Earthquakes Tell a Story

Okay, so, one of the biggest reasons I don't like Los Angeles actually has little to do with the insane drivers, the plastic people, or any of that. No, what most freaks me out about living in Southern California is earthquakes. I know it's kind of weak but I guess I just have a fear of being swallowed up in the ground by the splitting of the earth. I mean, if we know so much about plate-tectonics and fault lines and seismology then why the heck are areas where this is an issue even populated?

Steve Martin wrote it and Victoria Tennant said it in LA Story; "It's a place where they've taken a desert and turned it into their dreams;"that's the real deal with Southern California. It should be a wasteland; it should still be a desert; unfortunately humans have taken it and run it up into something else entirely. But the earthquakes which plague this region of the nation tell a story; each one tells a story.

Just a few days ago there was a 4.4 magnitude earthquake which occurred nearby San Diego. What I saw on the news about this quake though was rather alarming. The hypocenter of this earthquake was thought to be more than 10 miles below the surface of the earth, which seems to be pretty deep. But what if this earthquake was centered closer to the earth's surface? What then? Because logic would dictate that the closer this earthquake was to the earth's surface, the greater it would be felt.

There was a magnitude 4.4 earthquake in Los Angeles on Tuesday, March 16^th which occurred at 4 in the morning. apparently the tremors from this quake were felt from San Diego county all the way up to Ventura County with it being centered in Los Angeles. To give people some kind of an idea of what we're talking about; Ventura County is north of Los Angeles, San Diego is south of Los Angeles. They are all in something of a straight shot along the coast line from one another in an arc formation; but even as the crow flies we're talking about more than 200 miles separating these two locations.

I was in Los Angeles when this happened; I was even awake and functioning at 4 in the morning (I was at work) - and I didn't feel anything. Maybe people who are brought up here have more of their heads around it but I've been here for three years and earthquakes still freak me out.

With all the bedlam caused by earthquakes and all the unnatural living conditions for a place like Los Angeles, you would figure there would be more opposition to sticking around. We've sure done a fine job dressing this place up; but if there's no water to speak of and if earthquakes are always shaking the tree; shouldn't human beings get the picture and just not be here?

Source:

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-quake17-2010mar17,0,3247936.story