Did Japan’s quake and recent string of tremors on the Central Coast raise concern of the next ‘Big One’

CENTRAL COAST, Calif. (KION) Early Wednesday, a strong 7.3 magnitude earthquake shook north Japan, the same area that was devastated by a 9.0 magnitude quake 11-years prior. Recently, the Central Coast has also experienced some smaller earthquakes with a 4.1 and a 3.3 rattling the area earlier this week. 

Even with minor, periodic earthquakes occurring, "You still see this behavior where the largest magnitude earthquakes are always the least common, the most infrequent earthquakes."

Minson says, a factor of ten difference in frequency of earthquakes as a function of magnitude. In simpler terms, for every magnitude 8.0 earthquake there are 10 magnitude 7.0s, 100 magnitude 6.0s, 1000 magnitude 5.0s, and 10,000 magnitude 4.0s. 

"So when you see a magnitude 4 earthquake, right you expect to see about 10000 of those before you see a magnitude 8. And that happens everywhere at all times,” continued Minson.  

The only thing that changes is earthquake rates. Minson adds, certain parts of the world have higher or lower rates, and even the same location can have periods of higher and lower seismicity. Still, earthquakes are unpredictable. 

"I think the best way to think about earthquakes, is like a set of dominoes right? There’s a place in the fault and it moves. If we could see the fault if we could go down miles and miles underground and see what each part of the fault is made out of and how stressed it is and how close is to fail. We could just tell you exactly what's going to happen. The reason that we can’t, is not because earthquakes are mysterious or they'll due or not due, it's just that we just can't see the state of stress in the fault," Minson.

And that unpredictability is why it's always best to stay prepared.  

"Keeping those shoes next to your bed and maybe a flashlight and keeping your phone charged can be the difference between communicating with your family, finding evacuation routes, not stepping on glass or injuring yourself," Lubna Mohammad, Community Resilience Coordinator Monterey County Office of Emergency Services.

Another pointer, take pictures of your IDs and insurance information and save it as a backup, or send it to a trusted family member who can have it handy for you in the event of an emergency.

The earthquake in Japan, on Wednesday, killed 2-people, injured nearly a hundred more, and triggered a tsunami advisory that was eventually canceled.