In Southern California, an unexpected chain of tiny earthquakes - about 143 in total - near the San Andreas Fault prompted officials to issue an earthquake alert for the safety of the community. Southern Californians are known to be tolerant to these events, but this made them uneasy.
Magnitude 7.0 Earthquake to Hit Southern California?
In an article released by Live Science, the U.S. Geological Survey revealed data that shows the risk of an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 or greater occurring in Southern California increasing to 1 in 300 and 1 in 100. This is far more alarming when compared to the risks on a normal day, in which the likelihood of a 7.0 or greater earthquake is just 1 in 10,000.
The risk increases during earthquake swarms simply because the overall earthquake frequency goes up. The quake alert is still in effect and is scheduled to end today.
Souther California Residents Take Drastic Measures
Many residents of Southern California are still frightened by the warning. Even though they only have a day left before the government lifts the earthquake alert, people are still more cautious than ever. This earthquake scare resulted in the closing of multiple businesses to ensure the welfare and safety of employees and customers.
Another establishment that closed down is the City Hall of San Bernardino, which stands right above San Andreas Fault. According to a news report released by Los Angeles Times, they do not intend to resume office until Tuesday to assure the safety of the public. Officials doubt that the structure would be able to withstand an earthquake of such magnitude.
The director of the Southern California Earthquake Center, Thomas H. Jordan, shared Monday afternoon that the series of earthquakes near Los Angeles have shown a consistent decay and has been tailing off. This is good news for the people of Southern California.
Although earthquakes are known to be unpredictable, some advancement has been made in the field of seismology that may make it possible for us to determine where they are likely to occur.
