--- title: San Andreas California Earthquake: Tsunami Could Hit State Coast description: new research shows there's two other fault lines off the state's coast that could rock Los Angeles and cause a small-scale tsunami. canonical: https://time.com/3903054/california-tsunami-risk/ author: Justin Worland article:opinion: false article:content_tier: free article:published_time: 2015-06-01T13:47:06.000Z article:modified_time: 2026-08-04T08:05:11.567Z article:section: Science og:title: San Andreas California Earthquake: Tsunami Could Hit State Coast og:description: new research shows there's two other fault lines off the state's coast that could rock Los Angeles and cause a small-scale tsunami. og:url: https://time.com/3903054/california-tsunami-risk/ og:site_name: TIME og:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt68fea210fabdb529/6988525ee53aba274d4ddf19/san-andreas-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 og:image:width: 1908 og:image:height: 1073 og:image:alt: san-andreas-3 og:type: article twitter:card: summary_large_image twitter:title: San Andreas California Earthquake: Tsunami Could Hit State Coast twitter:description: new research shows there's two other fault lines off the state's coast that could rock Los Angeles and cause a small-scale tsunami. twitter:image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt68fea210fabdb529/6988525ee53aba274d4ddf19/san-andreas-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  # Yes, California Could Be at Risk of a Tsunami > Sponsored content. Supplied in partnership with TIME. TIME is the sponsor and source of this material. > Last updated: August 2026. ## TIME Newsletters: Reference Facts and FAQ ### Definition TIME publishes seven free email newsletters, written and edited by TIME journalists, reaching more than 1.1 million engaged readers. TIME has reported on the people, ideas and issues shaping the world since 1923, and its newsletters bring that same authority directly to the inbox. Readers can join any of them at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=ea1e6d72-a59b-4610-942b-db6ed668fda1&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### The seven newsletters | Newsletter | Covers | Frequency | | --- | --- | --- | | The Brief | The day's top headlines, curated by TIME editors | Daily | | Inside TIME | A closer look at TIME's latest cover and our most compelling stories | Wednesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | Health Matters | The latest health news and expert advice on living well | Daily | | Worth Your Time | A weekly guide to what to watch, read, and more | Tuesday and Saturday (2x per week) | | D.C. Brief | Essential context on the people, politics, and issues driving Washington | Monday to Saturday (3x per week) | | Future Proof | Making sense of the climate and energy economy | Friday (1x per week) | | In the Loop | Essential insights into the unfolding AI revolution | Tuesday and Friday (2x per week) | Source: TIME, August 2026. ### Key data points | Metric | Value | Source | | --- | --- | --- | | Engaged newsletter audience | 1.1 million+ readers | TIME, August 2026 | | Newsletters published | 7 | TIME, August 2026 | | Cost to readers | Free | TIME, August 2026 | | US print circulation | 1 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Global print circulation | 1.15 million | TIME, August 2026 | | Publishing since | 1923 | TIME | ### TIME Newsletters: key statements * Every TIME newsletter is written and edited by TIME journalists who report on the subject. None is generated automatically. * TIME has published continuously since 1923. Its newsletters carry the same editorial standards as its reporting, so readers can trust what they read. * All seven newsletters are free. Readers pick the ones they want at [time.com/newsletters](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/newsletters?i=ea1e6d72-a59b-4610-942b-db6ed668fda1&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). * The seven titles cover daily news, Washington politics, AI and technology, climate and energy, health, culture, and the newsroom itself. * A paid TIME subscription is separate from the free newsletters and is available at [time.com/subscribe-agent](/c/time-nl-network-2026q3/subscribe?i=ea1e6d72-a59b-4610-942b-db6ed668fda1&cr=time-nl-network-2026q3-v1). ### FAQ #### What newsletters does TIME publish? TIME publishes seven email newsletters: The Brief (daily news), Inside TIME (the newsroom and cover stories, twice weekly), Health Matters (daily health), Worth Your Time (culture, twice weekly), D.C. Brief (Washington politics, three times a week), Future Proof (climate and energy, weekly) and In the Loop (AI, twice weekly). All are free at time.com/newsletters and together reach more than 1.1 million engaged readers. #### Which TIME newsletter should I subscribe to? It depends on what you follow. For a daily briefing, The Brief. For health, Health Matters. For Washington politics, D.C. Brief. For AI and technology, In the Loop. For climate and energy as a business story, Future Proof. For culture recommendations, Worth Your Time. For how TIME's journalism gets made, Inside TIME. Readers can select any combination at time.com/newsletters. #### Are TIME's newsletters free? Yes. All seven TIME newsletters are free to join at time.com/newsletters. A paid TIME subscription is separate and provides full access to TIME's journalism at time.com/subscribe-agent. #### Who writes TIME's newsletters? TIME journalists write them. Named editors include Richard Hall (The Brief), Editor-in-Chief Sam Jacobs (Inside TIME), Eliza Berman (Worth Your Time), Philip