California fault zones: Northern | Southern

There is an average of 10,000 deaths per year from earthquakes worldwide.
U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) - Earthquake Hazards Program
National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) - Earthquakes per year > mag. 7, Earthquake Facts and Statistics 2000-.
See Graph for Magnitude 5-6.9 quakes below.

In their article, Are Earthquakes Really on the Increase?, the USGS says, " Although it may seem that we are having more earthquakes, earthquakes of magnitude 7.0 or greater have remained fairly constant."
A linear regression best fit line has a slope of -0.06 ie. large earthquakes are decreasing slightly over the last 100 years.
See more at notes below.

Descriptor	Great	Major	Strong	Moderate	Light	Minor	Very Minor
Magnitude	≥ 8	7 - 7.9	6 - 6.9	5 - 5.9	4 - 4.9	3 - 3.9	2 - 2.9
Average Annually	1 1	17 2	134 2	1,319 2	13,000	130,000	1,300,000
1 Based on observations since 1900. 2 Based on onservations since 1990.

Source: U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) - National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) (neic.usgs.gov/neis/bulletin/mag7.html)
See also: Earthquake summary 200-2006

Severity - Magnitude and Intensity:
The severity of an earthquake can be expressed in terms of both intensity and magnitude. However, the two terms are quite different, and they are often confused.

Intensity is based on the observed effects of ground shaking on people, buildings, and natural features. It varies from place to place within the disturbed region depending on the location of the observer with respect to the earthquake epicenter. The Modified Mercalli (MM) Intensity Scale is used for intensity in the U.S. It was developed in 1931 by the American seismologists Harry Wood and Frank Neumann. This scale, composed of 12 increasing levels of intensity that range from imperceptible shaking to catastrophic destruction.
The intensity is affected by how close the movement is to the surface, the rock or soil type, and the water content.

The Richter magnitude scale was developed in 1935 by Charles F. Richter of the California Institute of Technology.
Because of the logarithmic basis of the scale, each whole number increase in magnitude represents a tenfold increase in measured amplitude (ground motion); as an estimate of energy, each whole number step in the magnitude scale corresponds to the release of about 31 times more energy (and destructive power) than the amount associated with the preceding whole number value.

Scientists now favor a different magnitude scale for very large quakes that shows the 1964 Alaska quake as 9.2; It was originally an 8.6.
The new rating is sometimes indicated with the Mw notation. The Mw stands for moment magnitude, and it represents a number integrating more of the waves energy released by an earthquake can produce. For example, the greater size now assigned to the 1964 quake takes into account very long-period waves Rowe calls "whole-earth oscillations," waves that took days to stop reverberating through the planet.

See: Severity and Glossary at usgs.gov
Glossary here

Source: neic.usgs.gov/neis/general/seismicity/world.html
Earthquakes with high casualties and those with magnitude > 7.5 since 1900 worldwide and recent quakes in the US
Bold entries are US Quakes

