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Tremors rock earth deep beneath San Andreas Fault - Puzzling vibrations baffle researchers
SF Chronicle ^ | December 10, 2004 | David Perlman

Posted on 12/10/2004 8:59:17 AM PST by NYer

Mysterious tremors deep beneath the San Andreas Fault near the quake-prone town of Parkfield are shaking the earth's brittle crust, far below the region where earthquakes normally strike -- and scientists say they can't understand what's happening or what the motions mean.

Seismic researchers are monitoring the strange vibrations closely. But whether the faint underground tremors -- termed "chatter" by some seismologists -- portend an increased likelihood of a major quake in the area is an unsolved puzzle.

Robert Nadeau, a geophysicist at the UC Berkeley Seismological Laboratory, charted more than 110 of the faint vibrations since they were first detected by the lab's High Resolution Seismic Network in Parkfield three years ago. What concerns Nadeau and his colleagues is that the epicenter of the great 1857 Fort Tejon earthquake, whose magnitude has been estimated at 7.8 to 8, was located almost exactly where the deep tremors are now occurring -- beneath the San Luis Obispo County village of Cholame, some 17 miles south of Parkfield.

The episodes of chatter last from four to 20 minutes and are being recorded from as deep as 40 miles beneath the surface -- up to four times the depth of normal earthquakes, which originate in what scientists call the "seismogenic zone." That zone reaches no deeper than 9 or 10 miles below the Earth's surface.

(Excerpt) Read more at sfgate.com ...


TOPICS: Front Page News; Miscellaneous; News/Current Events; US: California
KEYWORDS: earthquake; earthquakes; geology; geophysics; sanandreas; sanandreasfault; tremors
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1 posted on 12/10/2004 8:59:18 AM PST by NYer
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To: NYer

Gozirra?


2 posted on 12/10/2004 9:00:11 AM PST by Frank_Discussion (May the wings of Liberty never lose a feather!)
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To: sandyeggo; Marcellinus
Similar deep tremors have been detected recently along the coast of the Pacific Northwest, known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone, as well as in Japan -- and there, too, scientists are struggling to understand what their import is.

Though not near you, thought you might want to read more at the link.

3 posted on 12/10/2004 9:01:49 AM PST by NYer ("Blessed be He who by His love has given life to all." - final prayer of St. Charbel)
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To: NYer

Let's see...deep, previously undetected tremors...salt water intrusion...Radon gas emissions...Nothing here, move along!


4 posted on 12/10/2004 9:06:17 AM PST by TommyDale
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To: NYer

5 posted on 12/10/2004 9:08:46 AM PST by drjimmy
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To: TommyDale
Let's see...deep, previously undetected tremors...salt water intrusion...Radon gas emissions...Nothing here, move along!

Yeah, sounds like rock being powderized deep below the fault. Under tremendous pressure, slipping fault lines, solid rock melting, but what can it mean? (Not to worry, I am in Texas.)

6 posted on 12/10/2004 9:09:06 AM PST by KC_for_Freedom (Sailing the highways of America, and loving it.)
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To: NYer

Interesting. Since I used to live near there, I'm interested in activity in that area. These unexplained deep movements are rather disturbing, IMO. Still, we haven't been monitoring such things all that long. Perhaps they're normal activity that occurs from time to time, and we just haven't seen it before.

OTOH, there was recent earthquake activity in this area, with one quake over 6.0, so it is troubling.


7 posted on 12/10/2004 9:09:34 AM PST by MineralMan (godless atheist)
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To: NYer

strange


8 posted on 12/10/2004 9:10:40 AM PST by shield (The Greatest Scientific Discoveries of the Century Reveal God!!!! by Dr. H. Ross, Astrophysicist)
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To: NYer
It means that we may have another volcanic mountain in California soon (geographically speaking).
9 posted on 12/10/2004 9:13:12 AM PST by Just another Joe (Warning: FReeping can be addictive and helpful to your mental health)
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To: Frank_Discussion

Relax...it's just Michael Moore tripping over a loose shoelace.


10 posted on 12/10/2004 9:14:31 AM PST by reagan_fanatic (Oh yeah - and F the french too!)
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To: NYer
I think we all know who's causing this, don't we?


11 posted on 12/10/2004 9:15:01 AM PST by StoneGiant
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To: NYer

12 posted on 12/10/2004 9:15:50 AM PST by Petruchio (<===Looks Sexy in a flightsuit . . . Looks Silly in a french maid outfit)
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To: SandyInSeattle
Similar deep tremors have been detected recently along the coast of the Pacific Northwest, known as the Cascadia Subduction Zone

Ping

13 posted on 12/10/2004 9:15:59 AM PST by null and void (I refuse to live my life as if someone, somewhere will be offended if I laugh...)
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To: null and void

The Chinese Big Dig


14 posted on 12/10/2004 9:17:18 AM PST by spokeshave (Strategery + Schardenfreude = Stratenschardenfreudery)
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To: NYer

I think maybe a lot of peoples prayers are about to be answered.

The left Coast of California is about to be split off to form their own Communist country.


15 posted on 12/10/2004 9:17:23 AM PST by OKIEDOC (LL THE)
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To: NYer

Hang on.


16 posted on 12/10/2004 9:17:25 AM PST by marty60
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To: Frank_Discussion
Gozirra?

No, Graboids.

17 posted on 12/10/2004 9:18:22 AM PST by avg_freeper (Gunga galunga. Gunga, gunga galunga)
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To: StoneGiant

One of the better Bond villians.


18 posted on 12/10/2004 9:18:37 AM PST by marty60
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To: NYer

Bush's fault. They have a secret machine in the basement of the White House that does these things.

Suspicious timing - they are just doing this to distract from the stolen election in Ohio. . /DUmmie Mode


19 posted on 12/10/2004 9:20:03 AM PST by GaltMeister (The only time a Democrat should be allowed in the White House is to visit the President.)
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To: NYer

California is going to be an island. So the song "Ocean Front Property in Arizona" is going to be true!


20 posted on 12/10/2004 9:20:35 AM PST by Jersey Republican Biker Chick (Never play leapfrog with a unicorn!)
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