Anonymous wrote:
Anonymous wrote:We are thinking of moving to Palos Verdes area. Does the seismologist know the risk there? Long time East Coasters so not very familiar with earthquakes.
Seismologist here. Any area in SoCal that is higher than surrounding regions most likely is underlain by thrust faults. Something is causing the ground to pop up, and that something is tectonic stresses, which is the source force for earthquakes.
With that said, earthquakes are relatively rare and, with proper construction and proper preparation, you should be ok. Personally, I do not let earthquake hazard define where I live. (Easy to say when I live in Northern VA).