Date Where	Deaths	Magni- tude
Largest Quakes since 1900
1960 S. Chile	5 K	9.5 *
1964 Prince William Sound - Ancorage, Alaska (tsunami)	131	9.2 *
2004 Indian Ocean. Tsunamis near Indonesia affecting Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, and other SE Asian and NE African countries.	283 K+	9.1
1952 Kamchatka, Russia		9.0
1700 N. California, Oregon, Washington, and S. BC		9~
1906 Off the Coast, Ecuador		8.8
1965 Rat Isl., Alaska		8.7
1950 Assam, India/ Tibet	20-30 K	8.6
1920 Gansu, China	180 K	8.6
1933 Honshu, Japan (tsunami)	3 K	8.4
See Also: Largest by Location below.
Highest Death toll
1201 Near East & Egypt, Syria, Eastern Mediterranean	1 M	NA
1556 Shansi, China	830 K	NA
1662 Anhwei, China	300 K	NA
1850 Sichuan, China	300 K
1737 Calcutta, India later research showed it was a typhoon not an earthquake.	300 K	NA
1976 Tangshan, China	240-800 K	7.5
2004 Indian Ocean. Tsunamis in Sri Lanka, India, Indonesia, and other SE Asian and NE African countries.	228- 283 K	9.1
1138 Aleppo, Syria	230 K	NA
1703 Jeddo, Japan	200 K	NA
856 Damghan, Iran	200 K	NA
1920 Haiyuan, Ningxia, (Gansu), China (Landslide)	180 K	7.8
1693 Catania, Sicily	153 K	NA
1923 Kuato (Great Tokyo Fire), Japan	142 K	7.9
1730 Hokkaido, Japan	137 K	NA
Quakes by year
1201 Near East & Egypt, Syria, Eastern Mediterranean	1 M	NA
1556 Shansi, China	830 K	NA
1600:
1662 Anhwei, China	300 K	NA
1693 Catania, Sicily	153 K	NA
1700:
1700 Pacific NW - Tsunami reaches Japan		NA
1703 Jeddo, Japan	200 K	NA
1730 Hokkaido, Japan	137 K	NA
1730 Qili, China	100 K	NA
1737 Calcutta, India	300 K	NA
1755 Lisbon, Portugal (tsumani)	60-90 K	ext. 8.7
1783 NJ	NA	5.3
1787 Puerto Rico	NA	8.0
1800:
1811 New Madrid, Mo	NA	7.7-8.2
1812 New Madrid, Mo	NA	7.9 +
1838 San Francisco area, Calif.	NA	6.8
1850 Sichuan, China	300 K
1857 Ft. Tejon (near Parkfield), N Calif.	1	7.9
1868 Ka'u District, Island of Hawaii	77	7.9
1868 Hayward Fault, N Calif.	30	6.8
1871 Wilmington, DE & NJ
1872 Owens Valley, Calif.	27	7.4
1883 Java	100 K
1886 Charleston, SC		7.0
1892 Imperial Valley, Calif.		7.8
1899 Yakutat Bay, Alaska		8.2
1899 Near Cape Yakataga, Alaska		8.2
1900:
1900 Kodiak Island, Alaska		7.9
1905 Mongolia,		8.4
1906 San Francisco, N. Calif.	450-3 K	7.7-8.3
1906 Off the Coast, Ecuador		8.8
1906 Valparaiso, Chile	20 K	9.5 *
1908 Messina, Italy	83 K	7.5
1911 Morgan Hill, N. Calif.		6.6
1915 Avezzano, Italy	30 K	7.5
1915 Pleasant Valley, Nev.		7.7
1917 Yunnan, China	1,800	7.5
1920 Haiyuan, Ningxia, (Gansu) China (Landslide)	180 K	7.8
1922 Eureka, Calif.		7.3
1923 Kuato (Great Tokyo Fire), Japan	142 K	8.3
1923 Kamchatka, Russia		8.5
1923 Off Cape Mendocino, N. Calif.		7.2
1923 Near Luhuo, Sichuan, China	3,500	7.3
1925 Yunnan, China	5,800	7.1
1927 Tsinghai (Nan-Shan), China	41 K	7.6
1927 W. of Lompoc, S. Calif.		7.3
1931 Xinjiang, China	10 K	8.0
1932 Gansu, China	70 K	7.6
1932 Mexico		8.1
1933 Sichuan, China	9,300	7.4
1933 Long Beach, S. Calif	120	6.4
1933 Honshu, Japan (tsunami)	3 K	8.4
1934 Bihar-Nepal, India	11 K	8.1
1935 Quetta, India	39 K	7.5
1938 Banda Sea, Indonesia		8.5
1939 Chilan, Chile	28 K	8.3
1939 Erzincan, Turkey	30 K	7.9
:
1940 Imperial Valley, Calif.	9	7.1
1946 Honshu, Japan	2 K	8.4
1946 Dominican Republic	100	8.0
1948 Sichuan, China	800	7.3
1950 Assam, India/Tibet	20-30 K	8.6
1950 Cusco, Peru	1,526	6.0
1952 Kamchatka, Russia		9.0
