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Local Geologist: Recent Quakes Won't Trigger Fault Line
POSTED: 2:50 pm PST February 20, 2008
UPDATED: 5:50 pm PST February 20, 2008
SAN DIEGO -- The Rose Canyon Fault runs right through San Diego.While it may slip at any time, geology professor Pat Abbott said the recent swarm near Mexicali and Calexico is not going to trigger it.There are frayed nerves -- two weeks of tremors will do that, but the worst in the series was 5.0 magnitude. There were no injuries and little damage."What we're seeing is an ongoing fault movement. What we're seeing is the Gulf of California opening wider and Southern California pulling farther away from mainland Mexico," said Abbott.However, there are so many faults in Southern California that anything can happen at any time."There is the Salton Sea on the lower right, Los Angeles on the upper left. See how riddled or cross cut Southern California is with faults," said Abbott, referring to a fault map of Southern California.
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The big one, though, is the San Andreas Fault. It runs 800 miles from the Salton Sea to Northern California.Experts said the San Andreas Fault is long overdue."Our part of the San Andreas Fault -- the Salton Sea, past Palm Springs, San Bernardino -- has not moved since 1690. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the San Andrease Fault move. It won't be triggered by what's going on now, but it should be expected or anticipated," said Abbott.Abbott added that the area is famous for earthquakes and the next one could be around the corner.
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The big one, though, is the San Andreas Fault. It runs 800 miles from the Salton Sea to Northern California.Experts said the San Andreas Fault is long overdue."Our part of the San Andreas Fault -- the Salton Sea, past Palm Springs, San Bernardino -- has not moved since 1690. It wouldn't be a surprise to see the San Andrease Fault move. It won't be triggered by what's going on now, but it should be expected or anticipated," said Abbott.Abbott added that the area is famous for earthquakes and the next one could be around the corner.
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