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California has experienced multiple earthquakes In the past two minutes, within a region under close surveillance for a possible significant earthquake.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) recorded three earthquakes with magnitudes between 2.5 and 3.8 on Monday shortly after 11 am local time (3 pm ET).
A tremor took place 21 miles north of Bakersfield, home to more than 400,000 people, and approximately 80 miles away from this city. Los Angeles .
The epicenter, situated in Grapevine, is situated precisely beside the San Andreas Fault , located underneath Highway 5 at Tejon Pass.
Based on the information from the USGS, significant earthquakes happen in this region roughly every 100 years.
The last major event —an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.9—hit in 1857, indicating that this part of the San Andreas Fault might be due for another major seismic occurrence.
The USGS has concluded that an equivalent earthquake occurring today could impair the aqueduct systems transporting water to southern California from the north, interfere with electrical grid connections, and cause extensive damages to the 5 Freeway. Additionally, significant tremors would likely be experienced throughout central Los Angeles.
The lead author of the study, USGS research geologist Kate Scharer, informed The Los Angeles Times: "This would have wider-reaching effects throughout the basin. It would affect our capability to remain a world-class city."
The San Andreas Fault spans 800 miles from Cape Mendocino in the north to the Salton Sea in the south.
Specialists are 'quite certain that there might be a significant quake sometime within the coming three decades,' Angie Lux, a project scientist for Earthquake Early Warning at the Berkeley Seismology Lab, previously stated to Axios.
Experts predict the 'Big One' would cause roughly 1,800 deaths, 50,000 injuries and $200 billion in damages, according to the Great California Shakeout.
According to historical patterns, the San Andreas fault triggers a significant earthquake approximately every 150 years, with the last major tremor occurring about 167 years ago.
The USGS received reports of vibrations extending as far south as Los Angeles and Oxnard.
Over the last seven days, Grapevine experienced 20 earthquakes, as reported. Volcano Discovery .
Most earthquakes occur due to the continuous motion of tectonic plates, these large, rigid sections of rock that form the outer shell of our planet and move over the Earth’s mantle — the intermediate zone located above the core but beneath the crust.
As the tectonic plates gradually shift past one another, they might become locked together because of friction, leading to an accumulation of stress at these boundaries.
Once the stress surpasses the friction between the tectonic plates, they slide past each other, leading to an emission of energy that propagates through the Earth’s crust in wave form, resulting in the tremors experienced above ground.
The most recent significant earthquakes on the San Andreas fault occurred in 1857 and 1906.
The Fort Tejon earthquake in 1857 had a magnitude of 7.9, leading to cracks forming in the grounds near the Los Angeles, Santa Ana, and Santa Clara rivers.
During the incident, trees were toppled, structures were ruined, and two individuals lost their lives.
The devastating 1906 San Francisco quake was also a magnitude 7.9 seismic event, claiming approximately 3,000 lives and largely destroying the city.
Dr. Sue Hough, a researcher with the U.S. Geological Survey’s Earthquake Hazards Program, informed KTLA5 that various studies offer differing insights into the indicators that might foreshadow significant seismic events.
Certain studies indicated increased activity occurs prior to impact, whereas some findings revealed no such warnings, she mentioned.
Researchers are keeping an eye on another seismic threat in California, the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which they think might cause a significant quake in the near future.
Recent studies reveal that an earthquake measuring 8.0 magnitude or greater along the Cascadia Subduction Zone, coupled with increasing sea levels, could result in coastal areas sinking by up to 6.5 feet just half an hour after a significant seismic event.
The group created tens of thousands of earthquake simulations to gauge the possible extent of land subsidence — or sinking ground — anticipated during the subsequent major Cascadia quake.
They concluded that the worst impacts would be felt in southern Washington, northern Oregon, and northern California, which are heavily populated regions of the area.
This occurrence could lead to a substantial increase in the coastal floodplain — which has a yearly probability of flooding at one percent — expanding it from approximately 35 square miles to about 116 square miles.
Should another earthquake occur today, experts predict that over 14,350 inhabitants, approximately 22,500 buildings, and around 777 miles of roads would be included in the new flood zone after the seismic event. This represents a significant increase, effectively more than doubling current flood risk exposure.
Historically, the Cascadia Subduction Zone has generated earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 or greater approximately every 400 to 600 years, with the most recent one occurring in 1700.
This indicates that the 'sleeping giant' is ready for yet another significant surge shortly.
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