New GPS technique pinpoints likely zones for future mega-earthquakes
Researchers at the University of California, Riverside have devised a GPS-based method to locate locked fault segments where stress builds up before large quakes.
Using continuous GPS observations, scientists at the University of California, Riverside have created an algorithm that maps the portions of fault lines that become locked as tectonic plates grind past each other. These locked zones, known as asperities, store strain until it is released in a major earthquake. The method successfully identified the stress-filled segment beneath the Kamchatka Peninsula, where an 8.8-magnitude megathrust event occurred in July 2025, triggering tsunami warnings along the U.S. West Coast.
Lead author Axel Periollat says the results confirm the technique’s potential, though it cannot predict the exact timing of a quake. Co-author Gareth Funning stresses that preparedness remains essential, especially in places like Southern California where the question is not if but when a large quake will strike. Findings were published in Geophysical Research Letters.
