California Experiences Series of Earthquakes(Source thetrumpet.com) A series of more than 1,000 earthquakes, ranging between magnitude 0.7 and 3.2, have rocked Southern California in the weeks since May 25. Some fear that these small earthquakes could be leading to “the Big One.” When such seismic events occur within short intervals and remain too small to bring about significant damage, they are known as earthquake swarms. Experts consider the sustained nature of these recent earthquake swarms to be unusual. California Institute of Technology seismologist Egill Hauksson told the Los Angeles Times, “People ought to be concerned. This is probably the most prolific swarm in that area of the Fontana seismic zone that we’ve seen in the past three decades.” So far, the hundreds of tremors have caused minimal damage. But it is possible that they are “foreshocks,” which signal the impending arrival of a much larger, more destructive earthquake.

Few geologists believe that these recent swarms are precursors to a calamitous earthquake. However, U.S. Geological Survey research geophysicist Andrea Llenos does believe that we “should still be prepared for a large earthquake. We do know a big earthquake is going to happen.” What nobody knows is where or when it will take place.