The Missing Quake

By RICHARD MONASTERSKY

Long-awaited California tremor yields a scientific bonanza and rattles theories

Map: Showing the sites of recent earthquakes in CaliforniaBy RICHARD MONASTERSKY

When a magnitude 6 earthquake struck the tiny town of Parkfield, Calif., last week, it was too small to cause much damage. But the vibrations caused a whole lot of shaking among geoscientists. Some shook hands with colleagues, others shook their fists at the sky, and still others shook their heads in amazement. The most