San Andreas Fault In California
California is home to many great landmarks and tourist attractions, Disneyland, Universal Studios, many great sports teams like the Lakers and The 49ers, the Golden Gate bridge, and Alcatraz. However, one of the biggest states in the country is in danger of mass destruction from a huge crack in the ground called the San Andreas Fault. What is the science behind this fault? why should people fear it? and what could be the result of another devastating earthquake?
The San Andreas Fault is a place where two massive tectonic plates, specifically the North American and Pacific plates. The small split in the ground extends more than 800 miles and is roughly ten miles deep. The SAF is located in Northern California, and extends to Cajon Pass in the San Bernardino Mountains. The SAF was formed around fifteen to twenty million years ago. the fault, classified as a Right Lateral Strike-Slip fault, was formed when the North American and Pacific plates came into contact with each other. When this happened, what is now known as the San Andreas Fault came into existence. Thousands of small earthquakes occur along this fault every year, however it is not uncommon for there to be massive earthquakes accompanied by this fault. For example, the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 which devastated most of the buildings and roads in Southern California, was a victim of …show more content…
this fault. This earthquake took over seven-hundred lives and costed millions in damages and repairs.
Millions of faults exist all over the world. Some are razor thin and microscopic, others are visible to the human eye. Of these millions of faults, very few can cause damage equal to the amount that the SAF is capable of. Because of the Faults tremendous size, it makes sense why so many earthquakes occur along its edges. But why can they be so powerful, compared to other faults? This question has dwelled in the minds of scientists for years, and one theory that could possibly explain the massive earthquakes could be the process of elastic rebound, this theory describes the amount of energy that is spread during earthquakes. The greater the amount or elastic rebound, the greater magnitude of the earthquake. Another possible explanation could be that the fault is so dangerous simply because of it’s size, most faults are razor thin and microscopic, while the San Andreas fault is over 800 miles long and then miles deep.
The book Magnitude 8 by Filip L.
Fradkin, is a book about the fault located in Southern California called the San Andreas Fault. The book entails many stories about earthquakes, some fatal, others miniscule. Not only does he happen to live in Southern California, his house is right next to the fault; so he has multiple first hand experiences with the fault. This book is relevant to my question because the stories talk about how the ground would shake when these happened, how the cars would bounce off the road, how buildings would shake, how bridges would collapse, and many more terrifying events during these
quakes.
The San Andreas Fault is one of many wonders in the world, let alone California. But people should be aware of the danger this fault brings. In conclusion, the reason the San Andreas fault is so dangerous could be because of elastic rebound, it could be because of the faults massive size, or maybe because of the two massive plates that caused it. But the answer is yet to be truly defined by scientists, and will remain one of the earth's greatest mysteries.
The San Andreas Fault is a place where two massive tectonic plates, specifically the North American and Pacific plates. The small split in the ground extends more than 800 miles and is roughly ten miles deep. The SAF is located in Northern California, and extends to Cajon Pass in the San Bernardino Mountains. The SAF was formed around fifteen to twenty million years ago. the fault, classified as a Right Lateral Strike-Slip fault, was formed when the North American and Pacific plates came into contact with each other. When this happened, what is now known as the San Andreas Fault came into existence. Thousands of small earthquakes occur along this fault every year, however it is not uncommon for there to be massive earthquakes accompanied by this fault. For example, the San Francisco earthquake of 1906 which devastated most of the buildings and roads in Southern California, was a victim of …show more content…
this fault. This earthquake took over seven-hundred lives and costed millions in damages and repairs.
Millions of faults exist all over the world. Some are razor thin and microscopic, others are visible to the human eye. Of these millions of faults, very few can cause damage equal to the amount that the SAF is capable of. Because of the Faults tremendous size, it makes sense why so many earthquakes occur along its edges. But why can they be so powerful, compared to other faults? This question has dwelled in the minds of scientists for years, and one theory that could possibly explain the massive earthquakes could be the process of elastic rebound, this theory describes the amount of energy that is spread during earthquakes. The greater the amount or elastic rebound, the greater magnitude of the earthquake. Another possible explanation could be that the fault is so dangerous simply because of it’s size, most faults are razor thin and microscopic, while the San Andreas fault is over 800 miles long and then miles deep.
The book Magnitude 8 by Filip L.
Fradkin, is a book about the fault located in Southern California called the San Andreas Fault. The book entails many stories about earthquakes, some fatal, others miniscule. Not only does he happen to live in Southern California, his house is right next to the fault; so he has multiple first hand experiences with the fault. This book is relevant to my question because the stories talk about how the ground would shake when these happened, how the cars would bounce off the road, how buildings would shake, how bridges would collapse, and many more terrifying events during these
quakes.
The San Andreas Fault is one of many wonders in the world, let alone California. But people should be aware of the danger this fault brings. In conclusion, the reason the San Andreas fault is so dangerous could be because of elastic rebound, it could be because of the faults massive size, or maybe because of the two massive plates that caused it. But the answer is yet to be truly defined by scientists, and will remain one of the earth's greatest mysteries.