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A wave of earthquakes shook a city in California this Monday, drawing significant attention.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) documented 22 earthquakes occurring near San Ramon, with the most recent tremor recorded at 5:06 PM Eastern Time.
The seismic events kicked off with a 3.8 magnitude quake at 9:27 AM ET, followed by a stronger 4.2 magnitude tremor at 10:01 AM ET. This latter quake sent discernible tremors as far as San Francisco, Sacramento, and San Jose.
Despite the widespread shaking felt across the Bay Area, there have been no reports of injuries or significant property damage so far.
In San Francisco, residents of Glen Park and NOPA neighborhoods reported shaking and rattling windows during the quakes. The San Francisco Chronicle noted that the seismic activity also disrupted local public transportation.
San Ramon lies atop the Calaveras Fault, a major branch fault of the broader San Andreas Fault System, sparking fears the main fault line could be closer to a major rupture that locals refer to as ‘the Big One.’Â
According toa USGS report, there is a 95 percent probability that at least one major quake, stronger than magnitude 6.7, will strike somewhere in the region by 2043.
A magnitude 6.7 earthquake on the Calaveras Fault would be classified as a major seismic event capable of causing significant damage in densely populated East Bay communities.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) has recorded 22 tremors outside of San Ramon, with the latest striking at 5:06pm ET
By comparison, the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, a magnitude M6.9, widely labeled ‘the Big One’ at the time, caused widespread destruction, and the USGS uses the 6.7 threshold when discussing the long-term probability of a ‘Big One’ in the Bay Area.Â
The initial magnitude 3.8 quake was centered just 16 miles from Concord, 18 miles from Oakland, and 29 miles from San Jose, which are three of the most populated communities in the Bay Area, home to more than 1.5 million people.
Meanwhile, San Francisco, which sits just across the bay from where the seismic swarm took place, has a population of more than 800,000 residents.
Despite considerable shaking throughout the Bay Area, there have been no reports of injuries or property damage at this time.
Still, Monday’s noticeable swarm broke out right on the Calaveras Fault, a main branch of the San Andreas – the monstrous 800-mile-long fault spanning from Southern California through the Bay Area and into the Pacific.
The Calaveras splits off from the main fault line near Hollister in central California and runs parallel to it through the East Bay region.
Scientists with the USGS have warned that one of these faults or other major branches nearby could soon reach their anticipated breaking point and rupture right in the heart of California.
The initial magnitude 3.8 quake was centered just 16 miles from Concord, 18 miles from Oakland, and 29 miles from San Jose, which are three of the most populated communities in the Bay Area, home to more than 1.5 million people.
San Ramon in the East Bay has been the epicenter of this seismic activity, which sits on top of the Calaveras Fault, an active branch of the San Andreas Fault system
Meanwhile, San Francisco, which sits just across the bay from where the seismic swarm took place, has a population of more than 800,000 residents.
Despite considerable shaking throughout the Bay Area, there have been no reports of injuries or property damage at this time.
Still, Monday’s noticeable swarm broke out right on the Calaveras Fault, a main branch of the San Andreas – the monstrous 800-mile-long fault spanning from Southern California through the Bay Area and into the Pacific.
The Calaveras splits off from the main fault line near Hollister in central California and runs parallel to it through the East Bay region.
Scientists with the USGS have warned that one of these faults or other major branches nearby could soon reach their anticipated breaking point and rupture right in the heart of California.