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New evidence suggests that the earthquake threat of the ‘Big One’ could be even worse than scientists thought
Now experts are warning “The Big One” could be even worse than feared due to a horrific domino effect that could wipe out the West Coast.
ScienceDaily this week highlighted a concerning study from Oregon State University showing a seismic event on the Cascadia subduction zone could trigger the San Andreas fault line.
“We’re used to hearing the ‘Big One’ – Cascadia – being this catastrophic huge thing,” said Chris Goldfinger, a marine geologist at the college and lead author of the study.
Goldfinger says if both faults went off, it would be a multi-state and international emergency situation spanning from San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, to Vancouver.
Dual Fault Rupture Threatens San Francisco and Seattle Simultaneously
Geologists at Oregon State University have identified a seismic synchronization between the Cascadia subduction zone and the northern San Andreas fault that could trigger simultaneous earthquakes. Research findings indicate that a major rupture on one system could potentially destabilize the other within a matter of hours.
Led by marine geologist Chris Goldfinger, the research team reached these conclusions after analyzing deep-sea sediment cores extracted from the California coastline. The geological record revealed at least ten instances over the last 3,100 years where both fault systems ruptured in tandem, most recently during the Cascadia event in 1700.
Chris Goldfinger, a marine geologist at the college and lead author of the study, noted that the potential impact of such a dual event would surpass existing disaster models. He emphasized that the scale of a linked rupture would create an unprecedented regional crisis.
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Oregon State scientists say Cascadia quake could trigger San Andreas
Scientists at Oregon State University say a quake in the Cascadia Subduction Zone could trigger the San Andreas Fault, causing two big earthquakes at almost the same time. This "double earthquake" could hit major cities like San Francisco, Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver. The findings were published in September 2025 by marine geologist Chris Goldfinger's team.
Goldfinger's team studied sediment layers from California's coast and found patterns showing both faults have shaken together before, sometimes within hours. He points out that just one of these quakes is a huge challenge for emergency services, but two back-to-back would be a multi-state and international emergency situation. Basically: it's rare, but history shows it has happened before, so it's something worth paying attention to.
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