Scientist Warns MEGA EARTHQUAKE Threating Millions Will Hit USA as Early as FRIDAY

A GEOLOGIST has warned a devastating earthquake and tsunami could hit the United States, potentially threatening millions of lives, within the next 48 hours.

Jim Berkland, a former US Geological Survey scientist, who once famously predicted the Loma Prieta quake, said mega quakes usually strike at a new moon or full moon because of the gravitation effect on the Earth…and the next full moon is on FRIDAY.

The maverick, now retired, scientist spoke out after eight powerful earthquakes struck across south Asia and the pacific in the past 80 hours, claiming hundreds of lives in Japan and Ecuador.

Mr Berkland predicted on October 13, 1989, an earthquake of magnitude 3.5 to 6.0 would strike San Francisco within the next week.

Four days later on October 17 a magnitude 6.9 quake hit Loma Prieta in northern California.

He now says 20 of the world’s last 25 mega quakes have happened during new or full moons.

Jim Berkland discussing earthquakes on US TV news

He is most concerned about the the San Andreas Fault through California and the Cascadia Subduction Zone, which is further north along the coast of Oregon and Washington State.

He says both areas are long over due a so-called “Big One” earthquake and would likely cause devastating tsunamis to surge over the west coast if it happened.

He said: “Beware the new and full moons.”

He says this causes “equinoctal tides”, which are extreme gravitational forces that cause solid earth to expand and contract, in the way ocean tides rise and fall.

Mr Berkland studied geology at the University of California, Berkeley.

Jim Berkland claims the new or full moon can cause a mega earthquake by tidal pull

In 2006 a book about him called The Man Who Predicts Earthquakes was published and he continues forewarning of tragedy on his website.

Mainstream scientists dispute his theories on what causes earthquakes.

But worryingly another self-styled earthquake predictor has also warned of a mega quake on Friday or Saturday.

Franks Hoogerbeets from the Netherlands, who has no science background, studies planetary alignments to predict when a quake might strike.

He released videos last month warning of a series of quakes in this part of April, culminating on the 22 or 23.

A night before the Japan and Philippines quakes last week he posted on Facebook to be wary of earthquake activity in both areas.

Sceptics say he just got lucky this time, as he has been out on previous predictions.

But all scientist agree the west coast US is long overdue a big quake.