Hi Folks,

Sorry about my absence for the past several days. I have been teaching
at a local high school and have been more concerned with atoms, acceleration
and other such thing with little time left over to visit on the board.
But I do know that several questions have been raised, so I will attempt
to provide some data for your discussion.

In regard to the question Chris in Suburbia had in relation to the
global seismicity before the New Guinea earthquake and after here are
the data in regard to earthquakes of Mb>= 5.7 (large earthquakes)

In the week long period (7 days) since the date of the West Irian
quake on October 10, there have been 7 mainshocks of Ms>6. In the
previous week there had been period from 3 such events. The most events
in a given week prior to this during 2002 had been 4 per week.
In the 41 weeks of 2002 there have been 75 events of M>6, an average
of 1.8 per week with a standard deviation of +/- 1.5 - the expected
range is therefore 1 to 3 per week, so the number (7) this week is
quite significant in a statistical sense. Note that the numbers given
do not include strong aftershocks, but only widely separated events.
You can come to your own conclusions, all I will do is provide the
data.

WEEK #events M>6

Dec 28 - Jan 3 2
Jan 4 - Jan 10 2
Jan 11 - Jan 17 4
Jan 18 - Jan 24 0
Jan 25 - Jan 31 1
Feb 1 - Feb 07 2
Feb 08 - Feb 14 0
Feb 15 - Feb 21 0
Feb 22 - Feb 28 1
Mar 1 - Mar 07 2
Mar 08 - Mar 14 1
Mar 15 - Mar 21 1
Mar 22 - Mar 28 3
Mar 29 - Apr 4 2
Apr 5 - Apr 11 2
Apr 12 - Apr 18 3
Apr 19 - Apr 25 2
Apr 26 - May 2 0
May 3 - May 08 1
May 10 - May 16 2
May 17 - May 23 0
May 24 - May 30 1
May 31 - June 6 1
June 07 - June 13 1
June 14 - June 20 3
June 21 - June 27 3
June 28 - July 4 3
July 5 - July 11 1
July 12 - July 18 0
July 19 - July 25 1
July 26 - Aug 1 2
Aug 2 - Aug 8 1
Aug 09 - Aug 15 4
Aug 16 - Aug 22 1
Aug 23 - Aug 29 0
Aug 30 - Sep 5 0
Sep 6 - Sep 12 2
Sep 13 - Sep 18 3
Sep 20 - Sep 26 3
Sep 27 - Oct 3 2
Oct 4 - Oct 10 3
Oct 11 - Oct 17 7

Events:

