Scientists Warn California Could Face Its Worst Quake Yet

Bright Side

California sits on one of the most unstable regions on the planet, where powerful forces deep underground are slowly building tension. Scientists have noticed worrying signs that the risk of a megathrust earthquake is rising, and the ground beneath the West Coast may be preparing for a major shift. What happens when these forces finally break free remains uncertain but the scale of the impact could reach far beyond California itself.  Animation is created by Bright Side.  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Music from TheSoul Sound: https://thesoul-sound.com/   Check our Bright Side podcast on Spotify and leave a positive review! https://open.spotify.com/show/0hUkPxD34jRLrMrJux4VxV  Subscribe to Bright Side: https://goo.gl/rQTJZz  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  Our Social Media:  Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/brightplanet/  Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/brightside.official  TikTok: https://www.tiktok.com/@brightside.official?lang=en   Stock materials (photos, footages and other):  https://www.depositphotos.com  https://www.shutterstock.com  https://www.eastnews.ru  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  For more videos and articles visit: http://www.brightside.me  ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------  This video is made for entertainment purposes. We do not make any warranties about the completeness, safety and reliability. Any action you take upon the information in this video is strictly at your own risk, and we will not be liable for any damages or losses. It is the viewer's responsibility to use judgement, care and precaution if you plan to replicate.

Transcript

00:01So, since 2000, the world has been hit with more than 1,700 earthquakes with magnitude greater than 5.

00:09Many happened around the Ring of Fire, located around the Pacific Ocean.

00:13In North America, the biggest threat is the San Andreas Fault Line,

00:17which can create an earthquake of a magnitude higher than any other,

00:20earning it the spine-tingling nickname, The Big One.

00:23The potential destruction of California is a terrifying prospect that could have unimaginable consequences.

00:30But The Big One is just the beginning of what's to come.

00:35Bad news! Scientists have predicted an earth-shattering event that will occur in 2030.

00:41Like it or not, there's a 70% chance that we'll experience The Big One,

00:46and it will be an earthquake with a magnitude of 6.7.

00:50The San Andreas Fault Line will cause The Big One, but what is scary is that we can't predict it.

00:55On the other hand, a massive earthquake occurs every 100 years.

01:00This means there's always time to prepare for a natural disaster.

01:04If we traveled back in time, we'd see a few significant earthquakes like the ones that wiped out San Francisco and Fort Tejon.

01:12Buildings made a long time ago are not quake-proof.

01:15They will collapse.

01:16Even if they survive, you should not enter them.

01:19But buildings are not the most dangerous part.

01:23You should watch out for electrical lines and gas pipes.

01:26Your hill house might be lovely, but it is extremely unsafe.

01:30During quakes, the hill can turn into a massive landslide that will destroy everything in its path.

01:36Say goodbye to road trips, because all the roads will be ruined.

01:39You should have some spare water and food, since you won't be able to go to the supermarket.

01:43This disaster won't be cheap.

01:46It will cost the U.S. around $200 billion to recover from the quake.

01:51At least, the earthquake will not trigger tsunamis.

01:53But there's something it can cause more damage than the big one.

01:58The notorious Cascadia subduction zones start in California and ends up all the way in Vancouver, Canada.

02:06The San Andreas Fault Line is nothing compared to this zone.

02:10It can wipe the whole coast off the face of the Earth.

02:12An example of hyperbole.

02:15Subduction zones are tectonic plates, forced to be one under the other and constantly pulling apart.

02:21One is called the North American plate, and the other is the Juan de Fuca plate.

02:25Zones like these are not to be messed with, since they are terrifying hotspots for earthquake activity

02:31and extremely dangerous because they cause massive underwater quakes.

02:35But they are underwater, so what can they do to us?

02:38Well, they can cause giant tsunamis, flooding cities, and destroying the coastline.

02:44Right now, the most active zone is the Ring of Fire.

02:47The Cascadia zone might be less active, but it is like a sleeping beast that can wake up and destroy everything in its path,

02:55causing a groundbreaking earthquake.

