Aftershocks from the California Earthquake Swarm
This is a cluster of minor minor aftershocks from the Brawley earthquake. Image courtesy USGS
A week after two earthquakes of >M5.0 struck near Brawley, in southern California, the earthquake record shows that although no significant tremors have been recorded, the aftershocks from the California earthquake storm continue to occur. Fourteen earthquakes of over M2.5 were recorded, the largest of these being M3.4, along with very many smaller events. These form a notable cluster to the south of the Salton Sea.
Earthquake Activity This Week
The week’s earthquake’s clearly show how seismic activity is concentrated upon the major plate boundaries – and that earthquake activityis extensive along these boundaries, even at levels too small to be felt. The USGS maps show over 1600 earthquakes recorded over the seven-day period – and this figure does not include the smaller-magnitude events recorded outside the United States. That the earth’s crust is constantly moving is in no doubt – and perhaps one of the most interesting points is that so many areas of the planet’s surface are, in fact, tectonically stable.
Sources
United States Geological Survey. Real-Time Earthquake Map. Accessed September 4, 2012.
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