Bombay Beach earthquake and "The Big One" in So Cal

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Bombay Beach earthquake and "The Big One" in So Cal

Update: CEPEC believes that there is a 1% to 5% chance of a large earthquake (magnitude 7.0 or greater) on the San Andreas Fault over the next few days. The California Emergency Management Agency (Cal EMA) issued a warning to operational Red Cross areas throughout the state yesterday after a 4.8 magnitude earthquake that occurred three miles south of Bombay Beach, Imperial County at 4:55 am.

From a story released yesterday before this mornings 4.8 Magnitude Earthquake in Southern California.

"Scientists are watching closely to see if small faults crossing under California’s Salton Sea are transferring energy to the larger, more dangerous San Andreas fault after a series of small earthquake swarms in the area." - Source: www.chron.com - Link

"Scientists are particularly interested in the area because an earthquake that starts in Bombay Beach and ripples northwest along the San Andreas fault could be “The Big One” that levels Los Angeles" - Source: www.chron.com - Link

Early this morning a magnitude 4.8 quake struck at 4:55 a.m. at a depth of about 3.5 miles on the eastern shore of the Salton Sea, about 2 miles from the town of Bombay Beach after this story was posted at the Chron and numerous aftershocks have occurred.

The main quake was followed by at least 50 smaller aftershocks and many of these are relatively shallow-Bombay Beach earthquake Map 4.8 2009/03/24 11:55:43 33.318 -115.728 5.8 4 km ( 2 mi) S of Bombay Beach, CA

Early seismic warning?:
"Scientists are watching the increased earthquake activity because it is near a section of the San Andreas Fault that has not popped loose in over 300 years."

"Scientists are particularly interested in the area because an earthquake that starts in Bombay Beach and ripples northwest along the San Andreas fault could be “The Big One” that levels Los Angeles", said Graham Kent, a research geophysicist at the University of California, San Diego.

These quakes appear to be taking place at the hazy intersection of several recently mapped faults crossing beneath the Salton Sea and the southern end of the San Andreas fault.

The worry for scientists comes from a case in 1987, when a magnitude-6.2 earthquake on one of the crossing faults appeared to trigger a 6.6 quake 12 hours later on the Superstition Hills fault to the south.
"The San Andreas fault is north of these crossing faults and the geometry is similar", Kent said.

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Tuesday, March 24, 2009