Elevated Risk for Big San Andreas Fault Earthquake Has Diminished

A view of the San Andreas fault in the Carrizo Plain. A valley is deeply eroded along the fault. (Credit: U.S. Geological Survey)

by: Los Angeles Times

Posted: Oct 3, 2016 / 03:23 PM PDT

Updated: Oct 3, 2016 / 03:23 PM PDT

This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.

The elevated risk for a big San Andreas fault earthquake triggered by a swarm of seismic activity at the Salton Sea has diminished, experts said Monday.

Thomas H. Jordan, director of the Southern California Earthquake Center, said Monday afternoon that the earthquake swarm about 150 miles southeast of Los Angeles has been “decaying away nicely. It’s been tailing off.

“I would say the risk is declining,” Jordan said. Of swarm activity at the Salton Sea, “it really hasn’t been very active in the last couple of days. It’s been pretty quiet.”

U.S. Geological Survey research seismologist Rob Graves said he thought the elevated risk of a San Andreas earthquake has largely receded to the background level of risk found in any given week.

Click here to read the full story on LATimes.com