CALIFORNIA, USA -- A new report authored by researchers from the US Geological Survey (USGS) shows that there are three powerful faults located conveniently in the heart of California but have remained dormant in the last 100 years.
Glenn Biasi and Kate Scharer dug on the soil around these faults and discovered that the earthquakes were strong and a regular occurrence in the area over the last a thousand years but were left unnoticed. "We should have seen this happen, but we didn't," Biasi said.
The study was published in Seismological Research Letters and emphasizes strong points you must learn from these new findings. Researchers behind it believe that the results of their study must be taken seriously. They prove it valuable to consider not just for all that it says about the region, but also for what it is able to show for California's future.
What to Expect
First, scientists must expect the next century to be busier than what they expect. While earthquakes remain to be unpredicted, the past records of the trembles, preserved by the changes in the ground, should give researchers ways on how to understand the faults and the movements that they make.
San Andreas, Hayward, and San Jacinto are considered to be the most important faults in California. They carry the most load as they could cause a massive separation between the Pacific Plate from the great North American Plate. These are the Earth's slabs that are incessantly pushing against each other causing massive disruption from activities on the surface.
Second, although it might take a terrible quake to truly shake the region, it does help to be prepared. The fact is that there hasn't been any movement underground for the last 100 years that could cause huge devastation, but it doesn't mean there won't be any.
"There won't be a fury of trembles in the next couple of years, but people should still prepare," said Vidale. When faults remain quiet for some time, the great risk for movement might just double in time. It's not that it is going to happen within the year, but it could happen anytime. "The more important concern is how truly educated people are about earthquakes, its effects and what needs to be done when it hits you," he added.
"We need to be concerned about what earthquakes can bring about," Jackson said. He further added that people should learn the true value of resiliency and how in times of trouble, it is the only thing that people can hold on to.
