Earthquakes Increasing Update

The question of whether earthquakes are increasing is a common question about the timing of end times prophecies.

Scripture states that earthquakes will appear in various (or diverse) places – Mark 13:8.  Luke 21:11 adds that those earthquakes will be “great”.   It is only when one ties this scripture in with the indicator that they will be like the beginning of birth pains that some believe that earthquake frequency and intensity  will increase, as do birth pains during pregnancy, especially in the third trimester.

According to USGS statistics, http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eqarchives/year/eqstats.php, the normal yearly average for earthquakes is 134 per year for those between 6.0 and 6.9 on the Richter scale, 15 per year for those between 7.0 and 7.9, and 1 for those greater than 8.0.  Thus far, after less than 3 months, we have had a total of 81 earthquakes equal to or above 6.0 on the Richter scale.  Of those 74 were earthquakes between 6.0 and 6.9,  6 were between 7.0 and 7.9, and 1 was greater than 8.0, registering 9.0 on the Richter scale.

2011
Extrapolating for a 12 month period, assuming that the frequency neither decreases nor increases, we would expect to see about 280 earthquakes between 6.0 and 6.9, 24 between 7.0 and 7.9, and 3 greater than 8.0. 

 Thus far for 2011, I must conclude:
1.  Earthquakes continue to be in various places.
2.  If the current trend continues, the total number of great earthquakes this year is going to be well above average.  We will see double the average number of earthquakes between 6.0 and 7.9, and triple the number over 8.0!
3. Today we see the shadow of the rapidly approaching fulfillment of both Mark 13:8 and Luke 21:11.

Without doubt, the birth pangs are increasing in both frequency and intensity as the day of Christ’s return approaches.  One can only ask: “How close are we to the return of Christ?”

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2010
According to several sources, disasters are definitely on the rise. Deaths from these disasters are above 250,000.

An AP report puts it this way: “This was the year the Earth struck back. Earthquakes, heat waves, floods, volcanoes, super typhoons, blizzards, landslides and droughts killed at least a quarter million people in 2010 – the deadliest year in more than a generation. More people were killed worldwide by natural disasters this year than have been killed in terrorism attacks in the past 40 years combined.” To read the full article, click this link: http://apnews.myway.com/article/20101219/D9K734E81.html

The number of earthquakes above 7.0 are above normal according to USGS logs (in Haiti 220,000 people have died as a result of that 8.8 earthquake), but the number of smaller earthquakes are down, unless you live in the Bonin Islands region of Japan, which has seen over 50 earthquakes in the 5.0 to 6.0 range just during the week of December 19th.

California continues to see major natural disasters of “Biblical” proportions. As of December 23, 2010 the governator has declared 6 counties disaster zones. Europe has seen their airports closed by volcanic ash and recently by snow.

The Tally for 2010:
1. The total number of earthquakes in 2010 was a tad below average.
2. Earthquakes continued to be in various places.
3. The number of “great” earthquakes may, repeat may, be increasing, but the totals for this year do not prove conclusively that this is so.
4. The total number of earthquakes this year may not be the best indicator of the season on God’s calendar!