Stay up to date with notifications from The IndependentNotifications can be managed in browser preferences.AllNewsSportCultureLifestyleUniversity of Hawaii researchers warn that California's San Andreas Fault has reached its highest stress level in 1,000 years. The intertwined San Jacinto Fault is also in a critically loaded state, with both fault systems capable of a large, simultaneous rupture. The Cajon Pass may act as an “earthquake gate,” potentially allowing a combined rupture of both faults, threatening millions in cities like Los Angeles. Researchers used physics-based computer modeling and 1,000 years of earthquake data to simulate the stress, though earthquake prediction is not yet possible. The findings are crucial for emergency preparation efforts, hazard assessments, and infrastructure planning, as there is a high chance of 7.0-magnitude quakes in coming decades. In fullSouthern California’s San Andreas Fault is at its highest stress level in 1,000 years sparking fear among researchersThank you for registeringPlease refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in