It’s time to celebrate our Hayward Fault legacy, which delivered the Big Quake some 140 years ago.  That Hayward shaker’s considered one of the three majors, along with the 1906 and 1989 quakes.

We began the commemoration with a light jolt.  Last Friday afternoon, a magnitude 3.1 earthquake shook Montclair.  This quake is worth mentioning because the epicenter was near Mountain Avenue – right under our feet.

You just have to be philosophical, while living on the fault-line.  The last big quake occurred on October 21st, 1868 and the U.S. Geological Survey scientists “describe this fault as a tectonic time bomb.”

The U.S. Geological Survey says we’re due right now, while the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory declares a 27 percent chance of delivering a 6.4+ quake in the next 30 years.

To honor the past destructive forces, there are all kind of earthquake commemorations and activities:

• Lawrence Hall of Science – Ride the earthquake simulator in the museum’s outside park.  Also attend their family-friendly show about Quakes & Shakes – Sundays, Oct 12th and 19th, at 12:30pm and 2:00pm – U.C. Berkeley Campus (map)

• U.S. Geological Survey – Visit the USGS to see a special photo exhibit of the Hayward Fault damage back in 1868, and how these spots look today – Monday-Friday, 8:00am – 5:00pm – USGS Building 3, Menlo Park (map)

• The Great Quake Lecture – Listen to Timothy Swenson, local author and historian, discuss the 1868 earthquake – Tuesday, Oct 14th, at 7:00pm – Fremont Main Library (map)

• Mission San Jose Commemoration – Attend the official 140th anniversary, which will be held at the exact quake time – Tuesday, October 21st, at 7:55am – 8:30am – Mission San Jose (map)

More info:   Oaklander Andrew Alden shares more about Montclair itself.  There are also interesting virtual sites covering the Fault, including the USGS Field Tour, Cal Berkeley Tour, and Cal State Hayward Tour.