what's going on down there

[fiddle-fart]

Just got of the U.S.G.A site.
Of the 519 earthquakes on the map for the world
455 were in the U.S. and out of those 343 were in the Mexicala area.
Is the Baja California peninsula trying to split its way into California.

[coppercoins]

Okay, I know nothing about earthquakes and normal frequency. What would be considered 'normal' would be necessary here for us neophites to get any clue how unusual the number is that seems to alarm you.

Here's a similar thing that may help.

Only 52,000 scouts made Eagle Scout, BSA's highest rank, in 2008.

I say 'only' but that number may seem very high. Without any further information that would mean little to anyone who doesn't KNOW scouting.

The rest of the story:

52,000 is only about 5.7% of the more than 1 million registered scouters for the year...so that may bring into context just how rare then are.

[fiddle-fart]

Thats very interesting Chuck, but what I was getting at, is that a very high percentage of earthquakes ( tho small ) is plaguing that part of the world.
I know about the plate movement an such, but my main question, if not stated, is , is it a prelude to " the big one", by causing more stress furthur up San Andres fault line?
My thoughts are as such.
the big ones further south in South America have caused much more pressure further up the fault line, which hopefully, is being relieved by the ones in Baja/United States area.

I don't claim to be a geologist, scientist, or any other letters that can be attached to the end of your name.... but I have slept in a motel 6 before

[eagames]

Just a SWAG...

The number of 519 is only for a certain time period.
When there's a quake it has a lot of aftershocks so in reality it might be saying there was a big quake and many aftershocks.

Over a different timeframe the numbers might be high in a different fault zone. I think Japan has a lot of quakes. Indonesia seems to get a lot lately.

Hopefully all the quakes are relieving some pressure.

[Dick]

Mike, in escence, you are right. However, I don't think the plate that is subducting under Chile, in South America, is the same plate that is coming into the western US, ( the North American plate). I could be wrong.
The whole of the Rocky Mountion chain is said to run from Alaska, to the andes, Chile, so it may be as you say.
The whole "segment" of The state of Baja California, Mex., and continuing up north to the Bay area is one section , that thet believe is a "sliver" that is moving NW a small ammonut each year, and it has been said that one day, La Paz, BCfa. will be part of Anchorage, Alaska. Incidently, the quake that hit just below Mexicali, B.C. is believed to have split the peninsula into two parts, according to reports on Univision, a Mexican TV network.
I have been in the Southern part of CA since '43, and have seen a lot of quakes. Some big, very many of them small, nbarely noticable. One in particular, in '54, or '55, had the hangar doors rattling for over a week, in North Island Naval Air Station, San Diego, CA. It cracked the wall in the house, and the car was bouncing around, in the parking area. I, (we, the wife and kids) didn't sleep in Motel 6, but we did sleep close to an exit, just in case. The weather was such that the doors did not have to be kept closed, to keep warm.
I was not in the Bay area, when the one hit Oakland, CA.
My daughter, some years ago lived in a house that straddled one of the San Andreas fault lines, and a quake had the house squeaking. It scared the devil out of them! The boys got a big "kick" out of the telephone, and electrical line poles, swaying, back and forth!
The "big one", as it is referred to most likely will be on the order of 12.0, or greater, they believe. That will cause "Liquification of the earth", and the whole thing will suddenly become a big water pond,. Buildings will sink, and be destroyed by the movement. There are a few who believe, that when it is all said and done, that the west coast line will pass very close to Phoenix, AZ!
We do not have the faintest notion of what "mother Nature" has in store for us!
It will be something to behold!
If you live thru it!

[Robert]

"Only 52,000 scouts made Eagle Scout"

That's as rare as a 1916 Standing Liberty quarter (at least around 1917).

[Dick]

I was not in the Scouts very long, but I did manage to make second class. I was the bugler. I still have my Neckerchief. There was some kind of trouble with Japan, so I didn't get to be a "boy Scout" any longer.

[Danester]

I have a Bachelors of Science degree in Geological-Engineerng, but I don’t think I know any more about earthquake prediction than you guys.

What I do know is that an 8.4 Richter magnitude seem to be a threshold of significant earth tectonic movement. We’ve had about 4-decades of relative quiet in earthquake intensity, then in 2004 - BAM - we had the 9.1 magnitude Indonesia earthquake and tsunami, followed by 4 more earthquakes of greater than 8.4 magnitude, with the last being the 9.0 Honshu, Japan earthquake and tsunami earlier this month - March 2011.



What does this period of quiet followed by a grouping of earthquakes greater than 8.4 mean? Seismologists are not really sure what it all means, and neither do I.

