Summary:
- Supershear earthquakes are a rare and extremely destructive type of earthquake that can cause significantly more damage than a typical earthquake.
- These earthquakes occur when the rupture of the fault propagates at a speed faster than the shear waves in the surrounding rock, creating a "sonic boom" effect that amplifies the shaking and destruction.
- Scientists warn that the San Andreas Fault in California is capable of producing a devastating supershear earthquake, which could be much more damaging to buildings and infrastructure than a regular earthquake of the same magnitude.