U.S. geologists announced last Friday that the major earthquake called the “Big One” which has been forecast to soon occur on the San Andreas fault could be of a higher magnitude than experts previously calculated.

For several years, seismologists and geologists have anticipated that the southern portion of the fault is long overdue for a major rupture, but the latest findings have prodded researchers from the University of California in Irvine and Arizona State University to upgrade their estimates for the magnitude and duration of the predicted earthquake.

While constant creeping in the northern section of the fault prevents it from building the tension that would produce large quakes, the 340-mile southern section—running from Monterey County to the Salton Sea—could slip abruptly at any time, resulting in a massive 8.1 magnitude quake, the report said. And the researchers believe the rupture is not far off.

“The next earthquake could be sooner than later,” said Lisa Grant Ludwig, co-author of the University of California study.

At 8.1 magnitude, the “Big One” would be significantly wider and stronger than the last earthquake to occur along southern San Andreas. The last quake, which struck in 1857, was a 7.9 magnitude that ruptured 200 miles of fault. An 8.1 rupture could cause much more damage than the last quake because its radius would extend further and the shaking would last longer. A magnitude 8.1 quake would release twice the energy of the 1857 tremor, said Thomas Jordan, director of the Southern California Earthquake Center.

“My concern is that we will get a series of large earthquakes along the San Andreas fault,” said Jordan.

Back in July, Trumpet columnist Brad Macdonald wrote about the “Big One”:

Both science and Bible prophecy agree that a large earthquake in California is inevitable. … In Matthew 24 … Jesus told His disciples that terrible natural disasters would precede His Second Coming, and He warned specifically that there would be earthquakes in different places. Of course, as the scientists are quick to tell us, earthquakes routinely occur “in different places.” Christ, however, was warning that not only would there be an uptick in the number of earthquakes, but that these quakes would inflict greater damage on mankind.He was prophesying that large, devastating earthquakes would increasingly rumble through densely populated areas. Already in 2010 we’ve witnessed this occur in Haiti, and to a lesser extent in Chile. For Americans, these devastating quakes are really a chilling sign: Both science and Bible prophecy warn that a massive earthquake is inevitable in California!

The groaning and constricted energy building up along the great San Andreas fault line will be released sooner or later. With densely populated Los Angeles County situated at the fault line’s southern end, such an occurrence could be catastrophic beyond words. But as Mr. Macdonald made plain, such disasters are a sign that the most hope-filled event ever to occur is very near!