Millions of southern Californians are expected to take part in the largest earthquake drill in U.S. history at 10 a.m. on November 13.

The Great Southern California ShakeOut drill is based on a magnitude 7.8 earthquake on the southern San Andreas Fault.

Not only is the drill unique in its size but it is also an innovation in the way earthquake scenarios are created. The U.S. Geological Survey brought together some 300 scientists, engineers, and others representing a range of specialties to write a detailed technical report on the consequences of a quake of this magnitude.

Geologists considered the amount of stored strain on the fault with the greatest risk of rupture. Seismologists and computer scientists modeled the ground shaking that would occur. Engineers and other professionals used the shaking to produce a picture of the damage to buildings, roads, pipelines, and other infrastructure. Social scientists projected casualties, emergency response, and the impact of the earthquake on southern California’s economy and society.

Building codes and other precautions in the earthquake-prone region have reduced the risk of death in earthquakes, but economic and social systems are still vulnerable to the effects of a major quake, according to drill planners. A weeklong series of events to motivate residents of southern California to get ready for the big earthquake will center on the drill.

A 24-page circular, The Great Southern California ShakeOut Scenario – A Story That Southern Californians Are Writing, includes a fictional narrative that begins 10 minutes before the quake strikes, follows events in minute-by-minute intervals, continues in longer intervals for the following days, and ends two years later. Computer-generated “snapshots” show the ground movements of the earthquake

Earthquakes will be among the natural forces covered in the theme of the December issue of Beyond Penguins and Polar Bears—Earth’s Changing Surface—with an emphasis on the polar regions.