SAN FRANCISCO - With several earthquake faults slicing through the San Francisco Bay Area, forecasting the next deadly quake becomes a question of when and where, not if.

Now researchers propose that four faults have built up enough seismic strain (stored energy) to unleash destructive earthquakes, according to a study published Monday in the Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America.

The quartet includes the Hayward Fault, the Rodgers Creek Fault, the Green Valley Fault and the Calaveras Fault.

While all are smaller pieces of the San Andreas Fault system, which is more than 800 miles long, the four faults are a serious threat because they directly underlie cities. (Source: livescience.com)

Story Date: October 21, 2014