I have often wondered about what earthquakes are like in LA. I live in Southern Indiana so I have never really experienced one. There is some fault line in the Mississippi River and about 2 summers ago there was some minor shaking much like it feels like when your washer shakes sometimes while its going, and I thought thats what happened then I realized I didn't have the washer going so I later found out it was a small earthquake but again you could barely feel it and it didn't even seem like an earthquake.

Anyways I have some questions on the subject. If someone from LA or that maybe knows the answers could help out, I would appreciate it.

1. About what magnitude can you actually feel the earthquake? (like 3.0 or 4.0 or whatever)
2. About how many minor ones that you can actually feel occur in LA each month?
3. If there were a major earthquake, what kind of damage would it do to say a house in LA?
4. I am considering moving to LA pending that I could get a job out there, but in your opinion should I choose somewhere else like say Boston or somewhere like that because there are no earthquakes there or should I not be concerned with the earthquakes in making my choice?
5. About how often do earthquakes occur in the LA area that cause some minor or major damage to houses and things?

I have often wondered about what earthquakes are like in LA. I live in Southern Indiana so I have never really experienced one. There is some fault line in the Mississippi River and about 2 summers ago there was some minor shaking much like it feels like when your washer shakes sometimes while its going, and I thought thats what happened then I realized I didn't have the washer going so I later found out it was a small earthquake but again you could barely feel it and it didn't even seem like an earthquake.

Anyways I have some questions on the subject. If someone from LA or that maybe knows the answers could help out, I would appreciate it.

1. About what magnitude can you actually feel the earthquake? (like 3.0 or 4.0 or whatever)
2. About how many minor ones that you can actually feel occur in LA each month?
3. If there were a major earthquake, what kind of damage would it do to say a house in LA?
4. I am considering moving to LA pending that I could get a job out there, but in your opinion should I choose somewhere else like say Boston or somewhere like that because there are no earthquakes there or should I not be concerned with the earthquakes in making my choice?
5. About how often do earthquakes occur in the LA area that cause some minor or major damage to houses and things?

I have been type story about 1994 Northridge Earthquake.

There is link: http://www.skyscrapercity.com/showthread.php?t=162199

Most of us rarely think about earthquakes. The answer to many of your questions depends on how close you are to the epicenter. The closer you are the bigger the jolt. Farther away you feel less of the jolt and more rolling. We probably have very minor earthquakes 2.0 all the time, but they're so far from LA that most people (me included) never even feel them.

Since the Northridge quake and subsequent afterschocks (10 years ago) I've probably only felt 2 or 3. They were probably 3.0-3.5 and were still some distance away. I wasn't even sure that they were quakes until I saw it on the news. They don't happen all the time, but it does seem like it's been a little too quiet for the last decade.

1. About what magnitude can you actually feel the earthquake? (like 3.0 or 4.0 or whatever)

4 i think

2. About how many minor ones that you can actually feel occur in LA each month?

i feel about once a year, sometimes none. the most recent time was in 2002 (I think_ and it you could feel about 11 aftershocks. I felt 7 :)

3. If there were a major earthquake, what kind of damage would it do to say a house in LA?

not much. Houses in LA are built for earthquakes

4. I am considering moving to LA pending that I could get a job out there, but in your opinion should I choose somewhere else like say Boston or somewhere like that because there are no earthquakes there or should I not be concerned with the earthquakes in making my choice?

Trust me, earthquakes should be the last thing you should be affraid of in LA

5. About how often do earthquakes occur in the LA area that cause some minor or major damage to houses and things?

No major one since 1994... they say major ones happnens about once every 20 years or so.. and the ones you can feel might take down some tea set collection

I've been on this Earth 13 years(in LA) and I've never so much as felt the jolt of an earthquake.

Earthquakes in LA? NEVER!

I've been on this Earth 13 years(in LA) and I've never so much as felt the jolt of an earthquake.
You've been on earth for 13 years, where did you live before? Toronto??

I have often wondered about what earthquakes are like in LA. I live in Southern Indiana so I have never really experienced one. There is some fault line in the Mississippi River and about 2 summers ago there was some minor shaking much like it feels like when your washer shakes sometimes while its going, and I thought thats what happened then I realized I didn't have the washer going so I later found out it was a small earthquake but again you could barely feel it and it didn't even seem like an earthquake.

Anyways I have some questions on the subject. If someone from LA or that maybe knows the answers could help out, I would appreciate it.

1. About what magnitude can you actually feel the earthquake? (like 3.0 or 4.0 or whatever)
2. About how many minor ones that you can actually feel occur in LA each month?
3. If there were a major earthquake, what kind of damage would it do to say a house in LA?
4. I am considering moving to LA pending that I could get a job out there, but in your opinion should I choose somewhere else like say Boston or somewhere like that because there are no earthquakes there or should I not be concerned with the earthquakes in making my choice?
5. About how often do earthquakes occur in the LA area that cause some minor or major damage to houses and things?

