The ‘Earthquake Gate’ Stopping a San Andreas Disaster Is Under Its Highest Stress in 1,000 Years
Researchers say a joint rupture at the Cajon Pass could be significantly more damaging than a single-fault event.
- A new study led by University of Bern geophysicist Liliane Burkhard found southern portions of the San Andreas and San Jacinto faults are locked at their highest stress levels in 1,000 years, increasing the probability of a significant earthquake.
- The Cajon Pass acts as an 'earthquake gate' that could transmit ruptures between the two fault systems, with the current stress difference measuring 0.8 megapascals, Burkhard said.
- A joint rupture crossing the Cajon Pass could reach magnitude 7.4 to 7.8 and spread destruction from Los Angeles through Coachella Valley, which researchers say would be 'significantly more damaging' than a single-fault event.
- UCLA professor Jonathan Stewart noted such an event would likely rupture most aqueducts providing water to Southern California, severely impacting critical infrastructure including highways, railways, and energy corridors.
- City managers and emergency responders should plan for joint ruptures as a realistic possibility, Burkhard advised, emphasizing that preparation for Southern California's growing seismic risk must begin now.
13 Articles
13 Articles
San Andreas Fault stress levels in Southern California at nearly 1,000 year high
San Andreas Fault stress levels in Southern California at nearly 1,000 year high The stress levels of the San Andreas Fault – part of the tectonic boundary between the Pacific plate and the North American plate – are at their highest levels in nearly 1,000 years. Meteorologist Zoe Mintz reports. The post San Andreas Fault stress levels in Southern California at nearly 1,000 year high appeared first on KION Central Coast.
A critical charge is now being charged between the Pacific and North American plates on the west coast of the United States, warns a new study.
The failure of San Andrés and the San Jacinto system go through a critical point in southern California.A study led by Earth scientists from the University of Hawaii at Mānoa revealed that both structures reached their greatest tectonic tension in 1000 years and that, in some sectors, that level has already been exceeded.What the study on San Andrés and San Jacinto revealedThe work, published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth on Ju…
New study reveals dangerously high levels in the San Andreas Fault, the highest in over 1,000 years, and reopens the debate: Is the "Big One" coming? Will it affect Arizona?
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