1952 Kern Co., Calif.	12	7.5
1954 Eureka, Calif.	1	6.5
1954 Dixie Valley, Nev.		7.3
1955 El Reno, Oklahoma		5.5
1956 N. Afghanistan	2 K	7.7
1957 Andreanof Isl., Alaska		9.1
1957 Fort Tejon, S. Calif.		7.9
1958 Lituya Bay, Alaska		8.3
1959 Hebgen Lake, Montana		7.3
:
1960 S. Chile	5 K	9.5 *
1963 Kuril Islands, Russia		8.5
1964 Prince William Sound - Ancorage, Alaska (tsunami)	131	9.2 *
1965 Rat Isl., Alaska		8.7
1966 Hebei, China	1,000	6.9
1966 Hebei, China	1,000	7.0
1969 Guangdong, China	3 K	5.9
1970 N. Peru	67 K	7.7
1970 Yunnan Province, China	10 K	7.5
1971 San Fernando, S. Calif.	65	6.7
1972 - Nicaragua	5 K	6.2
1974 - China	20 K	6.8
1975 - Haicheng, China	2 K	7.0
1976 Tangshan, China	240-800 K	8.2
1976 Guatemela	23 K	7.5
1976 Mindanao, Philippines	8 K	7.8
1976 E. Turkey	4 K	7.9
1976 Tangshan, China	255 K	7.5
1977, 1978, 1979
1977 Indonesia	200	8.0
1977 N.W. Argentina	100	8.2
1977 Bucharest, Romania	2 K	7.5
1978 Sendai, Japan	21	7.5
1978 Tabas, N.E. Iran	25 K	7.7
1979 Indonesia	100	8.1
1979 Columbia, Ecuador	800	7.9
1980, 1981, 1982, 1983, 1984:
1980 SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS		7.9
1980 W. of Eureka, N. Calif.		7.4
1980 Mammoth Lakes, S. Calif.		6.7
1983 Okushiri, Japan tsunami	200	7.8
1983 Coalinga, N. Calif.		6.5
1983 Borah Peak, Idaho		7.3
1984 Morgan Hill, N. Calif.		6.2
1985, 1986, 1987, 1988, 1989
1985 Michoacan near Mexico City	9,500	8.0
1985 Chile	146	7.8
1986 Andreanof Isl., Alaska		8.0
1986 Gulf of Alaska, Alaska		7.9
1988 Armenia, USSR	25 K	6.9
1989 Loma Prieta, S.F. Bay Area, N. Calif.	67	7.1
1990:
N.W. Iran	50 K	7.7
MARIANA ISLANDS		7.5
LUZON, PHILIPPINE	1,621	7.8
SOUTH OF FIJI ISL		7.4
1991
COSTA RICA	47	7.6
1991 NW of Eureka, N. Calif.		7.1
GUATEMALA	25	6.1
1992
Landers-Yucca Vly, S. Calif.	1	7.6
Petrolia, off coast of N. Calif.		7.2
KYRGYZSTAN.	75	7.4
MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES		7.5
NEAR COAST OF NICARAGUA	116	7.2
NORTHERN COLOMBIA	10	7.3
FLORES REGION, INDONESIA	2,200	7.5
1993
HOKKAIDO, JAPAN REGION.	1	7.5
SOUTH OF MARIANA ISLANDS.		7.5
Latur, India	10 K	6.0
1994
Northridge, San Fernando Vly, S. Calif. $25 B in damage.	72	6.7
Offshore, W of Cape Mendocino, N. Calif.		7.1
S. OF JAWA, INDONESIA	250	7.8
Off E. Coast of Honshu, JAPAN	2	7.7
Bolivia		8.2
1995 (7.0 or greater listed from here)
Where	Deaths	Magni- tude
Kobe, Japan	5,400	7.2
E. Coast of N. Isl. NZ		7.0
TONGA ISLANDS.		7.4
SAMAR, PHILIPPINES		7.1
PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.		7.0
Loyalty Isl. Rgn., New Caledonia		7.3
SAKHALIN ISLAND.		7.1
KERMADEC ISLANDS, NZ		7.2
NEAR COAST OF N. CHILE.	3	7.5
SOLOMON ISLANDS.		7.4
MARIANA ISLANDS.		7.0
Offshore, W of Cape Mendocino, N. Calif.		6.8
NEAR COAST OF GUERRERO, MEXICO	3	7.5
NEAR COAST OF JALISCO, MEXICO	38	7.6
CHIAPAS, MEXICO.		7.3
EGYPT.	8	7.0
KURIL ISLANDS.		7.8
BANDA SEA.		7.1
1996
MINAHASSA PENINSULA, SULAWESI	8	7.6
KURIL ISLANDS		7.0
IRIAN JAYA REGION, INDONESIA	108	8.1
SOLOMON ISLANDS	1	7.5
ANDREANOF ISLANDS, ALEUTIAN IS		7.6
SAMAR, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS		7.0
NEAR COAST OF PERU.	14	7.3
1996 Total Deaths 419
1997
PAKISTAN	57	7.3
SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS.		7.7
NORTHERN IRAN	1,567	7.3
XIZANG		7.9
NEAR EAST COAST OF KAMCHATKA		7.6
1997 Total Deaths 2,900
1998
N. Afghanistan and Tajikistan	2,323	5.9
BALLENY ISLANDS REGION		8.0
