An earthquake struck California on Thursday along what experts call ‘America’s most dangerous’ fault line.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) detected a 3.1 magnitude quake at 9:30am PT (12:30pm ET) along the Hayward Fault, which runs through the East Bay.
More than 1,700 residents have reported feeling the shaking to the USGS, and that number continues to climb.
Trembling was reported in Berkeley, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Oakland, Concord and Hayward.
The Hayward Fault is considered the most dangerous in the US because it runs beneath densely populated areas and is capable of producing a major, long-overdue earthquake.
While the fault experiences ‘creeping’ ground movement, it has not ruptured significantly since 1868.
Studies suggest that large earthquakes along this fault occur roughly every 140 years, meaning it is very much overdue.
An analysis from the University of California, Berkeley determined the fault has a 33 percent chance of rupturing in a 6.7 magnitude earthquake or greater before 2043, and the Bay Area has a 72 percent chance of at least a magnitude 6.7 earthquake.
An earthquake struck California on Thursday along what experts call ‘America’s most dangerous’ fault line
The quake’s epicenter appeared to be near the UC Berkeley campus, according to the USGS
UC Berkeley’s Seismology Lab determined that the earthquake had a depth of about 5.8 miles.
Locals reported feeling quick jolts from the seismic activity, but no injuries or damage have been reported as of yet.
The earthquake also struck just one hour before the Great California Shake Out’s annual earthquake drill, which saw millions of Californians participate.
The drill simulated a major earthquake, such as a hypothetical 7.8-magnitude event on the San Andreas fault, to raise awareness and improve readiness for the inevitable next big quake.
Participants practiced the ‘Drop, Cover, and Hold On’ procedure by getting under a sturdy table or desk, covering their head and neck, and holding on until the shaking stopped.
The Hayward is one of three major fault zones of the San Andreas system that have produced large historic earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Scientists warned that the stress keeps building up on the fault line.
Trembling was reported in Berkeley, San Francisco, Santa Rosa, Oakland (pictured, Concord and Hayward
Dr Bob Uhrhammer, a retired UC Berkeley research seismologist, told ABC News 7: ‘It’s been accumulating all along because we can see the motion across the fault of a few millimeters to a centimeter or two a year.
‘So is there a lot of stress building up on the Hayward Fault? Yes, and the question is, when will it be released? The problem is that all the small ones combined don’t relieve enough stress to mitigate the chances of a larger quake occurring.’
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