Oct 18, 2007 1:51 am US/Pacific
Scientists Anticipate Big Hayward Fault Quake Soon
MENLO PARK (BCN) ―
On the 18th anniversary of the Loma Prieta earthquake that shook the Bay Area in 1989, the U.S. Geological Society Wednesday released a new map that shows the shaking produced by the 1868 Hayward earthquake.
The map's release comes just days before the 139th anniversary of the Hayward quake that was the 12th most deadly earthquake in U.S. history. On Oct. 21, 1868, a 7.0 tremor demolished homes and split the city in two.
Wednesday's map release at the Hayward Area Historical Society Museum was part of an event that included photos of damage from the quake, guided tours of the Hayward fault line and a Quakehold! earthquake simulator.
USGS scientists said the map shows what kind of impact a similar earthquake could have on Bay Area residents.
"The Hayward fault is the single most dangerous in the entire Bay Area because it is ready to pop and because nearly 2 million people live directly on top of it," said Tom Brocher, a USGS seismologist and member of the 1868 Hayward Earthquake Alliance.
According to USGS scientific studies, the average interval between the last five large earthquakes on the Hayward fault has been 140 years.
"Damaging earthquakes have occurred on the Hayward fault almost like clockwork," said USGS geologist Jim Leinkaemper.
East Bay cities on the fault line have been working to reduce the loss of life and property that would follow a large quake, said USGS.
Hayward has replaced its old City Hall that was located directly over the fault line and built a new quake-resistant one off of the fault zone. Oakland recently passed a city ordinance to provide a property tax rebate to homeowners who retrofit their residences.
The USGS's new map can be viewed at
earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/nca/1868/shakemap.
(© CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed. Bay City News contributed to this report.)
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