SoCal Experiencing Surge in Earthquake Activity....

70 quakes greater than a magnitude 4.0 have struck the region this year -- more than any year in the past decade.


LOS ANGELES -- Southern California, along with Baja California, has seen a surge in moderate earthquake activity this year and scientists are trying to figure out what's causing the uptick.

There have been 70 quakes greater than a magnitude 4.0 so far this year. That's the most of any year in the last decade -- and, it's only April. There were 30 in 2009 and 29 in 2008.

Seismologists say they are looking into the recent surge but they can not yet fully explain it.

The string of earthquakes could mean that Southern California might again be entering a more active seismic period, and more significant quakes could be on the way, according to experts.

Scientists also said the increase does not mean the Big One is more likely to hit.

Egill Hauksson, a geophysicist at Caltech, told The Los Angeles Times that the rate of quakes in the region is "probably . . . picking up again" after a relative lull that lasted more than a decade. "What it means is that we are going to have more earthquakes than in the average year. With more earthquakes, we're bound to have more bigger ones. But there are always fewer of those than the smaller ones."

Caltech seismologist Kate Hutton said experts would like to be able to explain the surge, but "there's no real correlation with any cause."

Many of the quakes this year have been aftershocks to the 7.2 magnitude temblor that struck the Mexicali area, killing two people. The border had previously experienced a swarm of earthquakes.

Scientists say one of their biggest concerns remains the San Andreas fault, which has produced some of the state's largest earthquakes and is said to be overdue for a major event.

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