NASA uncovers evidence that Southern California fault connects to fault in Mexico

A multiyear study has uncovered evidence that a 21-mile-long (34-kilometer-long) section of a fault links known, longer faults in southern California and northern Mexico into a much longer continuous system. The entire system is at least 217 miles (350 kilometers) long.

Knowing how faults are connected helps scientists understand how stress transfers between faults. Ultimately, this helps researchers understand whether an earthquake on one section of a fault would rupture multiple fault sections, resulting in a much larger earthquake. A multiyear study has uncovered evidence that a 21-mile-long (34-kilometer-long) section of a . . .