Is the Big One Coming?
By Jaime Gonzalo

It’s been on scientists and doomsday preppers’ minds for a while, but now even the general public are scared–is “The Big One” really coming? Most signs point to yes.

Due to a long absence of an earthquake with a magnitude level above 8, the inevitable earthquake poses a much bigger threat due to the stress it’s accumulated over the years. Are humans to blame? Sadly, humans play a big role to the rise in earthquakes, especially in the year 2016. Although a lot of these earthquakes are weak, they form clusters that could build up to a much bigger one–one that we, as humans, maybe could have prevented. Let’s take a look at the reasons why “The Big One” is really coming our way.

8. It’s Overdue

Talks about the “The Big One” coming have been widespread for years. After the recent earthquakes in Ecuador and Japan, it seems as though the worst is becoming inevitable. If it doesn’t happen soon, then it is just building up stress for an even more catastrophic earthquake.

7. Wastewater Injections

Wastewater is water that is derived from underground that could be too salty or polluted with chemicals. In order to keep the fresh water sources uncontaminated, the wastewater is isolated and injected deep into underground wells. This process increases the chance of earthquakes because the fluid pressure underground can loosen the fault zones, causing faults to slip–even faults that haven’t moved since historical times.

6. Dams and Reservoirs

Dams and reservoirs have a history of inducing earthquakes like the ones in China, California, and India. Dams are meant to carry an insane amount of water and the excess weight can be responsible for rupturing fault lines. This was believed to be the case in the 2008 earthquake in Sichuan, China. Scientists believed that the large amount of mass in such a small area, and it’s location of less than a mile away from a major fault line, might have caused the earthquake.

5. Biblical References

The Revelation in the Bible talk about the end of the world–or doomsday, as people like to call it. In the Revelation, Saint John speaks of catastrophic things happening one after the other and one of the most mentioned catastrophes is an earthquake. The end of the world has long been speculated and with climate change and humans failing mother earth greatly, it is becoming more and more inevitable. Just look around; you don’t need the Bible to realize that the Earth is in danger.

4. Groundwater Extraction

Groundwater Extraction is the process of taking water out of ground and using it for purposes such as irrigation. In the Philippines this is very evident with the “poso.” In other countries, they convert it to usable energy, such as steam. The problem with groundwater extraction is that it causes the water table to drop, which in turn can also destabilize an existing fault. This could create a domino effect of triggering other faults until a “Big One” finally hits.

3. Hydraulic Fracturing/ Fracking

Hydraulic fracturing, or more popularly known as fracking, is the process of digging into the earth’s core to extract oil or gas. The problem with fracking is that it isn’t natural. Drilling holes into the earth is not a good idea, and could cause the Earth to react violently. It could also cause faults to slip if the drill hits a loose one. Frackers have to also dispose of the wastewater that comes with the process, thus bringing us back to point number four. Playing God could be our demise.

2. Planetary Alignment Theory

The Planetary Alignment Theory states that the gravitational pull from other aligned planets can cause the seismic activity in the Earth to vary. This is only believed to happen when certain planets are aligned due to the sun’s solar wind and its ability to affect the Earth’s atmosphere. More info on the Planetary Alignment Theory can be found in a 1974 book by John Gribbin entitled The Jupiter Effect.

1. Japan, Myanmar, and Ecuador Warnings

Scientists have proven that extremely large earthquakes can trigger other earthquakes over large distances. There have been seven earthquakes in the Pacific region during the past few days and this has alarmed scientists worldwide. Scientists have really no way of predicting when an earthquake will come, but can use these warning signs of earthquakes in the Pacific to help people prepare for the day “The Big One” comes. The alarming rate of earthquakes in the year 2016 alone is scaring everybody and the best thing people can do is to make sure they are well prepared when, not if, calamity strikes.

Any theories on The Big One? Sound off in the comments below!