California quakes - USGS says larger than the 5.1 possible in next few days

[devil21]

Cali had some serious eq activity tonite. Lots of chatter about it and another stronger than the 5.1 possible in the next few days, says USGS. Stay safe out there and have fresh water and canned food stashed! Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

USGS says larger LA quake possible in next few days
http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...#axzz2xKSJcsnA

The 5.1 magnitude earthquake that rattled Southern California on Friday night raises the possibility that a larger quake is on the way, seismologists said.

The swarm of earthquakes began at 8:03 p.m., when a 3.6 earthquake hit. That ended up being a foreshock of the largest earthquake to hit, a magnitude 5.1 at 9:09 p.m. At least two more aftershocks hit, a 3.4 at 9:11 p.m. and a 3.6 at 9:30 p.m.

U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones said the 5.1 quake has a 5% chance of being a foreshock of an even larger quake.

“There could be even a larger earthquake in the next few hours or the next few days,” Jones said at Caltech.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...#ixzz2xKmELzbA

[Zippyjuan]

They always say there is the possiblity of a larger quake to come later but as it notes, the real odds of that happening are only five percent. A few smaller quakes may be enough to release built up tensions in the crust and actually reduce the chances of another soon. Or they may be precursers.

[phill4paul]

Stay safe out there and have fresh water and canned food stashed! Better to have and not need than to need and not have.

That goes for just about anywhere at anytime. Words to live by.

[pcosmar]

They always say there is the possiblity of a larger quake to come later but as it notes, the real odds of that happening are only five percent. A few smaller quakes may be enough to release built up tensions in the crust and actually reduce the chances of another soon. Or they may be precursers.

Very helpful.

Being it is California,, and a KNOWN Fault line,, I would bet on more quakes,,, and only a matter of time till another big one.

Bet on it and stay prepared.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...#axzz2xNsmj7Sz

Scientists are particularly concerned about the Puente Hills thrust fault because it goes directly underneath downtown Los Angeles. "This is the fault that could eat L.A.," seismologist Sue Hough told The Times in 2003.

[tod evans]

They always say there is the possiblity of a larger quake to come later but as it notes, the real odds of that happening are only five percent. A few smaller quakes may be enough to release built up tensions in the crust and actually reduce the chances of another soon. Or they may be precursers.

Don't worry about it....

If everything goes south FEMA will save you.

[Zippyjuan]

Very helpful.

Being it is California,, and a KNOWN Fault line,, I would bet on more quakes,,, and only a matter of time till another big one.

Bet on it and stay prepared.

http://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/l...#axzz2xNsmj7Sz

There are literally thousands of fault lines in California of varying sizes (250 have been named and others are "too many to count") and "big ones" have been very rare. But "being ready" is always good advice.

If you exclude Alaska, California has had nine of the fifteen biggest quakes in US history (interesting to see Missouri and Montana on that list). If you include Alaska, we have only four of the top 20 quakes. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquak...largest_us.php

[pcosmar]

Yeah,, OK. whatever.

[specsaregood]

They always say there is the possiblity of a larger quake to come later but as it notes, the real odds of that happening are only five percent.

I'm not sure 5% is worthy of "only". 5% is a pretty good chance given the odds of having an earthquake on any random day.

the fifteen biggest quakes in US history (interesting to see Missouri and Montana on that list). If you include Alaska, we have only four of the top 20 quakes. http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquak...largest_us.php

The big ones in Missouri made the Mississippi river run backwards for a time.

[Carson]

Here's my sister's report.

"Just had an earthquake. 8pm 3.6 Didn't feel it. 9:09pm 5.1 Felt that one. Kind of a side to side rolling feeling. Lasted about 20 seconds. Another on 9:11pm 3.4 Didn't feel it."

[Henry Rogue]

I thought California outlawed earthquakes?

[Carson]

Here are a couple of websites that track earthquakes.

http://www.iris.edu/seismon/

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/monitoring/anss/

[MelissaWV]

They had another fairly recent 4.1

[Brian4Liberty]

Here's my sister's report.

"Just had an earthquake. 8pm 3.6 Didn't feel it. 9:09pm 5.1 Felt that one. Kind of a side to side rolling feeling. Lasted about 20 seconds. Another on 9:11pm 3.4 Didn't feel it."

It was a long roller. I was the first one in the group to feel the 5.1, and then we all were thinking we felt the next one about 10 minutes later. Very gentle, so sometimes you think it might be your imagination. But it kept the lights swinging for a long time.

[Dr.3D]

I thought California outlawed earthquakes?

They did, but these are illegal earthquakes.

Last I knew, California was an earthquake free zone.

[Carson]

It was a long roller. I was the first one in the group to feel the 5.1, and then we all were thinking we felt the next one about 10 minutes later. Very gentle, so sometimes you think it might be your imagination. But it kept the lights swinging for a long time.

Did you check out the website showing how they are hitting in a slew...or bunch in a row. It reminds me of the ones in Oklahoma they've been having.

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/map/#{%22feed%22%3A%221day_m25%22%2C%22search%22%3Anul l%2C%22sort%22%3A%22newest%22%2C%22basemap%22%3A%2 2grayscale%22%2C%22autoUpdate%22%3Atrue%2C%22restr ictListToMap%22%3Atrue%2C%22timeZone%22%3A%22local %22%2C%22mapposition%22%3A[[33.625483275965045%2C-118.17787170410156]%2C[34.08849265654644%2C-117.54272460937499]]%2C%22overlays%22%3A{%22plates%22%3Atrue}%2C%22vie wModes%22%3A{%22list%22%3Atrue%2C%22map%22%3Atrue% 2C%22settings%22%3Afalse%2C%22help%22%3Afalse}}


Oklahoma quakes;

http://www.okgeosurvey1.gov/pages/ea...arthquakes.php

I remember in a roadside geology book something about the whole Los Angeles basin sinking about 46or 56 feet back in the early oil extraction days.



