We felt a fairly strong earthquake, a 4.5, on Thursday, January 8. I could hear it coming before it actually struck. The dogs dog all excited and actually hopped off their chairs! It rattled our walls and some things did move and we are about 60 miles away from the epicenter, which was San Bernardino. Now, our valley is right along the San Andreas fault. We have been warned for years that the big one is coming. Apparently every 300 years, there is a MAJOR earthquake along the San Andreas fault and even the Indians recorded them. My school is only about 10 miles from the SA fault. Out home is only 15 miles away. Interstate 10 skirts the outer mountains and even crosses the SA fault. So, we do live in "earthquake country". Hubby did some research and read that last year there were 200 earthquakes in our region along the SA fault, while the year before, there were 100, so the earthquakes are increasing. Not a good sign.
He was fortunate to take a "Jeep Tours Expedition" trip free one time. These are trips that go out to the "hills" that go along the fault. He took these pics. You can see where the hills come right out of the ground. That's an earthquake fault. Also, here in the desert, all you have to do is look for palm trees around water, an oasis. That's another indication of an earthquake fault. The Indio Hills have both. Here are some pics that he took that day. See the layers that are at an angle to the sand? THAT's where the fault lies.
3 comments:
All the years I lived in earthquake country, I never felt one--even when closer than you were to the epicenter. I did feel the Nisqually quake here in Washington six or seven years ago--as a funny feeling in my fanny, which was sitting one a slightly rickety classroom chair. When I asked someone if they felt that, I was deemed to be in need of medical attention. I was proved wrong.
Fantastic pictures of that fault line. I live in the SF Bay Area and we have earthquakes up here too. I live on the Concord Hayward fault line.Funny how people from out of state just FREAK about earthquakes, but they really ain't so bad.
On the up side, in your area, maybe you'll be on waterfront property someday! (yikes that means I'd be IN the ocean!)
picture 3 and the last picture are my favorite! good job.
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