Who's Next? When and Where Will the Next Really Big Earthquake Occur on the West Coast?

In the past decade, very strong earthquakes have occurred around the margins of the Pacific Ocean, in Indonesia, Japan and Chile. Because of these earthquakes, some people have suggested that the next “Big One” will be on the West Coast of the United States. Does this make sense, and if so, will the Big One strike in California or farther up the coast in Washington and Oregon? In this course, we will examine what causes large earthquakes, what we know about the past history of major earthquakes on the West Coast, the evidence that indicates that we are “overdue” for a strong earthquake, and what the impacts of such an earthquake might be.