A team of scientists from Harvard, ISC and the USGS communicated that according to new research, an earthquake fault that runs along the Los Angeles Coast could trigger a destructive earthquake. This “seismic” was supposed to be dormant but a new update brings some concerns to the local residents. Why?
WHAT IS THIS NEW RESEARCH SAYING?
The fault in question, names as the Wilmington Bling-Thrust fault, runs for almost 13 miles from Huntington Beach to Los Angeles and Long Beach. The main area of activity works by the coast and harbor areas also having an impact on the east side of the Palos Verdes Peninsula and the Santa Monica Bay. Should the citizens be worried?
Scientists from all these institutions understand that the biggest issue is how earthquake faults interact with each other. We can see that very clear by observing what is going on at Ridgecrest (Ridgecrest Keeps Swarming And Southern California Gets Hit with a 4.0) and how Garlock and San Andreas release more pressure over the ground as they plate shifts. There is a clear chance that a 6.5 or greater earthquake could be “catastrophic” for Los Angeles.
OIL INDUSTRY RELATION
This fault is directly related to the Oil Industry as most of the information about it is was from the studies that these corporations did over the areas that they wanted work on (drill). Until now, the fault was supposed to be dormant with the latest activity to be traced back to almost 2 million years ago. A scientist from USGS studied the area and proved that it is still in motion. Better technology is helping to understand better the layers of the earth and its movements. It is difficult to suggest that the previous studies were not accurate as probably they were not precise enough due to the lack of “appropriate tools” to comprehend this field which is still very complex.
Should the residents of LA and surrounding areas be more concerned? Can USGS and other institutions of California provide more information to the citizens? After the 7.1 over Ridgecrest and the increase in activity that California had since then: Is the state prepared for a bigger and more devastating earthquake?
