These Twin Faults in California Are Actually One ‘Mega Fault’, and That’s a Problem

These Twin Faults in California Are Actually One ‘Mega Fault’, and That’s a Problem

We don’t want this one to rupture.

FIONA MACDONALD

 Researchers have discovered that what they previously assumed were two separate fault zones below southern California are in fact part of one very intimidating ‘mega fault’ system.

When they investigated the possibility of all parts of the newly discovered fault system rupturing at once, they found that it could trigger a magnitude 7.4 earthquake extending all the way from LA to San Diego.

A quake of that size would be 30 times more powerful than the magnitude 6.4 Long Beach quake, which killed 120 people back in 1933.

For more recent perspective, a 2008 US Geological Survey report found that a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the nearby southern San Andreas fault could cause more than 1,800 deaths, 50,000 injuries, and US$200 billion in damage.

Long-lasting infrastructure disruptions such as six months of compromised sewer systems and ongoing wildfires would also be a concern.

“The size of an earthquake is directly related to the length of the fault that’s rupturing – the longer the fault, the larger the earthquake,” lead researcher of the new study, Valerie Sahakian from the US Geological Survey, told Steph Yin from the New York Times.

Previous research had suggested that the two Newport-Inglewood and Rose Canyon fault zones were separated by gaps as wide as 4.8 km (3 miles), and for more than 30 years, scientists had assumed they weren’t connected.

But the latest study found that the gaps were no more than 2 km (1.25 miles) wide at their largest point, suggesting that the fault zones are intricately linked…..more here

 

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