The strongest earthquake to hit southern California in 20 years was eclipsed by an even stronger earthquake just 34 hours later. Ridgecrest, which had a 6.4 magnitude earthquake at 10:33 a.m. Thursday, July 4, was the scene of a 7.1 magnitude at 8:19 p.m. Friday. Residents throughout the Morongo Basin felt the rolling, which some said lasted for a full minute.
Some Morongo Basin residents showed videos on social media of items that had been knocked off shelves in local businesses in Yucca Valley.
Seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones said the earlier 6.4 earthquake is now classified as a foreshock, since it was not as strong as a later earthquake. The earthquake was initially graded as a 7.1 magnitude, then downgraded to 6.9, than upgraded again to 7.1. Jones continually referred to Friday’s earthquake as a 7.1, and not 6.9. She said the fault line and length of Friday’s earthquake was about 15 to 25 miles long, and that Friday’s quake was on the same fault line as Thursday’s 6.4. And she added that there is no reason to think that there won’t be more earthquakes. A 7.1 magnitude earthquake is likely to have aftershocks that continue for years.
She said, in a bit of an understatement, that Ridgecrest is most likely having a bit of a hard time now. Friday’s 7.1 earthquake was, she explained, about 10 times stronger than Thursday’s 6.4 temblor.
https://www.z1077fm.com/wp-content/uploads/2019/07/20190705_202116-1.mp4
