Brace Yourself: Earthquake Words

In the film, the infamous fault finally gives, causing a magnitude 9.0 seismic upheaval.

The most powerful temblors in recorded history have struck along offshore subduction zones where one massive tectonic plate dives beneath another.

The quake was felt in Las Vegas about 125 miles south of the epicenter.

From the boom and bust of the Gold Rush to a new population living on the fault lines, California's uncertainty is built into our lives.

Giant tsunami waves are formed when the Earth's crust violently shifts, displacing huge amounts of seawater.

In the film, the infamous fault finally gives, causing a magnitude 9.0 seismic upheaval.

‘San Andreas is locked and loaded,’ ” says director Brad Peyton (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island), referring to the real threat of a colossal California earthquake.

‘San Andreas is locked and loaded,’ ” says director Brad Peyton (Journey 2: The Mysterious Island), referring to the real threat of a colossal California earthquake.

In the film, the infamous fault finally gives, causing a magnitude 9.0 seismic upheaval.

Following the catastrophe, a search-and-rescue helicopter pilot (Dwayne Johnson) and his estranged wife (Carla Gugino) head from L.A. to San Francisco to save their only daughter (Alexandra Daddario).