3021: Seismologists

Seismologists

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Title text: And even when they're not distracted, they usually get kicked out for illegal under-the-net 'subduction spikes'.

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Explanation

This is one of 53 incomplete explanations: Created by a ROGUE SEISMOLOGIST - Please change this comment when editing this page. Do NOT delete this tag too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page!

In seismology, a "beachball" diagram is a 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. While playing beach volleyball and seeing the rotating two-shaded volleyball, Ponytail gets distracted due to its resemblance to a strike-slip beachball diagram, something she uses in her field of study, causing her to be hit on the head.

The subduction referred to in the title text occurs when one tectonic plate slides underneath another. In volleyball, a 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.

The comic plays on the dual meaning of the word "fault". In 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 "fault" refers to a play violation that causes a team to lose a point.

Transcript

This is one of 28 incomplete transcripts: Do NOT delete this tag too soon. If you can fix this issue, edit the page!

[Megan, Ponytail and Hairy are playing beach volleyball. Megan has her arms outreached; she has just thrown the ball. The volleyball, with black and white quadrants, is shown three times, with a dashed line connecting them: once above the net, once heading towards Ponytail, and once after bouncing off Ponytail’s head. Hairy is running towards Ponytail with his arm raised. Wavy lines are shown on the ground to show sand.]

Ponytail: Ooh, a strike-slip fault!

Bonk!

Ponytail: Ow!

[Caption below the panel:]

Why seismologists are bad at beach ball volleyball

Trivia

Although probably unrelated, a 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.

Beret Guy obtained a subduction license in 1388.

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Discussion

Possibly just a coincidence, but an earthquake struck off the coast of California yesterday.[1] If anyone seismologists were playing beach volleyball in the vicinity at the time.... 172.69.67.11 19:57, 6 December 2024 (UTC)

yo, Tori, you're from California. any seismologist friends that were playing volleyball? Caliban (talk) 20:41, 6 December 2024 (UTC)

haha, no. i do know some friends how play volleyball, but they aren’t interested in seismology (i think that one of them wants to become a prosecutor) [edit: i don’t think that the earthquake yesterday would’ve been inspired this comic strip-it hit during my 3rd period (about 10:45 ish) and I don’t think that Randall would’ve churned out a comic that fast] 42.book.addict^{Talk to me!} 20:54, 6 December 2024 (UTC)

Ooh. Maybe I'll finally learn some stuff about the moment tensor beachball diagrams! Fortran (talk) 20:32, 6 December 2024 (UTC)

I think there's also a joke in there about faulting in volleyball? BunsenH (talk) 22:53, 6 December 2024 (UTC)

Question is, what do the beachballs depicted in the comic indicate in beachball diagram format? Is it accurate to the joke? 172.69.7.193 23:39, 7 December 2024 (UTC)

Usually played indoors? I'm pretty sure beach balls are supposed to be used at the beach. 172.69.67.137 16:42, 11 December 2024 (UTC)
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