Posted on 08/31/2019 1:55:25 PM PDT by BenLurkin
The Wilmington fault...is an elusive type of fracture. Unlike many faults, which crack Earth’s surface like an egg, the Wilmington fault is “blind,” which means it’s concealed beneath the surface, making it especially difficult to study. So while scientists have long known the fault is present—stretching 12.4 miles under southern Los Angeles into San Pedro Bay—it was presumed to have sat quiet for millions of years.
While the fault is slow moving and likely ruptures only once every 3,200 to 4,700 years, it underlies two of the United States’ busiest ports. And researchers worry that the Wilmington could link with other nearby faults to produce a temblor as strong as a magnitude 7.4.
From their analysis, the team estimates the Wilmington fault has moved an average of just 0.16 millimeters per year over the last 500,000 years, and it likely hosts an earthquake every few thousand years. For comparison, the San Andreas fault is estimated to move 30 to 50 millimeters each year, with an average time between earthquakes of around 150 years.
That is, while it’s slow moving, it shouldn’t be ignored. For one, there’s the type of motion thrust faults produce, which is more of a vertical shove than the horizontal back and forth of a strike-slip fault, Wolfe says. Buildings can sway a little, but the up-down motions can be devastating. Such intense impacts were seen during the magnitude 6.7 Northridge earthquake that rattled from a blind-thrust fault in 1994, killing more than 60 people and injuring thousands.
The Wilmington fault is also located directly below two important ports and other infrastructure, Shaw notes. And a disruption of operations could have major impacts. While more work is necessary to further tease apart the Wilmington’s earthquake potential, the latest study emphasizes the import of studying slow-moving blind faults.
(Excerpt) Read more at nationalgeographic.com ...
“The port’s container volume was 9.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in calendar year 2017, a 5.5% increase over 2016’s record-breaking year of 8.8 million TEU. It’s the most cargo moved annually by a Western Hemisphere port. The port is the busiest port in the United States by container volume, the 19th-busiest container port in the world, and the 10th-busiest worldwide when combined with the neighboring Port of Long Beach. The port is also the number-one freight gateway in the United States when ranked by the value of shipments passing through it.”
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Port_of_Los_Angeles#Shipping
Hidden?
Just because it’s been 4699 years since the last eruption i’m not saying a word.....
Maybe fracture might be a better word than eruption....
It’s what they call a blind fault.
Why worry? Angelenos know they’ll all be dead from global warming in 10 years anyway.
When I was in my teens everyone talked about LA falling off into the ocean. Maybe this hidden fault will bring that about.
...or what they now call a “visually-challenged” fault.
underground
AH yes. Both differently-sighted and differently-sited.
It’s what they call a blind fault.
= = =
Clinton says he is blind and it is not his fault.
Maybe it will tip over and capsize.
I’m cool with however this works out. Honestly, I do have a preference... but ill just keep it to myself.
“The port’s container volume was 9.3 million twenty-foot equivalent units (TEU) in calendar year 2017,”
That’s a line of containers end-on-end stretching from LA to NYC then back again x 5.
They may call it a blind fault, but I just don't see it...
Bush’s fault.
No, the troops at 29 Palms are inland.
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