San Francisco due a big quake

[Pete]

The boffins at the U.S. Geological Survey reckon San Francisco, or more specifically the Hayward Fault that runs under the Bay Area, is ripe for a major earthquake in the next year.

link

I thought that the boffins have been saying that for a while (at least 5 years) judging by the disaster programs on tv. Especially after the 100th anniversary of the 'Big One' (can't remember if it was this year or last year?.

Funnily enough, went to San Francisco back in 2004 and didn't even think about the possibility of earthquakes until after I came back. I thought it was also strange that the city doesn't have a museum about them, unless it was tucked away somewhere.

After a friend was caught in the 1989 one quakes always spring to mind when I visit SFO.

[Darren Wheeler]

As long as it's not in the next 10 months....

Well, I was here last month, and they had a real 5.7 shaker in the Fremont area the day after I left. That was the biggest that hit the Bay Area for a long while.

So I'm expecting one Saturday, i.e 24 hours after I leave again!

There is an Earthquake simulator at the San Jose Museum of Technology, it's a fun experience.

Originally posted by DarkAuror
I thought that the boffins have been saying that for a while (at least 5 years) judging by the disaster programs on tv. Especially after the 100th anniversary of the 'Big One' (can't remember if it was this year or last year?.

Funnily enough, went to San Francisco back in 2004 and didn't even think about the possibility of earthquakes until after I came back. I thought it was also strange that the city doesn't have a museum about them, unless it was tucked away somewhere.

Interesting that you say that as the same thing happened to me when I went to SFO and the surrounding area this past summer. I didn't really give it any thought until we visited this San Andreas Fault museum/park, and even then it didn't register that the whole time I was in an earthquake zone. Although, according to the people in Monterey, the underlying stone in that area protects them from feeling any of them.

A very interesting subject. Last year I helped MrG with some research regarding the 1906 quake for a presentation he was giving on the subject for a re-insurance [|)]conference!

[ChuckC]

Life in California includes the everpresent earthquake. We have hundreds every day, nearly all so small that they can't be felt except by sensitive instruments.

The SF Bay Area is 'ripe'. I read something recently that said this area has a 60% chance of experiencing a large quake anytime between now and thirty years from now. This may explain why some folks worry all the time -- and others adopt a more fatalistic attitude.

In my 27 years living in California I 'participated' in all of the big quakes of late: SF, 1989; Whittier Narrows, 1992; Big Bear/Landers, 1992. The Northridge quake of 1994 knocked me out of bed and I was over 75 miles from the epicenter. I also remember being in Palm Springs in around 2003 when a quake at Twenty-Nine Palms sloshed two feet of water out of my swimming pool.

For those who would like to see a map of recent quake activity, check it out here.

Chuck-

[Darren Wheeler]

Chuck. Thanks for the link. Just goes to show how much is going on beneath our feet and how easily it can wipe us out.

Must be about time the Yellowstone 'Super Volcano' was given another rebirth into a tale of global extinction anytime in the next hoever many millions of year.

[mcmbenjamin]

Can we gamble or have a pool in they way folks do when someone is expecting?

I stayed with friends in Hayward a few years ago - I was fascinated by the fact there was a fault running so close, but never felt so much as slight vibration. Which I was rather glad about, because having sampled the Kobe Earthquake simulator at (I believe) the science museum in london I couldn't work out how any building would stay standing!

There is a latest quake kml link between the USGS website and Google Earth, which is good fun to watch an learn at some of the most unlikely places to find an earthquake.

Originally posted by mcmbenjamin
Can we gamble or have a pool in they way folks do when someone is expecting?

11:03 AM July 23, 2008.

All the times I've been to SFO the thought of a quake has never worried me. I've always taken the fatalistic attitude that Chuckc mentioned. If its going to happen it will, not worth worrying.

Will generally worry a lot more that the plane won't make it over the ocean [:)]

Dean