A 5.6 Earthquake hits Northern California and the news media ignites fears with talk of the BIG ONE. The various media, Blog, Twitter outlets and social media suggesting that this 5.6 is somehow connected or a signal that the San Andreas fault could let go a Mega Quake.
First, here is Google Earth Coordinates
40.33°N124.00°W
One can clearly see (covered in trees now) volcanic activities, crators, small cones.
Here are coordinates for Google Earth
40°30'52"N 125°36'40"W
This is the bottom of the Juan D Fuca fault that meets a crack in the earth's crust that curves up to the western pacific plate boundary.
Deep Earthquakes hammering up on the earth's crust are the origins of earthquakes that breakout in the States, the majority of deep earthquake points of origin are in the Indonesia area, including Fiji, Tonga, and PNG (Papa New Guinea) . In the case of the 5.6 energy transfers from these deep earthquakes up around the western (Indonesia) plate boundaries, up around Alaska and then down to the Juan D Fuca fault where it builds energy before releasing it accross the arrow points of the fault that point into the states. Energy also transfers down the crack in the earth's crust that you can see on Google Earth to Northern California.
The energy travels accross to Idaho, Montana then down to Colorado and accross to Oklahoma, Iowa ect..
The energy at the bottom of the Juan D Fuca fault that transfers into California then down through the state in two distinct lines, one on the California /Nevada border, the other follows inland near the coast between the San Jacinto fault and the San Andreas fault then transfers accross to Texas and up to Oklahoma following the states at the edge of the Craton.
The Craton is a scientific name for the more stable, thicker portion of the North American Plate, the edge or more unstable, thinner portion of the Craton is were all earthquakes happen from Montana, Idaho, Colorado, Oklahoma, Ohio, Iowa, Tennessee, Texas, Pennsylvania, Maine ect
Back again to the 5.6 magnitude Northern California earthquake, if we go back several days there were multiple deep earthquakes from the west that gave major Unrest or building pressure on the plate boundaries circling the globe.
I'll admit that unusual deep earthquakes rarely seen in Russia threw me a curveball in my forecasting and now including research of these events in my future forecast.
This was/is not a forerunner to a Mega California Quake, just higher than normal energy passing through the North American plate dropping off a few magnitude higher earthquakes.
Not a big deal. My intent of forecasting is to better prepare those in the earthquake zones in the event of related power outages, maybe put that mirror or vase on the floor or know in advance of a larger magnitude on its way that might save one from injury or even death. Also to teach anyone interested how to forecast earthquakes themselves.
I will add with concern to the San Andreas fault. Is there concern? Yes, but only the worse case scenario is the lower third of the fault and I always watch to see if energy is transferred to Texas. If energy does not transfer then it will build up in the San Andreas which then could lead to a larger release. So far energy continues to transfer and these media freaks just wanting headlines and readership are completely OK with striking fear in the unknowing public.
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What we have been taught, what the USGS claims is false and our university's are to blame for teaching false information.
Here is a list of my past earthquake post that will bring you up to speed on these and other questions.
http://www.onepoliticalplaza.com/t-158442-1.htmlhttp://www.onepoliticalplaza.com/t-159082-1.htmlhttp://www.onepoliticalplaza.com/t-159306-1.htmlhttp://www.onepoliticalplaza.com/t-159702-1.htmlhttp://www.onepoliticalplaza.com/t-159966-1.htmlhttp://www.onepoliticalplaza.com/t-160104-1.htmlhttp://www.onepoliticalplaza.com/t-160207-1.html#2884134http://www.onepoliticalplaza.com/t-160172-1.html