'Massive tremor in 5 months'

[Relishy]

This was a headline in my paper today. Apparently a tremor has been forecast for the Los Angeles area to happen sometime over the next five months. Have the scientists got it right? I don't like to speculate or cause concern but wondered what the view on this was over in California?

[dcfromva]

Relishy,

Hmmmm, I wonder what they mean by a "massive" tremor? They have earthquakes all the time in CA (it's just that a lot of them can't be felt). Let me see if I can find a link to the USGS page.
It would be interesting if they have advanced the science enough to be able to forecast earthquakes with that level of accuracy....But, I'm not cancelling my trip in June, that's for sure! :lol:

-DC :ears:

[dcfromva]

Here's that link to the USGS map of recent Earthquakes in CA/NV (http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/latest.htm)

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/index_map.gif


You can see with all this activity, it would be hard not to predict an earthquake in the next 5 months!


-DC :ears:

[dcfromva]

Relishy,
This may be outdated information, but here is what the USGS has to say about Earthquake Predictions (click here) (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/faq/myths.html#1)

-DC :ears:

[Alexander]

That's a fascinating map DC! I'll have to remember to gather a recent one of those when my class studies geology in science next fall.

[tajainaz]

I grew up in southern California and don't recall earthquakes until the one in Sylmar in 1971 (?). My parents pool (I was away at school) lost about 1/3 of its water during the 'quake, but no other damage (although my mother said the dining room chandelier was flirting with the ceiling!)--they were about 20 or 25 miles from the epicenter. I'm sure they occurred, but we never really noticed or felt them.

Since that time, there always is concern, but they don't seem to be able to predict a time range with accuracy. The Northridge earthquake took everyone by surprise, and building codes were tightened even more. Newer buildings are built to flex with the earth's movements and withstand fairly severe earthquakes. Rather like Florida requiring special building techniques after Hurricane Andrew.

I don't think I would plan my vacation or major life decisions around predictions at this point.


__________________
Taja http://www.click-smilies.de/sammlung0304/natur/nature-smiley-016.gif

[PsychoAlice]

bring it on...I dont believe half of those predictions anyway..

[BevW]

Oh my gosh, when I was in Jr High and High school in California, they were always predicting THE BIG ONE! You know, the one where Arizona would have beach front property. We lived there for 9 years and even though there were several earthquakes, they weren't massive.

Then they had the one up near Oakland several years back, and my best friend was living in Sacramento at the time..talk about me panicking! I couldn't find her! Or her parents! She finally called me the day after to let me know she was ok just scared.

[Relishy]

Thanks for all the reassurance and advice. My DD was very interested in the links you posted dc as she is studying Geography as one of her A Levels. I am very conscious this year that we are leaving the children behind and are worrying just a little about that I think.
Relishy