The Big One. Those three words make locals along the West Coast of North America shudder with fear. This area is plagued by earthquakes. But at least they are ready, unlike the middle of the continent, which is woefully unprepared for the event that could physically rip the United States in half. What could cause this? What would the destruction look like? Would the U.S. become two separate countries? What are megathrust earthquakes? Will tectonic plates create even bigger fault lines?

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