‘The Big One’ Earthquake Will Hit L.A. Harder Than We Thought, Scientists Say

• Simulation of a magnitude-7 quake on the San Andreas Fault. Seismic waves radiate outward, then deep into L.A.

A  seismology study by scientists from Stanford and MIT, published in the journal Science on Friday, finds that if the Big One hits the San Andreas Fault near Palm Springs, some seismic waves will travel near the path of the 10 Freeway into the heart of Los Angeles, where the city and its suburbs will suffer stronger ground motions than previously believed. Downtown L.A. will endure three times the shaking of surrounding areas, scientists now say.