San Andreas Fault

Question 1

When do Conservative plate boundaries occur?

Answer 1

Two plates meet, but they move parallel to each other. They can move side-by-side, either in the same direction at different speeds or in the opposite directions.

Question 2

The San Andreas Fault is what type of plate boundary?

Answer 2

Conservative

Question 3

How large is the San Andreas Fault?

Answer 3

800 Km

Question 4

Which major US state does the line cross through?

Answer 4

California

Question 5

Which two plates are on each side of the boundary?

Answer 5

North American Plate

Pacific Plate

Question 6

Both plates at the boundary are travelling the same direction, but at different speeds.
State the speed that each plate is travelling.

Answer 6

North American Plate moves 6 cm per year

Pacific Plate moves 10 cm per year

Question 7

Both plates at the boundary are travelling the same direction.
State the direction of travel for the plates.

Answer 7

Northwest

Question 8

Explain how an earthquake is created at a conservative plate boundary.

Answer 8

As the plates move past each other, friction causes them to get stuck. Pressure builds up until eventually the rock fractures and the land jolts in an earthquake.

Question 9

Are volcanoes formed at conservative plate boundaries.

Answer 9

No

Question 10

The San Andreas fault line is relatively flat land, explain why there are no volcanoes at the fault.

Answer 10

Magma does not rise to fill a gap as there is no gap created by the tectonic movement. Therefor no new land formed, and no land is destroyed (as no land is subducted)

Question 11

The Richter Scale is logarithmic, what does this mean?

Answer 11

An increase by 1 on the scale means that power is increased by 10 not 1.