Although there are too many studies related to the San Andreas fault located in the state of California, its behavior is still unknown and little can estimate the impact it could have in the event of a large earthquake.
The fault has an approximate extension of 1,300 kilometers and is categorized as one of the most dangerous in the world, in addition to having a displacement between the North American and Pacific plates.
In recent years, its movement has aroused much curiosity in the scientific and academic community, as both believe that it will be responsible for triggering one of the most powerful earthquakes in history.
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According to the investigation, the so-called «Big One» it will have an epicenter in the place and its magnitude will be greater than 9. A seismologist from the California Institute of Technology, United States, Jennifer Andrews assured that “it is probable that there will be a great earthquake in the next 30 years.”
A couple of years ago, in 2008, a report was shared by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) and warned everyone about a possible earthquake of 7.8 Richter degrees, causing great damage.
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With more than 1,800 deaths, 5,000 injuries and 200 billion dollars in spending to rebuild what was lost. The director of the Seismic Center of Southern CaliforniaThomas Jordan He spoke about the earthquakes of the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries, in 1857 and 1906 respectively.
“It is not a question of whether there will be a great earthquake but of when it will happen”, is what geologists who have studied the area say.
The so-called “Big One” (“the big one” in Spanish) is a hypothetical earthquake that could hit the California area and surrounding areas in the future, but it is not known if it is near or far.
Cities like Los Angeles, San Francisco or San Bernardino are built dangerously close to the San Andreas fault, which is why many geology experts or amateurs have expressed concern.
Estimates suggest that the earthquake is likely to be of a magnitude greater than 7.8 degrees on the scale and that the direct impact would be carried by Los Angeles because it is so close. While the damage would be material and more than 2 thousand people could die.