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I just have to add my 2 cents to this earthquake discussion. After living for a few years in the Bay Area of California (Oakland/Berkeley) back in the mid-70's, I decided to leave California and move to Socorro (lived there for a year to become a resident, then started going to NM Tech for, of course, Geology), where I felt my first ever earthquake, this was back in 1978 thereabouts. I didn't know what was happening, all I know I felt the ground shake, heard a trememdous grumble from all around, it lasted for just a few seconds, but that experience is still with me. Of course, that was nothing compared to what I felt in 1989, after I'd moved back to California, and was smack dab in the middle of the Loma Prieta quake that devastated San Francisco and parts of Oakland. I check the USGS recent earthquakes almost daily, just checking in to see where and how big the latest quakes are.
Coming from Georgia the biggest natural threat we have are tornado's and occasional flooding.
My wife is happy to be leaving the greater threat of a tornado. She asked "what is there in N.M? Tornado's?" I told her the climate for NM isn't condusive for a huge threat of tornado's, but I suspect there may be quakes. Is there any truth to my assumption?
Albuquerque gets a tornado (usually weak) every 10 years or so. Most New Mexico tornadoes are in the eastern counties. The tornado frequency increases pretty steadily as one heads east toward the Texas border. Earthquakes have done damage on occasion, especially in the region south of Albuquerque, near Socorro. In the 20 years we've been here, we've only felt one minor quake (about 15 years ago). But, a geologist I know seems to think ABQ is due. So...I actually have earthquake insurance on my house. I don't really expect a quake, but that's just the kind of neurotic person I am, and if I canceled the insurance, it would cause a quake...and everyone would blame me.
There is an 'active' faultline in the Rio Grande Valley (it is a rift valley) but as mrgoodwx said they tend to be mild. I recall seeing a map of quakes in the Middle Rio Grande Valley. Most of the activity was around Socorro and the Richter scale measurements on the big ones were around 4.x.
I experienced a 4. earthquake once. In New York City. I wouldn't worry about it.
We recently attended an Albuquerque-area geology lecture at the Museum
and there are dozens of small fault lines all through the area. As was pointed
out above, Albuquerque sits in a rift valley about the same size as the famous
East African Rift although that wasn't really recognized until fairly recently.
I was here for an earthquake in 71 and it didn't do much real damage.
There are several threads on this forum about earthquakes; here's one that
covers the subject pretty well..
[SIZE=1]The quake was centered about 20 miles northwest of Carlsbad.[/SIZE]
CARLSBAD, N.M. (AP) - A relatively small earthquake struck about 19 miles northwest of Carlsbad in southern New Mexico on Saturday.
The U.S. Geological Survey (http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1487894.shtml?cat=500# - broken link) reports the 4.3-magnitude earthquake occurred just after 6 p.m. in a "very remote location."
Dale Grant, a USGS geophysicist, says a number of people (http://www.kob.com/article/stories/S1487894.shtml?cat=500# - broken link) in the area reported feeling the quake for about five to six seconds. There were no reports of injuries or damages.
Grant says 10 earthquakes of similar strength have hit the area in the last five years and that Saturday's quake was "not extraordinary by any stretch."
(Copyright 2010 by The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved.)
I posted on the 23rd in the Colorado forum on this. Thanks for starting the thread Greg!
The earthquake was 25 miles northwest of Raton near the Colorado town of Segundo. Segundo does have lots of homes with cracked walls and chimneys but thankfully no injuries were reported. There is a sizable story in todays Raton Range, the town paper on this. It was reported to be 5.3 on the scale. Apparently no property damage in Raton but a lot of frayed nerves, I'm sure. Trinidad does have reports similar damage to homes and businesses, again thankfully no injuries to report. According to the story there were several small quakes (2.1 to 3.0) before the 5.3 one hit. This area has had sizable earthquakes before, I believe the last one was 2005. And of course it was felt in a sizable stretch in Colorado and south of Raton. And there also were rockslides on the roads (Interstate 25 at Raton pass) and Colorado 12 which goes through Segundo, but the road crews got those areas cleaned up.
The only one I can think of on City Data who lives in Raton is Hopeful Transplant. The last time she logged on was August 4th. Hopefully someone who lives there can weigh in here. I know BrianH lives in Clayton, 80 miles east of Raton on U.S. hwy. 87. Brian, whatcha got on this?
Last edited by DOUBLE H; 08-26-2011 at 09:44 PM..
Reason: addition, spelling
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