Editing 3021: Seismologists

{{comic
| number    = 3021
| date      = December 6, 2024
| title     = Seismologists
| image     = seismologists_2x.png
| imagesize = 327x270px
| noexpand  = true
| titletext = And even when they're not distracted, they usually get kicked out for illegal under-the-net 'subduction spikes'.
}}

==Explanation==
{{incomplete|Created by a ROGUE SEISMOLOGIST - What do the each of the three versions of the beach ball depicted in the comic indicate in beachball diagram format? Is it accurate to the joke? Do NOT delete this tag too soon.}}

In seismology, a {{w|Focal mechanism#Moment tensor solutions|"beachball" diagram}} is a [https://www.usgs.gov/programs/earthquake-hazards/focal-mechanisms-or-beachballs graphic] that is used to show the type of slip that occurs in an earthquake. There are three types of slips: strike-slip, normal, and thrust, each with a corresponding beachball diagram. [[Ponytail]] is playing beach ball volleyball (a form of {{w|volleyball}} played with a {{w|beach ball}}, though normally played on an indoor court, as opposed to what is presumably sand in the comic). She is distracted by the  resemblance of the rotating two-shaded beach ball to a strike-slip beachball diagram (something she uses in her field of study), and fails to play the ball, causing her to be hit on the head.

The comic could be seen as playing on the dual meaning of the word "fault".  In {{w|Fault_(geology)|geology}}, it refers to a fracture or zone of fractures between two blocks of rock, which can allow them to move past each other. In volleyball, a [https://www.beachup.app/en/beach-volleyball-guide/beach-volleyball-rules/faults/ "fault"] refers to a play violation that causes a team to lose a point. Had her opponent committed a fault within the rules of the game, the point would be finished, and there would be no reason for Ponytail to attempt to play the ball. <!-- However, the comic doesn't explicitly use the word "fault" in the context of vollyball. --> <!-- *Ummm, yes it does. Someone playing volleyball actively yells out about a fault, as players are wont to do in an appeal to the umpire (or just for a fair-play concession by the opposing team)... Ambiguous, but clearly in a possible volleyball context, I would say.* -->

The {{w|subduction}} referred to in the title text occurs when one tectonic plate slides underneath another. In volleyball, a {{w|Spike (volleyball)|spike}} is a type of shot, typically the third of a team's three allowed touches, hit hard over the net from high up down toward the floor on the opponent's side. A "subduction spike" would be a spike hit under the net, and would indeed not be legal and would result in a point for the opponent. [[Beret Guy]] once obtained a [[1388: Subduction License|Subduction License]]. Subduction was also mentioned in [[1829: Geochronology]].

==Transcript==
:[Megan, Ponytail and Hairy are playing beach volleyball using a beach ball rather than a volleyball. Megan has her arms outreached; she has just hit the ball across the net towards Ponytail. The beach ball, shown with black and white pattern, is drawn three times to indicate its path, each rotated differently. Four dashed lines are drawn to indicate the movement: From Megan going above the net, then heading towards Ponytail, then one line down to her head (without showing the ball as it hits), and finally after bouncing off Ponytail’s head where the ball bounces towards the bottom of the net. When the ball hits Ponytail it makes a sound, which is written inside a wavy frame above her head. Hairy is running towards Ponytail from behind her with his arm outstretched. Wavy lines are shown on the ground to indicate the sandy surface they are playing on.]
:Ponytail: Ooh, a strike-slip fault!
:Ball hitting her head: ''Bonk!''
:Ponytail: '''''Ow!'''''

:[Caption below the panel:]
:Why seismologists are bad at beach ball volleyball

==Trivia==
*Although probably unrelated, a [https://apnews.com/article/california-earthquake-tsunami-warning-e1c73514097b78dfc082e40f98d0d426 7.0 magnitude earthquake] hit Northern California, USA at 10:44 AM PST the previous day, causing tsunami warnings (which were later cancelled) and a state of emergency to be called.

{{comic discussion}}

[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Ponytail]]
[[Category:Comics featuring Hairy]]
[[Category:Geology]]
[[Category:Earthquakes]]
[[Category:Sport]]