Study: Southern California Is Overdue for a Catastrophic Earthquake

According to a long-awaited, landmark study released on Friday, Southern California is overdue for a major earthquake a long the San Andreas fault.

Results of the study came after scientists spend years studying the geology of the Carrizo Plain area of the San Andreas fault, which is located about 100 miles northwest of Los Angeles. The study also discovered that earthquakes have occured far more often along the San Andreas than previously believed.

University of California, Irvine, researcher Sinan Akciz said in a statement:

"What we know is for the last 700 years, earthquakes on the southern San Andreas fault have been much more frequent than everyone thought. Data presented here contradict previously published reports."

Akciz's colleague and fellow researcher Lisa Grand Ludwig added:

"People should not stick their heads in the ground. There are storm clouds gathered on the horizon. Does that mean it's definitely going to rain? No, but when you have that many clouds, you think, 'I'm going to take my umbrella with me today.' That's what this research does: It gives us a chance to prepare."

The last major earthquake along that portion of the San Andreas fault occurred in 1857. However, UC Irvine and Arizona State University scientists found that earthquakes have occurred as often as every 45 to 144 years. That means the region is overdue for a catastrophic earthquake infamously referred to as "The Big One."

Results of this study echo what many seismologists in Southern California have been saying for some time now: that the San Andreas has been in a relatively quiet period and is due for a major quake.

The study utilized charcoal samples to look for earthquake activity dating back centuries. The results were published Friday in the journal Geology.