Earth Magazine: The Bay Area's Next 'Big One' Could Strike as a Series of Quakes

Alexandria, Va. — Most people are familiar with the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and are aware of the earthquake risk posed to the Bay Area — and much of California — by the San Andreas Fault. However, a cluster of large earthquakes struck the San Andreas and nearby faults in the 17th and 18th centuries, releasing about the same amount of energy throughout the Bay Area as the 1906 quake. Thus, it appears that the accumulated stress on the region’s faults could be released in a series of moderate to large quakes on satellite faults, rather than a single great event on the San Andreas.

Read more about the recently uncovered paleoseismic evidence and what earthquake clustering could indicate for hazard risks in the September issue of EARTH Magazine: http://bit.ly/111prPr.

For more stories about the science of our planet, check out EARTH magazine online or subscribe at www.earthmagazine.org. The September issue, now available on the digital newsstand, features stories about how scientists are using digital cameras to create 3-D topographical maps, how warm river water is melting Arctic sea ice, and a jaunt through the spectacular rocks of the Australian Outback, plus much, much more.

Keep up to date with the latest happenings in Earth, energy and environment news with EARTH Magazine online at: http://www.earthmagazine.org. Published by the American Geosciences Institute, EARTH is your source for the science behind the headlines.