Misinformation

Yesterday we put out a press release for a new earthquake publication. If you search Google News for "Utah earthquake" you'll find the stories - some good and some, well, pretty bad.

Interesting to see how news get skewed:

1. Our press release: NEW UGS REPORT DETAILS HISTORY OF WASATCH FAULT EARTHQUAKES NEAR NORTH OGDEN. Salt Lake City, Utah -- A recently completed study has found that a major earthquake struck the Wasatch Front between North Salt Lake and North Ogden about 500 years ago. The study, which focused on the Weber segment of the Wasatch fault zone, also found evidence of six earthquakes of magnitude 6.5 or greater recurring about every 1500 years.

2. Associated Press: Big earthquake rattled Utah 500 years ago. SALT LAKE CITY — Geologists say a major quake could strike at any time in Utah, with new research showing the last large temblor along the Wasatch Front was more recent than previously thought. (Hmmm, a little misleading)

3. Huffington Post (hah!): Utah Earthquake: MONSTER Quake 500 Years Ago Rattled State (just plain sensationalism - before you blame the liberal press I'm sure Matt Drudge could have come up with an equally bad heading).

4. Standard Examiner - North Ogden: The problem with averages, said Chris DuRoss, a geologist with the Utah Department of Natural Resources, is that when you add two numbers together and divide by two, you get a third number that never happened. (what!? I never said that)

So our story went from a new report about an earthquake at 500 years between North Salt Lake and North Ogden, to a large earthquake on the Wasatch fault that occurred more recently than thought, to a MONSTER earthquake that rattled the state! OK, and the really enlightening thing: Our local Fox channel got the story RIGHT.