A 2.6 magnitude earthquake shook the San Pedro Channel over the weekend, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website.
The small quake’s epicenter was eight miles northeast of Avalon, on Santa Catalina Island, at 4:31 a.m. Sunday. At this time there appears to be no known reports of the earthquake by the public.
A 2.6 magnitude earthquake shook the San Pedro Channel over the weekend, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS) website.
The small quake’s epicenter was eight miles northeast of Avalon, on Santa Catalina Island, at 4:31 a.m. Sunday. At this time there appears to be no known reports of the earthquake by the public.
Earthquakes are certainly not uncommon for our region. In fact, there have been over 3300 earthquakes recorded in the State of California over the past 30 days, the largest being a 3.9 magnitude quake that occurred in San Fernando, CA which is about 60 miles north of Catalina Island.
If we were to look a little closer to home, there have been 30 earthquakes in the past 30 days that have occurred within 50 miles of the Island, the largest of these being a 3.3 magnitude that took place on November 6, 2012.
The San Andreas Fault System, which crosses California from the Salton Sea in the south to Cape Mendocino in the north, is the boundary between the Pacific Plate and North American Plate. The Pacific Plate is moving northwest with respect to the North American Plate at approximately 56 millimeters per year, about the same rate that your fingernails grow. Due to the fact that these two plates are moving horizontally past one another, scientists say that in 15 million years from now, Los Angeles and San Francisco will actually be adjacent to one another.
Although the San Andreas Fault system has historically created some of the largest earthquakes reported in California, we have several fault lines which may potentially cause significant quakes that are much closer to home.
According to the website spacedaily.com, one of the most potentially devastating fault lines for southern California lies directly under the Island. Although most faults offshore Los Angeles and Orange counties are mostly strike-slip – faults (which are those that move side to side), bends in the fault line produce areas where the ground is pushed up during major earthquakes. This type of movement in the earth would not only produce large magnitude earthquakes felt over a large region, but is also the most common cause of devastating tsunamis. One of these regions lies directly below Santa Catalina Island.
Jose C. Borrero, assistant research professor in the USC Viterbi School, conducted a survey which studied the potential of areas in the fault lines such as this one. “Bends in the fault trace produce regions where earthquake stresses cause the sea floor to pop up and generate a tsunami.”
In fact Catalina Island was created because of these types of movements in the earth. The ground being forced up by these shifting fault lines over a long period in time is what caused our little paradise to exist.
Borrero further explained by saying, “When a large earthquake occurs at a restraining bend, like the bend under Catalina Island, the ground is pushed up and, in turn, pushes up the entire region that has created the island and its offshore flanks.”
If a large earthquake were to occur under the Island, significant damage could be seen in our town that could be devastating to all who call this home. Major landslides could occur, essentially burying parts of our town. Additionally, even though the initial waves of a tsunami would hit the mainland across the channel from us, the potential exists for them to “bounce” back in our direction, causing the threat of a secondary tsunami hitting Avalon Bay.
So what can we do? Be prepared. Although we have no control over Mother Nature and the ever-changing landscapes of our planet, we do have the ability to control how prepared we are for such disasters. Having an emergency preparedness kit for you and your family will help minimize some of the after effects of a disaster. Also, having a plan involving evacuation when necessary can potentially save lives and keep families together safely.
For more information about being prepared for emergencies and helpful tips to keep you and your family safe, visit www.ready.gov/are-you-ready-guide or www.fema.gov.
