5.2 Earthquake Shakes Up SF Bay Area

Joe Kaz wrote in (along with a number of other concerned folks): "There was a 5.2 Earthquake in Gilroy, CA, 70 miles south of San Francisco. The epicenter was 4.7 miles below surface. It lasted for about 10 seconds, and it did seem like a long time. Everything shook for a while, and it was a little scary. No reports of damage yet. Hope everyone is ok." I've got a report from my sisters father-in-law in gilroy (the epicenter) and he barely noticed it. Nate Oostendorp noted that "My stereo shook a little" in Walnut Creek. The SF Gate story on the quake notes that there are some phones out in some small parts of San Jose. The usgs has an event monitoring page if you are interested.

Comments

Reporting your observations

[zavyman]

If you felt the quake, or if you were in the area and didn't feel it, be sure to record your observations here so that the data can be displayed and analyzed.

It's amazing to see 700 responses be recorded in about 20 some minutes, and more data just helps the cause of the USGS. It was minor up here near the bay, but hey, it was my first :) You can access the current map as well.

report your experiences to the USGS

[molo]

http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/shake/ca/STORE/X4013 33 64/ciim_form.html

Go there if you are in the area of the quake. Report what you felt. Don't make shit up, don't troll the USGS.

I felt some moderate shaking. Biggest quake I've ever been in, but I just moved to Palo Alto from New York. Neat, but scary.

Re:Northridge

[Eric Smith]

A 5.2 *is* enough to cause serious damage to buildings and a good chance of death, if you're in an area with a building code that doesn't require construction that is earthquake-safe.

Fortunately in California the building code does require this, so a 5.2 isn't likely to be a problem unless you happen to be very close or at a point where the P-waves and S-waves reinforce.

Re:5.2 is not so scary

[Kris_J]

Not to mention the geography and geology of the location. Reflections off large underground rock formations and "liquifaction" are a couple of the more serious problems during an earthquake.

Two separate quakes?

[doorbot.com]

I'm in San Francisco and it seemed to me that there was two separate quakes, separated by about 10 seconds.

The first wasn't that bad, a "trembler" (for a native San Franciscan like me I guess this is up to 5 or so :)). Then another one a bit longer but about the same magnitude.

Having experienced the 1989 quake, I was expecting a huge (main) shock after the second one (two in a row isn't good...). Nothing yet, but perhaps later tonight or even tomorrow we might get something more.

The worst part is after a large quake and you're trying to fall sleep, but now you're senses are heightened, and you can feel every little aftershock. And while you're laying in your bed, you're looking up at the ceiling afraid it's going to fall on you the next minute (you've already calculated how much time you'll have to toss back the sheets and dive to safety). All the while, each movement you make makes you tense; you think it's another aftershock.

I'd rather have earthquakes, though, than tornados, blizzards, or hurricanes.

By the way, if you live in Oakland, Berkeley or Alameda, and you're paranoid... the San Andreas fault isn't predicted to let loose for quite a while. But you're sitting right on the Hayward fault and it's expected to slip "soon" meaning the next 10 - 30 years.

Earthquake / disaster / Burning Man kit ready?

[geekotourist]

If you felt it- you know that feeling you had at the 14th second, as you were starting to wonder if this was a big one, thinking about those 32 remaining (or at least ambulatory) survivors of the 60 second long 1906 quake (estimated 8.3), and then it stopped... the Sharks game wasn't even interrupted. But we know that sometime over the next 30 years, it'll start up the same, and then get worse.

So, just as daylight savings time supposedly reminds us to change our smoke detector batteries (because otherwise that annoying 'low battery' beeping always start at 4am), tiny earthquakes remind us about our earthquake kits and preparation. Includes...

• 3+ days of food, water, clothing, tools (ability to turn off the gas if needed) flashlights etc etc.
• especially if you're female: comfortable clothing in your car, with a good change of shoes (vs hiking in high heels)
• knowing where your important papers and backup disks are (some sites advise having copies in a bag you can grab on the way out), and having copies in a safe / safety deposit box.
• cell phone always charged and gas tank always at least 1/2 full

And unless you live in Scottsdale, AZ, don't feel smug about the safety of your own location- St. Louis has had an 8.0, and New York State has seen 6.0's.

Things to do today

[Carp Flounderson]

1 - Get freaked out by earthquake and spill bong water on self.

2 - Buy new pants that don't smell like bong water.

Epicenter vs. Focus

[Guppy06]

I'm probably not the first person to say it, but...

"The epicenter was 4.7 miles below surface."

BUZZ! Wrong! The epicenter is by definition on the surface. The focus is what was 4.7 miles below the surface.

Now then, why is this particular earthquake generating news (just another Californian earthquake), but the one in New York state a few weeks ago didn't?

Earthquake in NY and

[Anonymous Coward]

There was an earthquake of about magnitude 5 in New York. I did a search and came up with this web site http://www.ldeo.columbia.edu/LCSN/. Most interesting are the photos of damage.

I know some people in New Jersey who felt it. As for me, I slept through it. Then again, I'm sort of used to earthquakes since I went to school in the SF Bay Area.

Speaking of earthquake and sporting events- the Loma Prieta (spelling?) quake in 1989 occured DURING the World Series, between the SF Giants and Oakland Athletics no less. That's why media accounts mentioned the SF Giants game and the SJ Sharks game.