California Earthquake 2011: Foreshadowing of a Turkey Repeat?
A minor 4.8 magnitude earthquake hit Northern California’s east bay Wednesday night at 11:37 p.m. PST.
The earthquake struck nine miles from Whitehawk, 35 miles from Reno and 90 miles from Sacramento. No injuries were reported, although many reported feeling the quake on the U.S. Geological Survey website.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the earthquake was shallow at 8.3 miles deep.
This shallow earthquake contrasts the devastating 7.2 quake that hit the eastern part of Turkey Oct. 23. The earthquake has killed 534 and 2,300 injured, and thousands remain homeless as the winter cold set in.
Whitehawk’s small population of 113 compares drastically to the population of 75,000 in Ercis, Turkey, which was hit hardest by Sunday’s quake.
Early Thursday, a 3.6 earthquake shook the east bay city of Berkeley.
Similarly, a 4.0 magnitude earthquake hit nearby San Francisco Oct. 20, which also had no reported deaths.
Earthquakes prove common in California due to the San Andreas Fault Line, which slowly works its way towards the coast as it move south to north.
“[California] prides itself on being on the leading edge of earthquake science,” wrote Reuters.
According to a study conducted by the United States Geological Survey in 2008, a monstrous earthquake will inevitably strike California, most likely within the next 30 years.
“The question is not if but when Southern California will be hit by a major earthquake -- one so damaging that it will permanently change lives and livelihoods in the region," read the survey.
