The study found that, given average annual movement rates in other areas of the fault, there could be enough pent-up energy in the southern end to trigger a cataclysmic jolt of up to 10 metres.

Data taken by satellite is more complete than previous studies because measurements were taken every 20 metres instead of at ground stations 10 kilometres apart.

The observed strain rates confirm that the southern section of the San Andreas fault may be approaching the end of the interseismic phase of the earthquake cycle

A sudden lateral movement of seven to 10 metres would be among the largest ever recorded

According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake that destroyed San Francisco in 1906 was produced by a sudden movement of the northern end of the fault of up to 6.4 metres.

There had been no recorded movement at the southern end of the fault - the 1,290km-long geological meeting point of the Pacific and the North American tectonic plates - since the dawn of European settlement in the area.

This lack of movement correlated with the predicted gaps between major earthquakes at the southern end of the fault of between 200 and 300 years.

...European colonialism, not "settlement."

As in, violent imposition of "civilization" on top of indigenous people and nature, i.e. skyscrapers, warehouses, freeways and other unstable, wobbly structures that are supposed to provide an illusion of security and harmony through an underlying, sustained violent disruption of harmony.

Like the 'harmony' of a late stone age culture that the non-indigenous aborigines lived in when they came face to face with the fact that they were a backward culture when the Europeans arrived

DItch "Lord Locksley" / Robbins Mitchell. Ban Him.

He is a deranged Houstonian who seems to go out of his way to get himself banned.

I've been acquainted with this racist sexist creep for 30 years. He's too wierd to hang with the "normals," and has made himself a niche by being a cross dressing racist sexist homophobe among the leftists and bohemians in Houston, who are, on the whole, a fairly serious crowd.

If I didnt know any better I would think that "El Tejano' was really Travis Morales."working class hero" and Mao Tze Tung's number 1 punk

Get rid of the politics and prepare for this quake. It appears that its more likely to occur sooner rather than later (but who really knows). If I am reading this right, a 10 meter shift in the ground is around 30 feet at least at the fault. The seismic waves produced would pretty much level a large amount of structures and highways (even reinforced ones), not to mention destroy most water and gas lines. It would take months if not years to repair them. If the report is true, there is reason to be concerned and prepared. A quake of this magnitude is no joke. Given the population in So. Cal 1000's would be injured and killed. If such a quake would happen, it would make Katrina look like a small disaster and given the government response there, most will be on there own for sometime. Time to Google this report.