UC Riverside team maps stress zones to flag likely sites of giant quakes

A team of geophysicists at the University of California, Riverside has developed a new way to pinpoint regions most prone to the planet’s largest earthquakes by tracking strain along major fault lines. Using GPS data and a custom algorithm, they identified stress-rich segments in subduction zones, including sections of the Hayward Fault that behave similarly to deeper plate boundaries. The researchers explained that although the model cannot forecast when a quake will strike or its secondary effects, it can guide communities in long-term risk mitigation.

Their findings were discussed in the context of a recent magnitude-3.2 quake recorded southeast of Compton by the US Geological Survey. The study also referenced past events such as the 2025 Kamchatka earthquake and the 1952 quake in the same region to illustrate differences in fault rupture and tsunami generation.