Cerro Prieto
© www.flickr.comCerro Prieto Volcano, Baja, CA
Another magnitude 4.2 earthquake has occurred off the coast of Oregon.

In the past 7 days, up to 2am CDT April 11, 2015, there have been a series of noteworthy earthquakes along the Southern, and Western portions of the North American Craton.

A series of earthquakes began off the coast of Oregon at the fresh undersea lava fields, moving South to the undersea lava fields (and actual volcano) off the coast of Northern California, moving further South to Pisgah Volcano + Red Mountain, then even further South to Cerro Prieto Volcano in Baja California/Mexico border region.

These volcanic locations are VERY old, and have been dormant for eons. To see earthquake activity at these locations means pressure is building in the region for a larger release of energy.

Information on this current 4.2M in Oregon from the USGS

Here is the 4.2M event off the coast of Oregon from April 11 2015

4.7M off the coast of California near the Gorda ridge volcanic fields

4.3M + 4.0M back to back events at Cerro Prieto volcano in Baja

N.American Craton
© commons.wikimedia.orgNorth American Craton - a landmass boundary affected by West Coast earthquake events.
The onset of this earthquake activity at the "weak points" (such as Volcanic chambers / lava tubes + fracking operations drilled shafts) means that there is MORE pressure building, and transferring.

We need to be on watch in the areas adjacent to the excessive movement, and the area directly in the middle of the movement which should show compensation movement in response to all the other areas surrounding it showing activity.

Thus we need to watch Mono Lake going South to Los Angeles, and each state along the edge of the craton.

This makes multiple 4.0M+ earthquakes in 7 days time all along the West coast with very little follow up movement along the edge of the plate.

In the above craton diagram, where the brown meets the purple, along this boundary we normally see earthquakes develop AFTER we see West coast movement. The West coast pressure transfers along the edge of the solid stable portion of the plate, and causes earthquakes at the weak points along the edge.

Weak points such as the Idaho / Yellowstone magma chamber, and the fracking operations in Colorado, New Mexico, Texas, Oklahoma, Kansas. These areas always show heavy movement after just ONE 4.0M - 5.0M earthquake off the West coast.

The past 7 days we have seen FIVE greater than 4.0 magnitude earthquakes. This means we need to be on watch in the areas prone for movement, but which have not yet moved.

Areas along the East coast must show some compensation movement as well, as seen in the graphic of the craton, North + South Carolina, Virginia, West Virginia, Pennsylvania, New York, Connecticut, Delaware, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, Vermont, Maine, New Brunswick, and Southeast Quebec are NOT immune to this compensation movement which should occur soon.

Seeing a flurry of 4.0M+ earthquakes off the West coast, and even more occurring in the midwest, means the West coast will move again soon, most likely in a single larger event (as opposed to a swarm of smaller seismic releases).

Finally, more movement in the 4.0M range in the states along the edge of the craton as the plate is being moved.