The Day The Earth Would Not Stand Still

The idea of generating an increased frequency of high magnitude earthquakes is unnerving; optimistically however the simple truth is that there are no known faults capable of generating a “mega-quake”. Earthquake magnitude is determined by the length of the fault - plainly speaking, the longer the fault, the larger the earthquake. Therefore, whilst an earthquake of magnitude 10 or higher is theoretically possible, it is convincingly argued that it is very highly unlikely. This has not discouraged American film director John Lafia from concocting not just an earthquake disaster movie, but a disaster of an earthquake movie.

10.5 is a disaster film originally aired as a miniseries for NBC in 2004 which answers what would happen if the United States was devastated by a series of earthquakes increasing in severity with seismologists becoming alarmed as they anticipate the next will surpass all historical records by reaching 10.5 on the Richter scale. Perhaps the more startling is when the team of USGS scientists formulate a plan to detonate nuclear bombs within the fault with the delusive hope that the heat will weald the fault closed. Unsurprisingly, numerous reviews of this science fiction have questioned whether the comedy element was intentional.

Besides wanting to share the triviality of this film, the reason for its mention is that beneath the vast layer of melodrama, its cryptic purpose is to send a wake up call that the forces of nature will always triumph over human sovereignty. Regardless of whether a movie should be an educational experience or pure entertainment, basing the plot on the use of science and technology adds credibility so audiences can have an affected view of reality. This is particularly true of 10.5, which allows viewers to witness notorious American landmarks reduced to rubble, advocating several popular misconceptions about earthquakes that scientists seek to refute. Unrealistic scenes include parts of California breaking away from the land and become islands, holes appearing in the ground at random and a giant crevice chasing a moving train. For some less informed viewers, this form of escapism evokes curiosity over what is fact and what is fiction. 

Whilst 10.5 is a nonsensical attempt to create a hard-hitting blockbuster, its message stems from the realisation that humans have a destructive influence of the planet. Although the film is purely fantastical take on anthropogenic geological hazards, I found it intriguing that filmmakers have inflated the threat with elaborate cinematics for the big screen. Thus far, the most intense earthquakes that have been attributed to humans have not exceeded magnitude 6. Ironically, whilst the human flair for using engineering to manipulate the Earth may be a cause of such catastrophic events, no degree of man made restraint could ever chain them up.