An unusually large earthquake in California has opened up a fissure that stretches across a swath of the Mojave Desert in southern California.
Satellite images from Planet Labs show the newly formed giant crack sprawling across the Earth about 11 miles outside of Ridgecrest, California. The fissure formed as a result of the second of two large earthquakes to rock the state in less than two days.
The quake reached a magnitude of 7.1, making it strong enough to shake buildings, knocking items off of shelves and walls and scaring two live TV anchors who were being filmed as the quake reached its peak.
(Left before, right after) Earthquakes in southern California have opened up a fissure across the Mojave desert just 11 miles outside of Ridgecrest. A huge new crack can be seen running across the landscape
A 6.6 magnitude quake hit the same area on July 4 which also sent an aftershock reverberating throughout the region.
According to a report from KTLA, the quake has also caused roads along state highway Route 178 to begin cracking and has resulted in the collapse of at least one building.
No injuries or fatalities have been reported.
The tremors, which were among the most powerful throughout the last 20 years, were the result of strike-slip earthquakes, where instead of one plate moving on top of the other, the pair move horizontally alongside each other.
Seismologists believe there are more to come, with more than 30,000 tremors predicted above magnitude 1 in the coming weeks according to a report in ScienceAlert.
No one was injured or killed in the quakes since the epicenter was situated in a mostly rural region in California’s desert. But, the huge tremors created cracks in the ground that stretch for miles
Cracks in the state-owned highway formed in affected areas. In some cases the rifts in the pavement made it impossible for cars to pass. A broken street near the city of Ridgecrest is shown
Though there may be more quakes to come, the chance of one stronger than the recent tremors occurring within the next week is less than one per cent, according to the United States Geological Survey.
According to KTLA, Ridgecrest, the small town where the earthquakes emanated from, has been noted for its susceptibility to tremors in the past, though many have been clocked at a much smaller scale.
‘For a while, Ridgecrest was known as the earthquake capital of the world cause it had so many small quakes.
So, it’s not a surprise that the earthquake happened,’ Caltech seismologist Dr. Egill Hauksson told the outlet.
While there are no known connections between the fault system that triggered recent quakes and the more infamous San Andreas fault line which runs through major metro areas like Los Angeles, seismologists have characterized say the network is ‘complicated’ and warrant further study.
Ridgecrest has been noted in the past for being the source of frequent earthquakes, however, none have been quite as large as recent events. The epicenter is highlighted in the map above
Ron Mikulaco, left, and his nephew, Brad Fernandez, examine a crack caused by an earthquake on highway 178 Saturday, July 6, 2019, outside of Ridgecrest, Calif. Crews in Southern California assessed damage to cracked and burned buildings, broken roads, leaking water and gas lines and other infrastructure Saturday after the huge earthquake
Above, Ridgecrest residents inspect a recent fault rupture following two large earthquakes in the area on July 7, 2019
As reported by LiveScience, geologists say there is currently no viable method of evaluating what impact the system may have on San Andreas fault lines, if any.
The San Andreas fault is known to have caused the biggest earthquake recorded in California which reached a magnitude of 8.1.
An earthquake measuring more than 8.1 on the Richter scale -triggered by the system in 1906 killed 700 people in San Francisco and caused deadly fires. A similar earthquake in Los Angeles may endanger 50,000 according the U.S. Geological Survey.
WHAT ARE TECTONIC PLATES?
Tectonic plates are composed of Earth’s crust and the uppermost portion of the mantle.
Below is the asthenosphere: the warm, viscous conveyor belt of rock on which tectonic plates ride.
The Earth has fifteen tectonic plates (pictured) that together have molded the shape of the landscape we see around us today
Earthquakes typically occur at the boundaries of tectonic plates, where one plate dips below another, thrusts another upward, or where plate edges scrape alongside each other.
Earthquakes rarely occur in the middle of plates, but they can happen when ancient faults or rifts far below the surface reactivate.
These areas are relatively weak compared to the surrounding plate, and can easily slip and cause an earthquake.