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[]

• 2109 San Francisco ^[60]

Notable earthquakes on Vulcan[]

• 2247: The Forge ^[61]
• 2265: K'lan ^[62]
• 2286: Vulcana Regar ^[63]

Alternate realities[]

• 2258 ^[10]

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[]

• Izar ^[118]
• Vanìmel ^[119]
• Velex ^[120]

Appendices[]

References[]

• 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.