What does earthquakes near san diego mean for “big earthquakes”

SAN DIEGO – After a series of small earthquakes rocked the eastern San Diego area this past weekend, many residents may be asking themselves why there have been so many sudden shocks or if there is something larger on the horizon.

Experts say cascading shocks are something residents should be aware of, but not too concerned about predicting the possibility of a major earthquake in the future.

The earthquakes that hit the region last week are part of what scientists call a “swarm,” a series of dozens of small earthquakes over a period of two days to several weeks.

Where will the next “big” be in California? Seismologists call faults of paramount importance

In the past week, there have been a few different areas near San Diego that have seen a swarm, according to the US Geological Survey: Oktillo Wells in San Diego County and the two Imperial County towns of Neyland and Heber.

Niland is located just south of the Salton Sea and the tail of the San Andreas fault, while Heber is located near El Centro at the edge of the Imperial Rift Zone that runs into Mexico. Ocotillo Wells is located in the middle of the two regions, near the San Jacinto fault system.

A screenshot of the USGS earthquake map showing parts of the San Diego and Imperial County areas, as of 12:30 p.m. May 4, 2023. Posters added by FOX5SanDi Wego. (Screenshot by KSWB/FOX 5)

These events in the Southern California region aren’t necessarily rare, according to San Diego State University professor emeritus of geology Dr. Pat Abbott, but they are not a frequent occurrence.

As Abbott explained to FOX5SanDi Wego, the eastern San Diego area is particularly vulnerable to these earthquake events that happen one after another, but only happen every two years.

“This area is known throughout the world for its swarms of earthquakes,” Abbott said of the land south of the Salton Sea. “We’ve had 85 of them in the last 100 years.”

This frequency is not from a fault that runs directly through the area – the South Salton Sea lies between the Imperial Rift and the end of the San Andreas Fault. As Abt explained, this is due to geothermal energy in this 35-mile stretch of land.

In the area there is a lot of magma and warm volcanic rock below the surface at a low depth. This subsurface geothermal pumps out hot water which generates energy and motion, causing an earthquake.

“It’s a very active, volcanic, hot area,” Abbott said. “Once one little thing moves there, it usually makes the others move and that’s the swarm.”

Abbott said that, given the history, the vast majority of these swarm events do not lead to anything else, such as a larger earthquake. Generally, if the swarm is a prognostic jolt, the big hit will occur about 72 hours after the event.

However, that doesn’t mean that this type of movement isn’t likely to trigger something that triggers a larger earthquake.

Most earthquakes are caused by a pressure shift: When one plate moves at a fault, it pushes up against another and puts more pressure on that area. The motion process is the cause of earthquakes, mains and aftershocks with larger seismic events.

“You don’t have just one earthquake,” Abbott explained, “an earthquake is a series of events that happen over days, weeks, months, even years for really massive events.”

These types of swarming events can move pressure enough to trigger the type of devastating “mega” earthquake that has seismologists worried.

For Southern California, seismologists say this would look like any large-scale earthquake along the southern San Andreas causing widespread damage in urban areas close to the fault.

“Every time we have a swarm of earthquakes, we take it very seriously, but we also know from history that it usually won’t lead to anything bigger,” Abbott said.

That’s why he says residents shouldn’t get too anxious about a major concern after the swarm last weekend, but instead it’s something to be aware of.

“It’s a little like one of the little features of living in California – we get a lot of small earthquakes,” he said. “I prefer to classify it as a reminder (that) we live in earthquake country.”

Abbott stressed that Californians should take these events as a sign to prepare for the possibility of a major earthquake near where they live.

AlertCalifornia live cameras to provide more information about natural disasters

An expert with the Governor’s Office of Emergency Services Seismic Risk Branch told FOX5SanDi eg.wego.com earlier this year that the best way people can do this is through:

Identify and secure items at home or work that could fall during a major earthquake, such as china cabinets or ceiling fans. Make a home preparedness plan. Securing an emergency kit containing items – such as light bulbs, cash or food – in case of damage to critical infrastructure. Download the MyShake app for California earthquake warnings.

“We’ve been lucky here for a while,” said Abbott. “Mother Nature does not run on a schedule of erratic motions. So, as always, we kind of have to wait and live it day by day and know how to react on those days when there is a big earthquake.”

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