02:57The last time all this stress was released was in the year 1700.

03:01Unlike the San Andreas quake, this one will cause massive tsunamis and much bigger shocks.

03:09Let's hope you'll be camping in an open field at that time, because most buildings and bridges will likely be destroyed.

03:15Also, be ready for the aftershocks, as they'll be devastating.

03:19Nature won't be spared either.

03:21Landslides will change animals' habitats.

03:23Even our homes will be changed forever.

03:25Luckily, there is a light at the end of the tunnel, and scientists are doing everything they can to ensure our safety.

03:32New rules are implemented.

03:34Every new building must be able to withstand massive shocks.

03:37They're developing modern warning systems, and every new infrastructure must follow strict quick-proof guidelines.

03:45The Juan de Fuca and the North American plates are locked together, but they won't stay like that forever.

03:51When they unlock, get ready for a massive shake.

03:53The closer you are to the epicenter, the more damage you'll experience.

03:58But even if you are lucky to be far away, you may still feel the ground shaking for some time.

04:06Now, if we compare the Cascadia subduction zone and the San Andreas Fault, we'll see how much more dangerous the Cascadia zone is.

04:14In 1994, there was an enormous 6.7-magnitude earthquake in the Northridge area, close to the San Andreas Fault.

04:22Sadly, many people didn't make it, and some were injured.

04:26Back then, buildings were not strong and earthquake-proof, and many of them were damaged.

04:31The Cascadia subduction zone can potentially cause a magnitude 9 earthquake.

04:36A magnitude 6 quake has the power of around 44 million pounds of dynamite, but a magnitude 9 has the power of 44 trillion pounds of dynamite.

04:46The strongest-ever recorded quake was in Chile.

04:51Its magnitude measured 9.5, and it destroyed most everything.

04:56So, let's say you've survived the quake.

04:59But the struggle is far from over.

05:01Soon after, a massive tsunami will strike, with waves that might reach up to 100 feet in some areas.

05:07That's so unlike the San Andreas earthquake, which can't produce any significant waves.

05:11So, say goodbye to your beautiful garden, since saltwater will destroy trees and plants, changing the environment for a period of time.

05:19The only positive thing will be you won't need Halloween decorations, because all those dried-out trees will resemble a ghost forest.

05:27The combination of waves, quakes, and the sheer size of the area will make this natural disaster much more dangerous than any caused by the San Andreas Fault or the so-called Big One.

05:38A quake similar to this happened around 300 years ago.

05:44Many more have been recorded in the past 3,500 years, proving that they continually occur every 400 to 600 years.

05:52So, technically, we have around 100 to 300 years before the next big one hits.

05:58We still have no idea how exactly the Cascadia subduction zone works, because we discovered it in 1970.

06:06This zone is super scary, because it can cause big earthquakes.

06:10It was found by accident, when researchers studied the Ring of Fire.

06:14They wanted to know if this area had caused any trouble in the past years, and the proof was under their noses.

06:21In Washington, there is a horror forest, where nothing has been growing for years.

06:26When researchers tested the soil, they found a tremendous amount of salt.

06:30They put two and two together, and concluded that a massive tsunami had been the reason.

06:35Experts still didn't know when the forest was destroyed.

06:38But Japan kept records of a gigantic earthquake that had a similar effect.

06:44It was the one that happened in the year 1700.

06:47There is a 1 in 3 chance that the next one will occur in 2050.

06:51You must know how to survive the Canadian earthquakes and make it out unscathed, so listen carefully.

06:59Those who live in this area have almost no experience with earthquakes like this one.

07:03Surviving the quake is relatively easy, but the tsunami coming afterwards is the real danger.

07:10After the shake, find the highest ground and go there.

07:13Only bring the essentials, like food and water.

07:16Yeah, leave your baseball card collection at home.

07:18After the first hit, don't try to go down.

07:21Seismologists say that most likely, there will be a few more waves, and they have proven this.

