Researchers Predict Major Earthquake To Hit California In Next 30 Year

PALM SPRINGS, CA - MAY 15: A natural spring-fed desert oasis is one of many supporting thousands of palm trees that line the San Andreas earthquake fault on May 15, 2008 northeast of Palm Springs, California. The fault system, which also includes the Banning and Mission Creek faults, pushes water to the surface of the Coachella Valley, creating important water sources for desert plants and wildlife. New calculations reveal a 99.7 percent chance that a magnitude 6.7 quake or larger will strike by 2037, according to the first ever statewide temblor forecast released by the scientists of the United States Geological (USGS), Southern California Earthquake Center and California Geological Survey last month. Scientists have particular concern for the people living along the southern portion of the 800-mile-long San Andreas Fault east of Los Angeles. This section of the fault has had very little slippage for more than 300 years and has built up immense pressure that could release an earthquake of historic proportions at any time. Such a quake could produce a sudden lateral movement of 23 to 32 feet and would be among the largest ever recorded. Experts have predicted that a quake of magnitude 7.6 or greater on the southern San Andreas would kill thousands of people and cause many billions of dollars in damages, dwarfing the 1994 Northridge disaster near Los Angeles that killed 72 people, injured more than 9,000 and caused $25 billion in damage. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)