California Overdue for the Major Earthquake

As long as we get the little earth tremors...it relieves pressure and keeps the big ones from happening.

quit repeating that nonsense.
[link to www.usgs.gov]

there are never enough small ones to eliminate the occasional large event. It would take 32 magnitude 5's, 1000 magnitude 4's, 32,000 magnitude 3's to equal the energy of one magnitude 6 event.

You are exactly right.

Small Earthquakes release pressure so large Earthquakes
cannot occur.

The Largest Earthquake ever recorded in California was a
M7.9 during the 19th Century.

The 1906 Earthquake in San Francisco was M7.8.

The San Andreas Fault is a Strike Slip Fault where one
plate slides by the other.

The Largest Earthquakes occur in Subduction Zones.

The Large Earthquakes in Alaska, Sumatra, Chile and
Japan are all subduction zones.

It is now 123 Days since we had a M7+ Earthquake.
A large amount of energy has been released from the
faults during the last 22 years.

I believe we are now entering into a quiet period for
earthquakes.

Op - do some research rather than make statements
which show your ignorance about Earthquakes.

You need to do some more. Cali IS VERY due for a big earthquake.

You should do more research.

California has not ever had a M8.0+ Earthquake.

California will not ever have a M8.0+ Earthquake.

Earthquakes that large only occur in Subduction Zones.

The San Andreas Fault is NOT a subduction zone.

While California straddles the San Andreas Fault-line, the reality is that with all of the minor quakes we have, pressure isn't building up for the "big one" Least ways not on the San Andreas which is the most monitored fault-line on earth.

Due to being the plant boundary, the real concern comes when the minor quakes stop anywhere up and down the length of the fault. IF they stop, then energy is building up which will release eventually. The longer there are no small quakes, the bigger the eventual quake will be.

All of the really big quakes in California's history has been on secondary and tertiary faults, not on the San Andreas. Its always the ones that haven't moved in a long period of time (no minor quakes) that end up doing the worst sort of damage, as they release up years and decades sometimes centuries of pent up energy.

The Cascadia fault zone (north of the San Andreas is the really dangerous fault on the west cost. It doesn't move as smoothly, and it tends to get 'stuck' and build up massive amounts of energy then release which leads to massive quakes.

Oregon and Washington are the ones that need to worry the most about 'The Big One'.

The Cascadia Subduction Zone is becoming less of
a concern.

Research done by Robert Dziak of Oregon State University
indicates "that such an earthquake may be
more in the magnitude 7 to 8 range instead of larger."

[link to www.sciencedaily.com]

True