Scientists issue chilling warning about 'The Big One' earthquake predicted to be one of history's most devastating
A new study claims that an earthquake along the San Andreas Fault could cause never-seen-before damage
Experts have issued an urgent warning regarding a supposed upcoming earthquake known as 'The Big One'.
Scientists explained that the earthquake could have a magnitude of around 7.7 on the Richter scale and would likely rock the West Coast of the US.
The news comes just weeks after one of the most powerful earthquakes on record struck the Pacific Ocean, affecting Russia's Far East and prompting President Trump to issue a warning to those in Hawaii, in particular.
A new study by Caltech researchers revealed that their analysis of a recent 7.7-magnitude earthquake, which struck Myanmar in March this year, could point towards a harrowing outcome for those near the infamous San Andreas Fault.
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It's known to be similar to Myanmar's affected Sagaing fault, and if it's anything like the natural disaster that hit the region, then Americans could be in trouble.
The earthquake, which hit the Sagaing fault, ended up causing a rupture which ran along a longer section of the fault than expected, causing the deaths of anywhere between 2,000 and 5,500, according to authorities, with thousands more injured.
Unfortunately, it looks like 'The Big One' could be larger than initially predicted as well.
Both faults are 'straight strike-slip faults' which run for hundreds of kilometres, though Jean-Philippe Avouac, the co-author of the study, admitted: "Future earthquakes might not simply repeat past known earthquakes."
"Successive ruptures of a given fault, even as simple as the Sagaing or the San Andreas faults, can be very different and can release even more than the deficit of slip since the last event," he further explained.
The expert also claimed that historical records are simply 'far too short' for any models to present the 'full range of possible earthquakes' accurately.
When it comes to the Sagaing, the damage caused was down to a territory which ran through the heart of the southeast nation.
Caltech experts used satellite imagery of the fault's motion to observe its movement and predict if a similar event could occur in California.
Solène Antoine, the first author of the study, said that this was an 'ideal case' to analyse.
Previous tremors along the Myanmar fault suggested that if an earthquake were to hit a 186-mile section of the fault, it would be affected, though they were wrong.
No large earthquakes have occurred here since 1839, but this quake affected an area of over 310 miles, with the section shifting three metres after the incident.
If 'The Big One' were to take place, it'd be nothing we've ever seen before at the San Andreas fault, as previous earthquakes had magnitudes of 7.9 in 1857, and 7.9 again in 1906, which ruptured in two directions.
At least 43 large earthquakes have taken place in the Cascadia subduction zone, which runs from Northern California up to northern Vancouver Island, with the last one occurring in January 1700 (via Oregon.gov).
But for years, experts have claimed that it is building 'stress' while remaining locked, and when it does eventually rip, a section of the seafloor will shift forward, causing a tsunami, USGS geophysicist Danny Brothers told NBC News.
Robert Ezelle, the director of Washington state’s emergency management division, said of a possible earthquake in the region: “It’s going to be the worst natural disaster in our country’s history.”
Well then, all experts need to do is predict exactly when this will happen.
Easy enough, right?
Joshua Nair