[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

[ErnstStavroBlofeld]

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/research/deformation/modeling/papers/scientam/scientam.html

[spetznaz]

Nah, it's not due to tectonic movements. I've heard that it's divine in origin, with some global warming thrown in. /sarcasm.

Seriously though, I wonder what other faults (apart from the obvious one in SF) have also been slowly building up pressure?

[Feckless]

You’d think they could have spent at least a little of that $3 Billion on some re-bar.......

[dirtboy]

where many areas are either unsafely built due to corruption or poverty.

More like poverty due to corruption.

[MarkL]

"The fault has been more or less locked for 200 years," British Geological Survey seismologist Roger Musson explained to TIME. In this area, where the Caribbean plate is moving east against the North American Plate, plate movement is about seven millimeters per year, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) said.

No!

It's global warming! I know it's global warming that caused it, because Danny Glover said so!

Actually, there are LOTS of faults running throughout many countries, and though the quakes and volcanic activities are very few and far between, just one is enough to ruin your whole day. A really good example is for those people (like myself) in the midwest. The New Madrid fault is centered near the boot heel of MO, and when it goes, promises to be a real doosie. The last time there was a major quake from those faults (actually a few quakes in 1811 and 1812), it's estimated that they were of magnitude 8 or more. The last major quake there (5.4 in 1968) effected 23 states and was felt as far away as Boston.

Mark