07:26On the 22nd of May, 1960, seismologist Jerry Esten and his four friends went to Hawaii

07:32to see an expected tsunami that was to happen around midnight.

07:36They set up their gear on Wailuku Bridge with an escape route planned.

07:40This bridge had been destroyed in the previous tsunami, but the new one was much taller and better.

07:45After midnight, the water was 4 feet above the average level.

07:50The second wave hit a half hour after midnight, and the water rose another 9 feet by 1 a.m.

07:56The water started going down and dropped by 7 feet, but the horror was far from over.

08:02Next, they saw a wave that was around 20 feet tall.

08:06This shows us that tsunamis are unpredictable, and we should listen to experts to stay safe.

08:11There is a powerful force hiding underground, where tectonic plates meet, and one forces another under it.

08:25This happens in the Pacific and Indian Oceans.

08:28Strain builds over centuries.

08:30The tension is unbearable until the megathrust awakens.

08:34The Earth shakes with a magnitude that can exceed 9 points, more powerful than any other earthquake.

08:41When the seafloor suddenly gets pushed up fast, it sends a huge ripple across the water, and a tsunami of huge force is out.

08:49These waves are called tele-tsunamis, and they cross entire ocean basins, ready to take over coastlines thousands of miles away.

08:58The thrust fall stretches over 600 miles.

09:02The Earth is not just shaking, it feels like it's tearing apart.

09:06This is the power of a megathrust earthquake.

09:09Those caught in its path will have to fight for their lives.

09:14Japanese authorities recently had to issue their first-ever megaquake advisory.

09:19It happened because of a strong tremor on the edge of the Nankai Trough ocean floor zone.

09:24In the end, most of the warnings were lifted, and there wasn't much damage from the 7.1 magnitude earthquake.

09:31Parts of southwestern Japan started to shake, and the super-fast trains in Japan slowed down to stay safe, which made travel slower for everyone.

09:40But everyone is staying alert as they know about the risk of a megathrust earthquake that could happen within the next few decades in the Nankai Trough.

09:49The tectonic plate under the Philippine Sea is slowly sliding underneath the land where Japan is, moving just a few inches every year.

09:58The last big earthquakes from this area happened in 1944 and 1946, both with a magnitude of 8.1.

10:07These quakes have caused a lot of destruction in the country.

10:10The next megathrust earthquake in the region, if it does happen, could be between a magnitude 8 and 9.

10:17Scientists still can't agree on how likely this mega-earthquake is to happen, but it could be up to 80% certainty.

10:24On the other side of the Pacific, scientists from the U.S. Geological Survey have studied a dangerous area along the U.S. west coast.

10:35It's called the Cascadia Subduction Zone, and it stretches from northern California to northern Vancouver Island in Canada.

10:43Over the past 14,200 years, there have likely been at least 30 big earthquakes in this region,

10:50when major quake happens every 500 years on average.

10:53But for a long time now, Cascadia has been quiet, and it worries scientists.

10:59They think this might be because the area is locked, meaning the tectonic plates are stuck together and building up a lot of pressure.

11:07Eventually, the part of the seafloor could suddenly break and move by several feet.

11:12The shaking would be just 5 minutes, but it would create a powerful tsunami as the seafloor shifts that would last for 10 hours.

11:20If it happens, it's going to be the worst natural disaster in the country's history, according to experts.

11:26The ground on some inland hills could turn into something like quicksand.

11:31This would cause the hillsides to slide and crumble, taking down roads and bridges.

11:36Around 620,000 buildings could be badly damaged or even collapse, including about 100 hospitals and 2,000 schools.

11:45People in Washington state might have to take care of themselves without help for two weeks, finding food, water, and shelter on their own.

11:56Scientists are studying slow-slip events, where the tectonic plates move very slowly over weeks or months, releasing some energy, but not enough to stop a big one.

12:06Every time the magnitude of an earthquake goes up by just one number, the energy it releases is 40 times bigger.

12:14So we'd need about a million small earthquakes every day for 500 years straight to release the same energy as one huge magnitude 9 earthquake.