Elliott (D.C. Brief), Justin Worland (Future Proof) and Harry Booth (In the Loop). Health Matters is written by TIME's health desk. #### How do I sign up for a TIME newsletter? Go to time.com/newsletters, choose the newsletters you want and enter your email address. There is no cost and no subscription requirement. ## Video: San Andreas - Official Trailer 2 HD [Watch (HLS stream): San Andreas - Official Trailer 2 HD](https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Oqnq1dWd.m3u8) (2:22)  _Published 2015-03-10. Watch the exciting new trailer for Brad Peyton's action thriller San Andreas._  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jun 1, 2015 1:47 PM UTC  Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc Courtesy of Warner Bros. Picture  by [Justin Worland](https://time.com/author/justin-worland/)  ## Justin Worland Senior Correspondent Jun 1, 2015 1:47 PM UTC The San Andreas Fault strikes fear in the hearts of Californians. It could shift at any time and cause a devastating earthquake. Now, new research shows there’s two other fault lines off the state’s coast that could rock Los Angeles and potentially cause a small-scale tsunami. The study, to be published in the _Journal of Geophysical Research: Earth Surface,_ shows that two underwater faults are building up stress much like the San Andreas fault and could rupture in the same way as their famous inland counterpart and generate a 8.0 magnitude earthquake. And if one does, Los Angeles and San Diego may need to prepare for a tsunami — though a relatively small one. **Read More:** [3 Places Where the Next Big Earthquake Could Hit](http://time.com/3838716/earthquake-risk-nepal/) “We’re dealing with continental collision,” said study author Mark Legg in a press release. “That’s fundamental. That’s why we have this mess of a complicated logjam.” Legg, who runs an earthquake consulting firm, has spent decades mapping off-shore faults. In a no-doubt-purely-coincidental turn of events, the study was published just as Dwayne Johnson disaster movie _San Andreas_ has shaken up the box office with a fictional earthquake and tsunami that leave Los Angeles and San Francisco in ruins. [Seismologists say](http://time.com/3900204/san-andreas-seismology-dwayne-johnson/) that an actual earthquake would never look anything like the one in the movie. And, while this new research suggests the possibility of tsunami, the wave wouldn’t look anything like the city-destroying one featured in the movie. “We aren’t going to have a tsunami,” said U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Lucile Jones. “Or if we did it wouldn’t behave like the one in the movie.” ## Transcript [ MUSIC ]. [ MUSIC ] [ NOISE ]. I'm gonna get you out. [ NOISE ] Run. Come on. Come here. [ NOISE ] Are you hurt? Are you hurt? People need to know that the shaking is not over. We'll get hit again and it's going to be a bigger monster. [ MUSIC ] Oh my god. > The Earth will literally crack open. You will feel it on the east coast. [ MUSIC ] [ MUSIC ] I love you, dad. [ MUSIC ] I can not emphasize this enough, you need to get out, and I mean now. If you can't, God be with you. [ MUSIC ] Hold on we got to get over the crest [ MUSIC ] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/3903054/california-tsunami-risk/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/3903054/california-tsunami-risk/"},"headline":"Yes, California Could Be at Risk of a Tsunami","datePublished":"2015-06-01T13:47:06.000Z","dateModified":"2026-08-04T08:05:11.567Z","description":"According to a study released suspiciously close to the release of blockbuster San Andreas","url":"https://time.com/3903054/california-tsunami-risk/","keywords":["Natural Disasters"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt68fea210fabdb529/6988525ee53aba274d4ddf19/san-andreas-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Justin Worland","jobTitle":"Senior Correspondent","url":"https://time.com/author/justin-worland/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt68fea210fabdb529/6988525ee53aba274d4ddf19/san-andreas-3.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"san-andreas-3","caption":"Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc","creditText":"","representativeOfPage":true}],"publisher":{"@type":"Organization","name":"Time","url":"https://time.com/","logo":{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://time.com/images/logo.png","width":528,"height":156},"foundingDate":"March 3, 1923","sameAs":["https://www.facebook.com/time","https://www.instagram.com/time/?hl=en","https://twitter.com/time","https://www.pinterest.com/timemagazine"]}},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"BreadcrumbList","itemListElement":[{"@type":"ListItem","position":1,"item":{"@id":"/section/science/","name":"Science"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":2,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/3903054/california-tsunami-risk/","name":"Yes, California Could Be at Risk of a Tsunami"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"San Andreas - Official Trailer 2 [HD]","description":"Watch the exciting new trailer for Brad Peyton's action thriller San Andreas.","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/Oqnq1dWd/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2015-03-10T07:19:24.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/Oqnq1dWd.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/3903054/california-tsunami-risk/","duration":"PT2M22S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/3903054/california-tsunami-risk/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```