I felt the Earth move under my feet: a running, shaking thread

[2muchcoffeeman]

In which we start with … why has the San Andreas Fault gone silent?

There is no simple answer for why California’s longest fault, responsible for some of America’s most powerful earthquakes, has produced so few in the last century.

But it is clear that the quiet period is only increasing strain on the San Andreas, as well as on the state’s second-longest fault, the San Jacinto.

A new study underscores the concern. Researchers estimated that key sections of the fault in Southern California are at their highest level of tectonic strain in the last 1,000 years.

The San Andreas, in other words, is locked, loaded and inevitable.​

The San Andreas fault has gone ominously silent. Scientists fear when it finally snaps

MSN version, no paywall: MSN

 

[2muchcoffeeman]

Oh, and Mexico had an earthquake this week: https://www.cnn.com/2026/07/17/americas/mexico-earthquake-chiapas-intl-latam

 

[MileHigh]

Yeah, it's been quiet. Too quiet. Grew up out there and have experienced many earthquakes. Not fun at all and when The Big One comes, it's going to be a disaster.

 

[FileNotFound]

Why has the New Madrid Fault been largely stable for more than two centuries, I wonder? And what would the impact be if things started getting shaky along the Mississippi? I remember having read once years ago that if there was a comparable temblor to the 1812 quake, St. Louis and Memphis would be total losses.

 

[TigerVols]

I think I live closer to the San Andreas fault than any other regular posters so I kindly ask you all to treat it like a no hitter. Mods: lock this thread now!

 

[Inky_Wretch]

Why has the New Madrid Fault been largely stable for more than two centuries, I wonder? And what would the impact be if things started getting shaky along the Mississippi? I remember having read once years ago that if there was a comparable temblor to the 1812 quake, St. Louis and Memphis would be total losses.

That fault lives in a dark corner of my mind thanks to idea of I-40 being shut down for years, Memphis falling into the river, the Arkansas rice crop being destroyed and building damage as far away as Little Rock.

 

[SixToe]

Has been a bunch of minor-ish quakes in Yellowstone this year. IMO they’re ripples from the bigger faults that maybe-could-might be indicators of something like the Andreas going boom.

I’ve been many times to Reelfoot Lake and down to Memphis, across the river from New Madrid. If that fault ever cracks again in any way like it did 200 years ago, the devastation would be immense.

The reports about the New Madrid quakes are terrifying, tbh. The aftershocks of 2.0-5.0 lasted for months. Reelfoot Lake basically sank and filled in, as did the Sunken Lands area east of Jonesboro.

 

[SixToe]

That fault lives in a dark corner of my mind thanks to idea of I-40 being shut down for years, Memphis falling into the river, the Arkansas rice crop being destroyed and building damage as far away as Little Rock.

Bald Knob might be shoreline property if another Big One hit.

 

[Sam Mills 51]

Thankfully, I'm So Far Away.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

Memphis will be heavily damaged, but the city sits on top of solid rock and the east bank of the river will be in better shape. I think the bridges have been retrofitted, but if it’s an 1811 level shaker, it probably won’t matter.

Out in the delta, the alluvial soil will liquefy and it will be the earthquake equivalent of an EF-5 tornado — complete destruction.

 

[rtse11]

I hope Trump isn't reading this. He'll shut down the Geological Survey on Monday.

 

[micropolitan guy]

Good news: Experts say the San Andreas Fault has gone silent. Fewer earthquakes, reduced deaths and property damage.

Bad News: San Andreas Fault gone silent. So now we're really gonna get the big one! California Armageddon!

Some days you just can't win. Might as well just drink heavily.

 

[Shropshire Slasher]

The magnitude scale is logarithmic, so a 7 is 10x the power of a 6 and an 8 is 10x the power of a 7. That means it would take a thousand 5.0 quakes to dissipate a pending 8.0.

Hold on to your butts.

 

[Baron Scicluna]

I hope Trump isn't reading this. He'll shut down the Geological Survey on Monday.

“Faults? I know all about faults, believe me. It’s the Communist Democrat Party’s fault that they conspired with Chynnna to rig the 2020 election. Why didn’t Gov. Newscum rake the faults?”