Onshore drilling: Practicing for “The Big One”
At 10 A.M. Pacific Time this morning, Californians practiced for “The Big One” in an earthquake drill based on the scenario of a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the San Andreas Fault in southern California, beginning at the Salton Sea and spreading north nearly 200 miles. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), such an earthquake could kill 1800 people, injure 50,000 people, and cause $200 billion (USD) in damages.
More than 5 million people registered to participate in the drill, which is billed as the largest such drill in history. The drill was part of the Great Southern California ShakeOut, which is a week-long series of events organized by emergency officials and scientists to prepare people for a major earthquake, which is “overdue.” There is a 99% chance of California experiencing an earthquake of magnitude 6.7 (that of the 1994 Northridge earthquake) or greater within the next 30 years, according to the Uniform California Earthquake Rupture Forecast sponsored by the USGS.
-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™
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