CALEXICO – There’s been a northward migration of earthquakes in the wake of the M7.2 Easter Sunday temblor in Northern Baja.

Another sequence of quakes has been detected near the Imperial County community of Ocotillo. UC Riverside’s Doug Morton is a USGS geologist.

“It wouldn’t surprise me if things continued further up along the San Jacinto Fault Zone.”

While an M5.0 quake on that fault is possible, Professor Morton doubts the temblors could put the more-famous San Andreas Fault into motion.

“I wouldn’t think so the way it’s propagating. I think that’s much less likely,” Morton said.

Professor Morton expects to find an extensive rupture zone near the initial epicenter of Sunday’s quake south of Mexicali.

“It could be comparable to the Landers quake that was many miles.”

Seismologists say the Landers quake of 1992 and Sunday’s Baja quake have several similarities. Both are capable of setting off temblors many miles away. (INT)

Story Date: April 7, 2010