BREAKING: Massive Earthquake Risked on San Andreas, Southern California
After rapid succession of small earthquakes, including three of more than 4-magnitude, US Geological Survey has warned of a bigger risk within few days.
The rupturing started on Monday near Bombay Beach and continued for over 24 hours. At least 200 such mild earthquakes were recorded. Most of those were deep under the Salton Sea.
Even though the rumbling was not over a very large area, but it has garnered concern.
Earthquake sensors were installed in 1932 in the region and since then the latest swarm of jolts were third. The earlier two were in 2001 and 2009, but this one had more earthquakes.
The region is most seismically complex one in California. However, scientists estimate in about 330 years the southernmost stretch of San Andreas fault has not been ruptured.
The region is long overdue as usually a big earthquake takes place in the area once every 150 or 200 years.
USGS warns a magnitude of 7 or more could hit the region in about next seven days.
Southern California Earthquake Center director Thomas H. Jordan said, “Any time there is significant seismic activity in the vicinity of the San Andreas fault, we seismologists get nervous… because we recognize that the probability of having a large earthquake goes up.”
