A big earthquake is something nobody wants to be dealing with, but still, there are several things you need to keep in mind in order to prepare yourself for the occurrence of such a phenomenon. You should not panic, store breakable items in low and closed cabinets, hang items such as pictures and mirrors away from beds and anywhere people sit, and so on.
Nevertheless, an earthquake can still produce plenty of damage, whether you prepare for it or not. The Ridgecrest earthquake was the strongest to hit Southern California in 20 years, reaching 7.1-magnitude and having around 100,000 aftershocks. Researchers say that a major fault has been moved for the first time, due to the earthquake.
Zachary Ross, assistant professor of geophysics at Caltech and an author of a study of the fault published Friday in the journal Science, stated that scientists had never seen before the particular fault moving after an earthquake. It moved for less than an inch, but it was enough to baffle the minds of scientists.
Unfortunately, the Californian earthquake from this year produced some damage: naval facilities nearby Arizona and Nevada require repairs of billions of dollars. Ironically, it all started on July 4, USA’s Independence Day. A 6.4-magnitude foreshock hit Southern California, and 36 hours later cometh “the big guy”, which had the 7.1-magnitude. But the horror didn’t end…
Over 110,000 aftershocks were detected in the surrounding area over 21 days. The team of researchers discovered them while combining advanced seismometer data with satellite imaging of fault ruptures.
The truth is, nobody can predict exactly when an earthquake will occur. For instance, the USGS says there is a 31% chance that at some point in the next 30 years, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake will strike Los Angeles. Therefore, you should always be aware and prepared, but let’s hope everybody will be safe.
Doris’s passion for writing started to take shape in college where she was editor-in-chief of the college newspaper. Even though she ended up working in IT for more than 7 years, she’s now back to what he always enjoyed doing. With a true passion for technology, Doris mostly covers tech-related topics.