'The Big One' earthquake could actually unfold in two stages, say researchers

A recent study indicates that the simultaneous rupture of two major fault systems on North America's West Coast could pose a seismic threat surpassing the long-dreaded "Big One."

Now, scientists are warning that California's infamous 'Big One' earthquake might actually be a double whammy.

Researchers have found compelling evidence that a tremor along the notorious Cascadia Subduction Zone could set off another along the San Andreas Fault line. According to a study by Geosphere, these tandem earthquakes could occur just minutes apart, stretching emergency response services thin and spelling disaster for millions.

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Chris Goldfinger, a marine geologist at Oregon State University, along with a team of international researchers, have discovered a link between two major West Coast faults, suggesting it could trigger twice the devastation.

"We could expect that an earthquake on one of the faults alone would draw down the resources of the whole country to respond to it," Goldfinger stated. "And if they both went off together, then you've got potentially San Francisco. Portland, Seattle, and Vancouver are all in an emergency situation in a compressed timeframe."

However, the likelihood of a similar quake to the last major quake on the Cascadia Subduction Zone in 1700, when a magnitude 9.0 quake triggered 30-foot-high Pacific waves hit Japan, in the coming decades is about one in eight, according to the Penn State College of Earth and Mineral Sciences.

The researchers revealed that the event in Japan was followed by a massive 7.9 magnitude earthquake on the northern San Andreas fault.

Such a colossal earthquake can potentially wreak havoc, causing catastrophic damage. Seismologists predict the collapse of high-rises and other structures, enormous fires capable of incinerating hundreds of homes, buckling of Los Angeles highways, and even the possibility of a tsunami.

Goldfinger and his team hope their findings will aid West Coast leaders in better preparation for whatever the future holds.

"Our preparedness level is poor," Goldfinger confessed to The Guardian. "We have a long way to go, and all these areas were built on top of ticking time bombs."