Updated: Earthquake swarm near Brawley overwhelms USGS seismographs
By Kate McGinty - Desert Sun 11:27 PM, Aug 26, 2012 |
SALTON SEA — Dozens of earthquakes struck near the Salton Sea on Sunday, the beginning of an earthquake swarm that seismologists predict could last for days.The tremblors began after sunrise Sunday about three miles northwest of the small Imperial County farming town of Brawley.
As many as 300 earthquakes were recorded, ranging from 1.5- to 5.5-magnitude and often striking in consecutive minutes, according to preliminary reports from the U.S. Geological Survey.
They were felt across the Coachella Valley, into Orange and San Diego counties and even Arizona.
"Our system is choking on so many earthquakes," U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucy Jones said. "This area of California is deep soils, and we do not get as precise data as we do over the rest of the state, and that makes our data a little less precise."
The swarm will "definitely last for days," and it is possible but unlikely that it could continue for weeks, California Institute of Technology seismologist Egill Hauksson said.
During the most recent swarm, more than 300 earthquakes struck the southern Salton Sea area in September 2005.
"That area is what we call an extension (between fault lines), so you get these rapid fire sequences that have lots of earthquakes and several earthquakes of similar magnitudes," Hauksson said.
While the temblors there on Sunday were "interesting for scientists, worrisome for residents," they should not be taken as a sign of an impending, more significant earthquake, Hauksson said.
"We've never seen that before, that earthquake swarms in this area have sort of preceded a major earthquake on the San Andreas," he said.
On Sunday, the ground began to spasm about 5 miles north-northwest of Brawley at sunrise, and the town was rocked by a magnitude 3.9 quake at 10:02 a.m.
It was followed by a 3.4-magnitude quake about 90 seconds later in the same area near the southern end of the Salton Sea. Smaller quakes followed within six minutes.No injuries or significant damage were reported.
Coachella Valley residents, mostly between La Quinta and Indio, posted on Facebook and Twitter that they saw the water in their pool splash and watched their hanging lamps swing.
"I totally felt them. I live at the top of the cove in La Quinta. They rolled," Jodi Lynne Rubin told The Desert Sun.
"It was very light. My animals didn't react, but I felt it and noticed my lamp swaying," Veronica Borboa said from Palm Desert.
Power went out briefly at Pioneers Medical Hospital in Brawley, the Imperial County Emergency Medical Services Agency said. Some patients were moved to other facilities. According to one report, three patients were moved to JFK Memorial Hospital in Indio.
Some buildings were evacuated in Brawley.
"It's pretty bad. We had to evacuate the hotel just for safety," said Rowena Rapoza, office manager at the Best Western Hotel there.
Several glasses and a bottle of wine crashed to the floor and shattered at Assaggio, an Italian restaurant in Brawley, owner Jerry Ma said.
"It felt like there was a quake every 15 minutes. One after another. My kids are small, and they're scared and don't want to come back inside," said Mike Patel, who manages Townhouse Inn & Suites in Brawley.Source: http://www.mydesert.com/article/20120827/NEWS01/208270334/Updated-Earthquake-swarm-near-Brawley-overwhelms-USGS-seismographs?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|Frontpage&nclick_check=1
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