What is the "Big One", the phenomenon that could cause disaster in the United States

The magnitude 6.4 earthquake that hit southern California on Thursday revived fears over the arrival of "Big One", a hypothetical and devastating earthquake that it would come from San Andres' fault and that this could have very serious consequences for the North American State.

This was predicted by Thomas Jordan, director of Southern California Earthquake Center, noting recently that the San Andreas Fault is "blocked, charged and ready to roll". According to the seismologist, the tectonic border between the North American plate and the Pacific plate seems to be in a critical state, which could lead to a catastrophic mega-earthquake.

Jordan's forecasts are based on the fact that the southern part of the San Andreas Fault He has been in constant tension since 1857. When it was launched in northern San Francisco Bay in 1906, it caused a magnitude 7.8 event. Meanwhile, in 1989, it generated a 6.9 degree earthquake at Loma Prieta.

When considering the events that occurred in the northern part of the fault and the time during which tension had accumulated in the southern sector, the experts calculated that the magnitude of the "Big One" could reach 8.0 degrees and that this could be released in the next 30 years.

In this sense, a report by the United States Geological Survey (USGS) warned in 2008 against a magnitude 7.8 earthquake originating from the southern region of the San Andrés Fault. If this happens, could cause more than 1,800 deaths, 50,000 injured and $ 200,000 million in damages.