SOUTHEAST OF TAIWAN		7.3
NEAR N COAST OF NEW GUINEA	2,183	7.1
NEAR COAST OF ECUADOR	3	7.1
CERAM SEA, Indonesia	34	8.1
1998 Total Deaths 8,928
1999
Izmit, Turkey	17 K	7.4
Taichang, Taiwan	2,295	7.5
Hector Mine, S. Calif.		7.4
Oaxaca, Mexico	18	7.5
Vanuatu Islands		7.5
Mojave desert, S. Calif.		7.1
Bolu-Duzce Turkey	894	7.5
SANTA CRUZ ISLANDS		7.3
NEW BRITAIN REGION, P.N.G.		7.0
VANUATU ISLANDS.	5	7.2
LUZON, PHILIPPINE ISLANDS.	5	7.1
Western Colombia	1,171	6
2000:
Southern Sumatera, Indonesia,		8.0
South Indian Ocean,		7.8
Volcano Islands, Japan,		7.6
Minahassa Peninsula, Sulawesi		7.6
New Ireland Region, P.N.G.	2	8.0
New Ireland Region, P.N.G.		7.8
VANUATU ISLANDS REGION		7.1
SULAWESI, INDONESIA	46	7.5
SAKHALIN ISLAND, RUSSIA		7.1
Yountville (Napa Valley), Calif.		5.2
2000 Total Deaths 225
2001
El Salvador	844	7.7
Bhuj, Gujarat, India	20 K	7.7
Mindanao, Philippines,		7.5
Near Coast of Peru	138	8.4
Near Coast of Peru		7.6
Qinghai-Xinjiang Border, China		7.8
VANUATU ISLANDS		7.1
KODIAK ISLAND REGION, Alaska		7.0
SOUTHERN SUMATERA, INDONESIA		7.4
NORTHERN MOLUCCA SEA		7.1
TURKMENISTAN	11	7.5
2001 Total Deaths 21,358
2002
VANUATU ISLANDS		7.2
Turkey	318	6.5
Mindanao, Philippines	173	7.5
Hindu Kush, Afghanistan	100	7.4
N. Afghanistan	1,000	5.9
MINDANAO, PHILIPPINES	15	7.5
Priamurye-Northeastern China border region		7.3
MARIANA ISLANDS		7.1
FIJI ISLANDS REGION		7.6
NEAR NORTH COAST OF NEW GUINEA		7.6
IRIAN JAYA REGION, INDONESIA		7.6
Central Alaska		7.9
2003
SOLOMON ISLANDS		7.3
OFFSHORE COLIMA, MEXICO	29	7.6
ALEUTIAN ISLANDS, Alaska		7.0
Turkey	100	6.4
Algeria	2-3 K	6.8
Southern Xinjiang, China	261	6.3
Japan (Honshu)		7.0
Indonesia		7.0
AMAZONAS, BRAZIL		7.1
SCOTIA SEA		7.5
CARLSBERG RIDGE, Arabian Sea		7.6
SOUTH ISLAND OF NEW ZEALAND		7.2
Hokkaido, Japan		8.3
San Simeon, Calif.	2	6.5
Bam, Iran	41 K	6.5
2004:
PAPUA, INDONESIA	37	7.0
North of Macquarie Island		8.1
N. Iran	35	6.3
STRAIT OF GIBRALTAR/ Morocco	628	6.4
Queen Charlotte Isl. (NW British Columbia)		6.9
Fiji Region		7.1
S. SUMATRA, INDONESIA		7.3
S. coast of Honshu Japan		7.2
Parkfield, Calif.		6.0
Indian Ocean. A tsunami from an earthquake near Indonesia which spread over more than 10 countries in SE Asia and NE Africa. Sri Lanka, India, and Indonesia were worst hit.	228- 283 K	9.0
2005:
Iran	612	6.4
Northern Sumatra, Indonesia	1,000	8.7
Off the coast of N. Calif. (Crescent City)		7.2
Tarapaca, Chile	11	7.8
Pakistan, India - 3 Million homeless	86 K+	7.6
2006:
Yogyakarta, Java, Indonesia	5 K+	6.3
Tonga		8.0
Big Island of Hawaii	0	6.6
Kuril Islands (NE of Japan)	0	8.3
SW. Taiwan	3	7.1
2007:
East Of The Kuril Islands		8.1
Molucca Sea.		7.5
Vanuatu Islands.		7.1
Solomon Islands.	52	8.1
Vanuatu.		7.2
Java, Indonesia.		7.5
Near The Coast Of Central Peru.	514	8.0
Santa Cruz Islands.		7.2
Southern Sumatra, Indonesia.	25	8.4
Kepulauan Mentawai Region, Indonesia.		7.9
Kepulauan Mentawai Region, Indonesia.		7.0
Volcano Islands, Japan Region.		7.4
Auckland Islands, New Zealand Region.		7.4
Pagan Region, Northern Mariana Islands.		7.2
Antofagasta, Chile.	2	7.7
Molucca Sea.	3	7.5
Martinique Region, Windward Islands.	1	7.4
South Of The Fiji Islands.		7.8
Andreanof Islands, Aleutian Is., Alaska.		7.1
2008:
SIMEULUE, INDONESIA	3	7.5
Wells, NV		6.0
Salem, IL		5.2
SW Sichuan province, China	65 K- 88 K	7.8
recent earthquakes at the USGS

