Ok, I ran the same test on 2000-2007, mag 6.0 to 6.5 main shocks.

Results show the same pattern ands there are a LOT of such quakes (959) so the totals are very large.

I guess the only definitive answer would be to look at the seismograms the way the authors did but I really don't think quakes in that range would be that big a problem to the global network.

Roger