San Andreas fault giving off mysterious tremors

[chiliD]

Originally Posted by vivfox

LA Quake 4.7 Mag. On Sunday Night - Experts Say More Aftershocks On The Way
by PostChronicle.com .Sunday night people in LA and the surrounding area were struck with a 4.7 magnitude earthquake. According to reports this is the strongest quake since last July and there are plenty more on the way. According to NBC, "The initial quake, which the U.S...
http://www.postchronicle.com/news/st...12243743.shtml

Hmmm...USGS map doesn't show an earthquake of that magnitude...wonder what it was that was felt?

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by daniellaaarisen

As a born and raised Californian, let me tell you that earthquakes are NOTHING. They happen around once a year in my area and usually, the furniture and chandeliers shake for 10-15 seconds before everything is still again. Keep in mind that the intensity of an earthquake varies depending on how far you are from the source-- an 8.5 earthquake may be totally terrifying for someone 5-10 miles from the source while only half the people in surrounding areas feel as much as a slight vibration. That being said, I was not alive for the 1989 earthquake, the most recent "big" one. I can't REALLY talk until something huge has happened around here, but no one around here gives a second thought to earthquakes. We all think you midwesterners and coastal people are insane for knowingly living somewhere where you must somehow survive through tornadoes and hurricanes

i guess it all depends on where you were raised and what you're used to.

i grew up in ohio and we had probably a couple dozen tornado watches/warnings every season, and i never thought much about it. they could be scary, but it was just par for the course.

earthquakes, on the other hand, freak me out a little. i haven't felt one yet but i know it's coming.

[David]

Originally Posted by carrie721

earthquakes, on the other hand, freak me out a little. i haven't felt one yet but i know it's coming.

Carrie, what state do you live in?

Every state in the country has had quakes -- some a lot more than others, obviously.

[carrie721]

Originally Posted by David

Carrie, what state do you live in?

Every state in the country has had quakes -- some a lot more than others, obviously.

i live in southern california, so i am bound to experience quite a few.

ohio had earthquakes, but they were pitiful, and i don't remember feeling a single one.

[daniellaaarisen]

The '89 quake was actually a legitimate cause for concern, unlike every other freakin' earthquake we've ever experienced. The only exception to that was the 1904 (or 1906) quake, but the only reason that was a big deal is because the quake triggered a fire that burned almost all of San Francisco to the ground. The quake in itself was, like most, a joke.

[David]

Originally Posted by daniellaaarisen

The '89 quake was actually a legitimate cause for concern, unlike every other freakin' earthquake we've ever experienced. The only exception to that was the 1904 (or 1906) quake, but the only reason that was a big deal is because the quake triggered a fire that burned almost all of San Francisco to the ground. The quake in itself was, like most, a joke.

The 1906 quake was approximately 30 times as powerful as the Loma Prieta '89 quake, so it was no joke. The 1906 quake is the second most powerful to hit California on record.

There have been several quakes in California more powerful than the Loma Prieta quake: Landers in 1992 (M7.3), Hector Mine in 1999 (M7.1), Humboldt County in 1980 (M7.2), Kern County in 1952 (M7.3), Imperial Valley in 1940 (M7.1), etc. But I don't want to diminish the strength of the Loma Prieta quake, or the casualties.

The San Fernando (Sylmar) quake of 1971 killed about the same number of people as the Loma Prieta quake, & for much the same reasons: freeway structure collapse. I remember the '71 quake: I was living in Arcadia & we all shook up a storm.

[daniellaaarisen]

Originally Posted by David

The 1906 quake was approximately 30 times as powerful as the Loma Prieta '89 quake, so it was no joke. The 1906 quake is the second most powerful to hit California on record.

There have been several quakes in California more powerful than the Loma Prieta quake: Landers in 1992 (M7.3), Hector Mine in 1999 (M7.1), Humboldt County in 1980 (M7.2), Kern County in 1952 (M7.3), Imperial Valley in 1940 (M7.1), etc. But I don't want to diminish the strength of the Loma Prieta quake, or the casualties.

The San Fernando (Sylmar) quake of 1971 killed about the same number of people as the Loma Prieta quake, & for much the same reasons: freeway structure collapse. I remember the '71 quake: I was living in Arcadia & we all shook up a storm.

That's crazy-- I've always been told that the quake itself wasn't a big deal but the fire that ensued was what really did the damage. I guess in comparison, that colassal earthquake really didn't do much with that fire right behind it. Thanks for clarifying for me.

[David]

Originally Posted by daniellaaarisen

That's crazy-- I've always been told that the quake itself wasn't a big deal but the fire that ensued was what really did the damage. I guess in comparison, that colassal earthquake really didn't do much with that fire right behind it.

Yeah, it was a major, major quake, which actually did a lot of damage even before the fire started. We here in Southern CA haven't felt anything that bad our whole lives. Here's a great info page on it from the USGS: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/...1906_04_18.php

The fire, of course, was horrific! Tsunamis often start fires, too. See the Good Friday Quake of 1964 in Alaska.