As of midnight on 17th January, we have heard that Argyll’s Dalmally-based charity, Continue reading
Tag Archives: earthquake
Dalmally-based charity, Mary’s Meals, links Argyll to Haiti and aid mission
Mary’s Meals is the charity which marries food and education Continue reading
Mull earthquake Sunday 13th
Just as well it wasn’t Friday 13th or it might have been worse. Continue reading
Exercise Joint Warrior versus conservation warriors
The Whale and Dolphin Conservation Society (WDCS) is warning Continue reading
US Naval units at sea as Operation Joint Warrior ships assemble at Faslane
Air, sea and ground ‘assets’ from allies and NATO forces Continue reading
BBC reports small earthquakes in Glenshiel and refers to ‘earthquakes’ in October caused by Royal Navy mine clearance training
First the facts – the BBC reports that, on 19th December, the British Geological Service (BGS) recorded three small earthquakes within a two hour period in Glenshiel in the Highlands – a place popular with walkers and climbers.
They were first clocked at around 8.00pm at magnitudes between 1.1 and 1.8. The BGS said that while they were too slight to have been felt by anyone, it was unusual to have three within so short a time.
Then, as a filler, the BBC went on to refer to an early morning earthquake in October, also recorded by the BGS – at a magnitude of 3.4 and reported in a wide radius from Fort William, Glenfinnan, Ardgour, Strontian and Drumnadrochit.
As For Argyll reported at the time – and as the BBC did too – the Royal Navy quickly owned up to having caused this ‘earthquake’ by mine clearance training in The Minch during the international Joint Warrior military exercise taking place until 17th October.
Pity the BBC journalist didn’t read the correction story that had to be issued after the Navy came clean. October’s not pre-history.
Scottish west coast ‘earthquake’ last week? It were the Navy wot done it in Joint Warrior
Last week the Media reported an earthquake on the west coast of Scotland on 10th October. It was registered at Glenfinnan at the head of Loch Sheil in Lochaber and the British Geological Survey (BGS) recorded it at 3.4 on the Richter Scale.
Reports of it were received from Fort William, Glenfinnan, Ardgour, Strontian and Drumnadrochit – a wide spectrum of the west coast above Argyll and penetrating deep inland.
It has now been admitted by the Royal Navy that the explosions recorded and previously accepted as an earthquake were in fact caused by mine clearance training in The Minch during the international Joint Warrior military exercise taking place until 17th October.
The Minch runs between the mainland and the Western Isles and the explosions were registered at magnitudes of 1.1, 1.5 and 1.9.
BGS experts felt that the characteristics of the seismograms suggested they were not looking at an earthquakes, but failing alternative formal explanations, they initially registered the phenomenon as an earthquake. Now the Navy has put its hands up.
Joint Warrior (formerly Neptune Warrior) is the name for twice yearly (May and October) coalition exercises designed and led by the UK’s Joint Tactical Exercise Planning Staff (JTEPS), based at Northwood in London. They involve air, sea and ground ‘assets’ from participating allied and NATO forces.
The American Navy contingent for the current Joint Warrion set sail from the east coast on 19th September, arriving at Faslane in Argyll on 1st October. It includes: USS Mitscher (DDG 57), USS Doyle (FFG 39), USS Klakring (FFG 42), USS Hawes (FFG 53) and USNS Leroy Grumman (T-AO 195). Sailors from these ships will play a major role in the exercise whcic is intended to improve ‘interoperability’ between coalition naval forces, preparing participants for future deployments.
Captain John Kersh, US Commander DESRON 24 (Commander Destroyer Squadron), says:
‘Joint Warrior will provide our Sailors with an opportunity to engage in a variety of training scenarios that explore real-world challenges on a strategic, operational and tactical level – in a controlled environment. We will focus our efforts on enhancing our ability to operate in a multinational, multi-platform environment’.
The scenario for the exercise sees three sovereign nations, disputed territory and a state sponsored terrorist movement. Starting with a period of Force Integration Training (FIT) the Exercise will develop over its two week duration, through a period of tension into ‘simulated warfighting and open hostilities’.
Civilians may well wonder about the critical difference between ‘simulated warfighting’ and open hostilities’. It may be that it was ‘open hostility’ action that shook uo so much of the Scottish west coast mainland on 10th October.
Practical footnote: Who pays for any damage caused by the ‘earthquake’?