I'm from San Fran, but I can answer the question as well, since all California is earthquake country and I've lived in LA for some time.
1. My house (and most houses I've lived in) tends to shake every time a bus/trolley bus passes by. That's why it's hard to distinguish between small quakes and other events. When the earthquakes are above a 4, you're more likely are to feel 'em. Also, in & around SF, depending on which plate you live (the North American or the Pacific) you may or may not feel earthquakes on other faults.
2. Even if you feel 'em, you begin ignoring them after a very short period of time.
3. Depends where you are. See the Northridge quake thread. Also note, that many improvements have been made since then. A typical wooden house should not get a lot of damage structurally, unless you live on landfill. Then you can expect all hell to break loose (find some pics of the Nimitz Freeway in Oakland, earthquake of '89).
4. Don't worry about it. It's not something we think of every day as 2Easy pointed out. I would probably consider air polution and climate as my first concerns about LA.
5. Minor - every few years (~4-5), moderate ones (~6-7) - every 50-100 years, major ones (8+) ~150-300 years.

For more specific information about the LA area, see the USGS website (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsUS/Maps/US2/33.35.-119.-117.html)

SF Area (http://earthquake.usgs.gov/recenteqsUS/Maps/US2/37.39.-123.-121.html)

No major one since 1994... they say major ones happnens about once every 20 years or so.. and the ones you can feel might take down some tea set collection
Funny you should mention that.... I recently spoke with one geologist from UC Berkeley, who's been studying quakes around the world, and he said that most indoor damage in a major earthquake occurs in the kitchen.

You've been on earth for 13 years, where did you live before? Toronto??
I lived in....heaven before?

I lived in....heaven before?

Bangkok?

:)

Palal, thanks for all the info it has helped a lot. Also thanks to the others who provided info.

Now on this map of the LA area and recent earthquakes, it says 55 have occured in the last week. Most are around 2.0-3.0 however, so I guess that means you can't even feel those or if you can it just feels like a bus passing or something?

Now on this map of the LA area and recent earthquakes, it says 55 have occured in the last week. Most are around 2.0-3.0 however, so I guess that means you can't even feel those or if you can it just feels like a bus passing or something?

I felt one yesterday (Thursday) at work, it happened around 6:45 am. Before I went to work, the news reported a quake in Fontana (LA suburb), so I figured it was perhaps a aftershock and we just happened to feel it at the Lakewood Mall.
It was kind of strange because we had just started inventory on the china at the dept store. At first I thought someone had bumped the table I was next to.
All of a sudden all the tables and glasses shaking. The strange thing was we never felt the ground move, but yet everything in china ware was rattleling like crazy. Nothing fell down, but it many things were swaying. One of my co-workers ran to get under a desk, but we laugh and joked about it later. She wasn't scared, but more so taking action to get to safety. I didn't move because I knew if I couldn't feel the floor shaking, there was no need to run for cover. Later we asked the others on the 3rd floor with us, if they felt the earthquake. All of them responded, WHAT EARTHQUAKE!

I guess because the clothing racks didn't shake or rattle, they didn't notice the quake. So basically you will rarely notice them, as you see this was the case with the majority of the people I work with. I've also experienced this at another job. About half the department felt an earthquake, but others didn't.

Thats cool...

Say I just happen to be at home in bed or something in the middle of the night for example when like a 7.0 hits.

1) I'm pretty sure it would but I'm just asking... but would it wake me up?

2) Is there any chance I could get injured or even killed just being in bed during a 7.0+? (assuming there is no bookcase or anythin like that next to the bed.

Thats cool...

Say I just happen to be at home in bed or something in the middle of the night for example when like a 7.0 hits.

1) I'm pretty sure it would but I'm just asking... but would it wake me up?

2) Is there any chance I could get injured or even killed just being in bed during a 7.0+? (assuming there is no bookcase or anythin like that next to the bed.

I'm sure most people will wake up during a 7.0, but some have been know to sleep through it. I was one of them back in 1971 during the Sylmar quake. I was a kid and didn't even know what an earthquake was. It really wasn't until 1994 that I actually felt a big quake at 30 years old. I'm a LA native who lived here 35 out of my 40 years.

To answer your question about your chances of survival.
Of course there is a possiblity you could be killed, but overall the percentage are quite low that you need not the worry. In case of something that large, the best thing to do is get under a solid table to protect yourself from anything falling on your head. It probably not too smart staying in your bed during anything thats a 7.0. But also remember this is not Japan, or India, or even Italy. LA has very strict earthquake codes, and we don't suffer the disasters as a lot of cities proned to earth movement.

