Answer:
because California is located on the San Andreas Fault
Step-by-step explanation:
California is one of the states that have higher seismic activity because it lies on an individual fault known as the San Andreas Fault. Faults are regions where two tectonic plates are moving with respect to one another, thereby they are prone to suffer earthquakes. The San Andreas Fault is a continental fault that extends approximately 800 miles (1,200 kilometers) through the US state. Conversely, earthquakes in North Dakota are uncommon because this state is located in the middle of a tectonic plate. The last earthquake in North Dakota had a magnitude of 3.3 (Richter Scale) and it happened almost 10 years ago (2012), in Williston.