San Ramon, California breaks unbelievable earthquake record

408 earthquakes shook San Ramon so far this year

Twelve small quakes have hit San Ramon, California within eight hours on Tuesday. Most were 2.0 and under and may set a record for the most earthquakes in the same area. The record sits at Alamo, which saw 351 earthquakes within a 42-day time in 1990.

LOS ANGELES, CA (Catholic Online) - Over the last two weeks, over 408 small quakes have shaken San Ramon, California. The U.S. Geological Survey reports that the Northern California Seismic Network detected the earthquakes, many of which appeared on the Richter scale between 2.0 and 3.0 magnitudes.

Senior U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) research geologist David Schwartz said the activity is not unusual, adding that San Ramon Valley is at the "center of earthquake swarm activity" in the Bay Area. 

The USGS explained that most of the earthquakes are 5 miles underground and are too small to be felt, though on October 19 one of the largest reported quakes was at 3.6 magnitude.

The USGS reported that San Ramon, Danville and Alamo sit on the Calaveras fault, which has not ruptured with a large earthquake since the 1860s, and the chances of a 6.7-magnitude or larger quake in the area falls at only eight percent. 

When asked why swarms occur, Shwartz said, "We just don't understand the structural geology of the swarms, why they turn on and shut off quickly. We just don't understand."

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