Ridgecrest aftershock prognosis: They won´t stop for years, and another strong one is possible
(WorldNews Environment)

A 4.9-magnitude earthquake in the Ridgecrest area early Friday drove home what seismologists have been telling Southern Californians for the past week: In the wake of two strong quakes July 4 and 5, that area is likely to keep shaking for years. And while the chance of another damaging aftershock is small, it will be elevated as long as that increased shaking continues. `Each earthquake is like a roll of the dice,` said Nicholas van der Elst, a seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey who´s an expert on aftershocks. `Each has the same probability of being large.` A 6.4-magnitude earthquake July 4 and a 7.1-magnitude quake July 5 centered in the desert near Ridgecrest - but felt across...