--- description: Researchers said they have found a new, underwater fault line in California that runs along the Salton Sea. title: New Fault Line Found in Southern California image: https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6e7d573fbb5219e5/6988a8f32dce0134819eaed5/salton-sea-trough-falt-line-discovered-califonia.jpg?branch=production&width=3840&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=16:9 ---  * [Science](/section/science/) ## Science Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close * [earthquakes](/tag/earthquakes/) ## earthquakes Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close # New Fault Line Found in Southern California  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 6, 2016 3:22 PM CUT  In this May 1, 2015 aerial picture, exposed lakebed of the Salton Sea dries out near Niland, Calif. In this May 1, 2015 aerial picture, exposed lakebed of the Salton Sea dries out near Niland, Calif.Gregory Bull—AP  by [Julia Zorthian](/author/julia-zorthian/)  ## Julia Zorthian Update your preferences in [Account Settings](/account/preferences/) Close Oct 6, 2016 3:22 PM CUT Researchers said they have [found](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/10/06/new-fault-line-salton-sea/91651230/ "undefined") a new, underwater fault line in southern California that runs along the Salton Sea and parallel to the San Andreas Fault. A study that examines the newly named Salton Trough Fault appeared in the _Bulletin of the Seismological Society of America_ this week. Researchers still need to determine the line’s length and location before its danger can be fully understood, _USA Today_ reports. A [recent swarm](http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Researchers-Discover-New-Fault-Line-in-Southern-California-396106411.html "undefined") of about 200 earthquakes in the state has put fault lines—and the danger of the “Big One”—at the front of people’s minds, but study coauthor Valerie Sahakian said this fault line is unrelated to the uptick. > [](https://twitter.com/EdJoyce/status/783763854232735744) Sahakian also said finding new fault lines is fairly rare, but the Salton Trough Fault was harder to locate since it runs underwater. \[[_USA Today_](http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2016/10/06/new-fault-line-salton-sea/91651230/ "undefined")\] ```json [{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"NewsArticle","@id":"https://time.com/4521244/new-fault-line-california-salton-trough/","mainEntityOfPage":{"@type":"WebPage","@id":"https://time.com/4521244/new-fault-line-california-salton-trough/"},"headline":"New Fault Line Found in Southern California","datePublished":"2016-10-06T15:22:44.000Z","dateModified":"2026-02-23T01:03:07.906Z","description":"Researchers said they have found the Salton Trough Fault, parallel to the San Andreas Fault","url":"https://time.com/4521244/new-fault-line-california-salton-trough/","keywords":["earthquakes"],"thumbnailUrl":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6e7d573fbb5219e5/6988a8f32dce0134819eaed5/salton-sea-trough-falt-line-discovered-califonia.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","author":[{"@type":"Person","name":"Julia Zorthian","jobTitle":null,"url":"https://time.com/author/julia-zorthian/"}],"articleSection":"Science","image":[{"@type":"ImageObject","url":"https://static.time.com/v3/assets/bltea6093859af6183b/blt6e7d573fbb5219e5/6988a8f32dce0134819eaed5/salton-sea-trough-falt-line-discovered-califonia.jpg?branch=production&width=1200&quality=75&auto=webp&crop=1200:675&height=675","width":1200,"height":675,"headline":"salton sea trough falt line discovered califonia","caption":"salton sea trough falt line discovered califonia","creditText":"Gregory Bull—AP","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":"/tag/earthquakes/","name":"earthquakes"}},{"@type":"ListItem","position":3,"item":{"@id":"https://time.com/4521244/new-fault-line-california-salton-trough/","name":"New Fault Line Found in Southern California"}}]},{"@context":"https://schema.org","@type":"VideoObject","name":"Scientists Discover Connection Between Full Moon and Earthquakes","description":"The study was led by three researchers from the University of Tokyo","thumbnailUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/v2/media/nfQEIRsd/poster.jpg?width=720","uploadDate":"2016-09-13T20:27:15.000Z","contentUrl":"https://cdn.jwplayer.com/manifests/nfQEIRsd.m3u8","embedUrl":"https://time.com/4521244/new-fault-line-california-salton-trough/","duration":"PT46S","potentialAction":{"@type":"SeekToAction","target":"https://time.com/4521244/new-fault-line-california-salton-trough/?jw_start={seek_to_second_number}","startOffset-input":"required name=seek_to_second_number"}}] ```