Mega-Quake Threat Looms For California

Residents of California are understandably shaken over new predictions that a “mega-quake” of magnitude 8.0 or greater will rock the Golden State sometime within the next 30 years. According to the Los Angeles Times, the U.S. Geological Survey has raised California’s risk of such a quake from 4.7 percent to 7 percent.

One reason behind the increased chance for a devastating mega-quake is the conclusion by geologists that earthquake faults are interconnected, allowing quakes that start along one fault line to spread, or “jump,” to others. After looking at the layout of faults throughout California, U.S. Geological Survey scientists are now of the opinion that there is a compounded and relatively imminent risk for a catastrophic event in the region.