Video: Minor tremors from San Andreas Fault closely monitored by UC Berkeley

The increase in the frequency of low intensity tremors, originating from the San Andreas Fault, about 10 hours after the magnitude 6 Napa earthquake last August, and an observed increase in two other locations, frequently struck by earthquakes, has set the ground for a comprehensive search for tremors across the state. Watch the video with UC Berkeley seismologist Peggy Hellweg describing how "Tremorscope" a new technology may explain a possible connection between tremors and earthquakes. 

An increase in the tremor frequency before earthquakes has been long suggested by scientific studies. Tremors originate beneath active faulting zones and are reportedly associated with slipping rocks deep in the earth. To further establish a connection between tremors and earthquake occurrence, UC Berkeley research team will use TremorScope, a new technology able to measure the specific tremors more accurately than ever before. 

The TremorScope installed in Parkfield, Central California, a location where increased number of tremors was observed, consists of four seismic stations, placed in four drilled boreholes, about 900ft underground. Using sensitive to high-frequency ground movement geophones and broadband seismometers, TremorScope will be able to record low-frequency rumblings and will function supplementary to the four existing surface stations. The $1.2 million project is funded from the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. UC Berkeley seismologist Robert Nadeau says "It's a big job, but we hope to develop a near-real-time tremor monitoring capability in the TremorScope area and elsewhere". With regards to the depth of the seismometer installation, Nadeau stated: "The deeper borehole seismometers will be able to give us a range of frequencies at higher resolution to figure out what is going on underground".

Watch Research Seismologist Peggy Hellweg explaining the TremorScope function in the video provided under Media below!