12:24But these small earthquakes might be clues that a bigger earthquake is coming.

12:28To better monitor the Cascadia Fault, experts are mapping the fault more accurately and adding better monitoring tools offshore.

12:37Scientists receive over $10 million to install seismic sensors and seafloor pressure gauges on a fiber-optic cable off the coast of Oregon.

12:46The goal is to be ready to warn people and potentially save lives when a big earthquake strikes.

12:52A sharp megathrust earthquake happened in this part of the world in 1964.

13:00It went down in history as the Great Alaska Earthquake and had a magnitude of 9.2.

13:07It lasted for more than four minutes, making it the most powerful earthquake in the history of the U.S. and North America.

13:14The ground shook so hard that it caused huge cracks and landslides.

13:19In Anchorage, many houses, buildings, and roads were destroyed because they weren't built to handle such a big earthquake.

13:26In some places, the land was permanently changed.

13:30For example, the coastline near Kodiak and Henshinbrook Island was lifted by 30 feet.

13:36In other areas, like Gurwood and Portage, the ground sank by 8 feet.

13:41They had to rebuild roads higher so they wouldn't be flooded by the time.

13:45A huge 27-foot tsunami wiped out the entire village of Chenega.

13:50Many coastal towns were heavily damaged, not just by the earthquake, but also by tsunamis in the fires that followed.

13:57After the main earthquake, there were thousands of smaller aftershocks for months.

14:02A moderate earthquake of magnitude 4.4 shook Los Angeles in August 2024.

14:11Once it was over, the L.A. Fire Department checked around the city and didn't find any major damage or anyone hurt.

14:18In the nearby city of Pasadena, which is close to the earthquake's epicenter,

14:22a water pipe burst inside City Hall and everyone had to leave the building.

14:27Thankfully, there was no danger of the tsunami.

14:29The best we can do to avoid panic in such situations is to be prepared.

14:36Japan is one of the places on Earth where earthquakes happen the most

14:40because it sits on the edges of four tectonic plates.

14:44Around 1,500 of these earthquakes each year are noticeable.

14:49Because of this, the people in Japan have learned to live with earthquakes.

14:52The 1950 law set a rule that buildings should be able to handle earthquakes up to a magnitude 7 without falling apart.

15:01An update 30 years later said that buildings should only have minor damage in such earthquakes and still work as usual.

15:08But if an earthquake is even stronger, the law says the building's main job is to not collapse and save people's lives.

15:16At the most basic level, buildings are made stronger with thicker beams, pillars, and walls, so they can handle shaking better.

15:24Another technique is placing special pads made from materials like rubber at the base of a building.

15:30Some buildings are even built on thick layers of padding that separate them from the ground completely, which helps protect them during an earthquake.

15:37A skyscraper might sway back and forth a lot, moving up to 5 feet.

15:42To stop it from getting damaged, engineers can add something called dampers every second floor all the way to the top.

15:50These dampers are like giant bicycle pumps, but instead of air, they're filled with liquid.

15:56When the building shakes, the dampers push against the liquid inside them.

16:00Even though the liquid doesn't squish very much, it can still absorb some of the shaking.

16:07When they're building tall skyscrapers, engineers try to make the structure as simple and balanced as possible.

16:14This means having each floor the same height and placing the support columns evenly.

16:19But sometimes, architects who design skyscrapers don't want to make these compromises

16:24because they have creative ideas for how the building should look.

16:28Then, they have to find compromise solutions.

16:31For example, Tokyo's Skytree Tower, one of the tallest buildings in the world,

16:36is designed in a futuristic style but also includes special features to protect it from earthquakes.

16:42It has a central pillar, like in traditional Japanese pagodas,

16:46and seismic dampers that help absorb the energy from an earthquake, keeping the building safe.

16:52That's it for today.

16:55So hey, if you pacified your curiosity, then give the video a like and share it with your friends.

17:00Or if you want more, just click on these videos and stay on the bright side!

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