Magnitude 5.0 earthquake near The Geysers is strongest in decades

SF Gate ^ | 12/14/2016

[BenLurkin]

The quake hit at 8:41 AM local time, less than a mile from the surface. A second smaller quake hit five minutes later.

"The earthquake was the largest in the Geysers area in the past 30 years. This magnitude 5.0 earthquake is only marginally larger than previous earthquakes at the Geysers," USGS Research geophysicist J. Ole Kaven wrote to SFGATE. "This earthquake occurred on the western margin of where previous seismicity has been located."

...

"The historical record of earthquakes in this area suggests that earthquakes as large as today's are likely to be near the upper magnitude limit," wrote Kaven. "Unlike the Rodgers Creek-Maacama fault to the southwest of the Geysers, there are no mapped, through-going faults in the steam field that are likely to sustain large (greater than magnitude 6.0) quakes. As long as steam production continues at the Geysers, earthquakes will occur."

[BenLurkin]

According to the Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory Earth Sciences division, seismicity was very low prior to the use of the Geyser steam field for geothermal energy, although this may have been the result of low seismic coverage of the area.[12] Before 1969, there were no earthquakes above magnitude 2 recorded by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) in an approximately 70 square miles (180 km2) area around the Geysers.[12] Studies have shown that injecting water into the Geysers field produces earthquakes from magnitude 0.5 to 3.0, although a 4.6 occurred in 1973 and magnitude four events increased thereafter.[12] Even with increasing injection rates over time, the rate of magnitude 3 earthquakes has remained relatively unchanged since the 1980s,[12] although the absolute number of earthquakes has increased significantly.[2] A magnitude 4.5 earthquake struck near the Geysers on January 12, 2014 and a magnitude 5.0 on December 14, 2016.[13] Despite the increases in the number of earthquakes and the fears of local residents, it is unlikely that a large earthquake will occur at the Geysers since there is no large earthquake fault or fracture nearby.[2]

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Geysers

[A Formerly Proud Canadian]

Trump's fault!

</sarc>

[soycd]

coastal cali could use a 10.9 to clean the retards and leftists out.

[flaglady47]

What’s “The Geysers”?

[HarleyLady27]

The ‘60’s Hippy Prophesy’ coming to light...just a few more 7.9’s and California is an island floating around in the Pacific...bye...have a nice float...

[flaglady47]

P.S., I know about the geysers in Yellowstone. Are there geysers here somewhere near SF? Or does the name mean something else?

[bankwalker]

You don’t wanna know about the geysers in SF.

[Churchillspirit]

I wish you and yours good fortune also.

SoCal coastal FReeper.

[morphing libertarian]

no geysers, geezers

[Godzilla]

What’s “The Geysers”?

a hot springs area north of san fran noted for its geothermal power plants.

[BenLurkin]

“The Geysers is the world’s largest geothermal field, containing a complex of 22 geothermal power plants, drawing steam from more than 350 wells, located in the Mayacamas Mountains approximately 72 miles (116 km) north of San Francisco, California.”

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Geysers

[flaglady47]

Thank you everyone who responded to me. I didn’t know this. Now I am well informed because of fellow Freepers!

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

“Where can you go,
When there’s no San Francisco!
Better get ready,
To tie up the boat,
On Idaho!”

[HarleyLady27]

...and Utah will have ‘beach front property’ along with Idaho...ohmygosh, I remember that part also...lolol...

[Ruy Dias de Bivar]

On Idaho=In Idaho!

[smokingfrog]

[freepertoo]

Shudder. I would love to retire to Henderson, Nevada in a few years but the earthquakes give me pause.

[soycd]

>I wish you and yours good fortune also.

I wish the logical and wise vote against the retards and leftists in cali. They don’t and so far won’t.

It needs corrected.

[BobL]

Did it hit a gay neighborhood?

[Carthego delenda est]

Save the endangered endolithic microbial communities at the Geysers now!!! The steam turbines are indiscriminately butchering them! Save the microbes! Say NO to the Geyser’s power plant! Mama Erf is getting angry and shaking the ground! Free the micobes! There’s probably an old indian burial ground somewhere nearby too!