A MUDPOT CRAWLS ACROSS CALIFORNIA: I don’t think it’s trying to go to Texas.

Scientists do not yet know why the Niland Geyser is creeping across California. They can, however, say with certainty that it is not being driven by surges in seismic activity. Ken Hudnut, a research geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey, tells Andrews that the San Andreas Fault is heavily monitored, and there are no signs that a large earthquake is brewing. Californians, in other words, can rest assured that the Niland Geyser’s crawl is not an indication that the “Big One” quake is imminent.

In spite of the potential damages it may cause, the mud pot has been given a much less ominous nickname: the “Slow One.”

Stay tuned.