Seismologist Lucy Jones said on Twitter that the temblor occurred in a "complex part" of the San Andreas fault under the San Bernardino Mountains and was not far from the epicenter of a 1986 quake that measured 5.9 magnitude.
Seismologist Lucy Jones said on Twitter that the temblor occurred in a "complex part" of the San Andreas fault under the San Bernardino Mountains and was not far from the epicenter of a 1986 quake that measured 5.9 magnitude.
With a trunk that produces 110-decibel blasts that can be heard for miles, elephants are well-equipped for long-distance communication. But it turns out they may be letting their feet do some of the talking, too.
Using tools designed for detecting earthquakes, researchers found that different elephant activities — walking, running, snorting, grunting — create distinct “seismic signatures” in the ground. In some cases, according to a study published Monday in the journal Current Biology, these vibrations travel farther through the ground than they could through the air, giving the animals a variety of powerful methods for long-distance communication.
“It’s not surprising that walking affects their vibrations, but they’re so big that their snorts and grunts also generate very low-frequency vibrations,” said Beth Mortimer, a biologist at both the Universities of Oxford and Bristol and lead author of the study. “And by monitoring the vibrations through the ground, we could determine what the elephants were doing.”
Earlier studies have shown that elephants may be monitoring ground vibrations through their bodies, a trait more commonly associated with small creatures like scorpions and insects. For example, elephants have been observed fleeing for higher ground in the moments before distant tsunamis, and a mother elephant who feels threatened will stomp on the ground to warn others away. By suggesting that elephants not only cause distinct vibrations with different activities, but can perceive the difference from great distances, the research expands the possibilities of what the animals may be communicating.
The earthquake was felt just before 5am west coast US time. Official reports say the earthquake was at magnitude 4.4 and 57 miles east of Riverside. The are no reports of injuries or damage to buildings at this time. But the relatively strong quake was felt in Seal Beach, Victorville, Redlands, Lancaster and other Southern California area, with residents reporting that the tremor had awoke them.
EXPRESS • GETTY California earthquake: A huge quake hit the west coast of US today
The "Did You Feel It" map for the 4.5 & 3.2 quakes north of Cabazon. So far the USGS is up to 2700+ responses from around the region. pic.twitter.com/ondtVj3zhM — David Biggar (@DavidNBCLA) May 8, 2018
Californians took to Twitter to describe the earthquake. General Organa wrote: “Goooood morning Southern California, what an unpleasant wake up call”. Jeanne Deplorable added: “We just had an earthquake in San Bernardino. I don't know where it originated but it shook the whole house.” The account Aircraft Spots said: “Wow! Very large earthquake just now in Riverside, Southern California. Shook me awake and was very loud and knocked a few things down. Haven't felt one that big in a while”.
GETTY The earthquake struck Cabazon
However, some were worried that this earthquake could be a precursor to the Big One, which will at some point devastate California. Twitter user Mr Kleptonioc wrote: “Earthquake in #California small but I felt that they keep saying we overdue for that big one”. California sits on top of the North American and Pacific tectonic plates and the San Andreas fault runs through it. For decades, residents of the southwestern state and scientists have been concerned a huge earthquake, known as the Big One, is on its way.
GETTY The San Andreas fault runs through California
Richard Aster, Professor of Geophysics at Colorado State University wrote recently for the Conversation: “The earthquake situation in California is actually more dire than people who aren't seismologists like myself may realise. “Although many Californians can recount experiencing an earthquake, most have never personally experienced a strong one. “For major events, with magnitudes of seven or greater, California is actually in an earthquake drought.” The last time there was a magnitude seven quake or higher in California was in 1906 which struck San Francisco and ultimately killed around 3,000 people. But Prof Aster says the damage this time could be much worse.
Most dangerous earthquake hotspots Wed, January 25, 2017 7 Countries where you’re most likely to get struck by an earthquake. Play slideshow Express 1 of 8 7 deadly earthquake hotspots