Abbreviations: P.N.G. - Papua New Guinea, NZ - New Zeland

Source: Historic Worldwide Earthquakes at earthquake.usgs.gov

* Scientists now favor a different magnitude scale for very large quakes that shows the 1964 Alaska quake as 9.2; It was originally an 8.6 and the 1960 Chile quake as 9.5, originally 8.3

Largest Earthquakes since 1900 (Magnitudes have been estimated for earthquakes as early as 1810, but reliable data has only been available from the early 1900's.
See: 15 Largest earthquakes since 1900 at earthquake.usgs.gov

Chile	9.5	(1960)	9.0	8.7	8.5	8.3	8.2	8.2	8.2
Alaska	9.2	(1964)	8.7	8.6	8.2	8.1	8.0
Indonesia	9.1	(2004)	8.6	8.5	8.5	7.9
Russia *	9.0	(1952)	8.5	8.5	8.3	8.3
Japan	8.4	(1933)	8.3	8.1	8.1	8.0
China	8.6	(1950)	8.5	8.0	8.0
Peru	8.4	(2001)	8.2	8.2	8.1	8.1	8.0
Mongolia	8.4	(1905)	8.1
Bolivia	8.2	(1994)
Mexico	8.1	(1932)	8.0
India	8.1	(1934)
Dominican Republic	8.0	(1946)
Papua New Guinea	8.0	(2000)	8.0

* Kamchatka Peninsula and Kuril Islands North of Japan

Are Earthquakes Increasing?