Thats cool...

Say I just happen to be at home in bed or something in the middle of the night for example when like a 7.0 hits.

1) I'm pretty sure it would but I'm just asking... but would it wake me up?

2) Is there any chance I could get injured or even killed just being in bed during a 7.0+? (assuming there is no bookcase or anythin like that next to the bed.

1. Depends where you are at the time. Most likely, "YES."
2. Not more (usually much less) than getting hit by a car, when walking down the street....wait.... you wouldn't do that in LA... sorry, bad analogy ;).


Palal, thanks for all the info it has helped a lot. Also thanks to the others who provided info.

Now on this map of the LA area and recent earthquakes, it says 55 have occured in the last week. Most are around 2.0-3.0 however, so I guess that means you can't even feel those or if you can it just feels like a bus passing or something?

Most of the time - yes.

Some people have been known to get nauseous during quakes ~5.0+ when they don't even feel the quake, I guess it has to do with some frequency that's emitted that our body picks up... probably the same reason why animals react the way they do the the quakes.... USGS hasn't been able to offer an explanation to this yet.

I never felt nauseous during a quake, so I can't relate personally.

The last to big quakes that hit Cali were both in the Central Valley. During the one last December, I was on a rollercoaster in SoCal and during the most recent one (this fall), I was on a subway train (BART), 135 feet below sea level. I didn't feel either, but like I said, I know people who felt nauseous during that time.

Wow I would get very scared and nervous if I were on a roller coaster at the time a fairly big one hit and I felt it

Thanks again for the info

what are the odds? :)

http://www.data.scec.org/recenteqs/Maps/118-34.gif

On this map you see the biggest yellow square indicating the biggest quake on this map which is probably like a 4.0 or something.

It looks like it is probably 20 miles or so away from downtown LA. Would you be able to feel that earthquake in downtown LA?

I'm sure the size of the earthquake determines this, but if say a 6.0 were to hit somewhere 25 miles outside of downtown LA, would you be able to feel it in downtown LA?

what are the odds? :)

I guess not that great... but it would still be very scary :runaway:

Yeah, you'd feel a 25 mile away 6.0 earthquake. I think the main thing downtown has to worry about it one of the faults below it giving off a 6.7 or greater, which is definitely possible. If the "big one" hits, it will be at least 20 miles away from downtown, which means there will be damage, but it won't be catastrophic. A 7 beneath downtown would most likely be worse than an 8 further away. How bad will it be? The only way to find out is to wait, I guess...

I guess not that great... but it would still be very scary :runaway:
Like I said, I was on a coaster in Orange Co. when the Paso Robles Quake hit last December. Didn't feel anything.

I guess you should be more afriad of rain than earthquakes in LA

I guess you should be more afriad of rain than earthquakes in LA
:hahaha:

Like I said, I was on a coaster in Orange Co. when the Paso Robles Quake hit last December. Didn't feel anything.
Do you think there could be any chance that a coaster fall off the tracks or collapse or something if a huge one like 7.5 or something were to hit?

Do you think there could be any chance that a coaster fall off the tracks or collapse or something if a huge one like 7.5 or something were to hit?

The train will fall with the tracks. However, the tracks are designed, with an acceptable level of vibration in mind.

1. About what magnitude can you actually feel the earthquake? (like 3.0 or 4.0 or whatever)
2. About how many minor ones that you can actually feel occur in LA each month?
3. If there were a major earthquake, what kind of damage would it do to say a house in LA?
4. I am considering moving to LA pending that I could get a job out there, but in your opinion should I choose somewhere else like say Boston or somewhere like that because there are no earthquakes there or should I not be concerned with the earthquakes in making my choice?
5. About how often do earthquakes occur in the LA area that cause some minor or major damage to houses and things?

1. 3.0 and higher. I was in Riverside last week when that 4.4 earthquake hit. No damage or anything. But it was a pretty strong jolt. There was one this morning matter of fact..

2. This past week abd a half, Riverside has been hit with many 3.0ers. There was one this morning matter of fact. I'm going out on a limb in saying that before the year is out, Socal is going to be hit with a major earthquake..possinly a 7.0er.

3. Not a whole lot of damage other than jacked up streets or some broken windows.

4. Everyone in LA is aware of earthquakes. But they go on with their lives. They care but they don't care.

5. The last huge earthquake was in 1999. That was a 7.0 I think. But it was out in the middle Mojave Desert. Other than derailing a train, it didn't do any damage. But the last major earthquake that hit LA was in 2001. I think that was a 5.6. And it broke a apartment window. That was it.