Overdue California quake may be more powerful

The San Andreas Fault has an infamous reputation, but there are other fault lines lying around California that can trigger a powerful earthquake, especially if they rupture simultaneously, a new report says.

A U.S. geologist discovered that the San Andreas and the San Jacinto faults may have ruptured together about 200 years ago, creating a earthquake that was felt from north of Los Angeles to San Diego, based on historical data captured by missionaries in those areas.

The San Andreas Fault, a system that stretches more than 800 miles and is about 10 miles deep, is long overdue for an eruption, one that seismologists predict will be the source of a powerful earthquake along California's coastal region. The fault is due for an epic tremor every 150 years, the U.S. Geological Survey says.

But this ominous future earthquake may be more catastrophic that initially thought, warns scientists.

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