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TexasTowelie

(111,287 posts)
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 09:28 AM Jun 2019

Magnitude 5.5 earthquake hits California near Pacific Coast

Source: AP

SCOTIA, Calif. (AP) — The U.S. Geological Survey says a magnitude 5.5 earthquake has hit near the Pacific coast of Northern California.

The agency says the earthquake struck at 8:53 p.m. at a spot 17.3 miles (27.9 kilometers) southwest of Scotia, a town of 850 people.

The earthquake had a depth of 5.6 miles (9 kilometers.)

Media reports says the earthquake was felt in the region. There are no immediate reports of damage.


Read more: https://www.timesunion.com/news/us/article/Magnitude-5-5-earthquake-hits-California-near-14031075.php

9 replies = new reply since forum marked as read
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Magnitude 5.5 earthquake hits California near Pacific Coast (Original Post) TexasTowelie Jun 2019 OP
USGS sez... KY_EnviroGuy Jun 2019 #1
It's a sparsely populated area. hunter Jun 2019 #2
Thanks for your review of the local environment and culture. KY_EnviroGuy Jun 2019 #3
I backpack there regularly. byronius Jun 2019 #6
Felt both of them here CountAllVotes Jun 2019 #4
Seems there have been over a dozen earthquakes CountAllVotes Jun 2019 #5
This may be a prelude to the Cascadia Subduction Zone event. byronius Jun 2019 #7
A big movement on the Gorda Plate has the potential.... Brother Buzz Jun 2019 #9
Yep--been there, done that, still here. classof56 Jun 2019 #8

hunter

(38,264 posts)
2. It's a sparsely populated area.
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 11:25 AM
Jun 2019

The quake as felt in Eureka, the nearest urban area, was ordinary.

5.6 is pretty big if you are near it, but last time I was in Petrolia it was a post office / general store and a few wood frame homes, far from the main highways, accessible only by twisty roads that are frequently damaged by landslides. Every time I've been there the road has been reduced to one lane dirt road detours in places.

Petrolia is located near the Mendocino Triple Junction, where three fault lines meet, and experiences frequent earthquake activity. The last large earthquake to affect the area was a magnitude 7.1 earthquake in 1992, which resulted in a fire that destroyed the Petrolia General Store. The store was rebuilt but lacks the charm of the 100-year-old landmark that it replaced.[citation needed] Two remaining landmarks in Petrolia are a small wooden church and the Petrolia Pioneer Cemetery, which has the graves of original residents of Petrolia dating from November 1857.


300-500 people live in the area, a strange brew of artists, environmental activists, and Northern California Republicans.

This area is called the "Lost Coast."

Once all the redwoods were cut down, and the tiny oil reserves depleted, nearly everyone left.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Petrolia,_California

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lost_Coast


KY_EnviroGuy

(14,483 posts)
3. Thanks for your review of the local environment and culture.
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 11:48 AM
Jun 2019

That add substance to concerns for our Western neighbors! It's a relief to know there's little potential for harm. Most of us Easterners worry often about CA's vulnerabilities since you're a huge part of our national culture and economy.

My first thought was the possibility of landslides and infrastructure damage. I'm thinking there was a similar event perhaps near Big Sur several year ago.

KY........

CountAllVotes

(20,854 posts)
4. Felt both of them here
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 12:03 PM
Jun 2019

Two in a row it was.

Sideways shifting and pretty darn strong.

Had this old San Franciscan a bit worried for a bit.

https://lostcoastoutpost.com/2019/jun/22/double-earthquake-humboldt-gets-pair-saturday-nigh/

>>A moderate earthquake occurred at 8:53:02 PM (PDT) on Saturday, June 22, 2019. The magnitude 5.6 event occurred 29 km (18 miles) SW of Rio Dell, CA. The hypocentral depth is 9 km ( 6 miles).

The kitties aren't used to such big ones!

As for sparsely populated, well it is not exactly sparse where I am located but it is not dense either.

No damage it seems.

Hope Ferndale and Rio Dell held up through these two!


byronius

(7,369 posts)
7. This may be a prelude to the Cascadia Subduction Zone event.
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 04:28 PM
Jun 2019
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cascadia_subduction_zone

Overdue. And Massive.

Prior to the 1980s, scientists thought that the subduction zone did not generate earthquakes like other subduction zones around the world, but research by Brian Atwater and Kenji Satake tied together evidence of a large tsunami on the Washington coast with documentation of an orphan tsunami in Japan (a tsunami without an associated earthquake). The two pieces of the puzzle were linked, and they then realized that the subduction zone was more hazardous than previously suggested.

In 2009, some geologists predicted a 10% to 14% probability that the Cascadia Subduction Zone will produce an event of magnitude 9.0 or higher in the next 50 years.[26] In 2010, studies suggested that the risk could be as high as 37% for earthquakes of magnitude 8.0 or higher.

Geologists and civil engineers have broadly determined that the Pacific Northwest region is not well prepared for such a colossal earthquake. The earthquake is expected to be similar to the 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami, because the rupture is expected to be as long as the 2004 Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami. The resulting tsunami might reach heights of approximately 30 meters (100 ft).[26] FEMA estimates some 13,000 fatalities from such an event, with another 27,000 injured. It predicts that a million people will be displaced, with yet another 2.5 million requiring food and water. An estimated 1/3 of public safety workers will not respond to the disaster due to a collapse in infrastructure and a desire to ensure the safety of themselves and their loved ones.[1] Other analyses predict that even a magnitude 6.7 earthquake in Seattle would result in 7,700 dead and injured, $33 billion in damages, 39,000 buildings largely or totally destroyed, and 130 simultaneous fires.

classof56

(5,376 posts)
8. Yep--been there, done that, still here.
Sun Jun 23, 2019, 04:55 PM
Jun 2019

That was some pretty serious shakin' going on. I've lived through much bigger, up in WA and OR, but this one definitely got my attention and kinda put me on edge. First time I'd heard of two quakes merging, but the results were certainly interesting.



CA newbie.

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