The Bay Area's Seven Faults

I was reading the April 15th issue of Science News today at work. They had an article by Sid Perkins called "Region at Risk" about San Francisco and the major earthquakes in that area over the past, like, 400 years, paying particular attention to the one that happened in 1906. They went on to say that they can't really predict when "The Big One" will hit, but considering the fact that there are 7 major fault lines in the area, they're 62% sure that an earthquake with a magnitude of at least a 6.7 will happen before the year 2032.

And of the seven faults they point out to us graphically, the one with the highest chance of actually rupturing is Hayward Fault – at 27%. Please note its location below:



This fault line just happens to be the one that runs through Oakland, parallel to the more famous San Andreas Fault. I bring this up because family members live in Oakland and recently bought real estate that could possibly crumble to the ground within the next 26 years. (See the location of the arrow below for future possible family owned rubble.)



I just thought I'd let them know that the scientific community thinks they're screwed.

I only bring this up because I know that with my luck, all the tornadoes in the Midwest will pass me by without any harm. But with her luck, the biggest earthquake of the century will certainly happen like, right under my sister's car - where the four mile buffer distance between her house and the fault line will do her no good, since she's driven four miles from home and is now right over the Hayward Fault.

I am more scientifically convinced of this than the percentages listed above. I don't know when it'll happen... but when it does, she'll be there.

And then Superman will fly around the world backwards.


End Blog.