The Four Corners

Recent speculation has California in the direct crosshairs of the next major earthquake.

The rationale seems to be a four corners theory—and three of the corners have just had their disaster.

If you look at a map of the Pacific Plate, which basically runs the perimeter of the Pacific Ocean, it’s easy to see why folks think California has just stepped into the earthquake batter’s box.  Last year there was an 8.8 Mega-Thrust quake in Chile, which from space would be in the lower right of the plate.  Then came the New Zealand’s small, but super strong earthquake, occupying the lower left quadrant.  The Japan 9.0 quake occurred in top left portion of the plate.  What is left?  The top right.  California, Oregon and Washington.

While most of California has no Subduction zone, it has plenty of Blind Thrust faults ala New Zealand.  We’ve learned it doesn’t take a 9.0 magnitude quake to bring down buildings and shut down a city.  Northern California, Oregon and Washington do have the Cascadia Subduction Zone, primed to slip and complete the major earthquake total rotation of the Pacific plate.

Still, all of this is conjecture.  For my part, it doesn’t really matter when the next big quake hits the West Coast of the United States.  The reality is we now know that earthquakes can strike with a devastation far beyond what is expected.  It only makes sense to plan for the worst…and hope for the best.