5.4 Earthquake hits LA

[whitesoxfan101]

I have a friend in Lomita and she said that although it was obvious what was happening, all it did at her house was spill her coffee and knock over one small picture. In general though, sounds like this isn't too bad though. I just hope the big one isn't coming anytime soon out there.

Edited July 30, 2008 by whitesoxfan101

[LosMediasBlancas]

What people should fear after any quake is that it was a 'pre shock' and that an even bigger one is coming within the next 24 hours. After 24 hours, the chances of another quake ocurring drop off dramatically.

[southsider2k5]

Man, when they hit in the middle of a network, these computers are really, really fast at getting the hard data together. 10 years ago this stuff wouldn't have been available until days to weeks after an event. The joys of the internets.

 

Turns out it's something we'd call a dip-slip event, not quite a strike slip signal and not quite a thrust signal, but somewhere in-between. Kind of makes sense based on the area it's happening, hit on a fault that likely didn't break the surface, but also hits in an area where there's sort of a directional change in the mountain range, so there's some shear force on the rocks as well.

 

In something like 5-10% of quakes, there will be an aftershock larger than the initial large event, so folks at least should be moderately cautious over the next day or two.

 

So in a quake that leads to the larger quake, is it something where the initial release of pressure ends up building more pressure at another point, which leads to a bigger quake?

[Balta1701]

So in a quake that leads to the larger quake, is it something where the initial release of pressure ends up building more pressure at another point, which leads to a bigger quake?

Yeah, that is a possible set of consequences of any quake. Even a small quake shifts the stress field around it. If another fault line in the area was already sressed near its breaking point, then that small amount of additional stress, suddenly added, can be enough to make it go. After about 24 hours there's a 1% or less chance of that happening.

[bmags]

kudos on the subtitle.

[Chisoxfn]

There's so many jokes one could make about this one...

 

Seriously, don't get in the doorway during an earthquake. Get under a table or desk. The doorway thing is an old myth because when people built houses 50 years ago with those big, powerful doorways, the house would get demolished but that doorway would wind up standing. Most doorways don't do anything similar these days.

 

 

s*** thanks for informing me of that. I always would get under the doorway during an earthquake. It was what I was taught (unless I was in school, in which case we did the hands over our head and kneck while we were under the desk).

[Texsox]

kudos on the subtitle.

 

Thanks, I do what I can . . .