imagine a map of California with a green line drawn across the State starting from the sutan sea in the South and turning North about 800 Mi this line runs through Coastal and Inland areas and marks the exact location of one of the most famous and dangerous lines in the world the San Andreas fault there's a crack in the ground that splits California in two a literal and symbolic Rift that has been torn apart for years but recent findings are ringing alarm Bells a sign that something sinister is imminent the question that worries scientists and citizens is not only when it happens but asterisk when the San Andreas fault ends will it happen soon will California sink into the sea as many fear predicting such a seismic event is almost impossible keeping the US government scientists and millions of Californians wondering when disaster will strike as the world watches and waits scientists rais against time to find answers before it's too late what are the symptoms of the San Andreas fault is it possible to always give away things that we haven't seen yet join us as we explore the dark warnings and cautions surrounding the San Andreas fault what it means for California and the global impact of such a catastrophic event the San Andreas fault is a name that sends shivers down the spines of those who know it especially the millions who live in California mentioning this fault conjures up thoughts of devast ating earthquakes and massive destruction it's more than just a crack in the Earth's surface it's a ticking time bomb that has wreaked havoc throughout history and threatens to do it again even worse stretching for over 800 mil from the Northern end of the Gulf of California through the western part of the state and reaching the Pacific Ocean in the San Francisco region this Vault cuts a swath through the heart of California but what makes the San Andrea's fault even more feared is the constant tectonic activity detected around its base SP the Earth moves beneath the feet of Californians often leading to Tremors and small earthquakes all signs of the ever looming threat a tragic reminder of the San Andreas faults destructive power can be found in the 1906 San Francisco earthquake a disaster that left the city in Ruins and claimed countless lives and yet while the 1906 earthquake is still remembered as one of the most catastrophic in American history the terrifying reality is that it could pale in comparison to what Mak come next another example occurred in 1989 when a smaller earthquake followed by a more powerful one 5 years later hit the suburbs of Los Angeles these events are warnings and reminders of the problem that exists underground what is even more alarming is that in most of these cases the San Andreas fault did not move directly into the affected cities but the damage was still severe for local communities that are directly on the fault line the risk is greater and they will not be more resilient from from point Rea station to San Bernardino from Palmdale to Bodega Bay these Backwater towns remain vulnerable and vulnerable in the face of the worst natural disasters ever seen California the recent Announcement by Thomas Jordan director of the Southern California earthquake Center has more than enough concern for Californians his warning that the San Andreas fault was so dangerous locked loaded and ready to go sent shock waves across the state fearing that the fault will rupture at any time everyone has the same question when is the next big earthquake going to happen and how bad will it be experts have warned for years that the southern part of the San Andreas fault is vulnerable this section has not been seriously damaged since 1857 when a magnitude 7.9 earthquake struck 185 Mi between montre County and the San Gabriel mountains near Los Angeles that event known as the fort ton earthquake caused significant casualties but that was over 150 years ago and since then the bug has been quiet asterisk very asterisk quiet according to Jordan The Springs in the San Andrea system are complex chronically stressed and caused by large earthquakes the announcement at the earthquake conference in Long Beach has everyone on alert although Californians have known for a long time that they were on the wrong side of things this latest warning has raised their fears to an unprecedented level the real concern is the knowledge that no one knows for sure when the fault will break it could happen tomorrow or in 10 years but when it happens the consequences are dire the San Andreas fault has long been a concern for Californians and for good reason this fault marks the boundary between two major tectonic plates the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate as the Pacific Plate moves Northwest the stress on the fault side is greater than that of the North American Plate in theory this movement should reduce to 16 ft of pressure every 100 years but unfort fortunately the stress has been going on for more than a century without any significant release although the southern part of the San Andreas fault has received the most attention it is not the only area that has been prone to Major earthquakes San Bernardino County which sits on the Southeast side of cjun pass hasn't seen much movement since the 1812 earthquake of stress is of great concern to experts Jordan has asked the state of California to focus on preparing for a magnitude 8 earthquake an earthquake of this magnitude would cause great damage not only in the immediate area but throughout the state while Los Angeles has been able to renovate buildings and strengthen infrastructure many other communities have not been as prepared Jordan pra loss Angelus mayor Eric garetti for his efforts to require earthquake repairs to residential buildings and concrete structures but warned that more is needed despite these efforts California is still unprepared for the inevitable the San Andreas fault is about to rupture and when it does the state faces one of the worst disasters in its history a new report from the US Geological Survey USGS shows how dire things can be if a major earthquake occurs on the San Andreas fault a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the southern side of the fault would cause 50,000 injuries $200 billion in damage and long-term disruptions to daily life the trimor lasted about 2 minutes with the strongest shaking in areas such as the Coachella Valley Inland Empire and Antelope Valley but the destruction doesn't stop here this earthquake will cause secondary effects that will make recovery more difficult in areas that hold seismic sediments such as the San Gabriel Valley and East Los Angeles the trimmers are strong in addition critical infrastructure can be wiped out Water Systems power lines and Communications networks can all be offline for months the collapse of the sewage systems alone left the entire area without access to basic sanitation for 6 months creating a secondary crisis after the earthquake and the human costs the USGS estimates that an earthquake of this magnitude could kill 1,500 people causing widespread damage across the state and Beyond the truth is clear California is facing a disaster that could change the state in ways we can't even imagine too understand the damage caused by the San Andrea's fault look no further than the fort ton earthquake of 1857 this earthquake estimated at 7.9 on the the RoR scale which is very powerful as a place in history as one of the worst earthquakes in the United States the earthquake which started in Northern montere County traveled south from Fort ton to cjun pass in San Bernardino County the Tremors lasted up to 3 minutes in some areas making it a scary number for those stuck on the road the earthquake in 1857 was so powerful that it melted water a phenomenon that made the land look like water uprooted trees and destroyed buildings as far away as Stockton although the San Andreas fault runs directly through Los Angeles the city was spared the worst of the trimmers because it is 30 mi from the center of the city but this distance does not mean that Los Angeles is safe it's far away the city's proximity to a fault system leaves it vulnerable to Major earthquakes and the damage is high. in an attempt to prepare for the worst Thomas Jordan and his team conducted a simulated 7.8 magnitude earthquake on the San Andreas fault these simulation start at southern end of the fault where most of the stress is accumulated and follow the earthquake's negative path as it moves northward across the state the worst shaking will be in the Coachella Valley an area known for its vulnerability to earthquakes from there the Quakes spread in all directions ripping through the Lost Angelus Valley and Beyond