But, consider this - as we cross the Earth’s Equator from north to south - things change. Water changes from a clockwise swirl in the northern hemisphere as it drains downward, to a counter-clockwise movement in the southern hemisphere. Do similar changes (or unknown changes) occur when our Earth crosses the Galactic Plane (or Equator), as some say we are now (2008 – 2015). This could be the reason for the up-tick in earthquake intensity. Check-out the YouTube link below about the Galactic Plane crossing - after 6-min., 30-sec. into the video it gets into religious stuff – but the first part is good science.

Actually their is some debate over if we are really crossing the Galactic Plane in 2012.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EYjiwe4bons&feature=related

[fiddle-fart]

Yes, I know it is very hard, if not impossible to predict an earthquake, but the main thing is to be prepared in case of such of an ermergency. Here in the mid-west, there is a preparedness program going http://www.shakeout.org/centralus/
to be better prepared for, during and after an earthquake.
I've read somewhere, that 3 of the 4 major fault lines on the Pacific Rim, have had a 8+ earthquake and the only one not to have one is the San Andres fault recently.
But the ones that has the hairs on the back of my neck standing up is the New Madrid and the Wabash Valley Zones.
Another thing that I have found interesting is the amount of earthquakes in Arkansas and the lesser amounts that goes across Tennesse then up the Appalachians Mountains into Canada. One could almost draw a straight line then up looking at past (last few yrs. using google earth)of the aforesaid areas.
By the way, spelunking is a hobby of mine, that this is how come I got interested in earthquakes.
(didn't wanna make my wife rich )

[justafarmer]

I guess you don't live in Guy, Arkansas. From September 20, 2010 through December they experienced 487 measurable earthquakes. "We've had 15 today including a 3.1 (magnitude) from this morning," Scott Ausbrooks, geohazards supervisor for the Geological Survey, said Monday. "These are shallow quakes between two and eight kilometers (between one-and-a-quarter and five miles) below the surface."

They came to the conclusion that these quakes were being caused by high pressure gas drilling going on in the area. The State has suspended this type of drillling until further notice for additional study of the problem.

[GarryN]

Where is San Francisco on that chart?

[Danester]

Only earthquakes of 8.4 magnitude or higher (The Big Ones) are plotted on the chart - it allows you to "see the forest for the trees" by letting you see periods of high intensity earthquake magnitude.

The 1906 San Francisco earthquake was a 7.9 magnitude and the 2010 Haitian earthquake was only 7.0, so they are both not on the chart. The reason there was so much damage and lost of life in Haiti was poor construction of buildings and homes. Which leads us to give Japan some Atta-Boys for their earthquake building designs, as most all major structures came through the earthquake OK - it was the Tsunami that was responsible for most of the damage and lose of life.

I found the chart on the Internet about a week ago (can't find it any more). I think it was a National Geographic blog by a fellow who is now over in Japan preparing a special for PBS, if my memory serves me right. I look forward to seeing that.

As to the real question "Where is San Francisco on the Chart" - it may be coming (or Seattle/Los Angeles). The northeast Pacific Plate rim is due ! The 1964 Alaska earthquake of 9.2 magnitude was the last "Big One" there.

[Dick]

[fiddle-fart]

Justafarmer, No I live approx. 35 miles N.E. of Louisville, Ky.. My wife and I went to Arkansas last yr. to try alittle Diamond Mining (No diamonds, but cool rocks) and that was in an ancient volcano, which was quite cool (with the rocks an all).
Well you gotta figure, if you leave a gap (taking pressure out of an area) something has got to give and an eartquake is on of the many ways.
Now Dick, Not knowing exactly where you live ( just in Rialto), there are several fault lines that are in or near that area and a majority are land based, so I'm guessin at least you don't have to worry about a tsunami . But just in my thoughts and IMHO that area ( from Baja to Seattle ) is over due the big one, but once again, IMHO, it would be more likely from Eureka up to Seattle.

[Dick]

Rialto is about 75 miles East of Los Angeles, CA. so no; no reisk of a tsunami.
This whole area is on many known faults, as well as some unknown ones. I am not worried about "the big one", bexause the location lends itself to some protection from the West. There are mountains, West of us, and until they "melt into a liquified sandy state,, no reason to worry. There is more risk of wikldfires here than anything else. Even tornados are very low risk. Besides, I am a firm brliever that one is going to live, until it is his/her turn to be called. When that happens, you are history. Until then live it up! You may not be as lucky, in the next trip to the carnal world. We do make several trips here, as part of the "learning process", to prepare us to arrive at the hand of GOD.