While a recent study indicates the threat of smaller earthquakes in the Los Angeles Basin has decreased, the USGS says the risk of ‘the Big One’ hitting the region in the next 30 years has risen significantly from about 4.7% to 7%.
Professor Boles’ discovery of helium leakage from the rift running from Signal Hill to Culver City may point to the Newport-Inglewood fault being much deeper than previously thought.
‘We show that the Newport-Inglewood fault is not only deep-seated but also directly or indirectly connected with the mantle,’ Boles said.
From previous studies – and the experience of Southern Californians – it’s clear the damage from a severe earthquake would be devastating.
‘We are fortunate that seismic activity in California has been relatively low over the past century,’ said Tom Jordan, Director of the Southern California Earthquake Center and a co-author of the study.
‘But we know that tectonic forces are continually tightening the springs of the San Andreas fault system, making big quakes inevitable.
Read more about Boles’ discovery at: Daily Mail
Photos: Ray Bouknight on Flickr, Diagram from UCSB
If only that were true