Sample: Gabbro (solid cylinder)
Normal load: ~8 MPa
Velocity: 5 m/s
This is a preliminary test of the new High Velocity Rotary Friction Apparatus in Rome, at the High Pressure High Temperature Laboratory of Experimental Volcanology and Geophysics of INGV. The primary investigator for the project is Giulio Di Toro
I am involved in investigating earthquake parameters, also utilizing a rotational apparatus much like the one showed on the video. But, our runs are a bit more tame in comparison.
One of the geoblogs, Clastic Detritus, got an interesting comment from a rabid lunatic concerned reader. I would post a snippet of the response, but it would take away from the classy ensemble. Read it here.
They say that man can move mountains. Whether or not this is true still remains to be proven. On the other hand, man has definitely left indelible marks (at least in a human lifespans) on the face of the Earth.
EnvironmentalGraffiti.com lists 10 such examples.
A security camera from the FBI Resident Agency office in Pago Pago, American Samoa caught the tsunami, following a Mw 8.3 earthquake on 29 September 2009.
Note: The time stamp on the video is Hawaiian Standard Time, but the local time is UTC -11.
