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Southern California Time Bomb: The Ground Surrounding The San Andreas Fault Is ‘Rising And Sinking’

Southern California Time Bomb: The Ground Surrounding The San Andreas Fault Is ‘Rising And Sinking’ thumbnail

If you reside on the west coast, you are living on borrowed time. 

As you will see below, stress has been building up along the San Andreas fault for more than a century, and scientists tell us that southern California is way overdue for a major earthquake.  When that stress is finally released, the U.S. Geological Survey says that we could be looking at hundreds of billions of dollars in damage.  If you follow my work regularly, then you already know that there has been unusual shaking all along the “Ring of Fire” so far in 2016.  But thankfully the west coast of the United States has been spared from a major disaster up to this point.  Unfortunately, scientists assure us that it is only a matter of time before one strikes, and that is why it is so alarming that the ground surrounding the San Andreas fault has been “rising and sinking”.  The following comes from the Los Angeles Times

For the first time, scientists have produced a computer image showing huge sections of California rising and sinking around the San Andreas fault.

The vertical movement is the result of seismic strain that will be ultimately released in a large earthquake.

The California coastline is where two enormous tectonic plates come together.  The Pacific plate and the North American plate are slowly but surely moving against one another, and this creates a tremendous amount of geological stress.  While areas on both sides of the San Andreas fault have been steadily rising and sinking as a result of this stress, there are sections of the fault itself that have remained “locked” for more than 100 years, and other sections that have remained locked for more than 300 years

The region of the San Andreas fault between Monterey County and Imperial County hasn’t moved in a significant way in more than 150 years, and other parts of the fault have been accumulating stress for more than 300 years.

This build up of stress is extremely dangerous, because the more stress that builds up the worse the ultimate release of that stress could turn out to be.

If you look at this map from the U.S. Geological Survey, you can see all of the earthquakes of magnitude 2.5 or greater that have hit California within the past seven days.  As you can see, there has been a whole lot of shaking going on…

California Earthquakes June 2015 - U.S. Geological Survey

And let us not forget that earlier this month a magnitude 5.2 earthquake struck near San Diego, and it was followed by more than 800 aftershocks.

Unfortunately, none of these quakes has relieved the stress along the San Andreas fault.  While the San Andreas fault may be the most famous of the faults in southern California, the truth is that there are many others.  And just last year the U.S. Geological Survey admitted that the probability of a “megaquake” along the west coast involving multiple faults at once was significantly greater than they had previously been projecting

A recent report by the U.S. Geological Survey shows the inevitability of just such a quake, which is predicted to hit within the next couple of decades.

“The new likelihoods are due to the inclusion of possible multi-fault ruptures, where earthquakes are no longer confined to separate, individual faults, but can occasionally rupture multiple faults simultaneously,” lead author of the study and USGS scientist, Ned Field says. “This is a significant advancement in terms of representing a broader range of earthquakes throughout California’s complex fault system.”

But of course the San Andreas fault represents an absolutely massive threat to southern California all by itself.

Back in May, the Los Angeles Times quoted the director of the Southern California Earthquake Center as saying that the San Andreas fault is “locked, loaded and ready to roll”…

“The springs on the San Andreas system have been wound very, very tight. And the southern San Andreas fault, in particular, looks like it’s locked, loaded and ready to go,” Jordan said in the opening keynote talk.

Other sections of the San Andreas fault also are far overdue for a big quake. Further southeast of the Cajon Pass, such as in San Bernardino County, the fault has not moved substantially since an earthquake in 1812, and further southeast toward the Salton Sea, it has been relatively quiet since about 1680 to 1690.

Here’s the problem: Scientists have observed that based on the movement of tectonic plates, with the Pacific plate moving northwest of the North American plate, earthquakes should be relieving about 16 feet of accumulated plate movement every 100 years. Yet the San Andreas has not relieved stress that has been building up for more than a century.

A number of years ago, a study conducted by the U.S. Geological Survey found that just a magnitude 7.8 earthquake along the southern San Andreas fault would cause more than 1,800 deaths, 50,000 injuries and 200 billion dollars in damage.

So what would a magnitude 8 or worse quake do?

And even though the U.S. Geological Survey does not believe that parts of California will eventually fall into the ocean, it is very open about the fact that Los Angeles and San Francisco will one day “be adjacent to one another” as the Pacific plate and the North American plate slowly slip past each other…

Will California eventually fall into the ocean?

