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Mdork_universe t1_jdg0l0t wrote

Unlikely. Considering the enormous masses of the Pacific plate and the North American plate, the mass of the water on California is relatively tiny. Simplistically, earthquakes are the release of one plate being crushed into another. I know, the San Andreas is a transform boundary. I lived next to it most of my life in Southern California. It slides about as smoothly as a couple of pieces of coarse sandpaper rubbing together! They’re relatively easy in comparison! Remember Newton’s formula F=ma, where mass is both plates, acceleration is the distance roughly of a fingernail. F is is going to be some insanely huge number—small wonder earthquakes are so bad!

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