The next ‘Big One’ on the San Andreas fault might not be the earthquake we expect, researchers say

The next ‘Big One’ on the San Andreas fault might not be the earthquake we expect, researchers say

LOS ANGELES — What could the next mega-earthquake on California’s notorious San Andreas fault look like? Would it be a repeat of 1857, when an earthquake estimated at magnitude 7.7 to 7.9 ruptured the fault from Monterey County all the…

San Andreas fault earthquakes may be significantly larger in the future

When a magnitude 7.7 earthquake shook Myanmar on March 28, 2025, it wasn’t just another powerful tremor—it was a geological curveball. The quake ripped open more than 500 kilometers (317 miles) of the Sagaing Fault, making it the longest continental rupture ever documented. That’s farther than California’s 1906 San Francisco earthquake and its legendary 1857 rupture combined. The event killed thousands, caused billions in damage, and sent shockw…