No. The San Andreas Fault System, which crosses California from the Salton Sea in the south to Cape Mendocino in the north, is the boundary between the Pacific Plate and North American Plate. The Pacific Plate is moving northwest with respect to the North American Plate at approximately 46 millimeters per year (the rate your fingernails grow). The strike-slip earthquakes on the San Andreas Fault are a result of this plate motion. The plates are moving horizontally past one another, so California is not going to fall into the ocean. However, Los Angeles and San Francisco will one day be adjacent to one another!

Meanwhile, while we are talking about southern California, I just had to mention the record-breaking heatwave and the horrific wildfires that are plaguing the region this week.  In fact, two massive wildfires that have been raging out of control threaten to combine “into one super fire”

Two new fires raging in California could soon merge, creating one ‘super fire’, as wild blazes continue to consume thousands of acres and have already force massive evacuations.

Throughout the United States, firefighters are battling blazes of varying degrees in nine states, including California, New Mexico, Arizona, Alaska, Montana, Washington, Utah, Wyoming and Colorado.

The most serious of these fires have been week-old blazes in California, New Mexico and Arizona, where scorching triple-digit temperatures have stoked the flames.

Normally we don’t see wildfires of this size and intensity until the late summer or early fall.

As I constantly remind my readers, last year was the worst year for wildfires in all of U.S. history, and so far this year we are more than a million acres ahead of the pace that was set last year.

We live at a time when our planet is becoming increasingly unstable.  Earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, wildfires, historic droughts and unusual flooding events all seem to be on the rise globally.

So is there a reason why all of this is happening, or are we just going through a time when we are experiencing an astounding string of truly bizarre coincidences?

Economic Collapse



23 Comments on "Southern California Time Bomb: The Ground Surrounding The San Andreas Fault Is ‘Rising And Sinking’"

  1. Go Speed Racer on Thu, 23rd Jun 2016 8:37 pm 

    In the 1980’s it was all about rocking and rolling.
    In the 2010’s it is about consuming, dooming and glooming.

  2. millard thomas on Thu, 23rd Jun 2016 11:03 pm 

    I was born in california in 1953 moved to east coast in 1987 moved to las vegas this year 2-4-2016 all my family is there I keep telling all hell is comming. but the Hear me all can say is WOW…

  3. millard thomas on Thu, 23rd Jun 2016 11:05 pm 

    ment to say but they don’t hear me……

  4. millard thomas on Thu, 23rd Jun 2016 11:05 pm 

    ment to say but they don’t hear me……

  5. Mary on Thu, 23rd Jun 2016 11:38 pm 

    Every time I hear about the possibility of an earthquake in California, I have laugh at the hype. As a long time resident of California both North and South, I think I have been through at least 10-15. Only one was really serious. More damage is done in Tornado states than earthquakes have ever done. Be safe, relax, its over in a minute, and we go on.

  6. Paul Rueben on Thu, 23rd Jun 2016 11:59 pm 

    It’s all a bunch of hype. Don’t worry about too much. It’ll shake, rattle and roll for a quick bit and then it’ll be all over and life goes on.

  7. Phil Mathews on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 12:20 am 

    OMG!
    whatever shall we do? I think I’ll ride it out with a perpetual cruise ship, around the world and only have gentle rocking to worry about. Unless the quake kicks up a tsunami, which many ‘experts’ will also say is inevitable!

  8. GregT on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 12:32 am 

    Anyone who ignores or laughs at the “hype” surrounding a large seismic event occurring along the San Andreas fault line, is living in a state of complete denial. It might not happen in our lifetimes, or it could happen early tomorrow morning. When it does happen, and it will, it isn’t going to be anything to laugh at.

  9. dooma on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 1:59 am 

    I wonder how many people living on the San Andreas fault line even know about the previous earthquake in San Francisco in the 20th century. How many even know what a fault line is?

    It must take a considerable amount of “it will never happen to me” to live there. Plus it must be a great place to live to weigh it up against the risks?

  10. dooma on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 2:00 am 

    Speed Racer, it is hard to find fault with your comment.

  11. makati1 on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 2:51 am 

    GregT, you hit the nail on the head. Denial does not affect events. It only affects the denier’s future.

  12. Go Speed Racer on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 3:11 am 

    Hi dooma, :O)

    Remember Shake & Bake chicken?

    Now its Shake & Bake California.

