Last year, California was hit by a 5.0 earthquake. This sparked specialists to study its aftermath and, based on the 2014 La Habra earthquake, NASA predicts another big one, in three years, of at least 5.0.
- The 2014 La Habra earthquake
- Its aftermath left behind changes in the earth’s crust
- These changes have led to predictions of another one in only three years
Los Angeles startled last year when La Habra hit it. The 5.0 degrees were completely felt in areas such as West Coyote Hills, Orange County, Los Angeles itself and the San Gabriel Valley. The damages were extensive, as 20 apartments and six houses were red-tagged. This means they were considered to be uninhabitable after the quake. It also broke water mains, causing havoc, but, luckily, no victims were registered.
La Habra also sported dozens of aftershocks, out of each one alone was of 4.1. It happened only a day after the main earthquake.
Since then, a study has been initiated by Dr. Donnellan of NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in the city of Pasadena. And she has found that La Habra has left some marks. When it happened, it shook the earth’s crust and its upper sediments, mainly in the Los Angeles region. It has also left strains, that, according to Dr. Donnellan, are strong enough to produce another quake, even bigger, in the same epicenter of La Habra.
She and her team have measured the probability of this happening on a 60-mile radius from the Los Angeles area. The results her measurements produced were a whopping 99 per cent. This means that, almost surely, in the next two and a half to three years, another relatively large earthquake will take place in the Los Angeles area.
Of course there have been voices raised against Dr. Donnellan and her study, saying that earthquakes are definitely too wild and hard to measure and predict. Different opinions say that it is quite impossible to make such a statement about an earthquake. You cannot predict it, you cannot possibly know how big it’s going to be and you can’t tell with that precision that she has shown its exact location.
Apart from that, those who cared to share an opinion seem to think that earthquakes are quite natural in the California – Los Angeles area and that people are always prepared and should never be scared.
Image Source: www.pinterest.com
Zinzendorf says
All students should remove any books, reports, binders, boxes that are potential falling hazards over their desks, futons, sofa, sleeping or reading areas. All trophies, class pictures, microwave, model train, 3-D models should be either anchored or removed from high places that may harm any person or doggies or valuable orchids in the foreseen event. All stack areas and rack areas and warehouses shall post sign forbidding overnight stays.
Do not park the family car under any tilted, leaning or otherwise unbalanced tree overnight. (VW is ok.) Likewise avoid the same for any similar kind statutes, monuments, obelisks, masonry chimneys, parapets, clock tower, cell towers, light masts, traffic lights, architectural brick work, prefab stairway (remove any homeless as well) Never lie down or forlick next to a brick fire place. (A Napa kid did that without this advice.) Also never run out of the building if you can hide under a desk. (You will find out some door lead to death. Lastly make amends with your parents so you may live longer.
Citations will be issued by JPL patrols for a demerit for the offenses stated in the first para. but will be pardoned after the two years if foreseen event does not occur.