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The San Andreas fault has caused a number of high magnitude earthquakes and is located in close proximity to a number of very large urban areas such as San Francisco, San Diego, Palm Springs and Los Angeles amongst others.

The San Andreas fault is a transform boundary between the North American and Pacific plates which are continuing to move. This means that stress is constantly accumulating and will ultimately result in another large scale earthquake of high magnitude (>7).

However the US has very strict building regulations that are very rigidly enforced and due to the occurrence of earthquakes in the past and the high risk of recurrence, buildings in California are designed to be earthquake resistant which greatly reduces the risk of death or serious injury.

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What is a 'system' of faults as used in the phrase 'San Andreas System'?

A system of faults refers to a group of interconnected faults in a specific region. The "San Andreas System" is a network of faults in California, including the San Andreas Fault, that collectively accommodate tectonic movement along the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate.


Which side of the fault would be in the hanging fault San Andreas?

No side is consistently the hanging wall or the footwall for the San Andreas Fault. Some parts of it dip east while others dip west. Since the San Andreas Fault is a strike-slip fault, which blocks form the hanging wall and footwall is not particularly important.


Why does san Andreas get so many earth quakes?

The San Andreas Fault is a major tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, causing stress to build up where the plates meet. When this stress is released, it results in earthquakes along the fault line. The movement of these large tectonic plates along the fault zone is the main reason why the San Andreas region experiences frequent earthquakes.


What would happen if the san Andreas fault broke off the us?

If the entire San Andreas Fault were to break off, it would cause catastrophic damage along the west coast of the United States. This would result in major earthquakes, tsunamis, and potentially significant loss of life and infrastructure. The affected areas would require extensive rebuilding and recovery efforts.


Why are earthquakes more common in California?

California sits along the San Andreas Fault. Here, two slabs of Earth's crust, called tectonic plates, slowly grind past one another. As this happens the plates snag on one another and build up tension. Every so often the plates slip and this tension is released in the form of earthquakes.

Related Questions

What is a system of faults as used in the phrase San Andreas system?

System means area so when they sat San Andreas System, they mean San Andreas area, or San Andreas where the the San Andreas fault is


What is a system faults as used in the phrase San Andrea's System?

System means area so when they sat San Andreas System, they mean San Andreas area, or San Andreas where the the San Andreas fault is


What is a 'system' of faults as used in the phrase 'San Andreas System'?

A system of faults refers to a group of interconnected faults in a specific region. The "San Andreas System" is a network of faults in California, including the San Andreas Fault, that collectively accommodate tectonic movement along the boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate.


Which side of the fault would be in the hanging fault San Andreas?

No side is consistently the hanging wall or the footwall for the San Andreas Fault. Some parts of it dip east while others dip west. Since the San Andreas Fault is a strike-slip fault, which blocks form the hanging wall and footwall is not particularly important.


When was the last time the San Andreas fault had a major earthquake?

About 30 million years ago when the pacific plate first hit the north American plate


How does the San Andreas fault help to explain why there are so many other fault in California?

The Pacific and North American plates slide past each other along the San Andreas fault. They push and pull on the crust with enormous force. The crust breaks, forming many other faults, shown in Figure 18.


How many people where injured in the San Andreas fault?

The San Andreas fault line runs the length of CA and goes into the Pacific ocean, so to answer this question is impossible. When we have earthquakes in CA it is usually along the fault line, but some are also on branches of the fault. There are many small quakes each day and every so often we will get a large one. One of the largest in the history of the state was the 1906 San Francisco quake.


Why does san francisco have so many hills?

My guess would be the San Andreas Trench... The San Andreas Fault is a continental transform fault that runs a length of roughly 810 miles (1,300 km) through California in the United States. The fault's motion is right-lateral strike-slip (horizontal motion). It forms the tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate.


Why does san Andreas get so many earth quakes?

The San Andreas Fault is a major tectonic boundary between the Pacific Plate and the North American Plate, causing stress to build up where the plates meet. When this stress is released, it results in earthquakes along the fault line. The movement of these large tectonic plates along the fault zone is the main reason why the San Andreas region experiences frequent earthquakes.


How long will it be before San Francisco and Los Angeles are right next to each other due to the San Andreas Fault?

San Francisco and Los Angeles are not on opposite sides of the San Andreas Fault, and the fault runs right through both those cities.


Why are their so many ridges and cracks along the San Andreas fault?

The ridges and cracks along the San Andreas Fault are a result of the movement of tectonic plates. The fault marks the boundary between two plates that are slowly sliding past each other, causing stress to build up and be released in the form of earthquakes. Over time, this movement creates the ridges and cracks that we see along the fault line.


What triggers California's frequent earthquakes?

California's seismic activity is the result of the many active faults it lies upon, most prominantly, the San Andreas Fault. One of the reasons that California has so many earthquakes is that the San Andreas fault has a "bend" that creates large amounts of friction as the plates slide next to each other.