IT'S a kind of geological butterfly effect. Fenglin Niu of Rice University in Houston, Texas, and colleagues believe they have found two clear cases where remote events weakened the San Andreas fault near Parkfield, California. The finding suggests powerful earthquakes - like the one that has just hit Sumatra - may trigger further quakes worldwide.

Originally posted by Hx3_1963
And a update...what with all the revisions the past two days...

Earthquake List for map 118-36
quake.usgs.gov...
quake.usgs.gov...

2.5 2009/10/09 12:28:09 36.355N 117.844W 3.7 15 km ( 9 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.4 2009/10/09 12:26:27 36.366N 117.863W 3.4 14 km ( 8 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.4 2009/10/09 12:24:07 36.378N 117.850W 3.5 12 km ( 8 mi) S of Keeler, CA
2.4 2009/10/09 12:14:27 36.376N 117.848W 5.7 13 km ( 8 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.5 2009/10/09 12:08:49 36.370N 117.846W 5.5 13 km ( 8 mi) S of Keeler, CA
2.2 2009/10/09 08:16:32 36.419N 117.848W 5.6 8 km ( 5 mi) SSE of Keeler, CA
1.8 2009/10/09 06:21:00 36.392N 117.870W 6.6 11 km ( 7 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.1 2009/10/09 02:53:13 35.727N 117.678W 5.5 12 km ( 7 mi) N of Ridgecrest, CA
2.0 2009/10/09 01:41:46 35.753N 118.006W 13.7 20 km (13 mi) ENE of Onyx, CA
1.9 2009/10/09 01:33:45 36.387N 117.877W 7.1 11 km ( 7 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.4 2009/10/09 00:39:30 36.304N 117.846W 4.7 14 km ( 9 mi) ENE of Olancha, CA
1.9 2009/10/09 00:37:56 36.397N 117.875W 8.4 10 km ( 6 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.4 2009/10/09 00:11:48 36.406N 117.885W 5.5 9 km ( 6 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.8 2009/10/08 23:56:47 36.401N 117.850W 6.5 10 km ( 6 mi) SSE of Keeler, CA
1.6 2009/10/08 22:28:10 36.392N 117.881W 8.2 11 km ( 7 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.4 2009/10/08 22:21:50 36.396N 117.865W 6.2 10 km ( 6 mi) S of Keeler, CA
4.4 2009/10/08 21:25:05 36.395N 117.874W 6.1 10 km ( 6 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.6 2009/10/08 19:10:05 36.386N 117.874W 5.1 11 km ( 7 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.3 2009/10/08 18:28:09 36.407N 117.875W 5.3 9 km ( 6 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.8 2009/10/08 17:29:17 36.384N 117.879W 6.3 12 km ( 7 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.7 2009/10/08 16:19:27 36.411N 117.868W 4.3 9 km ( 5 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.1 2009/10/08 13:54:23 36.406N 117.851W 5.6 9 km ( 6 mi) SSE of Keeler, CA
2.1 2009/10/08 13:22:59 36.377N 117.869W 1.7 12 km ( 8 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.7 2009/10/08 12:24:21 36.404N 117.846W 2.6 10 km ( 6 mi) SSE of Keeler, CA
1.4 2009/10/08 11:48:39 36.397N 117.854W 5.6 10 km ( 6 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.4 2009/10/08 11:15:09 36.383N 117.838W 2.6 12 km ( 8 mi) SSE of Keeler, CA
1.2 2009/10/08 10:19:16 36.389N 117.880W 5.7 11 km ( 7 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.3 2009/10/08 09:50:06 36.395N 117.861W 0.6 10 km ( 6 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.4 2009/10/08 09:10:06 35.064N 118.937W 13.0 3 km ( 2 mi) E of Mettler, CA
1.2 2009/10/08 08:26:33 36.379N 117.857W 2.0 12 km ( 8 mi) S of Keeler, CA
2.8 2009/10/08 07:36:28 36.408N 117.850W 2.4 9 km ( 6 mi) SSE of Keeler, CA
1.5 2009/10/08 06:04:34 35.086N 118.995W 20.0 3 km ( 2 mi) NW of Mettler, CA
1.5 2009/10/08 03:45:11 36.388N 117.820W 1.4 12 km ( 7 mi) SSE of Keeler, CA
1.1 2009/10/08 03:41:20 36.404N 117.866W 6.0 9 km ( 6 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.9 2009/10/08 02:25:59 36.407N 117.864W 5.5 9 km ( 6 mi) S of Keeler, CA
2.0 2009/10/08 01:40:13 36.400N 117.864W 3.6 10 km ( 6 mi) S of Keeler, CA
2.7 2009/10/08 01:05:54 36.390N 117.868W 3.9 11 km ( 7 mi) S of Keeler, CA
1.8 2009/10/08 00:18:45 36.400N 117.865W 1.9 10 km ( 6 mi) S of Keeler, CA

California Earthquake History
earthquake.usgs.gov...

~
An earthquake in the Sierra - Nevada Fault system in March 1872, killed 27 people at Lone Pine and destroyed 52 of 59 adobe houses. Near Owens Lake, numerous depressions formed between cracks in the earth. One area 200 to 300 feet wide sank 20 to 30 feet; several long, narrow ponds formed. Thousands of aftershocks, some severe, appear to have occurred.