San Andreas Fault

14 Stories

Land Is Rising, Falling on San Andreas Fault

GPS data reveals land is 'doing the wave'

(Newser) - Scientists have detected previously unknown movement along the San Andreas Fault, although the discovery doesn't change the two most important facts: There will be a major quake along the California fault at some point, and nobody knows just when it will happen. The analysis of GPS data found that... More »

San Andreas Fault 'Locked, Loaded, Ready to Roll': Scientist

Meaning Southern California is due for a major quake

(Newser) - It's the most well-known US fault, but the San Andreas Fault's southern section hasn't been behind a major earthquake since a 7.9-magnitude temblor in 1857—and that's got Thomas Jordan worried, the Los Angeles Times reports. "The springs on the San Andreas system have... More »

California's 'Big One' Could Be Caused by 2 Faults Combining

A 'grim seismic scenario'

(Newser) - When we think about building-leveling earthquakes in California, it can seem like the San Andreas fault is the only game in town. Heck, The Rock even made a movie about it. But a study published last week in Science Advances finds the San Andreas could have an equally dangerous partner... More »

Feds: Strong Quake Will Hit California in Next 30 Years

USGS warns of 'vast, interconnected fault system'

(Newser) - The latest US Geological Survey forecast for California doesn't contain much that will reassure people worried about earthquakes—unless they find fatalism reassuring. The report says there is not only a 99% chance of a 6.7 magnitude or greater quake like the 1994 Northridge one hitting the state... More »

Another (Different) Reason to Fear an LA Quake

Los Angeles has 3 main aqueducts, and they cross the San Andreas fault

(Newser) - Here's an unfortunate hypothetical: An earthquake strikes along the San Andreas fault, damaging three aqueducts that cross it some 32 times. Those aqueducts supply Los Angeles with all but 12% of its water—meaning a serious quake could ultimately leave 22 million people without water. (There would be about... More »

Fault Could Cause 'Quake From Hell' in LA

Puente Hills bigger threat to LA than San Andreas

(Newser) - The San Andreas fault is famous, but the lesser-known fault that caused Friday night's 5.1 earthquake could be the one that delivers the "Big One" that devastates Los Angeles, experts warn. The Puente Hills fault runs under downtown Los Angeles into Hollywood, near many older buildings, and... More »

3.3 Quake Shakes Los Angeles

Small temblor was centered in Beverly Hills

(Newser) - The US Geological Survey is reporting an earthquake early today in the greater Los Angeles area. The magnitude-3.3 quake was centered in Beverly Hills at 3:26am. There are no immediate reports of damage. A Beverly Hills police watch commander said his station has been getting numerous calls from... More »

300-Quake 'Storm' Rattles California

Trailer homes knocked off foundations, residents rattled

(Newser) - Some 300 earthquakes shook up Southern California in less than nine hours yesterday, and were continuing late into the night. The "quake storm" was centered in rural Imperial County near San Diego. Most temblors were minor, but at least three hit magnitudes above 5.2. Windows were shattered and... More »

Earthquake Prediction: California Is Next

And hit to San Andreas or Cascadia faults could be even 'scarier'

(Newser) - Is what happened in Japan set to repeat itself in California? Author Simon Winchester thinks so. In an article for Newsweek that’s turning some heads , Winchester notes that though scientists aren’t sure why, major earthquakes have a tendency to happen in clusters, with a quake on one side... More »

Earthquake Experts: Looming 'Big One' Is Getting Bigger

Could release twice the energy of last major rupture

(Newser) - Forget “The Big One” and start calling it “The Even Bigger One”: Recent reports suggest that the long-overdue (and “big”) rupture predicted along California’s San Andreas fault could be much worse than previously thought, and significantly stronger than the last major earthquake. Specifically, it could... More »

Southern California Overdue for Big Quake

Landmark study expects one along San Andreas fault

(Newser) - Is the Big One imminent? A major new study lends weight to the "yes" camp, asserting that Southern California is overdue for a massive earthquake, reports the Los Angeles Times . Researchers studied the San Andreas fault and found that it's produced far more major quakes than previously thought—as... More »

Another Quake Rumbles Near San Andreas

Scientists watch to see if tremors jump to San Andreas Fault

(Newser) - A 4.7-magnitude earthquake shook southern California this morning, the latest in a series of small quakes to hit the area. This weekend a series of lower-intensity quakes hit perilously close to the San Andreas fault, making seismologists nervous about the "Big One"—a quake that would devastate... More »

5M to Take Part in LA Quake Drill

Southern California readies for 'the Big One' of earthquake-preparedness events

(Newser) - Geologists are hoping a huge party will shake some earthquake awareness into jaded Angelenos, the Wall Street Journal reports. The Great Southern California ShakeOut—an earthquake drill followed by a huge rally—is scheduled for Thursday morning and 5 million people have signed up so far, putting the event on... More »

New Clues May Help Predict Earthquakes

Team detects seismic waves up to 10 hours before Calif. tremor

(Newser) - Researchers could be closer to predicting earthquakes hours before they happen, with an article in the journal Nature detailing how scientists detected seismic changes in rocks as much as 10 hours before two small California temblors. “Hurricane [warnings] give you an idea of what could be done,” one... More »

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