Before moving to California, I spent most of my life in Vermont.Which was awesome for a few different reasons: 4 very different seasons, delicious maple syrup, mountains and a distinct and much appreciated scarcity of earthquakes. In fact, I can remember all of two earthquakes in my 22 years there. One was on my friend’s Bar Mitzvah day when I was twelve and the other was on my 21st birthday.

Since moving to Berkeley, earthquakes have rocked my world six times, including a 4.3 magnitude one at 5:33 this morning.

If you’ve never experienced an earthquake, you’re lucky. They’re the result of a sudden release of energy in the earth’s crust. This release (think of it like a sigh) creates seismic waves that travel through the earth and shift the tectonic plates. Earthquakes are measured on their seismic activity, which is the frequency, type and size of earthquakes. Quakes are measured on a magnitude scale, called the Richter scale. Anything over 7.0 on the Richter scale can potentially cause severe damage, such as the 9.0 earthquake in Japan in 2011.

So why are earthquakes more likely to happen in some areas and will almost never happen in others? It’s all about the fault lines, or fractures of the earth within the crust. Northern California has a few different major fault lines, including the Hayward-Rodgers, San Andreas and the Calaveras Fault lines, and the epicenter of the earthquake this morning was a junction of a few of smaller fault lines in El Cerito. Eeeeek!

While earthquakes can’t really be predicted, geologists can evaluate areas for the probability of earthquakes happening. Check out PBS’ Savage Earth for more info on this.

So, if you can’t predict them and you never know when they’re coming, how the heck are you supposed to prepare for earthquakes? If you live in an area that is at a high risk for earthquakes (like Norcal), it’s a good idea to build an earthquake emergency pack with food, water, a flashlight, etc for a quick escape. Also, create an evacuation plan that has an escape route and meeting place. Click here for more tips on how to be earthquake ready. It’s always best to be prepared!

What’s the biggest earthquake you’ve felt?