> 11/1/99 -- 9:28 AM
>
> Researchers say fault more powerful than
> previously believed
> -------------------------
>
> IRVINE,Calif. (AP) - A recently discovered fault
> that runs along the Orange County coast is capable
> of producing a bigger earthquake than originally
> suspected.
>
> The 24-mile blind thrust fault appears to be
> similar to the fault system that triggered the
> magnitude-6.7 Northridge earthquake of 1994 that
> killed 72 people and caused an estimated $40
> billion damage.
>
> The Orange County fault, which runs from
> Huntington Beach to Dana Point, was discovered in
> March. At the time, researchers estimated it could
> generate a magnitude-7.0 quake every 2,500 years.
>
> They now believe it could cause a magnitude-7.3
> earthquake, according to a study published in
> November's Geology magazine.
>
> Seismologists who have reviewed the team's
> findings say the fault appears to be much less
> active than others in the area.
>
> Blind thrust faults produce quakes when one side
> pushes upward but does not break the surface.
> Others, like the San Andreas fault, are
> strike-slip systems that generate quakes when one
> side moves horizontally against the other.
>
> Copyright 1999 Associated Press. All rights
> reserved. This material may not be published,
> broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
>