Mysterious tremors detected on San Andreas Fault

Mysterious tremors detected on San Andreas Fault
By ALICIA CHANG – 2 hours ago

LOS ANGELES (AP) — Scientists have detected a spike in underground rumblings on a section of California's San Andreas Fault that produced a magnitude-7.8 earthquake in 1857.

What these mysterious vibrations say about future earthquakes is far from certain. But some think the deep tremors suggest underground stress may be building up faster than expected and may indicate an increased risk of a major temblor.

Researchers at the University of California, Berkeley, monitored seismic activity on the fault's central section between July 2001 and February 2009 and recorded more than 2,000 tremors. The tremors lasted mere minutes to nearly half an hour.

Unlike earthquakes, tremors occur deeper below the surface and the shaking lasts longer.

During the study period, two strong earthquakes hit — a magnitude-6.5 in 2003 and a magnitude-6.0 a year later. Scientists noticed the frequency of the tremors doubled after the 2003 quake and jumped six-fold after 2004.

Tremor episodes persist today. Though the frequency of tremors have declined since 2004, scientists are still concerned because they are still at a level that is twice as high as before the 2003 quake.

The team also recorded unusually strong rumblings days before the 2004 temblor.

Results of the research appear in Friday's issue of the journal Science. The work was funded by the U.S. Geological Survey and National Science Foundation.

"The fact that the tremors haven't gone down means the time to the next earthquake may come sooner," said Berkeley seismologist and lead researcher Robert Nadeau.

Nadeau first discovered tremors deep in the San Andreas Fault in 2005. Before that, the phenomenon was thought only to occur in Earth's subduction zones, where one tectonic plate dives beneath another.

USGS seismologist Susan Hough found the latest observations intriguing, but said it's too soon to know what they mean.

"We don't have enough data to know what the fault is doing in the long term," said Hough, who had no part in the research.

On the Net:
Science: www.sciencemag.org...
U.S. Geological Survey: www.usgs.gov...
Copyright © 2009 The Associated Press. All rights reserved.

Could an earthquake be brewing?

Also if I am not mistaken for those that follow Evasius TWZ threads about how history is repeating, isn't there a huge earthquake from the past resonating soon?

reply to post by Kingfanpaul

Could an earthquake be brewing?

Also if I am not mistaken for those that follow Evasius TWZ threads about how history is repeating, isn't there a huge earthquake from the past resonating soon?

Sometime in October I think?!? The repeat of the New Madrid Quake of 1812.

Very interesting. This year has had a lot of interesing phenomenon. The Yellowstone Caldera acting up for several weeks. The new land rising in Alaska last week. Several dormant volcanoes coming to life. Earthquakes in Kentucky, Arkansas, and Georgia.

So the lead researchers said this:

"The fact that the tremors haven't gone down means the time to the next earthquake may come sooner," said Berkeley seismologist and lead researcher Robert Nadeau.

And the work was funded by the USGS and the results will be published Friday. So, why on earth is a USGS seismologist saying this?

USGS seismologist Susan Hough found the latest observations intriguing, but said it's too soon to know what they mean.

"We don't have enough data to know what the fault is doing in the long term," said Hough, who had no part in the research.

Seems to me they interviewed the wrong USGS employee... one that wasn't involved at all. Did she even see the data? If she did as she's alluding to, and it really wasn't enough data to know what the fault is doing, then why have the USGS allowed these researchers to publish? It is afterall a USGS research project.

My vote is for the researchers and not the USGS spokesperson.

Gonna strap my TV down now!

wow what times we live in..

So far we have...

Swine Flu
Global Warming
Financial Crisis
North Korea
Honduras Coup
Iran
Israel/Palestine
MJ's death
Earthquakes
Solar Flares from the sun
Meteorites hitting the earth (military cutting access to tracking satellites)
NWO takover
Aliens on the moon

been a busy spring and summer so far

Hi,

I remember the Northridge earthquake way back when, and let me tell you, that was some crazy ass sci-fi stuff. I mean the world almost collapsed, I was around 7 or 8 at the time and I remember running through the hallway and the ground was literally turning on itself. As you can tell, I am really looking forward to the next one.

SVE

reply to post by warrenb


Now all we need is the powers that be to come forward and say, we were wrong about everything, what we thought was up is actually down, and what we thought was right is actually up.

In all seriousness, we do not know much about a lot of things that lye beneath the surface, teachings are almost all made up of theories, so anything new will seem mysterious. Its all apart of learning is it not?

[edit on 9-7-2009 by I think Im normal]

reply to post by warrenb


And also the crazy weather they are predicting for this winter with the El Nino...sorry, I don't know how to make one of those little squiggles above letters. You know what I mean.

news.yahoo.com...





[edit on 7/9/09 by opal13]

Originally posted by getreadyalready
reply to post by Kingfanpaul

 

Could an earthquake be brewing?

Also if I am not mistaken for those that follow Evasius TWZ threads about how history is repeating, isn't there a huge earthquake from the past resonating soon?

