This clueless reporting is a pet peeve of mine, but it actually is a real problem. I think I should bring it up somewhere where something can be done: I can bring it up with people I know at Southern California Earthquake Center, or write a letter to EOS Transactions AGU.

I was just watching extended coverage on NBP Today show a bit after 9 AM central time and they had a reporter on San Francisco Bay just inside the Golden Gate. He said that when an earthquake like this happens people in tha Bay area get nervous because they know you can have an earthquake this large or larger. Excuse me: the Japan quake was M8.9 subduction zone quake. The nearest part of the nearest subduction zone is north of Cape Mendocino, 100s of km away. The San Andreas fault is capable of only about a M8 quake. It is NOT POSSIBLE to have a M8.9 quake on the San Andreas fault. It is NOT POSSIBLE to have a M8.9 quake anywhere in California south of Mendocino, unless you are including a meteor impact.

Chris