True on average but it can happen. The strongest earthquake in mainland US history happend in New Madrid, Missouri far from the west coast.

That's why I said anywhere could have an earthquake. I remember one happening just a few years ago in the Midwest somewhere. It's more rare in these areas, thus, "Earthquakes don't happen here" and "Erica brought on Mutha Naytchuh to Utah."

Mission Accomplished!

An earthquake in Nevada? Wow that must've been LOUD! All that loose change moving around....

My armchair observation: Don't the big ones tend to occur on faults previously unknown or faults thought to be dormant? I don't remember any significant earthquakes on the San Andreas, which is popularly thought to be the one to worry about.

Again, this is WAS* on my part.













*WAS = Wild Ass Speculation

Generally speaking, if a fault doesn't make regular little movements (resulting in smaller quakes) then the pressure just builds up in an eventual large movement (aka "a big one").

(Are we talking about plate tectonics or bowels?)

Also, areas with frequent earthquakes have building codes appropriate for such events. If California gets hit by a 5.0 there's very little damage. Same quake in a region that sees a 5.0 once every 3000 years will do much more significant damage. So "the big ones" are a matter of relativity.

I'm no expert so this could be all WAS on my part too.

Wikipedia has a pretty god article on earthquakes.

Charleston SC has also had a major quake!

Don't you guys watch TV?? A 10.0 quake will bring down the Seattle Space needle, swallow trains and collapse everything in Vegas! And then there will be a tusanmi so CA won't even have a chance to become an island!

I have always maintained that when the big one DOES hit here in California, that everything EAST of the San Andreas fault will fall into the ATLANTIC Ocean. Then we will finally have a respite from those whiny Bitter East Coasters.

And the resulting tsunami will wipe your new island clean of all life.

So I'll see you in Hell!