Aftershocks continue after a major earthquake in California

A 7.0 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Northern California on Thursday morning. Tsunami warnings have been lifted for northern California and southern Oregon. Aftershocks are still continuing, and there is little chance of surpassing the first earthquake.

A strong earthquake struck an area near the coast of California on Thursday, and aftershocks are still continuing.

The 7.0 magnitude earthquake occurred at approximately 10:44 a.m. Pacific time. The quake's epicenter was offshore, about 62 miles west-southwest of Ferndale, California, according to USGS data.

The USGS website reported more than 35 smaller earthquakes struck across that area over the next three hours, with magnitudes ranging from 2.5 to 4.7, including two that occurred inland.

“There's been a lot of aftershocks,” Harold Tobin, a seismologist in Washington state and director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network, told Business Insider.

A screenshot of a USGS earthquake map shows dozens of aftershocks clustered around a magnitude 7.0 earthquake on Thursday, as of 3:40 p.m. PT. USGS/Esri/HERE/Garmin/© OpenStreetMap Contributors/GIS User Community

As of Thursday afternoon, the USGS expects up to 130 aftershocks of magnitude 3 or higher over the next week, and a 53% chance of aftershocks greater than magnitude 5.

“It is entirely plausible that there could be a larger aftershock or more than one larger aftershock,” Tobin said.

The USGS estimates the odds are 1 in 100 of an aftershock of magnitude 7 or greater.

The error that slipped

The fault zone that produced the magnitude 7.0 earthquake is a very seismically active area.

It's called the Mendocino Triple Junction because three different tectonic plates meet there: the Pacific, North American, and Juan de Fuca plates.

It lies between two notorious seismic zones, at the northern end of the San Andreas Fault and the southern end of the Cascadia Subduction Zone. The CSZ has some of the greatest seismic potential on the planet, capable of producing earthquakes of magnitude up to 9.0.

However, the Mendocino triple junction is less impressive.

“Somewhere in the sevens range, things seem to be pretty big,” Tobin said.

The region has produced five earthquakes of magnitude 7 or greater in the past century, according to the US Geological Survey.

Thursday's quake could have slightly increased the chance of other earthquakes along adjacent faults by increasing stress in those areas.

“It is unlikely to have a significant, significant impact” on those fault systems, Tobin said. He added that the chances are “not zero, but very low.”

Tsunami panic

The initial quake triggered tsunami warnings and evacuations – which have since been canceled – along the northern California coast to southern Oregon, including the San Francisco Bay area.

The warnings lasted about an hour. The National Tsunami Warning Center canceled it at around 11:54 a.m. local time, saying there was no longer a threat.

Most likely, the reason the tsunami did not occur is because the earthquake was caused by plates moving side by side against each other. This is called a strike-slip earthquake. Because the motion was mostly horizontal, rather than vertical, it did not push the ocean upward to create a wave.

Despite this, Tobin said, the warning was “warranted.”

He added: “Until we know enough about the earthquake indicators and can verify whether there is an actual wave or not, it is wise to have those warnings.”

Possible seismic damage

The USGS also reported

Related stories

Governor Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency in three counties in Northern California that were close to the epicenter of the offshore earthquake.

“We are concerned about the damage,” he said at a press conference, adding that the announcement would allow the state to “provide more resources.”

According to CNN, about 10,000 homes and businesses were without power in Humboldt County — the area closest to the epicenter — immediately after the major quake. As of Thursday afternoon, PowerOutage.us reported fewer than 500 customers there were without power.

“Early damage assessments are being conducted,” Newsom said, but the state does not have additional information to share yet.

This is a developing story, check back for more information.

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