California STATEWIDE EQ is POSSIBLE. NEW STUDY.....

[link to www.slashgear.com]


Scientists have believed for decades that the highly active San Andreas Fault in California was unable to create an earthquake that could span the entire state. Scientists believe that the central portion of the San Andreas Fault acted as a natural barrier to prevent a large earthquake in the southern part of California from spreading to the northern part of the state and vice versa. However, new research suggests that a massive statewide earthquake might be possible after all.

Scientists now believe that a massive earthquake that could be felt from San Diego to San Francisco might be possible after all. Using laboratory measurements and computer simulations a pair of scientists has illustrated how a phenomenon known as creeping segments in the fault could behave like locked segments of the fault, building up stress over time and rupturing suddenly. These creeping segments of the fault were long believed to slip slowly and steadily as the tectonic plates shift along the fault line.



And they think this has already happened in Japan and Taiwan.