Shooting a Pair of Documentaries: On Earthquake Forecasting and on the Eastern California Rifting Zone

Top geoscience researchers and geologists looking on at a time lapse image I helped put together for NASA. It is of a rock breaking under great pressure, and the changes it makes while doing so.

Taking a break with one of the cameras we're using while shooting our documentaries on earthquakes and rifting zones.

Shooting out in the Yuha desert, just outside of the town of Ocotillo, CA. Right after the 7.2 Mexicali earthquake on April 4, 2010, this little town had thousands of small to medium sized earthquakes within a 3 by 3 mile area, many of these quakes about 6 miles down. My theory has been that perhaps the 7.2 quake south of Ocotillo disturbed some sort of body of magma. Indeed there is basalt and pumice dotting the desert floor in the area. This is where I learned of a research team that is setting up meters and probes in hopes of measuring EM emissions from rocks just before a fault ruptures, thus just before an earthquake. On this day, my filming to took an entirely new direction, and I branched off into two documentaries!

Hello! I'm finally back from a summer break.

Over the past year and a half, I have been following top geoscientists around, as they attempt to monitor the emissions of rocks that are under great pressure. Their attempt to develop technology that will perhaps someday forecast earthquakes is one topic of one of my documentaries. The other documentary is about the active rifting zone in the eastern part of California, and it's volcanism.

So far, I have about 12 hours of footage, and a lot of adventure to remember later in my old age. Indeed it has been an adventure at times. I have been traveling across a lot of desert, winding through arid badlands, visiting hissing gaseous volcanos, running into rattlesnakes and experiencing small earthquakes - and sometimes the occasional strong one.

It's been a challenge, for I am not a cash liquid millionaire or highly funded filmmaker at this time. As we all hear, money is a little tight these days - to say the least!

But I am doing it! I carry a camera with me at all times, and shoot when there's an opportunity to document something interesting, exciting or informative about earthquakes.

Riding through a strong 7.2 earthquake, back in April 4, 2010, really prompted me to shoot these films. I have dozens of people I want to thank for all their help. Shooting these documentaries is going to take time - But it's a good use of time.

That big 7.2 quake in Mexicali was not my first big one, and probably not my last. I hope to inform people as much as I can about them, and what one may do in the case of one.

So keep watching my progress as I start putting some of my filmmaking ventures into this blog. Plus I will continue to inform you about local geologic events and earth movements, and comment on those intensifying large events abroad.

Cheers-

Carolina