earth novel: Thin Air.
- ↑ TOS movie, novelization & comic adaptation: The Search For Spock.
- ↑ FASA RPG module: The Federation.
- ↑ TOS novel: In the Name of Honor.
- ↑ TNG novel: Power Hungry.
- ↑ TNG novel: Masks.
- ↑ TNG novel: Doomsday World.
- ↑ VOY - Invasion! novel: The Final Fury.
- ↑ TNG novel: The Devil's Heart.
- ↑ TNG episode: "A Matter of Time".
- ↑ TNG novel: War Drums.
- ↑ TNG novel: The Romulan Stratagem.
- ↑ VOY novel: The Murdered Sun.
- ↑ VOY novel: Chrysalis.
- ↑ VOY - Distant Shores short story: "Closure".
- ↑ SCE eBook: Past Life.
- ↑ SCE eBook: Some Assembly Required.
- ↑ ST - Myriad Universes - Echoes and Refractions novella: The Chimes at Midnight.
- ↑ 101.0 101.1 ST - Destiny novel: A Singular Destiny.
- ↑ Decipher RPG module: Worlds.
- ↑ CHA - Gateways novel: Chainmail.
- ↑ VOY - The Amazing Stories short story: "When Push Comes to Shove".
- ↑ TOS novelization: The Search For Spock.
- ↑ TOS novel: The Pandora Principle.
- ↑ SCE eBook: Lost Time.
- ↑ 108.0 108.1 Last Unicorn RPG module: The Way of Kolinahr: The Vulcans.
- ↑ TAS episode & Log Five novelization: The Jihad.
- ↑ TOS audiobook: Dinosaur Planet.
- ↑ TOS novel: Spock's World.
- ↑ TNG novel: grounded.
- ↑ TOS novel: Firestorm.
- ↑ 114.0 114.1 Last Unicorn RPG module: The Way of D'era: The Romulan Star Empire.
- ↑ TOS novelization: Star Trek.
- ↑ Last Unicorn RPG module: The Andorians: Among the Clans.
- ↑ Adventures RPG module: These are the Voyages: Mission Compendium Vol. 1 mission: "A World With a Bluer Sun".
- ↑ ST reference: The Worlds of the Federation.
- ↑ DS9 - Mission Gamma novel: This Gray Spirit.
- ↑ TNG novel: Foreign Foes.
- TOS comic: "The Devil's Isle of Space"
- TOS novel: Mission to Horatius
- TOS novel: The Starless World
- FASA RPG module: Game Operations Manual
- FASA RPG module: Another Piece of the Action
- TNG novel: Gulliver's Fugitives
- DS9 novel: The Big Game
- DS9 episode: "Our Man Bashir"
- DS9 young reader novel: Highest Score
- VOY novel: Pathways
- TNG - Double Helix novel: Double or Nothing
- TNG novel: The Forgotten War
- Last Unicorn RPG module: Star Trek: The Original Series Core Game Book
- Decipher RPG module: Narrator's Guide
- TLE novel: Catalyst of Sorrows
- TOS movie: Star Trek Into Darkness
- Seekers novel: Point of Divergence
External links[]
- Planetquake article at Memory Alpha, the wiki for canon Star Trek.
- Planetquake article at Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia.