There is a possibility of a strong earthquake on the areas of Southern California up to Tijuana, Mexico based on a study published in the American Geophysical Union's Journal of Geophysical Research last Tuesday. It was 84 years ago when this fault has moved Long Beach killing 115 people with a magnitude 6.4 earthquake. Usually, earthquakes have cycles to follow and the behavior of the fault lines are being studied to see if it has a possibility to rupture within this decade.

A study which focused on the Newport-Inglewood and Rose Canyon fault system was instigated by Scripps Institution of Oceanography at the University of California San Diego. Headed by Valerie Sahakian who currently works at the US Geological Survey, the fault system at study was thought to be a separate entity from the main fault that runs through land and shore. However, according to reports from Yahoo News, the fault system goes through a line from underwater of San Diego Bay to Seal Beach in Orange County and on land through the Los Angeles basin.

These areas are now tagged as potential hazards despite the fault being on offshore because of its significant distance of no more than four miles from San Diego, Orange County, and Los Angeles County coast. Based on reports from Raw Story, a magnitude 5 or 6 earthquakes can still pose danger to these places that are heavily occupied by communities. Studies have shown that the stepovers in the Newport-Inglewood and Rose Canyon fault was measured to be two kilometers more or less.

With the help of previous and current seismological studies using high resolution underwater topography, the team was able to discover its activity. And for the past 11,000 years, it has produced three to five ruptures in the north segment and one rupture 400 years ago at the southern part. Basing on its cycle, the study already warns the areas affected to be a potential hazard.

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