Nothing like earth’s geology preying upon your fears.
A large earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale rumbled through Veracruz this morning. Shortly thereafter a 7.1 aftershock pressed through the same subduction zone that led to the monster Japan quake on March 11–this quake centered 41 miles off shore of Honshu. A 5.0 quake followed near Indonesia. No damage has been reported in Veracruz or Fakfak, West Papua, and no additional damage has been reported in Japan.
What these quakes amount to is a very active Pacific “Ring of Fire.” These areas of subduction are responsible for the most powerful geological movement that occurs below the surface, and they are responsible for the many volcanoes found in the world regions that enjoy the Pacific Ocean at their shores. They have created some of the most beautiful locations on earth–it just sucks when they start doing a little routine maintenance.
Everyone tends to look toward southern California when they think earthquakes, but the San Andreas Fault is a kitten compared to the subduction zone (Juan de Fuca plate) that is found in the Pacific Northwest. This lies off the coasts of northern California, Oregon and Washington. It once gave birth to the beautiful volcanic mountains within the region. It is the only zone that hasn’t had a major earthquake in the past 50 years. There are certain events that qualify as inevitabilities–I would think that at some point sooner than later Juan de Fuca is going to rumble.
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