The notice was posted on the wall outside offices of the U.S. Geological Survey on Dec. 30, 1976. Issued by six USGS scientists, it predicted that an earthquake measuring 3.5 on the Richter scale would occur within a 15 kilometer (9.3 mile) radius of a ranch near Hollister, Calif., during January 1977. On Jan. 6, a quake measuring 3.2 shook the ground about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) from Hollister. This successful, unpublicized prediction shows that scientists are moving closer to their goal of reliable earthquake forecasts (TIME cover, Sept. 1, 1975). But predicting...
To continue reading:
or
Log-In
