Yep, it happened….
Every now and then during those drowsy moments when I first awaken, I wonder if I actually DID hear the radio say, “… a magnitude 4.7 earthquake in Los Angeles….”
Yes, I did!
Then, I went searching in all of the usual places, and there was no mention of it. So, I went to that old standby from the good folks at USGS. After I made the confirmation, I went to a very unusual place, the Los Angeles Times. Yep, it happened… along the Newport-Inglewood fault, the source of t he 1933 Long Beach earthquake (magnitude 6.4). The good folks at USGS are watching (feeling?) all of the aftershocks, and there have been a bunch (swarm, I think it is called) to determine the actual fault that was involved.
I vaguely recall something about “broken glass” and “sweeping up” on the radio.
The article in the Times quotes the USGS stating that the Newport-Inglewood fault “was formerly thought to be capable of very large earthquakes. More recent research has shown that, instead, it is of less concern and only capable of up to about [magnitude] 7.4.”
A 7.4 quake will do nicely, considering what a 6.4 did in 1933.
Sure, 4.7 is not huge. I have personally experienced a larger one (5.6) while sitting in this very chair.
But there is a lot of stuff to FALL DOWN in L.A…..
(Note added May 20, 2009: A magnitude 4.0 earthquake shook Long Beach earlier today and caused the evacuation of an apartment building that sustained severe damage to the roof.)
-Bill at Cheshire Cat Photo™
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