P.S. It looks like I was way off. I got out the books to see if I could find the spot about the sinking. All I've found so far is;

Some of you may be aware the the area around Anaheim has sunk a foot or tow in the last decade and the the area around Wilmington has sunk nearly 20 feet in the last 30 years. The old Edison Company steam plant at Wilmington is now below sea level. This sinkage is thought to be due primarily to the withdrawal of fluids, oil, water, and gas from beneath the ground. It is of artificial origin rather than a result of natural deformation.

Southern California by Robert P. Sharp

I guess if it sank 46 to 56 feet it would be under water.

[MelissaWV]

They did, but these are illegal earthquakes.

Last I knew, California was an earthquake free zone.

I heard that Obama granted them de facto amnesty.

[Dr.3D]

I heard that Obama granted them de facto amnesty.

See? 10th amendment be damned.

[RJB]

5.1 ain't too bad. I experienced the Lander's quake. It was a 7.4 back around '92ish. I usually sleep straight through the night. That night I woke up wide awake and lay there for 30 minutes and then it began to shake. I kept thinking it would end and it kept getting worse. So I got out of bed. I felt like I was standing on a small boat in rough seas.

I was in the Marines on the second floor of the barrack. My roommate, we called him Evil Don-- most pessimistic man alive, both of us were atheist, very cynical and fatalistic at the time. We were about the only two who could stand each other. His favorite line was when hearing any tragedy was, "Well it doesn't really matter, the AIDS virus will mutate and wipe us all out anyway. Might as well get it over with."

Don looked at me and shrugged and said in resignation, "Well it look like this is it."

I said, "I guess we won't die of AIDS after all."

He shrugged and said, "we oughta stand under the door frame, like that'll do anything."

We opened the door to the hall and saw Marines running up and down screaming with absolute terror on their faces. For some reason Don and I saw it as one of the funniest things we ever.

"We all lived, unfortunately," Evil Don told somebody later.

[ctiger2]

Jerry Brown needs to figger out a way to tax the quakes.

[MelissaWV]

5.1 ain't too bad. ...

Oh I don't think anyone's saying it's bad, but it's more a question of whether that's "it" or if it's really more of a preshock.

Looking at the USGS now, there have been several quakes of that size spread out today. They do happen in isolation, but from time to time... something bigger is waiting to happen instead. Only hindsight will tell.

[Carson]

5.1 ain't too bad. I experienced the Lander's quake. It was a 7.4 back around '92ish. I usually sleep straight through the night. That night I woke up wide awake and lay there for 30 minutes and then it began to shake. I kept thinking it would end and it kept getting worse. So I got out of bed. I felt like I was standing on a small boat in rough seas.

I was in the Marines on the second floor of the barrack. My roommate, we called him Evil Don-- most pessimistic man alive, both of us were atheist, very cynical and fatalistic at the time. We were about the only two who could stand each other. His favorite line was when hearing any tragedy was, "Well it doesn't really matter, the AIDS virus will mutate and wipe us all out anyway. Might as well get it over with."

Don looked at me and shrugged and said in resignation, "Well it look like this is it."

I said, "I guess we won't die of AIDS after all."

He shrugged and said, "we oughta stand under the door frame, like that'll do anything."

We opened the door to the hall and saw Marines running up and down screaming with absolute terror on their faces. For some reason Don and I saw it as one of the funniest things we ever.

"We all lived, unfortunately," Evil Don told somebody later.

Great story Bro.

[GunnyFreedom]

Oh I don't think anyone's saying it's bad, but it's more a question of whether that's "it" or if it's really more of a preshock.

Looking at the USGS now, there have been several quakes of that size spread out today. They do happen in isolation, but from time to time... something bigger is waiting to happen instead. Only hindsight will tell.

I think they may even be past due to break off and float away. Heaven knows what Washington will do with that kind of distraction to hide behind.

[Dr.3D]

I think they may even be past due to break off and float away. Heaven knows what Washington will do with that kind of distraction to hide behind.

I can just see them confiscating firearms while everybody is looking at the "California Disaster."

[RJB]

I think they may even be past due to break off and float away. Heaven knows what Washington will do with that kind of distraction to hide behind.

Naw man, like everything EAST of the San Andreas fault is like going to break off Cali and sink, Dude.

[RJB]

I can just see them confiscating firearms while everybody is looking at the "California Disaster."

Like they did after Katrina in N.O.?

[Dr.3D]

Naw man, like everything east of the San Andreas fault is like going to break off Cali and sink, Dude.

Dude, that would probably make some really rad waves.

[Dr.3D]

Like they did after Katrina in N.O.?

Yeah, can't have anybody defending themselves in a natural disaster situation.

[GunnyFreedom]

Naw man, like everything east of the San Andreas fault is like going to break off Cali and sink, Dude.

I know, I just hate to even imagine the loss of life. Maybe unprecedented in history. What do you say, evacuate? Yeah right.

[Matt Collins]

The big ones in Missouri made the Mississippi river run backwards for a time.

Yep, created an entire like because of it too:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Reelfoot_lake


I was in Memphis last weekend, and looking around, ain't no buildings in that town are ready for an earthquake.

[GunnyFreedom]

Dude, that would probably make some really rad waves.

Sydney and the Central Coast. Oahu and Hawaii. The Solomons and Fiji. Maybe even the other side of the Philippines.