[KathyKeegan]

(05-12-2015, 11:10 AM)Island Chris Wrote: The Summary is informative:

http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/e...al_summary

The focal mechanism is for a nearly flat fault. I think the previous one was pretty flat. This is the plate boundary between India and Eurasia. See the cross sections I posted a couple of weeks ago. I'm really interested in flat faults that have major or great quakes in a continental collision. That is because there is a local collision into what has been called the "Big Bend" of the San Andreas fault, causing mountains like the San Gabriels, Santa Ynez, San Rafael. There is no shortage of flat faults in southern California from pre-19 million year (Ma) subduction and then 19 Ma-5 Ma (younger in south) extension. Quite a bit of this is not in California hazard models. On the other hand, the geology is not very similar to Nepal.

Just to tie it in, is there any watch on possible volcanic activity on the Mid India Ridge?

At the time of the M7.8 Nepal, there was some concern that the fault had not ruptured nearly as far south as the outcropping fault. Today's quake is to the east of the previous one, not the south.

Chris