Posted on 04/13/2010 7:10:57 PM PDT by bd476
KTLA NewsSoCal Experiencing Surge in Earthquake Activity
70 quakes greater than a magnitude 4.0 have struck the region this year -- more than any year in the past decade.
KTLA News
11:08 AM PDT, April 13, 2010
LOS ANGELES -- Southern California, along with Baja California, has seen a surge in moderate earthquake activity this year and scientists are trying to figure out what's causing the uptick.
There have been 70 quakes greater than a magnitude 4.0 so far this year. That's the most of any year in the last decade -- and, it's only April. There were 30 in 2009 and 29 in 2008.
Seismologists say they are looking into the recent surge but they can not yet fully explain it.
The string of earthquakes could mean that Southern California might again be entering a more active seismic period, and more significant quakes could be on the way, according to experts.
Scientists also said the increase does not mean the Big One is more likely to hit.
Egill Hauksson, a geophysicist at Caltech, told The Los Angeles Times that the rate of quakes in the region is "probably . . . picking up again" after a relative lull that lasted more than a decade.
"What it means is that we are going to have more earthquakes than in the average year. With more earthquakes, we're bound to have more bigger ones. But there are always fewer of those than the smaller ones."
Caltech seismologist Kate Hutton said experts would like to be able to explain the surge, but "there's no real correlation with any cause."
Many of the quakes this year have been aftershocks to the 7.2 magnitude temblor that struck the Mexicali area, killing two people. The border had previously experienced a swarm of earthquakes.
Scientists say one of their biggest concerns remains the San Andreas fault, which has produced some of the state's largest earthquakes and is said to be overdue for a major event.
Excerpted article from Los Angeles Times
More moving and shaking, but why?
By Cara Mia DiMassa
April 12, 2010
< Snip >
... The number of earthquakes greater than magnitude 4.0 in Southern California and Baja California has increased significantly in 2010. There have been 70 such quakes so far this year, the most of any year in the last decade. And it's only April. There were 30 in 2009 and 29 in 2008.
< Snip >
...The public's awareness of quakes around the globe also has increased with technology. Individuals on Twitter, for example, often first hear about a major quake from fellow users.
And the details of earthquakes, including location and size, have been much better distributed through e-mail, blogs and Twitter feeds. Earthquakes in remote oceans, say, were once noted only by scientists at academic and government institutions. Now, quake enthusiasts can have the details of such a quake delivered to their cellphones minutes after it occurs.
In California, scientists say one of their biggest concerns remains the San Andreas fault, which has produced some of the state's largest earthquakes. Experts have said the San Andreas is overdue for a major event. State officials have also often noted that only about one in six Californians has , with the high cost and large deductibles deterring many homeowners from buying policies.
"As we are building along the San Andreas fault, our exposure to the shaking hazard increases," said Mark Benthien, director of communication, education and outreach for the Southern California Earthquake Center. "And the losses we get in earthquakes increase as well. That's part of the equation."
Hauksson, the Caltech geophysicist, said it's easy to read too much into the upsurge of quakes this year.
Though it comes after several more quiet years, he noted that it's not uncommon for one large quake to produce months -- if not years -- of increased seismic activity. So in that sense, 2010's quake pattern is fairly typical...
End of excerpted article
Read the entire article here: More moving and shaking, but why?
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I am still hoping for it to sink into the Pacific
Its all the illegal aliens coming in we are going to capsize into the ocean
Yikes...ANOTHER one?
Could this possibly be looked at in a positive light, meaning that the chances of having the BIG ONE occur has decreased?
Some scientists believe that—the little shifts relieve enough pressure to prevent a big one.
And let’s not forget there are a lot of conservatives & military in CA.
It’s not just here but apparently the whole Pacific rim. I cannot recall this many 7.x earthquakes around the Pacific in such a short period of time.
6.9 Earthquake in Baja . . . felt in S. California (Updated to 7.2)
I thought that was downgraded to 6.9?
Hmmmm...
Reasonable and knowledgeable observers can suppose that the activity makes it more likely that a big quake will occur and others will propose that the rash of quakes eases pressure on the faults. Time will tell.
I’m watching the movie 2012....again right now.
I’m in Alaska, former Kalifornia refugee.
To be frankly honest, I would move to firmer ground, like Utah?
Sunday, April 04, 2010 at 22:40:42 UTC 7.2
Depth 10 km (6.2 miles) (poorly constrained)
Distances * 17 km (11 miles) WSW (258°) from Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California, Mexico
When “the big one” hits So-Cal, you won’t find out through Twitter because the net will be down.
That would put you closer to the Yellowstone super volcanoe...
They do not know what the increase in EQs over 4.0 indicates but they are hard at work trying to figure out what it means.
They do know that earthquakes occur in cycles, with some low activity periods occurring. Southern California is coming out of a low activity cycle.
Despite researching earthquakes for decades, the best information from geophysicists at this time is that no one knows or can predict with certainty whether an increase in the number of over 4.0 magnitude quakes foretells an imminent very large magnitude earthquake until after the very large magnitude quake has occurred.
The best plan is to always be prepared.
Thank you, Ernest!
One more thing to worry about – undersea supervolcanoes
See #20 and #39 and the links there....
Plate tectonics was the old hypothesis about what the earth was doing...now there are competing theories known as the expanding earth and Surge Tectonics.
Just felt shaking here in the Fallbrook area North of San Diego...A Shake and rolling motion....
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