Huge earthquake due to hit region, according to study [SoCAL]

[Word to Everything]

Southern Californians know they stand on shaky ground, and a new study offers them little comfort: The southern end of the San Andreas fault is primed for a devastating earthquake.

The analysis by the Scripps Institution of Oceanography in La Jolla used satellite data to confirm ground measurements of shifting earth from San Bernardino to the eastern shoreline of the Salton Sea.

Researchers estimated that a future quake along this section of the San Andreas could be as great as magnitude 8 – about as powerful as the 1906 San Francisco temblor.

“The fault is a significant hazard and is primed for another big earthquake,” said Yuri Fialko, a Scripps researcher who led the study. His paper is described in today's edition of the journal Nature.

When that earthquake might occur is anyone's guess. The last major earthquake (magnitude 7.0 to 7.9) to strike the southern segment of the San Andreas was around 1690.

“The San Andreas is 10 months pregnant,” said Tom Rockwell, a geologist at San Diego State University who was unconnected to the study.

The San Andreas marks the dividing line between the Earth's Pacific and North American plates. Pressure builds as the plates crunch against each other.

To estimate how much pressure is building, scientists have measured ground deformations over time by using global positioning system technology and other ground-based techniques. Researchers feed the data into a computer program to predict how fast the plates are moving against each other far below the surface – 30,000 to 50,000 feet down.

Scientists assume that surface layers are mostly locked in place, so the movement below builds pressure. An earthquake occurs when surface layers suddenly “catch up” with the movement below.

Scientists have estimated that the Pacific and North American plates at the southern end of the San Andreas are slipping by each other at a rate of about an inch a year.

That movement has occurred deep beneath the ground. Surface layers have remained locked, under building pressure, for more than 300 years.

If all that pressure were released at once, the ground near the surface would shift about 26 feet – the amount of plate movement that's occurred below.

Fialko confirmed these figures by using satellite data that measured ground deformations from 1992 to 2000, as well as ground-based measurements between 1985 and 2005. The data allowed Fialko to measure surface deformations as small as 20 meters across, giving him “vastly more comprehensive coverage” than was previously available, Fialko said.

A major earthquake along the southern end of the San Andreas would cause considerable shaking in San Diego, seismologists said. But seismic waves move most powerfully along the path of the fault zone, which means damage would probably be more severe in the Los Angeles Basin than here.

RIP Los Angeles > New Orleans 


“I think we'll stay put,” Fialko said. “Compared to L.A., I think we're in good shape.”


Map of SoCal Faults
http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060622/images/faults.html



Not too late to move to San Diego 

[Word to Everything]

Earthquake Kit and Home Preparation

Earthquakes can hit at anytime, so it's best to always be prepared. Here's what you should have in your survival kit and what precautions you need to take in your home.

    * One gallon of water per person for at least three days. Water purification tablets can also be useful.
    * Enough non-perishable food for three days. Canned foods last the longest, but be sure you have a can opener. Nutrition bars, beef jerky and dried fruits are also good energy-providers.
    * Flashlight and portable radio with batteries. Keep spare batteries on hand for easy replacement.
    * Cooking equipment, such as a barbecue or camping stove.
    * A first-aid kit and fire extinguisher.
    * Food and water for pets. <lol
    * Blankets and extra clothing.
    * Toilet tissue, diapers and other personal hygiene products. Use a heavy-duty plastic bag for disposal.
    * Tent and sleeping bag.
    * Tools. Wrenches, axes, hammers(guns), crowbars and rope might come in handy for tasks such as shutting off gas and water.

Home Preparation

    * Secure heavy wall hangings by anchoring them into studs, not just the wall. Never put anything heavy over your bed.
    * Bookshelves should also be secured to walls, using L-shaped braces. Small guardrails can be attached to prevent items from sliding off in an earthquake. Try not to put the heaviest objects on the highest shelves.
    * Put latches on cupboards and cabinets to keep them shut. Small pieces of adhesives or putty can help keep collectibles in place.
    * Lights and hanging plants should be anchored into the ceiling's wood beams, not just through plastic or panels.
    * Brace your free-standing water heater using steel plumber's tape.
    * Know where your gas meter and shut-off valve are. Have an adjustable wrench handy for turning it off. You can also have an automatic shut-off valve installed.
    * Check your home's foundation to see if the wood is secured to the concrete. Older homes may need to be retrofitted.

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

LOL. Is there really a time in So Cal where a huge earthquake is NOT being predicted?

[westkoastanostra]

nor cal>>>>so cal

[Word to Everything]

nor cal>>>>so cal

lol NorCal has Earthquakes too...you must be 13 years old 

[Mr. O]

lets just get over with it, okay? hahaha   

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

nor cal>>>>so cal

Yea, if you prefer worse weather and more homosexuals.

[Native_Joe99]

they've been saying this for a while now, ever since the tsunami in Indonesia. the whole pacific coast line would be affected, most of cali would be underwater, including about have of washington.

[westkoastanostra]

nor cal>>>>so cal

Yea, if you prefer worse weather and more homosexuals.

dont hate u bitch....like LA  dont have homos? cuz i coulda sworn u were a homo...w/ u getting 'HURT' everytime SGV pulls ur hoe card....

[westkoastanostra]

nor cal>>>>so cal

lol NorCal has Earthquakes too...you must be 13 years old 

13 and a half to be exact

[J Bananas]

girls, girls, why are you arguing again about california? you disgrace the state and should move to utah where this is a popular debate

[Now_Im_Not_Banned]

nor cal>>>>so cal

Yea, if you prefer worse weather and more homosexuals.

dont hate u bitch....like LA  dont have homos? cuz i coulda sworn u were a homo...w/ u getting 'HURT' everytime SGV pulls ur hoe card....

Great, another groupie to add to the list.

[MANBEARPIG.]

wait wait wait...


who cares if SoCal>>>>NorCal or if NorCal>>>SoCal(yea right!) the important thing is

ALL OF CALI>>>>>>>>>>>>NYC

[Word to Everything]

California > The Rest of America combined 

[Sikotic™]

All you Northern Cali folks won't have to worry anyways, we're about to break off this bitch and have our own island soon enough.

So you and you're cows can live in harmony.