Earthquake Swarm Tally in San Ramon Keeps Rising, Quakes Now Near 450 in Two Weeks

NBC Bay Area

http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/local/San-Ramon-Earthquake-Swarm---Record---Keeps-Rising-Tally-Now-Near-450-Quakes-in-Two-Weeks-338330052.html /

The USGS noted that "based on the characteristics of historical earthquake swarms in this region, the current swarm may continue for several more weeks."
* Map & chart on link*

By Lisa Fernandez

NBC Bay Area's quake map shows all earthquakes recorded near the San Francisco Bay Area over the past 24 hours.
The earthquake swarms in one San Francisco Bay Area city keeps rising, and according to the US Geological Center's past historical data, has shattered old records.
Bay Area Halloween Events Guide
As of Wednesday, the USGS noted that San Ramon, about 45 miles from San Francisco had experienced 446 quakes, including 86 quakes that were a magnitude of 2.0 or higher, since Oct. 13. A total of 28 earthquakes have been documented alone since Tuesday.
San Ramon had previously set a record in 2003 when a swarm of 120 earthquakes struck there over 31 days.

Before now, the biggest swarm on record in the same general area had been in 1990 in neighboring Alamo, about 30 miles east of San Francisco. That's when 351 earthquakes struck over 42 days, with the largest recorded at a magnitude of
4.2
The current numbers in San Ramon top both those historical swarms.

However, Senior USGS Senior research geologist David Schwartz said there's a big caveat to the old numbers: The technology wasn't as good then. So there's no way to know if there were more quakes smaller quakes that struck 25 years ago, because the equipment back then wouldn't have detected it. A small quake is anything than than less than a magnitude 2.0.
Still, the current San Ramon swarm surpasses the old record set in 2003.

What Schwarts is more interested in is how large the earthquakes have been, not simply the number. And in that respect, the 1990 Alamo swarm beats the current San Ramon one. Back then, the largest Alamo quake was recorded at a magnitude of 4.4, and people reported having their chimneys knocked down.
None of the current San Ramon quakes have risen to that level or caused any reported damage or injury. But some people - and pets - have felt the ground rumbling.

"I've not felt so many tremors in decades," Mark Stone said outside a San Ramon Starbucks on Tuesday morning. "My dog, Gimmel, she's the first one to know a couple of seconds before."
Gimmel might be a busy pet for a while.

The USGS noted that "based on the characteristics of historical earthquake swarms in this region, the current swarm may continue for several more weeks."
Scientists, however, added that it is unlikely that the swarms are a foreshock to a large, damaging earthquake.
Recent Bay Area Quakes
In the past 24 hours, there have been 9 quakes.

This map shows all earthquakes near the San Francisco Bay Area for the past 24 hours. The darker blue circle shows the range weʼre filtering for.

Tiny, mostly unnoticeable quakes happen all the time in this part of the state. Some spots on the map will have several small quakes layered on top of one another.
* See link for map*

Well if I were a local I think I'd want more info than just the strength of the quakes. I'd want to know location and depth.

A 1.0 that's 10 miles deep and 50 miles away is not even felt, but if there are 3.0's happening a mile under a city, I'd be a little more concerned.

Since I don't know, I'd want to ask the experts if the quakes are happening on known faults, at depths where there are identified movements previously or are these totally random and new?

"450 Earthquakes in 2 Weeks" San Francisco Bay Ar…: http://youtu.be/0j4d4X1Nlkw/

Breaking! Earthquake Hits San Francisco at Haywar…: http://youtu.be/zYMwrq1SyG0/ July & August- two that were 4.0

Hayward Fault Zone - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia http://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hayward_Fault_Zone/

Major Earthquake on California's Hayward Fault Ex…: http://youtu.be/y5JLMg9ZXgc/ July 22nd



Actually there is more info on YouTube than you'll read in articles.
And on BP Earthwatch & Quakes today. And National Geographic

However there was a mass warning, last month that was put out for the entire West coast. Most people of course wouldn't take that seriously.
But I realized today... God forbid, if there was a big one. All the experts & politicians can say, ' we did put the warning out '

I know that predicting quakes isn't possible, but the fact that (at least THINK ) we know that quakes are the result of steadily moving tectonic plates getting stuck and then suddenly letting go, I should think that a swarm of small quakes would be a very good thing. It would mean that the stresses were being released a little at a time, rather than being stored up for a huge one.

My only thought for California is.....

LA, Alaska.



Good luck, California!

Today's Earthquakes in California, United States

http://earthquaketrack.com/p/united-states/california/recent/