California is poised for major earthquake THIS YEAR - says new study tracking San Andreas Fault activity

California could be months ways from having a major 6-magnitude earthquake - which would be one of the biggest seismic events in two decades.

A new study has found quakes happen every 22 years at the Parkfield section of the San Andreas Fault in central California, which runs through Eureka and ends just past Palm Springs.

The most recent quake along this stretch of the fault was a 6-magintidue in 2004, which followed a previous magnitude-6.7 one in 1983, a 6.0 in 1966 and a 6.5-magnitude quake in 1934.

Parkfield is suspected to be nearing the end of its quiet period and an earthquake could strike the fault line this year, according to lead researcher Luca Malagnini.

Scientists have long been monitoring the San Andreas Fault Line that is predicted to be the source of the 'Big One.' 

Researchers determined that quakes happen every 22 years at the Parkfield section of the fault line in central California, with the last one hitting in 2004

xperts believe a major quake - usually defined as 7.0 and up - could kill at least 1,800, leave 50,000 injured and cause more than $200 billion in damage.

On September 28, 2004, an earthquake shook the area with an epicenter at the town of Parkfield, home to just 37 people at the time.

The quake was felt across a 350-mile radius - from Orange County to Sacramento.

Scientists also clocked in 150 aftershocks following the seismic event. 

On October 17, 1989, a 6.9-magnitured quake with an epicenter about 150 miles away in Loma Pietra but also along the San Andreas Fault killed 63 people and injured 3,757, leaving around $16.8 billion of damage after 20 seconds of shaking.

Malagnini, director of researcher at the National Institute of Geophysics and Volcanology in Italy, told Live Science that he believes a quake is set for the Parkfield section of the fault this year, but may not strike at the 2004 epicenter.