  13. Cleopas on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 3:30 am 

    God Himself is moving elements in preparation for the fulfillment of His word. He spoke and no denials, ‘deniers’,nor ‘self comforters’ can change His word. Repent Oh people and turn to God whilst you still have a few minutes to do so. Are you blind as not to be able to ‘read’ what all those signs are for?

  14. Apneaman on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 3:48 am 

    Another Michael Snyder Jesus retard piece. Mikey be scratching his head trying to figure out last years record fire season and why this year may very well beat it. Gee mikey what could it possibly be? Why not ask a scientist who studies such things? You don’t seem to have a problem quoting geologists, so why not other scientists mikey? There are certain types of scientists mikey stays clear of. Why is that mikey?

  15. Davy on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 4:21 am 

    Millard, you do realize your city is about to run out of “wawa”?

  16. Davy on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 4:22 am 

    I caught you Speeder with a screw up. The 80’s was not rock n roll it was “DISCO”!

  17. Sith Lord on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 7:51 am 

    Cleopas, Please drink the cool aid. Do us all a favor, we DO NOT want to hear your bible thumping BS.

  18. Jamie on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 8:00 am 

    Disco was the 70’s!!!! The 80’s was all rock n roll and hairbands. MTV etc!

  19. penury on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 11:34 am 

    There are always some who refuse to accept the possibility of “bad” things happening, and the other side is always predicting the worst. Both sides are usually wrong with events occurring in the middle range, but sometimes the worst will happen. And when it does everyone will find out that none of the prepp will do any good at all.

  20. john on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 7:29 pm 

    Agree with penury .The bad thing always will happen .Following tracks since last year ,road rise 10 feet at vasquez canyon ,Sink holes and water pipe burst,small new cracks in the asphalts ,leaking methane gas and running oil ,which is call earthquake oil and multiple but small quakes in fault line .All are indicate of movement on the plate under the section from redding till san diego .This was predicted by scientist and geologist .it is bad news since claps of the section by the shore of the California and range of wild fires ,plus toll dead sea creatures from San Diego coast till San Francisco all are point the a big quake .The time table in this matter is unknown and even emergency enforcements are not ready for such event to happen .What scale would be or at what time will happen is just myth and countdown .Warning signs are decidable,hope and love of home and town and business it make us do not think about it or at least be positive that nothing serious will happen .But you can see and feel the fear of California residents that if a devasticated event is about to take place and they can not do any thing to stop it .How ever it may or it may not happen and that is a risk we taking or is our faith that we must accepted .

  21. shortonoil on Fri, 24th Jun 2016 8:09 pm 

    “OMG!
    whatever shall we do?”

    Your are absolutely right – that can never happen!

    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1906_San_Francisco_earthquake

    Of course that was a 7.8, this is likely to be a 9.0 or better. Whatever shall you do? There is a good chance that you will die. Enjoy the cruise!

    PS can you image 20 million in LA with no food, no water, no medicine, and no way out. Long Hog is likely to become the fare of the day!!

  22. Go Speed Racer on Sat, 25th Jun 2016 1:37 am 

    Hi Davy, wait a minnit, wait a minnit.
    Disco was a 1970’s phenomenon, but there was abundant rock and roll during the 1970’s also.

    The 1980’s was rock and roll, without the disco. It started getting more ‘techno’ with stuff like ‘Pet Shop Boys’ but that was still rock. And if U didn’t like the new techno stuff, plenty of Pink Floyd, Def Leppard, Journey, etc in the 1980’s.

    But i stick to my guns, Disco mirror balls and John Travolta dancing was all 1970’s. Here is proof, ‘Saturday Night Fever’ was 1977 …
    https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Saturday_Night_Fever

  23. Go Speed Racer on Sat, 25th Jun 2016 1:40 am 

    On the Earthquake thing …
    They have 100% proof that an earthquake went thru Seattle area about 800 years ago, and it was so severe it would knock down skyscrapers, etc. It put a whole chunk of forest onto the bottom of Lake Washington, there was an ‘underwater forest’ (vertical dead trees still rooted into place) that went down very deep.

    So the worst case earthquake will be so bad a whole lotta people die and not much left standing. We just didn’t see it yet. Japan got theirs … They were warned too, ancient people from 1000 years ago had put up rock signs clearly stating where the waterline was. Nobody believed it or cared. Guess Seattle about the same…

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