Major quakes predicted - As massive quakes strike the Ring of Fire, North America remains eerily quiet...

Is a big quake about to strike North America?

Both a psychic and a scientist have predicted the current spate of quakes which have shook Asia, the South Pacific, and South America, and their predictions are on record. The eerie occurrence has many asking if North America is next.

LOS ANGELES, CA (California Network) - There's always someone who predicts an earthquake, or some other disaster, but in this case, both a psychic and a scientist have predicted with some relative accuracy, the series of quakes which began with a 6.9 in Myanmar on April 13. That series has continued with quakes in Japan and Ecuador. The Ecuador quake is the most powerful at 7.8 magnitude and hundreds are dead.

There was also a 6.9 quake near Vanatu in the South Pacific on April 6.

In all, seven major quakes have struck the Pacific in less than 100 hours.

The first predictions came from a psychic in the Netherlands, Frank Hoogerbeets. On April 4 and 12, he predicted that a series of quakes could strike due to a planetary alignment between Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and the Moon.

Sure enough, quakes began the next day in Myanmar. Every couple days after that, another major quake struck somewhere around the Ring of Fire, which pertains to Japan and Ecuador, (although not Myanmar).

However, it is not believed that such predictions are even possible. Planetary alignments do not produce significant gravitational anomalies to move tectonic plates. Only the Moon has enough gravitational influence on Earth, and it merely influences the tides. Again, this is not enough power to cause a tectonic plate to move.

Taken alone, Hoogerbeets' prediction is merely the product of luck; even a broken clock is right twice-a-day.

Of more interest is the prediction by seismologist Roger Bilham, from the University of Colorado. In response to the Myanmar quake, he reported that we could suffer up to four major quakes of 8.0 or more within days. He also predicted that the longer they delay in coming, the worse they could become.

In all, the Pacific has been more active than average since the start of 2016.

So what does this mean to North America, which has hardly seen any seismic activity since the beginning of the year? With the exception of a series of small quakes in California, the Pacific region has been relatively dormant.

However, scientists warn that the San Andreas fault, and the less-well known, but more dangerous Cascadia Fault, are both long overdue for a major, destructive quake. Called "The Big One," Californians in particular have feared this quake since the 1980s, when it was widely predicted as imminent. Such a quake has been the staple of disaster movies for decades.

Californians are fairly quake resistant. Schools and large establishments hold earthquake drills. First responders and national guards practice too. Buildings and bridges have been retrofitted en masse. An early warning system to provide a few seconds of warning before shaking starts, is being perfected and deployed across California. Smartphone apps can now give early warnings to people too.

But despite all of our safety and early warning systems, an effective system of quake prediction still eludes us. Not even psychics or the best seismologists can predict where the next quake will strike. The best any can do is hazard a lucky guess.

North America is overdue for a big quake. Scientists agree that it's only a matter of when, not if. And they are fairly certain it will strike sooner rather than later. For this reason, officials stress preparedness over prediction. In the event of an especially devastating quake, it could be at least two or three days before emergency supplies begin to flow reliably to the affected area. And aftershocks, which could disrupt relief efforts and exacerbate problems will continue to fray nerves for days, even weeks following a big quake.

So is the risk for North America higher now than it was a few weeks ago? Unfortunately, it's impossible to tell. Scientists have no way of measuring this risk and when it will turn into a quake. So, the only possible defense is preparedness.

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