Following the strong 7.0 earthquake that triggered a tsunami warning across a significant portion of California, aftershocks continued to tremble the North Coast Thursday night into Friday morning.
The U.S. Geological Survey reports that since the larger shaker struck Thursday morning, there have been over 120 aftershocks including earthquakes with a magnitude of 2.5. There have also been dozens of minor aftershocks identified.
Because it is the meeting point of three tectonic plates, California is referred to as “earthquake country” and was the epicenter of Thursday’s 7.0 magnitude earthquake. Since a 7.1-magnitude earthquake struck Ridgecrest in 2019, this was the strongest earthquake to shake the state.
At 10:44 a.m., the first significant earthquake occurred off the coast of Humboldt County’s Cape Mendocino. The National Weather Service issued a tsunami warning since the earthquake was powerful enough, but it was rescinded 70 minutes later when no significant tsunami threat was seen.
Within the following week, there is a 53% likelihood of at least one aftershock bigger than magnitude 5, according to the USGS.
According to the aftershock forecast page on the USGS website, “with up to 130 magnitude 3 or higher aftershocks, there will likely be smaller aftershocks within the next week.”
“The number of aftershocks will decrease over time, but a large aftershock can temporarily increase the number of aftershocks.”
Cleaning up after a large earthquake in December has apparently become a ritual for residents in Ferndale, even though there were no reports of substantial damage in Humboldt County.
The magnitude 7.0 on Thursday was the third in the previous four years and the latest to hit the region around the holidays.
The alert was issued in response to the National Weather Service’s procedure, and the Bay Area X account blogged about it on Friday morning, stating that “there are lot of questions, frustration, and even some anger about how it all unfolded.”
The thread on X discussed the various tsunami alarm types and clarified that there is a time restriction for local tsunamis, “and the warning must be issued with more uncertainty in order to allow the maximum possible evacuation window.” The National Tsunami Warning Center issued the warning just five minutes after the 7.0 earthquake occurred.
“The downside of this speed requirement is that the NTWC does not have the luxury of waiting to actually observe a tsunami wave before the first warning is needed,” the article stated. “They can only confirm that with deep ocean buoys and coastal observations.”
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Eliot Pierce is a dedicated writer for ChiefsFocus.com, covering local crime and finance news. With a keen eye for detail and a passion for storytelling, Eliot aims to provide his readers with clear and insightful analysis, helping them navigate the complexities of their financial lives while staying informed about important local events. His commitment to delivering accurate and engaging content makes him a valuable resource for the community.