01Jan2002 11:29:22.3 6.3N 125.6E136 M =6.3 M*NEI MINDANAO, PHILIPPINE ISLAN1337
02Jan2002 17:22:50.6 17.8S 167.8E 33 M =7.3 M*NEI VANUATU ISLANDS 1816
10Jan2002 11:15:00.3 3.2S 142.4E 33 M =6.4 M*NEI NEAR N COAST OF NEW GUINEA1217
13Jan2002 14:10:56.2 5.6S 150.9E 44 M =6.5 M*NEI NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.1623
15Jan2002 07:13:01.1 6.4S 105.2E 33 M =6.3 M*NEI SUNDA STRAIT 0841
15Jan2002 09:01:15.0 5.5S 151.1E 33 M =6.1 M*NEI NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.1709
16Jan2002 23:09:52.7 15.6N 93.1W 74 M =6.3 M*NEI NEAR COAST OF CHIAPAS, MEX0017
28Jan2002 13:50:32.2 49.5N 155.5E 63 M =6.1 M*NEI KURIL ISLANDS 1537
03Feb2002 07:11:29.2 38.5N 31.2E 10 M =6.2 M*NEI TURKEY 0848
05Feb2002 13:27:27.4 5.3S 151.2E 59 M =6.5 M*NEI NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.1448
28Feb2002 01:50:49.7 5.7S 151.2E 45 M =6.4 M*NEI NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.0450
03Mar2002 12:08:06.2 36.4N 70.4E194 M =7.2 M*NEI HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANI1617
05Mar2002 21:16:09.6 6.1N 124.1E 33 M =7.6 M*NEI MINDANAO, PHILIPPINE ISLAN2151
08Mar2002 18:27:53.0 5.9N 124.3E 23 M =6.1 M*NEI MINDANAO, PHILIPPINE ISLAN1916
19Mar2002 22:14:15.0 6.4S 129.9E147 M =6.1 M*NEI BANDA SEA ----
25Mar2002 14:56:33.0 35.9N 69.2E 8 M =6.1 M*NEI HINDU KUSH REGION, AFGHANI----
26Mar2002 03:45:49.0 23.5N 123.9E 33 M =6.3 M*NEI SOUTHWESTERN RYUKYU ISLAND0534
28Mar2002 04:56:21.0 21.6S 68.2W122 M =6.5 M*NEI CHILE-BOLIVIA BORDER REGIO1541
31Mar2002 06:52:50.2 24.4N 122.2E 33 M =7.1 M*NEI TAIWAN REGION 0803
01Apr2002 19:59:32.7 29.5S 71.1W 68 M =6.4 M*NEI NEAR COAST OF CENTRAL CHIL2122
07Apr2002 01:41:25.0 61.1S 154.5E 10 M =6.2 M*NEI BALLENY ISLANDS REGION ----
08Apr2002 03:48:54.3 51.0S 139.3E 10 M =6.2 M*NEI SOUTH OF AUSTRALIA 0527
11Apr2002 21:56:56.0 14.4S 167.6E 10 M =6.2 M*NEI VANUATU ISLANDS 1436
18Apr2002 05:02:47.0 17.0N 100.8W 33 M =6.3 M*NEI NEAR COAST OF GUERRERO, ME1651
18Apr2002 16:08:36.0 27.4S 70.1W 62 M =6.7 M*NEI NEAR COAST OF NORTHERN CHI1801
24Apr2002 11:00:00.0 56.2S 122.1W 10 M =6.2 M*NEI SOUTHERN EAST PACIFIC RISE----
26Apr2002 16:06:06.0 13.1N 144.6E 85 M =7.1 M*NEI MARIANA ISLANDS 2106
08May2002 05:26:00.0 17.9S 174.6W131 M =6.3 M*NEI TONGA ISLANDS ----
14May2002 16:56:10.0 36.6S 78.8E 10 M =6.3 M*NEI MID-INDIAN RIDGE 1456
15May2002 03:46:05.0 24.6N 121.9E 10 M =6.2 M*NEI TAIWAN 1521
25May2002 05:36:31.0 53.9N 161.3W 33 M =6.5 M*NEI SOUTH OF ALASKA ----
06Jun2002 23:53:51.0 0.9S 148.2E 33 M =6.3 M*NEI ADMIRALTY ISLANDS REGION, 1606
10Jun2002 22:48:36.0 11.1N 140.7E 33 M =6.1 M*NEI WESTERN CAROLINE ISLANDS 1451
13Jun2002 01:27:18.0 47.8S 99.7E 10 M =6.5 M*NEI SOUTHEAST INDIAN RIDGE 2156
16Jun2002 02:46:12.6 8.7N 83.9W 33 M =6.2 M*NEI COSTA RICA 1752
17Jun2002 13:25:56.0 4.6S 105.3W 10 M =6.1 M*NEI CENTRAL EAST PACIFIC RISE ----
17Jun2002 21:26:23.3 12.6S 166.3E 33 M =6.7 M*NEI SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS 2257
