The San Andreas Fault isn’t just an action movie plot device, it is a live and active fault line in southern California and manyscientists believe that it is about to rupture. If that were to happen, there would be some disaster-movie sized destruction throughout the region.
Since September 26, there has been an “earthquake swarm” under the Salton sea near Bombay Beach, California. This swarm consists of a series of small earthquakes ranging from a 1.4 to 4.3 magnitude, all of which are occurring 2.5 to 5.5 miles under the sea.
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Normally these smaller earthquakes don’t pose a threat, but the United States Geological Survey believes that these could set off the infamous San Andreas Fault nearby. From September 26 to October 4, there is a 1 in 100 chance that the San Andreas will trigger. To make matters worse, a San Andreas earthquake is predicted to be a magnitude 7 or higher.
Now, don’t start panicking yet, and don’t feel the need to binge watch earthquake movies like San Andreas – unless you want to. Based on predictions, the chance of a magnitude 7 San Andreas earthquake decreases with every passing day. We just have to wait until October 4 comes around, then southern California should be in the clear.
“Swarm-like activity in this region has occurred in the past, so this week’s activity, in and of itself, is not necessarily cause for alarm,” said the USGS.
However, what makes the San Andreas Fault such a great plot device for Dwayne Johnson action movies is that scientists believe that the fault is long overdue for an earthquake. The last San Andreas quake occurred in 1680, and usually quakes occur every 150 to 200 years.
If a big, magnitude 7.8 quake were to happen along the San Andreas, there would be devastating destruction all across southern California. It’s estimated that it could cause 1,800 deaths, 50,000 injuries, and over $200 billion in damages – and that’s if the quake doesn’t trigger other faults all along the west coast.
For right now, the USGS can only estimate what could happen to the faults in California. None of their estimations are set in stone because earthquakes are difficult to predict, even with the advanced technology of today. So, if you really feel the need to prepare for the “big one” you could always give The Rock a call.
[H/T Gizmodo]
