BuzzFeed: NASA Says There’s A 99.9% Chance A Big Earthquake Will Soon Hit L.A.
Published: 10/21/2015
Koerner starts out this article by stating that NASA scientists claim there's a 99.9% chance that an earthquake of magnitude 5.0 or larger will hit Los Angeles, California, within the next 2.5 years. However, the USGS (United States Geological Survey) has a slightly lower prediction around 85%. The article goes on to say that although a 5.0 magnitude earthquake is not incredibly dangerous on its own, it could cause a lot of damage in infrastructure to the LA area. This means an earthquake to the L.A. area could lost a lot of money to fix all the damage. A recent earthquake in La Habra, Orange County was used as a comparable. The LaHabra Earthquake was "a 5.1-magnitude quake in 2014 [that] caused about $12 million damage. A 6.1 quake near Napa, California, in 2015 left one person dead, as many as 200 injured, and caused an estimated $300 million in damage" [Koerner, 2015]. The article then references a scholarly research article published in the Earth and Space Science Journal, regarding the same topic, and a United States Geological Survey California earthquake probability map that shows the risk of earthquakes in different parts of California with a color scale. The article finishes with a tip, "California residents should remember that we live in earthquake country and that it is important to be prepared" [Koerner, 2015].
Published: 10/21/2015
Koerner starts out this article by stating that NASA scientists claim there's a 99.9% chance that an earthquake of magnitude 5.0 or larger will hit Los Angeles, California, within the next 2.5 years. However, the USGS (United States Geological Survey) has a slightly lower prediction around 85%. The article goes on to say that although a 5.0 magnitude earthquake is not incredibly dangerous on its own, it could cause a lot of damage in infrastructure to the LA area. This means an earthquake to the L.A. area could lost a lot of money to fix all the damage. A recent earthquake in La Habra, Orange County was used as a comparable. The LaHabra Earthquake was "a 5.1-magnitude quake in 2014 [that] caused about $12 million damage. A 6.1 quake near Napa, California, in 2015 left one person dead, as many as 200 injured, and caused an estimated $300 million in damage" [Koerner, 2015]. The article then references a scholarly research article published in the Earth and Space Science Journal, regarding the same topic, and a United States Geological Survey California earthquake probability map that shows the risk of earthquakes in different parts of California with a color scale. The article finishes with a tip, "California residents should remember that we live in earthquake country and that it is important to be prepared" [Koerner, 2015].
Earth and Space Science: Potential for a large earthquake near Los Angeles inferred from the 2014 La Habra earthquake
Published: 09/30/2015
This paper from the Earth and Space Science academic journal, discusses a potential for an earthquake, based on data from a previous earthquake in La Habra, Orange County, California. La Habra, California, is located just southeast of L.A. This article explains how there is a connecting network of strike-slip faults in southern California, most famously the San Andreas fault. Tectonic motion along these faults are to blame for the numerous earthquakes in the southern California region. The article begins by explaining how the La Habra earthquake was initiated, and the amount of damage that ensued. Then, the researchers summarize their modeling of crustal deformation in the southern California/L.A. area. This information helps scientists know where the crust is shortening, lengthening, and a general cardinal direction of crustal movement. The paper goes on to explain how this information helps gauge what type of fault and which location is likely to produce the next earthquake. This information can also help gauge a magnitude for the next quake. From their modeling, the authors conclude the paper by stating that due to their findings, there is a 99.9% chance of a magnitude 5.0 or higher, and a 35% chance of a magnitude 6.0 or higher earthquake to affect the L.A. area within 3 years of April, 2015. [Donnellan et al., 2015].
Published: 09/30/2015
This paper from the Earth and Space Science academic journal, discusses a potential for an earthquake, based on data from a previous earthquake in La Habra, Orange County, California. La Habra, California, is located just southeast of L.A. This article explains how there is a connecting network of strike-slip faults in southern California, most famously the San Andreas fault. Tectonic motion along these faults are to blame for the numerous earthquakes in the southern California region. The article begins by explaining how the La Habra earthquake was initiated, and the amount of damage that ensued. Then, the researchers summarize their modeling of crustal deformation in the southern California/L.A. area. This information helps scientists know where the crust is shortening, lengthening, and a general cardinal direction of crustal movement. The paper goes on to explain how this information helps gauge what type of fault and which location is likely to produce the next earthquake. This information can also help gauge a magnitude for the next quake. From their modeling, the authors conclude the paper by stating that due to their findings, there is a 99.9% chance of a magnitude 5.0 or higher, and a 35% chance of a magnitude 6.0 or higher earthquake to affect the L.A. area within 3 years of April, 2015. [Donnellan et al., 2015].
References
Donnellan, A., L. Grant Ludwig, J. W. Parker, J. B. Rundle, J. Wang, M. Pierce, G. Blewitt, and S. Hensley (2015), Potential for a large earthquake near Los Angeles inferred from the 2014 La Habra earthquake, Earth and Space Science, 2, 378–385, doi:10.1002/2015EA000113.
Koerner, C. (2015), NASA Says There's a 99.9% Chance A Big Earthquake Will Soon Hit L.A., BuzzFeed, October 21, 2015, News p. 1.
Koerner, C. (2015), NASA Says There's a 99.9% Chance A Big Earthquake Will Soon Hit L.A., BuzzFeed, October 21, 2015, News p. 1.