5.8 magnitude earthquake. There was a lot of chatter generated by it, probably disproportionate to the magnitude of the event. There were a few news items that might be of interest to some of you. First, contrary to initial reports, there was some building damage in Virginia and the DC area, including the collapse of finials on the National Cathedral's main tower. Second, PhysOrg explains why the earthquake was felt over such a large area, from Georgia north to Quebec and west to Wisconsin. Scientific American has a list of the top ten East Coast earthquakes. Finally, here is an interesting bird-related note from the National Zoo:
The first warnings of the earthquake may have occurred at the National Zoo, where officials said some animals seemed to feel it coming before people did. The red ruffed lemurs began “alarm calling” a full 15 minutes before the quake hit, zoo spokeswoman Pamela Baker-Masson said. In the Great Ape House, Iris, an orangutan, let out a guttural holler 10 seconds before keepers felt the quake. The flamingos huddled together in the water seconds before people felt the rumbling. The rheas got excited. And the hooded mergansers — a kind of duck — dashed for the safety of the water.