Silent San Andreas Fault Raises Concerns

The southern section of California's San Andreas Fault, known as the southern San Andreas Fault (SSAF), has not experienced a major earthquake in over 300 years, despite being overdue for one. Scientists from San Diego State University and UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography have discovered that the low water levels of the Salton Sea, a remnant of a larger prehistoric lake, could explain the reduced seismic activity. Computer modeling revealed that the presence of a large lake can cause the Earth's crust to bend and increase fluid pressure, making earthquakes more likely. However, the drought-like state of the Salton Sea is just one factor in the complex seismic activity of the region, and earthquakes along the SSAF are still expected in the future.