The odds of the earth moving beneath the feet of Southern Californians just got a lot higher. According to a newly published study, a fault line that stretches along that coast could produce earthquakes far more severe than previously suspected. The research centered on what has long been considered two distinct geological features: the Newport-Inglewood Fault and the Rose Canyon Fault. It turns out that these two systems are actually one continuous fault. Like an underwater scar, this fault traces a jagged route from San Diego Bay to the Los Angeles Basin.