Geezer

On the morning of Dec 26, at about 1 o'clock, I was awoken by a very large bang. It was like the intital clap of thunder very close, but without any of the rumblings associated with thunder.

My wife, as doubting as ever, dismissed it as something I had dreamed, and that if it was thunder, why was there only a single clap, and why no further thunder.

Over the next few days, I have spoken to several people who heard the same thing at the same time, so I definately did hear it.

I had a look this morning, and the USGS recorded the main shock of magnitude 9.0 at 00.58.53 UTC (GMT).

There have been several news pieces of how the earth was shifted and such stuff, is it possible I heard affectively a resonance from the shock thruough the crust that manifested itself as a large bang?

Geezer

CrisPDuk

I wouldn't be surprised, as sound waves can travel for many thousands of miles through water, and thanks to the magnitude, there must have been some form of ripple effect through the affected plates themselves.

ProperCharlie

it was probably just the wife f*rting.

Geezer

I did consider that, but in the absence of the usual vile stench that results in one her eruptions, I excluded it from the possiblities

Geezer

rr_ww

Oh for Gawds sake! Do you actually think before you type stuff out! Actually it was a psychic premonition.

Dream Weaver

A few weeks back up here in Lancs, people were reporting tremors to the local media - it turned out to be the guys over at BAE testing the new Euro fighter - it was the resonance from the sonic booms

I felt it, but put it down to thunder/wagons etc

Geezer

Your point being? Did I at any point talk about premonition? Seismic waves travel thru the mantle, that is how earthquakes are detected you idiot! If you just took seismic data at the closest point to the epicentre, every one would be magnitude 9!

It is not beyond the realms of possiblity by any means. The fact that I was not alone in hearing suggests it was somehting fairly significant, even if it was not what I have suggested.

Alas

Also makes you think that the week before the major quake they were reporting unnormally large waves that the surfers were all travelling to. Wonder if it was all related.
Alas