P90706KTrona is not as obscure as it seems. I would have needed to zoom in a bit more for it to appear on ‘Google Maps’, but it is there, just to the northwest of what seems to be a big crater of some sort in the middle, right where the map is labeled ‘Searles Valley’. You might have seen Trona before, from more flattering, or at least more realistic perspectives, in movies such as ‘Star Trek V’, ‘Planet of the Apes’ (2001), ‘Land of the Lost’ and ‘Holes’.

Earlier this morning, I posted an old brief article from March 21, 2018, Na2CO3•NaHCO3•2H2O. It was about some of what I find to be appealing, or at least compelling about Trona. Please excuse the euphemisms, such as ‘flattering’ for ‘realistic’, and ‘appealing’ for ‘compelling’. I happen to be rather fond of Trona, even though I have never been there before. I find that I appreciate it more as I learn more about the Community there.

Suddenly, Trona is in the news. A moderate earthquake occurred just west of town two days ago on the Fourth of July, and a stronger, although still ‘moderate’ earthquake occurred just yesterday morning. There were a few significant foreshocks, and the countless aftershocks, some of which are quite significant, will continue for a long time. Most of the damage was in Ridgcrest to the west, but only because there is more to damage there.

Earthquakes are nothing new here. We all know that they are more common here than in most other places. At one time or another, many of us here have experienced a moderate earthquake such as these. Of course, that does not make earthquakes any easier when they happen. Cleaning up the mess, repairing damage and recovering from an earthquake is a long process.

17 thoughts on “Trona”

  2. I’ve experienced a couple of California earthquakes: one while in Berkeley and one in Guerneville. Neither was so significant, but they were enough to make the experience real. I’m glad you’re fine, and that damage and injuries weren’t more widespread.

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    1. A lack of small earthquakes is not good. It only means that there will be fewer but stronger earthquakes. The region of Trona is very seismically active, but had typically had many small earthquakes. These more significant earthquakes happened after a long period of minimal activity.

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  4. Wondered if you’d felt them. Sickening jolt/loud bang, pause, shaking… then the uncertainty, waiting for aftershocks, knowing next could be a big one and what that could mean… (‘little ones,’ in NZ). Hope that’s it for now your way.

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    1. It was felt in San Jose, farther away, but I know of no one who felt it here. I might post a video of my colleagues garden in Los Angeles during the larger of the earthquakes. He found it to be amusing.

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  5. We felt both the first quake, as well as the 7.1 aftershock Friday evening. The first was barely a shake here, but the large one made our house bounce for a very long time. It was nothing like the Loma Prieta quake when I was living in Berkeley, but still unnerving.

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      2. Oh, farther?! I do not really know where Las Vegas is. I know it was felt rather strongly in the Los Angeles region, which is not exactly close.

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  6. Reblogged this on Tony Tomeo and commented:

    If I had purchased a cabin near here as I had considered prior to this recycled article, it either could have become worth considerably more than I would have paid for it (because such cabins are now a rare commodity), or it could have been destroyed.

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