Fears of a massive earthquake in Western Washington have haunted seismologists and many others for a long time. Experts agree a quake of magnitude 9.0 is inevitable.

Worse in geologic time, it could happen relatively soon. Sandi Doughton, West Seattle-based author of Full Rip 9.0: The Next Big Earthquake in the Pacific Northwest (Sasquatch Books, 2013) will speak about that potential at “Words, Writers & West Seattle” from 5 to 7 p.m. Friday, Nov. 7, 2014, at Barnes & Noble Westwood Village. Doughton is the science writer for the Seattle Times.

Any purchases made by those attending the talk for the next five days will net 10 percent of proceeds to the Southwest Seattle Historical Society under the Barnes & Noble Bookfair program.

Scientists have identified Seattle, Portland, and Vancouver as the urban centers of what will be the biggest earthquake, also called a mega-quake, in the continental United States.

In Doughton’s fascinating book, she introduces readers to the scientists who are dedicated to understanding the way the earth moves and describes what patterns can be identified and how prepared (or not) people are.

With a 100 percent chance of a mega-quake hitting the Pacific Northwest, she reports on the scientists who are trying to understand when, where, and just how big the "Big One" will be.