A California seismologist said the two earthquakes near the city of Ridgecrest, Calif., over the past two days could be followed by an even larger quake.
Lucy Jones, a 33-year veteran with the U.S. Geological Survey who is known as “Earthquake Lady,” noted that the possibility of an earthquake larger than Friday’s earthquake, which was estimated to be a 7.1 -magnitude tremor, was not the likeliest scenario but still very possible. She said in a tweet, “Yes, we estimate that there’s about a 1 in 10 chance that Searles Valley will see another M7. That is a 9 in 10 chance that tonight’s M7.1 was the largest.”
The Los Angeles Times reported the exact estimate was 11% for the next week.
Yes, we estimate that there’s about a 1 in 10 chance that Searles Valley will see another M7. That is a 9 in 10 chance that tonight’s M7.1 was the largest.
— Dr. Lucy Jones (@DrLucyJones) July 6, 2019
Early in the day on Thursday, the Fourth of July, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake hit Southern California, making it the largest earthquake to hit the area in roughly 20 years. That was followed by a stronger 7.1-magnitude quake late Friday evening. Experts said the second earthquake was about eight times larger than the first, which is now considered to be a “foreshock.” The earthquake on Friday near Ridgecrest, which is about 150 miles north of Los Angeles, could be felt throughout Southern California including Los Angeles and San Diego, and as far away as Sacramento, Las Vegas, and Mexico.
Jones said although the possibility of a larger earthquake in the coming days is a possibility for the area, she was not familiar with a historical sequence of California quakes that would predict such a pattern. She did however say that more earthquakes that are a 5 or 6 magnitude on the Richter magnitude scale were almost certain to transpire in the near future. A 7-magnitude earthquake is considered a “major” earthquake.
Aftershocks from Friday’s earthquake are expected for several days.
