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+--- Thread: M4.4 thrust quake near creeping San Andreas (/showthread.php?tid=192)
M4.4 thrust quake near creeping San Andreas - Island Chris - 01-20-2015
There was just a M4.4 thrust quake close to the central San Andreas:
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/eventpage/nc72383481#summary
I zoomed into the USGS map to see where Middle Mountain is; the quake is pretty far NW of there, so should be next to the creeping section of the San Andreas. The GPS show a step function of motion across the San Andreas in this area, which is taken to mean that it is creeping at the full rate: there is not significant elastic strain accumulation. Since unexpected quakes like the M8.6 strike-slip quake in the Indian Ocean, there has been some discussion of whether an earthquake could rupture through the creeping setion. If it ever happened, it would have to be a really rare event.
Chris