Major Earthquake Shakes California

By: Corey Potvin

The fourth in a series of major earthquakes to strike worldwide rumbled throughout the Mojave Desert region early morning on Saturday October 16. With a magnitude of 7.0, " Hector ", named after the location of its epicenter, was the strongest quake to affect California since 1992, when the 7.3 Landers earthquake struck. " Hector " was expansive in its coverage, rumbling buildings as far away as Nevada, Arizona, and Mexico, giving millions of residents a very rude awakening.

Despite its impressive caliber, "Hector" caused only minor damage, and no serious injuries were reported. The worst of the damage included a cracked highway bridge, mobile homes knocked off their pillings, and the derailing of an Amtrak train en route to Los Angelos. Had the quake occured in a more populated area, as did the 1994 Northridge quake, the aftermath would have been much more severe (the Northridge quake, which was a 6.7, caused $25 billion in damage and killed 72 people.)

Even after the main quake was over, the danger had not yet passed. Hundreds of aftershocks have already occured, reaching magnitudes of up to 5.8 shortly after the parent quake. Fortunately, there is only a 5% chance of an aftershock exceeding the main quake in intensity. However, the recent worldwide string of giant earthquakes raises two very interesting questions : Is this a trend that will continue? And, is " the big one " still on the way? Only time can tell.