Odd's of another Earthquake

In the days following the recent magnitude 7.1 earthquake in California, the U.S. Geological Survey put out the following statement:

Quote: U.S.G.S.

"...the chance of an earthquake of magnitude 7 or greater from the July 5 earthquake is 1 in 300..."

Just what does this mean?

"If the conditions that caused the 7.1 were replicated 300 times, they would be followed by a magnitude 7 or greater quake once."

or

"Of all the past events where a 7.1 earthquakes were recorded, one out of 300 was followed by a magnitude 7 or greater quake."

Apparently, there is a model that they are working from, but just how do they develop the odds? By not giving a timeframe, are they hedging? Maybe the event could happen 100 years from now?

Quote: Ayecarumba

In the days following the recent magnitude 7.1 earthquake in California, the U.S. Geological Survey put out the following statement:

Quote: U.S.G.S.

"...the chance of an earthquake of magnitude 7 or greater from the July 5 earthquake is 1 in 300..."

Just what does this mean?

"If the conditions that caused the 7.1 were replicated 300 times, they would be followed by a magnitude 7 or greater quake once."

or

"Of all the past events where a 7.1 earthquakes were recorded, one out of 300 was followed by a magnitude 7 or greater quake."

Apparently, there is a model that they are working from, but just how do they develop the odds? By not giving a timeframe, are they hedging? Maybe the event could happen 100 years from now?

Need context on your quote to a time frame like you said. Of course another 7+ will happen...eventually. We can only bet on lessor ones in a shorter timeframe.

There must have been some time and geographic constraints on that quote. Since earthquakes can to some degree become overdue, I think discussing the odds of them is complicated.

Here's some more info from the USGS website FAQ:

Quote: USGS FAQ

Are earthquake probabilities or forecasts the same as prediction?
No. Probabilities and forecasts are rather like climate probabilities and weather forecasts, while predictions are more like statements of when, where, and how large, which is not yet possible for earthquakes.

Probabilities describe the long-term chances that an earthquake of a certain magnitude will happen during a time window. Most earthquake probabilities are determined from the average rate of historical events. Assuming the annual rate is constant, one can make a probability statement about the likelihood of such an event in the next so-many years. These probabilities might range from 1-in-30 to 1-in-300.

For some faults, historical occurrences are not available, but rate of slip along the fault can be estimated. Assuming a particular magnitude, one can estimate the number of years it would take to accumulate the required amount of slip. This estimate can be used to give an annual rate and used in the same manner as historical rates. These probabilities might range from 1-in-300 to 1–in-3000.

Forecasts are like probabilities but for shorter time windows, and we generally apply this term to aftershocks. After a large earthquake, there are aftershocks that are typically less frequent and smaller over time. Most aftershock sequences follow the same pattern, so the probability of an aftershock in a time window following an earthquake can be determined. These probabilities might be larger than 1-in-30.

So the article I quoted in the OP left out the important "time window" detail. Based on this FAQ it appears that they are using past performance to predict future events.

Quote: ayecarumba

Based on this FAQ it appears that they are using past performance to predict future events.

At some level, that’s always how the future is predicted.

Check out the Gutenberg-Richter law.

If I understand it correctly, it would state that if a 4.6 earthquake occurs, on average, once per period in that region, then the probability of a 7.1+ quake during the same period would be about 1 in 316.

316 being 10^(7.1 - 4.6) and assuming a “b” value of 1. In which case 316 is the same as the magnitude ratio.

Quote: Ace2

Check out the Gutenberg-Richter law.

If I understand it correctly, it would state that if a 4.6 earthquake occurs, on average, once per period in that region, then the probability of a 7.1+ quake during the same period would be about 1 in 316.

316 being 10^(7.1 - 4.6) and assuming a “b” value of 1. In which case 316 is the same as the magnitude ratio.

That's quite interesting. It would suggest if you multiply the power of an earthquake by its probability, for given interval of time, you get a constant.

However, since they are due to moving plates, I assume that short-term probability will depend on recent history to some degree.

I had a friend in high school who wanted to study earthquakes. At that time, there were very few programs available and he ended up getting some science degree and going to work for Bell Labs.