Sunday, January 25, 2009

Southern California May be Overdue for Big Quake

According to a new study to be published next week, Southern California may be overdue for a powerful earthquake along the infamous San Andreas fault line.

New research conducted by scientists at the University of California, Irvine, claims large quakes have rumbled along the fault roughly every 137 years over the last 700 years. Previously, scientists had figured major earthquakes occurred on the line every 200 years or so.

Scientists analyzed the Carrizo Plain section of the San Andreas fault, which has not been witness to a massive earthquake since 1857, when one hit at an estimated magnitude of 7.9.

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