Published 22nd March 2017.
A MASSIVE earthquake could plunge entire cities into the sea instantly, according to a shocking new report.
SHOCK: The report warns cities could be thrown into the sea by the quake
California is at risk of falling by at least three feet as a result of a devastating earthquake, the study warned.
The findings showed the Orange County coast is prone to a dramatic and sudden “sinking” after discovering evidence of ancient tsunami activity that dropped land in the region.
Robert Leeper, who carried out the study with the help of the US Geological Survey, said: “It is not just a gradual sinking. This is boom — it would drop. It’s very rapid sinking.”
California has a population of almost 40 million, most of whom live in the endangered coastal areas.
Los Angeles and San Francisco would be most at risk as they lie on the San Andreas fault line.
But a big enough earthquake has the potential to affect a number of other coastal cities like Monterey and Santa Barbara.
“Earthquakes can happen at any time. We can’t predict them," Leeper added.
“All we can do is try to understand how often they occur in the past, and be prepared for when the next one does occur.”
TERROR: The tremor could affect millions of people living in California
The study showed that land within major Californian seismic faults could sink by 1.5 and three feet in a matter of seconds, causing catastrophic devastation in California's cities.
Kate Scharer, a co-author on the study, said: “Sudden dropping of land could cause damage to infrastructure, such as roads or pipes not designed to handle such a rapid fall."
“Earthquakes elsewhere have caused sudden drops. Pine trees that once grew above the beach suddenly dropped below sea level, killing the trees as salt water washed over their roots.”
The announcement follows a string of natural disasters with Mount Etna having exploded earlier this month.
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