Earthquake Update
Last updated 10/3/2016 at 10:49am
A series of more than 140 seismic events occurred in the Brawley Seismic Zone, which sits near a fault network that connects the Imperial fault and one end of the San Andreas Fault.
The U.S. Geological Services reported temblors that ranged from magnitude 1.4 to 4.3, over a period of more than 24 hours since Monday morning.
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Courtesy of NBC7
Professor Abbott says the increased probability was not significant enough to warrant an advisory. NBC 7's Matt Rascon reports. (Published Sunday, Oct. 2, 2016)
Despite the California Office of Emergency Services issuing a warning of the possibility of a major earthquake hitting the area, seismologists added that the chances of a magnitude 7 or greater earthquake occurring over the next week is between 1 in 100 to 1 in 3,000. Without the swarm, however, the average risk for such an event striking on any given week is 1 in 6,000.
Experts state that some cross-faults are positioned in a way that can possibly add stress to the San Jacinto Fault and the San Andreas Fault systems. Small quakes are still occurring with two more being recorded Oct 1 at Calipatria, at 3.2 magnitude and Bombay Beach, at a 3 magnitude.
San Diego State University geology professor Pat Abbott told NBC 7, “First off, this is not based on science, scientifically we have zero ability to predict earthquakes … An advisory or warning to make people get a little more tense or extra prepared? That's what I would call kind of a betrayal of public trust,” he says. “We know what's going to occur, where it's going to occur. We can’t tell you the when, but what’s the thing the public wants the most? The when,” (See video for full interview)
