Dr. Frank Vernon, research geophysicist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego (UCSD), will head a team and project that will install seismic monitoring stations at a number of locations on the Hill to measure San Jacinto Fault activity. Two of the stations will be in Idyllwild. The others will be at Rouse Ridge Road in Anza, and Blackburn Canyon. Vernon is the current director of the U.S. Array Network Facility for the National Science Foundation\u2019s EarthScope program, which deploys thousands of seismic, GPS, and other geophysical instruments to study the structure and evolution of the North American continent and the processes that trigger earthquakes.<\/p>\n
The purpose of the Hill installations, said Vernon, is to better understand earthquake activity on this section of the San Jacinto Fault Network (SJFN). The SJFN is considered by seismologists to be one of the most active fault networks in Southern California, with regular quakes in the 2 to 3 magnitude range with larger quakes, in the 7 magnitude range, happening every 100 to 200 years. It is not a continuous fault but a series of faults that follow a north-south axis. \u201cThere has not been a rupture between two sections, from the top of Bautista Canyon down to Borrego Mountain, in over 200 years,\u201d said Vernon. \u201cThe last major [mountain] quake was in 1800, in Anza.\u201d Vernon said the Hill seismic project is designed to fill information gaps for activity in the immediate Anza-Idyllwild area. \u201cThis will give us better measurements in this area and show precise patterns of activity,\u201d he said. Vernon noted that given the 200 years since the large Anza quake, and that major quakes in the 7 magnitude range occur roughly every 200 years on the mountain, this area is due.<\/p>\n
When asked the perennial question of whether these stations would help predict the next major quake, Vernon demurred. \u201cWe\u2019re not able to predict at this in time,\u201d he said. When asked if the Idyllwild area would get less shaking than off-Hill areas because we\u2019re on bedrock granite, he offered a different opinion than some seismologists the Town Crier has talked to in the past. \u201cYou\u2019re only six miles from the San Jacinto fault section that\u2019s nearest you,\u201d he said. \u201cThat\u2019s a lot closer than to Palm Springs. You can definitely get strong shaking where you are.\u201d <\/p>\n
Vernon pointed out a strong earthquake near Idyllwild would carry the strongest energy upward toward ridgelines. \u201cThe energy travels upward,\u201d he noted.<\/p>\n
Vernon is still waiting for Forest Service approval before beginning installation of the monitoring units. \u201cWe\u2019ve been trying to do this experiment for many years,\u201d he noted. \u201cOnce we have the go ahead, I\u2019ll get the team organized and move forward with the installations. Some of the installations will go in in short order.\u201d<\/p>\n
Vernon advocated preparedness, making homes and businesses in this area earthquake safe. \u201cIt [a large quake on the SJFN] may not happen in your lifetime,\u201d he said. \u201cBut it is due.\u201d<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Dr. Frank Vernon, research geophysicist at Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego (UCSD), will head a team and project that will install seismic monitoring stations at a number of locations on the Hill to measure San Jacinto Fault activity. Two of the stations will be in Idyllwild. The others will be […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"ngg_post_thumbnail":0,"amp_status":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[23],"tags":[],"yoast_head":"\n