00:00Have you ever wondered what's actually happening beneath our feet in California?
00:05For generations the Golden State has been famous for its beautiful beaches,
00:10sunny weather and of course its earthquakes. But recent discoveries have scientists looking closer
00:16at the ground than ever before. Researchers have just revealed that two of California's
00:22biggest wall system, the San Andres and the San Jacinto, are now in what they call a critically
00:29loaded state. But what does that actually mean for the millions of people living in southern
00:35California? And should we be panicking, let's take down the science in simple terms, separate the
00:41facts from Hollywood myths and look at what is really going on underground. To understand the
00:47situation we have to look at the history and the geography of these massive tectonic plates.
00:53The San Andres and San Jacinto fault lines have gone more than 160 years without a major
01:01rupture. Because these plates are constantly trying to move past each other but are stuck,
01:07they accumulate an incredible amount of pressure over time. Now scientists emphasize that this
01:14critically loaded status does not mean a devastating earthquake is going to happen tomorrow or even next
01:22week. Earthquake prediction is still impossible. However, it does not mean that the built-up stress is
01:28high enough to potentially fuel a massive multi-fault event. One specific area that has geologists highly
01:36concerned is the Cajon Pass. This is a crucial geographic junction where the San Andres and San Jacinto
01:44fault system actually meet. Think of it as a cosmic crossroads. Scientists believe this intersection
01:51could go one or one of two ways during a quake. It could act as a barrier that stop an
01:59earthquake from
02:00spreading further. Or it could act as a bridge allowing multiple faults to rupture simultaneously.
02:07If both faults unzip at the same time, it could trigger a much larger, more powerful earthquake than
02:14either fault could produce on its own. Directly impacting major population hubs like Los Angeles,
02:21Riverside and San Bernardino. Now when people think of massive San Andres earthquake they often picture
02:28California splitting off and sliding into the pacific ocean thanks to Hollywood movies but that is pure
02:36myth. The San Andres is a strike split fault, meaning the plates slide past each other sideways,
02:43not away from each other. So while the ground will shake violently California is not going to anywhere.
02:50So ultimately these new findings are a gentle but firm pick up call. The stress beneath California has been building
02:58quite before generations and while we can't predict the exact day, the big one will hit. We know the energy
03:05is there.
03:06The best thing we can do is not to live in fear but to live in preparation. Make sure your
03:13emergency kits are
03:14stopped, your heavily furniture is secured and you have a plan with your family. What do you think about these
03:20new geographical findings? Let us know in the comments below. Don't forget to hit that like button and
03:26subscribe for more breakdown videos just like this one. Stay safe out there. Thanks for watching.
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