LA on earthquake alert as fault lines hit highest stress levels in history: stud

"could threaten nearly 24 million people across Southern California"

"Southern California's crust is 'critically stressed and ready to rupture'"

"earthquake gate"

"edging closer to 'the big one,' with new research finding earthquake stress has reached its highest levels"

"cascading disruptions"

"Ahmed Elbanna, director of the Statewide California Earthquake Center and professor of earth sciences and engineering"

"Liliane Burkhard, a professor of space research and planetary science at the University of Bern"

"highest stress levels in at least 1,000 years along two of California's most dangerous fault systems"

"Whether that event would happen tomorrow, or in 10 years, that's the part that we don't know"

"major earthquake...major earthquake...large-sized event...big one"