Sometime in October I think?!? The repeat of the New Madrid Quake of 1812.

Very interesting. This year has had a lot of interesing phenomenon. The Yellowstone Caldera acting up for several weeks. The new land rising in Alaska last week. Several dormant volcanoes coming to life. Earthquakes in Kentucky, Arkansas, and Georgia.

The same thoughts were running through my mind when I first read the article a few minutes ago.

Please excuse the ignorance here...but where is the China EQ in relation to the California coast and look at the one off the coast of Oregon. Sorry, I'm just reading all of this and I have been at work since 8 this morning and up way before then, so I've just worked 15 hours. Definitly things to watch.

I have been watching the quakes for over a year now, I told my hubby last week that something different was taking place, I believe I also posted a remark on a thread here on ATS as well, it was very obvious to those who have been watching, the quakes are getting 'tighter' or more bunched up together in the area, also going deeper. I have been very concerned for the area known as 'The Geysers', all the way down to Baja. There are signs of pressure off the coast and on land.

Originally posted by space cadet
I have been very concerned for the area known as 'The Geysers', all the way down to Baja. There are signs of pressure off the coast and on land.

I noticed that this morning! The Geysers area is having a massive amount of earthquakes all in the same place. Something like 60% of northern California's electricity comes from Geo Thermal plants in that area. Good thing I get power from the nuke plant south of me.

I also noticed world wide... there sure is a large avgerage number of 5.0 or larger earthquakes this week.

May want to spend the weekend checking all my earthquake bracing.

All the quakes have caught my attention as well. I have checked site after site in regards to the frequency of quakes and not only is there a dramatic increase but places that have not had one for decades or longer are feeling them again and a few places that never experienced one now have. South Carolina even. All signs point to the End Times but I am a nut for saying that, right? Either way no one can deny the planet is crying out. Personally I believe we have removed to much oil from the earth. I have never understood how pumping oil from earth would not have repercussions. I know there has been quakes all along because of plate shifts but does it not seem feasible that quakes could happen for other reasons as well? I think I think too much.


Posted Via ATS Mobile: m.abovetopsecret.com

Check this out! The number of quakes on the USGS site has dropped to 157 in the last week... I have noticed that whenever that happens (around 150 or so), there is pressure building somewhere and a big one is due. The normal number is around 220 or so.

Last time it dropped to around 170, I predicted a quake and it didn't happen - it subsequently crept up to around 220 again in the last few weeks and now has quickly fallen to 157 - so to summarize - I think there's a big one due VERY soon SOMEWHERE in the world, possibly in the next 2 or 3 days!

www.usgs.gov...

[edit on 11-7-2009 by blackhatchet]

Just found this
www.telegraph.co.uk... sed-stress.html

There is a 70 per cent probability that a devastating earthquake will strike California in the next 30 years, scientists have said after recording an increase in tremors along the San Andreas fault.

Well maybe nothing to worry about yet but who know's.

reply to post by Cyprex


Another thing noted, most of the quakes in the last year have been at around 1 to 6.2 miles deep, all of the sudden we are seeing them go deeper and deeper. Sometimes one will hit and then the aftershocks show that it starts out really deep then with each shock it gets closer and closer to the surface. Strange.

That section between Parkfield and Fort Tejon has been inactive since 1934.
before that there was activity about every 10 to 30 years at magnitudes over 6.0.

Since 1934 nothing,
It looks like that section is long overdue and under a extreme strain.

If i was betting on where the big-one was going to hit in Calif that would be the place.

And by the length of time its been building i would guess about 7.8 to 8.2 magnitude.

Also this coming winter looks to be a EL Nino winter with a lot of rain in that part of the state to lube the fault.

So i am guessing somewhere between Dec 15 2009 and march 15 2010.
as the time period for this fault to slip.

Just noticed this hit in Utah:

3.0
Date-Time Monday, July 13, 2009 at 03:40:40 UTC
Sunday, July 12, 2009 at 09:40:40 PM at epicenter
Time of Earthquake in other Time Zones

Location 37.050°N, 110.781°W
Depth 5 km (3.1 miles) set by location program
Region UTAH
Distances 1 km (0 miles) W (276°) from Navajo Mountain, UT
47 km (29 miles) SSW (192°) from Halls Crossing, UT
48 km (30 miles) W (275°) from Oljato-Monument Valley, UT
295 km (183 miles) E (84°) from Mesquite, NV
408 km (253 miles) ENE (75°) from Las Vegas, NV

Location Uncertainty horizontal +/- 8.9 km (5.5 miles); depth fixed by location program
Parameters NST= 23, Nph= 23, Dmin=178.5 km, Rmss=1.33 sec, Gp= 86°,
M-type=local magnitude (ML), Version=7
Source USGS NEIC (WDCS-D)


Event ID us2009jaam


Interesting. This area is where the 'shiprock' is located. It is a long dormant, I mean ancient, volcano. Shiprock rises 18 hundred feet above the floor of the desert, and is named so because it looks like a giant ship. It is the remains, or core, of and ancient volcano, and is made of black glasslike rock.