Just an observation, but the latest map indicates that earthquake activity in CA seems very low the past little while.

Seems odd that of almost 370 earthquakes listed here:

http://quake.wr.usgs.gov/recenteqs/

very, very few occurred today. Over the past two years, the general trend has been many dozen more in the past 24 hours. Given that there was a strong quake only a few days ago right off of the SF penisula, hope an even stronger one is not "lurking" underneath.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), August 26, 1999

Answers

EVERYONE OUT OF THE POOL, NOW!!!

-- (you@too.oj), August 26, 1999.

"Make my day..." Robert!

;-(

Diane

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), August 26, 1999.

Robert, if I didn't know you better, I'd suspect you of trying to dethrone St. Francis and Bozo the dog...

-- a (a@a.a), August 26, 1999.

No, no. I'm not that capable, and can't spell as well as eitehr, most likely.

Just happened to notice that there should be about 52 earthquakes a day (based on 370 in the past seven days) out there under Diane's floorboards.

However, not only were there only 15 quakes the past 24 hours (less than 1/3 the number expected in 24 hours!), there were no quakes at all the whole past week larger that an magnitude 2. That's a lot of energy that did not get released for a relatively long time.

-- Robert A. Cook, PE (Kennesaw, GA) (cook.r@csaatl.com), August 26, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr near Monterey, California

It is normal to experience a reduction in seismic activity after a moderate event in the vicinity. It takes a while for stress to rebuild to usual levels. I'm right on a fault here...

-- QuakeDancr (addy.available@my.webpage.neener.autospammers--regrets.greenspun), August 26, 1999.

You asked for it:

DATE-(UTC)-TIME LAT LON DEP MAG Q COMMENTS
yy/mm/dd hh:mm:ss deg. deg. km
99/08/25 16:46:32 39.65N 122.76W 7.5 2.9Ml Northern CA

It may not align correctly, but that was a 2.9 magnitude; hardly worth noting, but at least it was something. :-)

Jerry

-- Jerry B (skeptic76@erols.com), August 26, 1999.

????? See http://www.iris.washington.edu/cgi-bin/seismon_events.pl?date=98/11/27 &lat=40.60N&lon=125.19W

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), August 26, 1999.

Damn it Robert!!!! You said the "Q" word - now we're jinxed for sure..... :)

-- Kristi (securxsys@cs.com), August 26, 1999.

Robert, we have so much smoke from forest fires started from the lightening storm on Monday, that even if there was an earthquake we couldn't see it!

I'm looking across the canyon at fire crawling along the steep slope and just hope that the southerly winds keep it up all night, otherwise I just might have to test out my bug out bag.

Coughingly yours, mitch

-- Mitchell Barnes (spanda@inreach.com), August 26, 1999.

Winds are now coming out of the north-east Mitch. St. Francis has one more day for his prediction to come true.

-- no kidding (nokidding@nokidding.com), August 27, 1999.

From: Y2K, ` la Carte by Dancr near Monterey, California

South Bay area residents are being asked to conserve electricity due to the fires hundreds of miles away. What is the connection?

-- Dancr (addy.available@my.webpage.neener.autospammers--regrets.greenspun), August 27, 1999.

Dancr, South Bay as in the LA area? I hadn't heard anything about that.

Robert, in the last couple of days we've had fires, a water shut down in Malibu which forced residents to use bottled water and strange, brilliant flashes of light in the sky with no explanation...oh, and it's hot and humid all of a sudden when all summer it's been really, really beautiful.

Don't worry you Northerners...I'm sure we'll get flattened down here since you release the pressure a a few weeks ago : (

Mike

==============================================================

-- Michael Taylor (mtdesign3@aol.com), August 27, 1999.

Dancr- I was told by my ISP in far northstate that the fires were headed toward their microwave towers and service might be kaput. I imagine electrical infrastructure is being threatened which would mean some shunting and workarounds on power distribution.

-- marsh (armstrng@sisqtel.net), August 27, 1999.

Maybe if Mother Nature focuss above ground, shell forget the below ground activities.

Conditions prime for more blazes in West
STEVE GEISSINGER, Associated Press Writer
Thursday, August 26, 1999

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/ article.cgi?file=/news/archive/1999/08/26/national0123EDT0456.DTL

Then again...

Quake providing key lessons about Turkish, California faults
PATRICK QUINN, Associated Press Writer
Friday, August 27, 1999

http://www.sfgate.com/cgi- bin/article.cgi?file=/news/archive/1999/08/27/ international0115EDT0415.DTL

[snip]

``...This is a wake-up call for all of us, not just Istanbul...''

[snip]

-- Diane J. Squire (sacredspaces@yahoo.com), August 27, 1999.

QuakeDancr - what do you mean, exactly, by "right on a fault"? You're correct re a tectonic stress, or directly above the rift?

Sorry, couldn't help it.

-- bw (home@puget.sound), August 27, 1999.