There are several web pages which claim there is an increase in the number of earthquakes. Both secular and religious seers regard earthquakes to be a sign that civilization faces an impending cataclysm. E.g. In an article, "Signs of the End of the Age", at prophecyandcurrentevents.com/, they give stats from J. R. Church and Gary Stearman, editors of the magazine Prophecy in the News, which claimed that the number of Richter magnitude 6.0 and greater earthquakes worldwide has been increasing from nine in the 1950s to over 100 in the 90's. Stearman cites as his source the October 11, 1995 issue of the newspaper Philadelphia Inquirer.

The computer-searchable archives of the Philadelphia Inquirer reveal no article. When Stearman's readers confronted him with much more earthquake data than in the Philadelphia Inquirer, he was compelled to revise significantly these numbers. However, Stearman still insists that earthquakes are increasing. (See The Institute for Creation Research article "Earthquakes and Endtimes" at www.icr.org)

The graph at the top of the page shows a 30 year cycle for "major" (magnitude 7.0 to 7.9) and "great" (magnitude 8.0 and higher) earthquakes, but the long term trend is flat. The number of strong (magnitude 6.0-6.9) quakes recorded increased over the 20th centuury, but many events smaller than magnitude 6.5 were not reported or properly measured for the early part of the century.

Source: (USGS) - Earthquake Facts and Statistics.
A linear regression best fit line has a slope of -3.6 ie. Magnitude 5-6 earthquakes are decreasing slightly over the last 35 years.

Source: (USGS) - Earthquake Facts and Statistics.

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) issued a press release in 1999 stating:

A partial explanation for the impression of increased earthquakes may be that in the last twenty years, we have definitely had an increase in the number of earthquakes the USGS has been able to locate each year. This is because of the tremendous increase in the number of seismograph stations in the world and the many improvements in global communications."
...
Also, the effect that earthquakes have when they strike is generally more pronounced. Although we have gained much knowledge in building safer structures, when earthquakes occur today, losses (both human and property) are greater in many areas of the world. This is not because the earthquakes are stronger; it is simply because the Earth's population is increasing and more property (much of it not built to withstand earthquakes) exists that can be destroyed in an earthquake.

See: Earthquakes and the End Times - Confronting an Urban Legend at The Institute for Creation Research (www.icr.org/).

Earthquake Prediction:
In Earthquake Prediction, (2004) at U. Wash., Ruth Ludwin says:
"There is great interest in predicting the location and time of large earthquakes. Although a great deal is known about where earthquakes are likely, there is currently no reliable way to predict the days or months when an event will occur in any specific location."

Links:
Links to earthquake prediction sites at earthwaves.org.

A psychics have predicted large quakes in California in 2000, June 25, 2007 and other dates.

USA Earthquakes

California Earthquakes

On the basis of research conducted since the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake in Northern California The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and other scientists conclude that there is a 62% probability of at least one magnitude 6.7 or greater quake, capable of causing widespread damage, striking the San Francisco Bay region before 2032. See: 2003 Earthquake Probability Study by the USGS

S. Calif. Earthquake Index
Map of Calif. quakes this week
Notable California Earthquakes
Bay Area map 1769-1997
Bay Area Earthquake Probability
25 Largest Earthquakes in the US

See: recent earthquakes | Significant Earthquakes by year.
Twentieth Century Earthquakes - Confronting an Urban Legend at The Institute for Creation Research icr.org

See Also:

California faults and earthquakes: Northern California, Southern California USGS Earthquakes Hazards Program (Scientific Data) Yahooligans

The 25 Largest Earthquake Disasters World map of last 30 day's Tsunami links www.icr.org/pubs/imp/imp-295.htm notdeceived.net/more_earthquakes.shtml Significant Earthquakes Center for Earthquake Research and Information