Subscribe now

California's still shaking all over

10 March 1990

SHAKE, rattle and roll: earthquakes are a way of life in California.
The small ones, like the mini-quake that happened last week, seldom do much
damage, but they can easily disrupt otherwise stable slopes. These boulders,
which are the size of a small car, have tumbled from a road cutting on the
slopes of Mount Baldy in southern California. A more insidious danger is
liquefaction of soils, making ground which was once stable become treacherously
fluid.

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop