California has a more than 95 percent chance of enduring a damaging earthquake in the next 100 years, according to a new U.S. Geological Survey map.
While California is particularly at risk, nearly 75 percent of the United States could experience potentially damaging earthquakes and intense ground shaking, threatening the lives of hundreds of millions of people in the next century, according to the map released by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) on Tuesday.
California has a more than 95 percent chance or greater of enduring a damaging earthquake over the next 100 years, reveals a new U.S. Geological Survey map. /CFP
More than 50 scientists and engineers worked on the latest USGS National Seismic Hazard Model.
It has a color-coded map showing where earthquakes are most likely to occur, based on insights from seismic studies, historical geologic data and the latest data-collection technologies.
The new model suggested California and Alaska, both with a history of seismic events, face a greater degree of shaking.
A bridge was damaged by an earthquake in Alaska, U.S. /CFP
On the East Coast, major cities such as Washington D.C., Philadelphia, New York and Boston might experience more severe earthquakes than previously thought.
The study revealed that 37 U.S. states have experienced earthquakes exceeding magnitude 5 during the last 200 years, highlighting a long history of seismic activity across this country.
The model represented the first assessment of seismic hazards for the entire country and an update to the previous version in 2018.
A damaged road in Hawaii, U.S. /CFP
"The update includes more faults, better-characterized land surfaces, and computational advancements in modeling that provide the most detailed view ever of the earthquake risks we face," said Mark Petersen, USGS geophysicist and lead author of the study, in a press release.
He called the new model "a touchstone achievement for enhancing public safety," as the updated model will inform the future of building and structural design, offering critical insights for architects, engineers and policymakers on how structures are planned and constructed across the country.
Though earthquakes are challenging to forecast, by investigating faults and past quakes, scientists can better assess the likelihood of future earthquakes and how intense their shaking might be, according to the USGS.