Over the years, seismic movement has led to myths that have become well-rooted in popular culture. Here are some of the myths:
- Strong earthquakes always occur early in the morning. People who believe this myth tend to pay attention to earthquakes that occur in the morning and forget about those that take place at other times of day. The reality is that earthquakes have the same probability of occurring at any time of day, month or year.
- The climate is dry and warm . . . prepare for a quake. In the fourth century, Aristotle suggested that earthquakes were caused by winds trapped in subterranean caverns and that severe earthquakes occurred when the wind escaped. In fact, there is no relationship between the weather and earthquakes. Earthquakes are the product of geological processes in the earth’s crust and can occur in any weather and at any time of year.
- The earth can open up during an earthquake. In movies, with special effects, earthquakes often open immense cracks in the earth into which cars, large animals and buildings can fall. But the reality is different. The ground moves across a fault during an earthquake, not away from it. If the fault could open, there would be no friction. Without friction, there would be no earthquake.
- California will break off and fall into the sea. This will not happen. The San Andres Fault runs nearly the entire length of California from the Salton Sea in the south to Cape Mendocino in the north. It is where two tectonic plates converge, with one side very slowly slipping south, and the other, north. For this reason, California will not fall into the sea, but Los Angeles and San Francisco may one day be next to each other.
- You can predict a quake by observing animal behavior. Changes in animal behavior cannot be used to predict an earthquake. Animal behavior varies for many reasons, and although there are documented cases of strange animal behavior prior to quakes, a scientific relationship cannot be established.
- You are safest during a quake under a door jam. Years ago, when homes were made of adobe, the door jams were often seen standing after the house collapsed. In those days, that was the safest place to be in a quake. However today, with the improvements in building construction, there are other places that provide the best refuge. Experts say the safest place to go in an earthquake is under a solid desk or table.
A message from the University of California Cooperative Extension and the California Office of Emergency Services.
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