National Geographic News, Reporting Your World Daily

Wednesday, November 11, 2009

Photo: Big Quake "Guaranteed" to Hit California by 2037


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The first statewide earthquake forecast for California calculated the probabilities that a magnitude 6.7 or larger temblor will occur along seven of the state's major faults. At 59 percent, the southern part of the San Andreas has the highest chance of rupturing and creating a major quake.

Overall, the new report predicts a 99.7 percent chance that a magnitude 6.7 quake or larger will strike somewhere in California in the next 30 years.

Image courtesy U.S. Geological Survey