California Big One WARNING: Beverly Hills at risk of MAJOR earthquake – new data reveals

A new map of the region using the latest data from the US Geological Survey shows Beverly Hills – which is situated on the Ring Fire – is at greater risk from earthquakes than previously thought.

The Santa Monica fault zone cutts through the so-called Golden Triangle, running between Santa Monica and Wilshire boulevards.

The most recent deadly earthquake to rock Beverly Hills occurred just over 24 years ago in January 1994, at a magnitude of 6.7, and scientists believe California’s ‘Big One’ is at least 10 years overdue.

The quake killed 57 people and injured more than 8,700 others with an estimated property damage of up to $50billion (around £35billion) at the time, which would equate to about £65billion today.

A powerful earthquake in 1857 released some of the pressure in fault lines running beneath California, but much more still exists, and Robert Graves, a research geophysicist at USGS, suggests the Big One could be overdue by 10 years.

Mr Graves said: “The San Andreas fault in southern California last had a major quake in 1857 (magnitude 7.9).

“Studies that have dated previous major offsets along the fault trace show that there have been about 10 major quakes over the past 1,000-2,000 years… the average time between these quakes is about 100-150 years.”

The San Andreas fault runs near the Santa Monica fault zone. While San Andreas runs northeast of Los Angeles Santa Monica fault zone is roughly perpendicular, running east to west through Los Angeles.

The latest map shows the fault line ending underneath Beverly Hills, however, geologists believe it could go as far as Hollywood.

Tim Dawson, a senior engineering geologist with the California Geological Survey, said: “It’s possible it connects up with the Hollywood fault, and that’s what we’d really like to answer.”

The Hollywood fault runs along the Sunset Strip in West Hollywood and through the heart of downtown Hollywood.

Mr Dawson added that larger buildings straddling a fault were more vulnerable and in the event of an earthquake could completely collapse.

He added: “We don’t want to put essential facilities on top of active faults, such as fire stations, hospitals, schools.”

The latest earthquake warnings zone show the Santa Monica fault zone is around 1,000 feet wide, and runs west of Beverly Hills for more than eight miles – through highly populated and busy areas including the Westfield Century City mall and a Mormon temple.

According to Mr Dawson, prehistoric earthquakes through up the north side of Santa Monica Boulevard, forming the dramatic hillside there Mormon temple is located, just south of the Santa Monica Mountains.

The USGS has also published a scenario which forecasts what 7.8 magnitude earthquake on the San Andreas fault would look like – but the data is applicable to much of Southern California.

The death toll could be one of the worst natural disasters in US history with up to 1,800 deaths – which is around the same number of people killed in Hurricane Katrina.

According to the USGS prediction, more than 900 people could die from fires sparked by the earthquake, another 650 more from buildings collapsing and being hit by falling debris and at least 150 from transportation accidents, such as car crashes.

The new data about the Santa Monica fault comes after the US West Coast was put on high alert following a massive earthquake near Alaska sparked a tsunami watch warning along the entire coastline, including California.

The 7.9 magnitude earthquake struck 157 miles south-east of Chiniak, at 9.31am GMT (12.31am local time) on Tuesday, January 23.

At the time, the NWS Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said that, based on the preliminary earthquake parameters, “widespread hazardous tsunami waves were possible”.