Swarm has been active since late February..
Posted on 04/26/2008 12:09:21 AM PDT by skippermd
Just happening now.
I would think Nevada would have very sandy or grainy soil instead of a dense firm clay/silt soil like areas east of the Mississippi, which would make these shallow earthquakes even more powerful.
In any case we better get Tommy Lee Jones on it right away.
They’re strike-slip quakes and not volcanic.
Fault they’re on hasn’t been previously known, though. Reno area is riddled with faults capable of generating low M7 quakes.
This was from an article this afternoon, before the large quakes overnight:
http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/state/20080425-1527-nv-renoearthquake.html
“The persistence of this particular earthquake sequence slightly increases the probability for a significant earthquake in west Reno,” said a statement issued by the Nevada Seismological Laboratory at the University of Nevada, Reno.
“If the pattern continues we may be looking at a larger event” in the Reno area, Smith said Friday. “We wouldn’t be surprised to see it (swarm) end at any time and it also wouldn’t be surprising to see a large earthquake. The bottom line is we don’t know what will happen.”
Probably illegal Mexicans digging a really big tunnel.
Gee, I believe that this is what 99 out of 100 people would say.
Hard to tell swarms from foreshock swarms.
I actually spent a bit of time today trying to read the literature on telling them apart. There was a very similar swarm in Idaho a few years back (less populated area) that didn’t end in a large quake.
Regarding this particular swarm - I have a feeling this doesn’t end well (now watch the 4.7 tonight end up being the largest - all predictions about quakes end up leaving egg on faces.)
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Swarm has been active since late February..
You might be joking around but that statement is about as significant a statement as any one should expect from USGS.
As of yet, there is no method available to predict earthquakes with pinpoint accuracy.
All the faults are not completely mapped out as witnessed in the 1994 Northridge earthquake. A previously unknown fault running approximately 15 miles Southeast of the Northridge epicenter caused more extensive damage to one small area of the San Fernando Valley than the tremor from the original quake would have alone.
Thanks Strat. That's very interesting.
It's a water floom that feeds a water treatment plant. About 100-200 feet were knocked out by falling rocks. No damage to home in the area.
USGS seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones once quipped that about the only way to determine that a quake was a foreshock of an imminent and larger event was by looking back in time and saying "Oh. Yes. That one was a foreshock."
Fortunately, that's often the way these events turn out.Strategerist wrote: "Regarding this particular swarm - I have a feeling this doesn't end well..."
Agree, and other than the long list, there's nothing really concrete to point to which could account for my feeling that something's up.Strategerist wrote: "... (now watch the 4.7 tonight end up being the largest - all predictions about quakes end up leaving egg on faces.)..."
From your mouth to God's Ears, I pray that nothing else happens.
I called volcano first! If It is a volcano they have to name it after me.
Mt. Saint Redneck!
Not funny, Messersch*t.
The terrain looks nearly identical to the Silverton caldera to me.
No caldera near Reno; lots of of faults, though.
That shaker last night woke me up. I was either asleep or almost asleep and then the bed shook. Took me all of three minutes to go back to sleep.
Tell your son to keep an eye out for the NHP & CHP. Everybody is moaning about budget cuts.
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