San andreas fault line map
The San Andreas Fault is a strike slip fault, more specifically a right lateral-slip fault. Each fault has a different motion or movement of the crust. There are three type of faults, a normal fault, a reverse fault and a transform or strike-slip fault. Most faults are between two tectonic plate boundaries.
#San andreas fault line map crack#
A fault is a deep crack in the Earth’s crust. Now that you know where the fault is let’s talk about what kind of fault it is. So the state of California sits on two tectonic plates. On the west side of the fault is the Pacific Plate. On the east side of the San Andreas Fault is the North American Plate which is what the continent sits on. Tectonic plates are what make up the Earth’s crust where the oceans and continents rest on. The San Andreas fault is the separation between two tectonic plates. Other places to see the fault occur along the fault line either a desert or a city that the fault runs through. To see the mountains you can travel up the Palm Springs Aerial Tram to the top of the mountain and look down on the valley. This fault is responsible for the San Jacinto mountains which are the tallest mountains within Riverside County. Also in Palm Springs you can see a different branch of the fault called the San Jacinto Fault. Soil features would include metamorphic rocks such as gneiss and a powder like ground clay. You can see the mountain features, the soil features and what is called a vegetation lineament, that is where there are more plants on one side of the fault then on the other. At this site you can see a branch of the fault called the Banning Fault.
![san andreas fault line map san andreas fault line map](https://www.mdpi.com/geosciences/geosciences-07-00015/article_deploy/html/images/geosciences-07-00015-g001.png)
Another good place to see evidence of the fault is the Coachella Valley Preserve near Palm Springs. At this spot the fault has created many valleys and mountains that are visible as well as ridges on top of the fault itself. One place to visit is the Carrizo Plain National Monument about 100 miles north of Los Angeles. Remember you will not see a huge opening in the ground but features that the fault produces on the surface. If you want to actually see the fault there are many places you can go too. It passes near or through cities like, El Centro, Palm Springs, San Bernardino, Palmdale, Parkfield, Santa Cruz and San Francisco. The fault starts in the Gulf of California, and travels north through Baja, past the Salton Sea, all the way up to San Francisco and exit’s the bay where it continues to run along the coast until it ends near Eureka, CA. So the San Andreas Fault system is located in the state of California. Now let’s get started.īefore I talk about the location of the San Andreas Fault I need to make it clear that the fault is actually a system of little faults called branches that all run in the same direction. I will also go over some basic geology ideas and terms to help you clarify any lingering questions. Like, where is it located exactly? What kind of fault is it? And what major earthquakes has it let off? I will explain the answers to these questions from both a personal and scientific view.
![san andreas fault line map san andreas fault line map](https://s.hdnux.com/photos/70/76/70/14937622/3/1200x0.jpg)
I am here to answer any questions that you may have about the San Andreas Fault.