🌋CASE STUDY - San Andreas Fault Flashcards
Where is the San Andreas fault?
California, USA
How long is the fault line?
1200km
What type of fault is it?
Transform fault
What type of late boundary is it on?
Conservative
Which plates meet at the boundary?
North American and Pacific
Which cities does the fault run through?
San Francisco, LA, San Jose, Long Beach
What is the estimated cost of damage of the next big earthquake by the US Geological Survey?
$33 billion
How much infrastructure runs though the fault line?
966 roads, 90 fibre optic cables, 39 gas pipes, 141 power lines
What secondary damage would occur due to an earthquake?
Fire, gas leaks, water leaks, cut off transport
What is the estimated death toll if an earthquake occurs?
1800
What tectonic impact would the earthquake have?
It will destabilise the tectonics of the region to such an extent that powerful aftershock occur
When did the US Geological Survey begin drilling into the lithosphere?
2004
Why did they drill into the lithosphere around the fault?
To insert instruments directly into the fault line to directly reveal the physical and chemical processes controlling earthquake generation
At what depths do the measuring instruments lie?
2-3km
What information do the measuring instruments provide?
Seismological observations of small earthquakes, measurements of rock deformation
How accurately can earthquakes be predicted?
Not very accurately, still unpredictable
Why are conservative plate boundaries often considered the deadliest?
Because of the severity of the earthquakes that occur there
Why are the earthquakes so powerful?
Because so much pressure builds up as the friction between the plates increases
Why will the affected area be increased?
An earthquake anywhere along the fault will send violent shockwaves rippling down the fault
