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Is a 10.0 earthquake possible in California?

No, earthquakes of magnitude 10 or larger cannot happen. The magnitude of an earthquake is related to the length of the fault on which it occurs. That is, the longer the fault, the larger the earthquake.



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Earth Science FAQs - Geology and Tectonics According to the USGS, earthquakes of magnitude 10 or larger cannot happen. The largest earthquake ever recorded was a magnitude 9.5.

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Ground tilting, caused by the buildup of stress in the rocks, may precede a large earthquake, but not always. Water levels in wells fluctuate as water moves into or out of fractures before an earthquake. This is also an uncertain predictor of large earthquakes.

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