California city's curb fix disappoints earthquake scientists

This March 10, 2006, photo provided by Andrew Alden shows an offset of a faulty curb that illustrated the seismic forces at work underneath a San Francisco Bay Area neighborhood in Hayward, Calif. The curb was fixed last month, stunning scientists, who say the curbside laboratory used for studying earthquakes was destroyed. Since at least the 1970s, scientists have painstakingly photographed the curb as the Hayward fault pushed it farther and farther out of alignment. (Andrew Alden/oaklandgeology.wordpress.com via AP) (The Associated Press)

This May 28, 2012, photo provided by Andrew Alden shows an offset of a faulty curb that illustrated the seismic forces at work underneath a San Francisco Bay Area neighborhood in Hayward, Calif. The curb was fixed last month, stunning scientists, who say the curbside laboratory used for studying earthquakes was destroyed. Since at least the 1970s, scientists have painstakingly photographed the curb as the Hayward fault pushed it farther and farther out of alignment. (Andrew Alden/oaklandgeology.wordpress.com via AP) (The Associated Press)

This June 24, 2016, photo provided by Andrew Alden shows a repair to a curb in a San Francisco Bay Area neighborhood in Hayward, Calif. The fix to the curb stunned scientists, who say the curbside laboratory used for studying earthquakes was destroyed. Since at least the 1970s, scientists have painstakingly photographed the curb as the Hayward fault pushed it farther and farther out of alignment. (Andrew Alden/oaklandgeology.wordpress.com via AP) (The Associated Press)

A faulty curb that perfectly illustrated the seismic forces at work underneath a San Francisco Bay Area neighborhood has been fixed, stunning scientists, who say a curbside laboratory for studying earthquakes was destroyed.

The Los Angeles Times reports (http://lat.ms/29og8Yp ) that since at least the 1970s, scientists have painstakingly photographed the curb as the Hayward fault pushed it farther and farther out of alignment.

The newspaper reports it was an ever present reminder that someday, a massive earthquake would strike directly beneath one of the most heavily populated areas in Northern California.

Hayward officials say they didn't know the significance for geologists when they fixed the curb last month.

Assistant City Manager Kelly McAdoo says the curb was replaced to install a wheelchair-accessible ramp at that intersection.

___

Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com/