Southern California experienced a false alert regarding a 4.6 magnitude earthquake near San Diego based on US Geological Survey data. The alert, detected around 10:26 AM PT, was deleted after two hours due to concerns over its validity. This incident highlights rising apprehensions regarding the San Andreas Fault, known for potentially producing devastating earthquakes, including the feared 'Big One'. Experts predict a significant quake could happen within the next 30 years, emphasizing the ongoing tectonic activity in the region, which has already recorded thousands of minor quakes this year alone.
Experts are 'fairly confident that there could be a pretty large earthquake at some point [on San Andreas] in the next 30 years,' Angie Lux, project scientist for Earthquake Early Warning at the Berkeley Seismology Lab, previously told DailyMail.com.
The fault spans 800 miles from Cape Mendocino in the north to the Salton Sea in the south, and scientists have long warned the fault line could produce an 8 magnitude or higher quake known as the 'Big One.'
California has had more than 6,200 earthquakes of magnitudes up to 4.7 this year alone, according to Volcano Discovery, with the last significant events on the San Andreas fault being in 1857 and 1906.
The 'Big One' would cause roughly 1,800 deaths, 50,000 injuries and $200 billion in damages, according to the Great California Shakeout.
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