18Jun2002 13:56:22.0 30.8S 71.0W 53 M =6.6 M*NEI CHILE-ARGENTINA BORDER REG2021
22Jun2002 02:58:21.0 35.7N 48.9E 10 M =6.3 M*NEI WESTERN IRAN 0419
27Jun2002 05:50:33.0 7.0S 103.8E 10 M =6.6 M*NEI SOUTHWEST OF SUMATERA, IND1946
27Jun2002 07:16:10.0 13.3S 167.0E188 M =6.1 M*NEI VANUATU ISLANDS 2116
28Jun2002 17:19:30.0 43.8N 130.6E566 M =7.2 M*NEI E. RUSSIA-N.E. CHINA BORDE1827
29Jun2002 02:39:00.0 12.4S 166.6E 33 M =6.1 M*NEI SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS 2051
30Jun2002 21:29:36.0 22.2S 179.2E620 M =6.5 M*NEI SOUTH OF FIJI ISLANDS ----
03Jul2002 23:00:17.0 5.0S 147.2E 33 M =6.2 M*NEI EASTERN NEW GUINEA REG., P1616
19Jul2002 06:43:55.0 56.3S 140.7W 10 M =6.1 M*NEI PACIFIC-ANTARCTIC RIDGE 1926
30Jul2002 06:55:07.0 57.7S 23.3W 33 M =6.2 M*NEI SOUTH SANDWICH ISLANDS REG1521
31Jul2002 00:16:44.0 8.0N 82.6W 10 M =6.5 M*NEI PANAMA-COSTA RICA BORDER R1436
02Aug2002 23:10:52.3 28.2N 138.8E 33 mb=6.1 A*NEI BONIN ISLANDS REGION 2336
09Aug2002 13:31:05.0 16.2S 176.3W364 M =6.1 M*NEI FIJI ISLANDS REGION 1901
14Aug2002 13:12:43.0 7.8N 136.9E 33 M =6.1 M*NEI WESTERN CAROLINE ISLANDS 1427
14Aug2002 13:57:56.0 14.2N 146.1E 69 M =6.4 M*NEI MARIANA ISLANDS 1841
15Aug2002 05:30:29.0 1.2S 121.3E 33 M =6.2 M*NEI SULAWESI, INDONESIA 1556
19Aug2002 11:01:01.0 21.8S 179.5W587 M =7.5 M*NEI FIJI ISLANDS REGION 1456
20Aug2002 10:59:32.0 31.0N 141.9E 10 M =6.3 M*NEI SOUTH OF HONSHU, JAPAN 1536
06Sep2002 01:21:28.0 38.4N 13.7E 10 M =6.1 M*NEI SICILY 0258
08Sep2002 18:44:26.6 3.2S 142.9E 33 M =7.5 M*NEI NEAR N COAST OF NEW GUINEA1948
13Sep2002 22:28:31.0 13.1N 93.1E 33 M =6.5 M*NEI ANDAMAN ISLANDS, INDIA 1536
15Sep2002 08:39:31.8 44.9N 130.1E577 M =6.5 M*NEI E. RUSSIA-N.E. CHINA BORDE0934
16Sep2002 13:23:00.0 3.3S 142.6E 10 M =6.3 M*NEI NEAR N COAST OF NEW GUINEA2026
20Sep2002 15:43:36.0 1.6S 134.3E 10 M =6.3 M*NEI IRIAN JAYA REGION, INDONES1806
24Sep2002 03:57:22.0 31.4S 68.9W120 M =6.4 M*NEI SAN JUAN PROVINCE, ARGENTI1921
24Sep2002 04:13:14.7 10.5S 161.1E 33 M =6.2 M*NEI SOLOMON ISLANDS 1424
03Oct2002 16:08:30.0 23.4N 108.4W 10 M =6.3 M*NEI GULF OF CALIFORNIA 1711
03Oct2002 19:05:11.0 7.4S 115.8E315 M =6.2 M*NEI BALI SEA 2006
04Oct2002 19:05:50.2 20.8S 179.0W626 M =6.4 M*NEI FIJI ISLANDS REGION 1948
06Oct2002 15:46:36.0 8.2S 118.4E 33 M =6.2 M*NEI SUMBAWA REGION, INDONESIA 1531
10Oct2002 10:50:20.0 1.7S 134.2E 10 M =7.6 M*NEI IRIAN JAYA REGION, INDONES1526
12Oct2002 20:09:11.0 8.3S 71.5W536 M =6.8 M*NEI WESTERN BRAZIL 2131
13Oct2002 20:55:10.0 14.6S 175.4W 33 M =6.1 M*NEI SAMOA ISLANDS REGION ----
14Oct2002 14:12:43.0 41.3N 142.1E 58 M =6.1 M*NEI HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION ----
16Oct2002 10:12:21.2 51.9N 157.3E101 M =6.2 M*NEI NEAR EAST COAST OF KAMCHAT1105
16Oct2002 14:13:12.0 15.7S 173.1W 33 M =6.3 M*NEI TONGA ISLANDS 1656
17Oct2002 04:23:53.0 19.7S 178.6W589 M =6.2 M*NEI FIJI ISLANDS REGION 1656
17Oct2002 17:52:43.0 3.6S 140.1E 33 M =6.2 M*NEI IRIAN JAYA, INDONESIA 1656