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Lance Foxx

3,352 Live Views 13 In Crowd I have set up a webcam in Oceanside, California, to try to capture and record an earthquake on video. I missed the 7.2 Baja Easter quake, however I have managed to capture several aftershocks, including the largest 5.7 which briefly halted a Padres… I have set up a webcam in Oceanside, California, to try to capture and record an earthquake on video. I missed the 7.2 Baja Easter quake, however I have managed to capture several aftershocks, including the largest 5.7 which briefly halted a Padres game.

In my set up, there are chimes to the left, a "bouncy" rubber ball in the center, and a pendulum to the right. The chimes are attached to the desk and usually move first. The pendulum is the second most sensative and hangs freely from the ceiling. The ball rarely moves, but I've seen it start to roll around in quakes that are 5.0+ in magnitude. In the background, there is also a black marker that is standing on end. It has yet to topple over in a quake.

Nothing else really moves. The clock is there to show local time as well as provide light for the set up, night and day. The two foxes are there to give this random collection of junk some personality and theme. The crystal I tossed in because I thought it looked cool in the shot.

Also, there is an earthquake alarm on the wall. That is what the thing is with the red light. Unfortunately, this webcame comes with no audio. The earthquake alarm is just for my use and because this is all set up by my computer at home, I keep the mic off so I can cuss at my video games in private. Hey, I gotta do something to pass the time between earthquakes! : P

Seriously, though, this has been a fun project and has captured a ton of small to moderate quakes.

Thank you for checking it out! Maybe you'll see this on the news the next time San Diego or LA has a really big earthquake. Oceanside is between the two along the coast. That's where I live and broadcast from.

I try to keep this going 24/7 and I record as much as I can while I'm home. I do have a job and that takes me away from broadcasting. I may miss recording some quakes because uStream has a 3 hour limit and I am at work longer than 3 hours. I also sleep, so... yeah. I try to broadcast 24/7, but it's more challenging to make sure I get any and everything that happens recorded. It's more luck with timing in regards to that. More