Latest news with #PaulCaruso
Yahoo
30-06-2025
- Science
- Yahoo
Why Redding has earthquakes: Here's what happens in Shasta Cascade region
Earthquakes that shake the ground under Redding are a sign of something bigger happening deep below the far Northern California region, geologists say. The culprit is also responsible for much of what makes the North State a beautiful place to live: It's volcanoes. Redding residents occasionally feel reverberations from strong quakes off the Humboldt County coast, like the strong (7.0) temblor that rocked towns south of Eureka to the Bay Area on Dec. 5, 2024. But small temblors that jiggle Redding — earthquakes that may feel different from ones on the coast, come from deep in the Earth's crust below the city, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Here's what's happening, scientists say, and what makes Redding's earthquakes different than temblors on California's North Coast. Note to readers: If you appreciate the work we do here at the Redding Record Searchlight, please consider subscribing yourself or giving the gift of a subscription to someone you know. Temblors under Redding strong enough for people to feel don't happen often, but they're normal, said Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the USGS Earthquake Center. That's because tectonic plates stacked to the west of Shasta County are moving in opposite directions. 'The Gorda Plate is being pushed under California and Oregon,' under the North America plate on which Redding and the North State sit, Caruso said. As the Gorda Plate moves through the Earth's crust, it melts against the mantle. That's why we have Mt. Shasta, Lassen Peak and other volcanoes further inland, Caruso said. That melting makes those areas unstable, and volcanoes form. Shasta County residents often describe local earthquakes as small but loud. Some say Redding quakes imitate the sound of a small explosion. They may also describe a feeling of free falling or jerking during a Redding quake, while people in Eureka may experience longer earthquakes that feel like the ground is rolling. 'It depends which side of the fault you're on,' Caruso said. Jolting quakes, like those described in Redding, 'are more related to thrust events,' like when one plate pushes another up or down. More: Small earthquake shakes Redding Friday morning. Epicenter east of Whiskeytown No, but we know they're coming, Caruso said. Shasta and Siskiyou counties are part of the Shasta Cascade region, classified by the USGS as a moderate earthquake hazard area. That means there aren't frequent earthquakes strong enough for people to feel them, but the area does get shaken occasionally. The North State is always on the move. The Gorda Plate is moving east, and the North American plate is carrying Redding, Yreka, Mount Shasta and everything west of the Sierra Nevada farther west, according to geologists. More: Why Humboldt's coast gets major earthquakes. Could they happen in Shasta Cascade region? Scientists can study earthquake likelihood by recording the history of earthquakes in a location, mapping fault lines and measuring ground temperatures and shifts; but they don't know when the next earthquake will happen. 'We know we're going to have more earthquakes (in Redding), but they're not predictable,' Caruso said. Humboldt County has a lot of earthquakes because three tectonic plates come together near the Eel River, about 20 miles southwest of Eureka, according to Randy Reed, earth science professor at Shasta College in Redding. Earthquakes like the strong December 2024 quake happen along the Mendocino Fracture Zone, a horizontal line that juts west into the Pacific Ocean, according to NOAA, and the beginning of the San Andreas Fault. Most earthquake activity happens at the Mendocino Triple Junction near the coast, the point where the Gorda, North American and the Pacific plates come together, Reed said. That's the reason the coast gets stronger earthquakes. 'The bigger the earthquake, the longer the shake,' Caruso said. Jessica Skropanic is a features reporter for the Record Searchlight/USA Today Network. She covers science, arts, social issues and news stories. Follow her on Twitter @RS_JSkropanic and on Facebook. Join Jessica in the Get Out! Nor Cal recreation Facebook group. To support and sustain this work, please subscribe today. Thank you. This article originally appeared on Redding Record Searchlight: Earthquakes in Redding: What causes them in Shasta Cascade region?
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Did you feel that? Earthquake rocks Asheville and Western North Carolina
ASHEVILLE – If you felt a rumbling start to your Saturday morning, it might have been a hungry tummy, but more likely it was an earthquake that rocked Western North Carolina. According to the U.S. Geological Survey, there was a 4.1 magnitude earthquake at 8:04 a.m. May 10. USGS maps show that the earthquake's origin was Greenback, Tennessee, which is about 30 miles south of Knoxville, Tennessee. Asheville is about 144 miles east of Greenback. Paul Caruso, a geophysicist with the USGS in Golden, Colorado, said folks in Asheville 'absolutely' felt the earthquake. 'So far (about 10:30 a.m.) we have reports of 23,000 people who have felt it in the region,' he told the Citizen Times May 10. The shaking was felt as far east as Charlotte and as far north as Washington, D.C., and as far south as Atlanta, Georgia, according to the maps. Caruso said the earthquake in the Asheville was between a III mmi and IV mmi. The Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale measures how much 'shaking' is felt in an area. He said the range in Roman numerals is I to X (1 to 10), with I being barely perceptible, and X meaning total devastation. 'A III-IV mmi is moderate shaking, your chandeliers may move back and forth, but we wouldn't expect any damage,' Caruso said. Caruso said 'there is a probability that there will be aftershocks.' The USGS website shows there is a 5% probability for aftershocks. These are usually less intense than the original aftershock. Since 2000 there have been four earthquakes within a 75-mile radius of Asheville larger than 3.5 magnitude, Caruso said. In the past 25 years there have been 169 earthquakes larger than 2.5 magnitude within a 75-mile radius of Asheville. More: Tropical Storm Helene damaged more than 12K homes in Buncombe County, FEMA data shows More: In wake of Helene, county eyes raising property taxes to fund operations during recovery This story will be updated. Karen Chávez is the Citizen Times Executive Editor. Tips, comments, questions? Email her at KChavez@ This article originally appeared on Asheville Citizen Times: Asheville and Western North Carolina shaken by earthquake May 10
