warhawk 0 Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Working in a school in Japan gives you many opportunities to see and do things you might not have a chance to back home. Today I got to try the 地震体験 or "Earthquake experience" here at school. Basically it is a large truck with a generator and a big hydraulic system connected to a makeshift room with a table and four chairs and a big plasma TV. On the TV, depending on the simulated quake, is a CG living room, or street. The hydraulics are strong enough to really throw the room around. The kids enjoyed themselves. Some were a bit rattled and there was only one case of tears. I was in a simulation of a Kantou earthquake that went up and down the richter scale with a max of 8 for a few seconds. My previous earthquake experiences in Japan have been very mild, so this was quite an eye opener. This is something that doesn't happen in Australia, so for the J-natives and those of us who have chosen to make a life over here in Japan it certainly pays to know about these things! has anyone else had a major earthquake experience? (real or simmed) and yes I realise I may have left myself open to some rude jokes. Link to post Share on other sites
grungy-gonads 54 Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Some of the Niigata guys on here went through the big one a few years ago. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 Yes, earthquakes didn't bother me too much until we had the big 6.8 (plus hundreds of aftershocks) in Chuetsu three and a half years ago. I'd stay well clear of the truck, though I don't suppose it will be coming to this area anyway! Link to post Share on other sites
BagOfCrisps 24 Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 I'd actually like to experience it (the truck not the real thing). Link to post Share on other sites
HelperElfMissy 42 Posted March 3, 2008 Share Posted March 3, 2008 That would be fantastic! Being in relatively geologically stable Aus I have never experienced and earthquake, but I would think it would help those who have experienced a simulated earthquake to cope much much better when the real thing hit. It's a bit like practicing CPR on the Resusi-annie doll...you feel pretty stupid at the time, but if the time comes to use it you are much more likely to be able to do it that someone who has just read about it. Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 remember door frames, under tables, crawling, not walking. Link to post Share on other sites
Tubby Beaver 209 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I have been in earthquakes since coming here but nothing that would be considered big. I thought they were big, but in actual fact they weren't Link to post Share on other sites
IIIII 2 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Does that thing just go round schools and public places for people to try out? Would like to experience it myself. Link to post Share on other sites
muikabochi 208 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 You KNOW very clearly when they are big............. Link to post Share on other sites
sanjo 2 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 Most definitely! If you do a search on here, you should find a few threads on those nasty quakes. Link to post Share on other sites
warhawk 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 Originally Posted By: IIIII Does that thing just go round schools and public places for people to try out? I believe so, but I doubt this one goes to large (800+ students) schools unless they are happy to camp out for the week. My school only has about 70 kids and it took 2 periods for everyone to have a go. I guess there must be larger versions that cater to larger venues. Someone was telling me there was one set up outside the local Jusco shopping centre over the weekend. My first earthquake experience was interesting, I was asleep and for some reason i found myself on a boat feeling seasick. Woke up still feeling like i was on a boat. Took a few seconds for it to sink in that it was an earthquake. It was over before I even thought of taking any action. Strange how you get really violent up and down shaking and then subtle wave-like side-to-side motions. I think a lot of it was down to the really flexible construction of the apartment block I was in. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 That's because there are a number of different types of seismic waves. The important ones are P (pressure) waves, which propagate backwards and forwards along the direction of travel, and S (shear) waves which are normal to travel (up and down or side to side). They move at different speeds too, so away from the hypocentre, they come one after another. Sorry Link to post Share on other sites
warhawk 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 No sorry necessary yo! Thanks for the details It was cool to be able to visually see the wave frequency on the the chairs around the table. They would tip and then stay balanced on two legs as each wave hit them. Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I've dug out Parasnis (Greek, hey tsonda ). Geophysics 201 gives P waves (back and forth), S waves (side to side) and Rayleigh waves (up and down). Velocity in sedimentary rocks. P waves 3,500-6,500 m/s S waves 1,800-3,800 m/s (Rayleigh are a type of S wave). Link to post Share on other sites
warhawk 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 Geological madness! or should that be seismic madness? Link to post Share on other sites
soubriquet 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 tsondaboy is the expert. Seems he's off having fun, so I'm (poorly) holding the geofort. Link to post Share on other sites
warhawk 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 True! Though I guess that now he's graduated he doesn't have to bother with it anymore! Link to post Share on other sites
thursday 1 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 maybe he could drive one of those trucks around and lecture people too. Link to post Share on other sites
tsondaboy 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Share Posted March 4, 2008 I am still around guys, I am just taking some days off for snowboarding. Link to post Share on other sites
warhawk 0 Posted March 4, 2008 Author Share Posted March 4, 2008 Tsonda, you deserve it mate! Up to 18 days, nice. Originally Posted By: thursday. maybe he could drive one of those trucks around and lecture people too. Yeah, but whats the bet he'd end up lecturing just the female staff, in private. And he won't even have to turn the hydraulics on Link to post Share on other sites
sanjo 2 Posted March 5, 2008 Share Posted March 5, 2008 gg will want to do that as well. tsondaboy is becoming a legend. What does tsondagirl think about that? Link to post Share on other sites
iiyamadude 6 Posted March 7, 2008 Share Posted March 7, 2008 I have had a go in one of these. It was more fun than scary but hard to imagine feeling that all of a sudden in your own house. I wonder how many of these things they have doing the rounds. Who was running it warhawk? Link to post Share on other sites
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