{"id":1047867,"date":"2026-09-07T00:43:12","date_gmt":"2026-09-07T00:43:12","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1047867\/"},"modified":"2026-09-07T00:43:12","modified_gmt":"2026-09-07T00:43:12","slug":"california-researchers-find-way-to-pinpoint-major-earthquake-hotspots","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.europesays.com\/us\/1047867\/","title":{"rendered":"California researchers find way to pinpoint major earthquake hotspots"},"content":{"rendered":"

Researchers at a public university in California say they have developed a way to identify the most likely locations of some of the world\u2019s biggest earthquakes<\/a>.<\/p>\n

It comes the same day a quake shook parts of LA\u2018s South Bay<\/a> in the early hours of Sunday morning.<\/p>\n

People in the area said they felt the tremor, however, no major impact was reported.<\/p>\n

A 3.2 magnitude earthquake struck near Compton, Los Angeles County.<\/p>\n

People in the area said they felt the tremor, however, no major impact was reported. USGS<\/p>\n

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The US Geological Survey recorded the quake at magnitude 3.2, with the epicenter located 2 miles\u00a0southeast of Compton<\/a>. It struck shortly after midnight at approximately 12:15 a.m.<\/p>\n

University of California, Riverside researchers say the method isn\u2019t able to predict when an earthquake will happen or what potential consequences, such as tsunamis<\/a>, could result from it.<\/p>\n

They add the approach works by determining where stress has been building along major fault lines, which can help pinpoint where a major earthquake is most likely to occur.<\/p>\n

Geophysicists Gareth Funning and Axel Periollat explained to UC Riverside News<\/a> that those locations are determined using measurements of strain that has built up along fault lines over the years.<\/p>\n

The researchers focus on regions called subduction zones \u2014 areas where one tectonic plate slides beneath another.<\/p>\n

These zones tend to produce the world\u2019s biggest earthquakes, including those measuring magnitude 8.5 or greater.<\/p>\n

An earthquake struck Russia\u2019s Kamchatka Peninsula in July 2025, prompting tsunami warnings on the US West Coast. Anadolu via Getty Images<\/p>\n

One example is the powerful earthquake that struck Russia\u2019s Kamchatka Peninsula in July 2025 and prompted tsunami warnings along the US West Coast.<\/p>\n

Their methodology was able to pinpoint the location where the earthquake occurred, according to a recently published study<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The research also helped determine that the earthquake wasn\u2019t as massive as one that struck the same area in 1952.<\/p>\n

Researchers reached that conclusion in part because the more recent quake produced a smaller tsunami, indicating differences in how the shallowest part of the fault ruptured compared with the 1952 earthquake.<\/p>\n

UC Riverside experts say the methodology uses GPS measurements to track how the ground is moving. An algorithm then helps determine which parts of a fault are most likely to produce an earthquake if enough stress builds up.<\/p>\n

The research also helped determine that the earthquake wasn\u2019t as massive as one that struck the same area in 1952. Anadolu via Getty Images<\/p>\n

\u201cWe had an idea where the strain was accumulating based on a relatively limited data set,\u201d Periollat told UC Riverside News. \u201cSeeing it work so well confirmed that this approach has real potential.\u201d<\/p>\n

They are now using similar techniques to improve their understanding of California\u2019s faults<\/a>.<\/p>\n

\u201cIn the Bay Area, the Hayward Fault has both creeping and locked sections, much like subduction zones,\u201d Funning said, according to UC Riverside News. \u201cWe\u2019re investigating whether we can identify the parts most likely to generate future earthquakes.\u201d<\/p>\n

Although researchers still can\u2019t predict when earthquakes will happen or how severe consequences such as tsunamis will be, they say knowing where major earthquakes are most likely to occur could help communities better prepare over the long term.<\/p>\n

\u201cYour peace of mind shouldn\u2019t come from believing we can forecast the exact earthquake,\u201d Funning told her university\u2019s news outlet.<\/p>\n

\u201cEspecially where we live in Southern California, it\u2019s not a matter of if, but when. There is no substitute for preparation.\u201d<\/p>\n

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