The “Big One” in San Andreas seems to be delayed, and that's not good news

The famous San Andreas Fault stretches over 1,200 km in California and is distinguished by two plates that slowly but surely slide against each other. A powerful earthquake, known as the “Big One,” is feared. However, it seems to be delayed, which is not good news. 

Seismologists and scientists around the world are increasingly concerned because the disasters caused by these two plates are extremely devastating. It must be said that their magnitudes on the Richter scale break all records, such as the 1908 earthquake, which reached a magnitude of 7.8 and completely destroyed the city of San Francisco and its surroundings. As a reminder, according to this scale, an earthquake with a magnitude of 8 is thirty times more powerful than an earthquake measured at 7.

The fault itself is divided into three distinct segments. First, the one in the center is the calmest of all, as it moves slowly and causes few powerful earthquakes. The northern segment is one to watch, as it is likely to cause a powerful earthquake. Finally, the southern segment is the most dangerous, with the potential to completely destroy the city of Los Angeles.

Faced with the threat posed by this fault, scientists are trying to predict when the next “Big One” will occur. And although it is impossible to predict with precision, there are usual cycles, as can be seen in the following image.

However, they estimate that certain parts of the fault are behind their usual cycles. This could lead to a significant increase in seismic activity. In other words, if the delay is real, sensitive areas could experience violent, destructive earthquakes, causing a domino effect on other sections of the fault. Needless to say, the consequences would be disastrous for citizens, with thousands of victims and countless infrastructures destroyed.