New Research Hones Earthquake Model for Los Angeles Basin; Scientists Identify Five Southern California Faults With Underestimated Seismic Hazard.

(From AScribe)

EL CERRITO, Calif. -- Using computer models compiled by the Southern California Earthquake Center, a pair of University of Massachusetts researchers have made a significant leap in understanding the tectonic puzzle of the Los Angeles Basin.

The new research, published in the latest issue of the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America, the premier scientific journal dedicated to earthquake research, also shows that the seismic hazard along five Southern California faults may be underestimated.

The study, "How Sensitive Are Fault-Slip Rates in the Los Angeles Basin to Tectonic Boundary Conditions?" makes significant progress in the extensive and ongoing effort to model the earthquake dynamics of the L.A. Basin. An accurate model will allow better assessment of Southern California's earthquake hazard and better, more cost-effective risk-reduction solutions.

"Knowing the tectonic setting helps us focus our efforts …