THE San Andreas Fault (in Portuguese, Santo André Fault) is one of the most important geological faults on the planet.
Location
THE San Andreas Falt, as it is called in English, is located in the United States, in the state of California, more precisely in the western portion of the country.
At the site are three large and populous US cities: San Francisco, San Diego and Los Angeles.
Features
The San Andreas Fault corresponds to an area of great instability, as two tectonic plates meet there (the North American plate and the Pacific plate).
The North American plate each year slides to the southeast, while the Pacific plate moves to the northwest.
It is one of the biggest faults on the planet at about 1300 kilometers long. It represents one of the places with the greatest seismic activity in the world.
The natural movement of these two plates and the friction that occurs between them generated the San Andreas Fault over thousands of years.
There, the tectonic plates move tangentially and when this movement occurs, the region is hit by an earthquake.
The Great San Francisco Earthquake
On April 18, 1906, a major earthquake hit the region that destroyed part of the city of San Francisco.
It became known as the “São Francisco Earthquake” or “Great San Francisco Earthquake”. In English it is called San Francisco Earthquake or The Great Quake.
It reached a magnitude of 8 on the Richter scale. Lasting less than 30 seconds, it was considered one of the most violent earthquakes in the United States. About 3,000 people died in this event and thousands were left homeless.
Before him, in 1857, the region was hit by a large earthquake measuring 8 on the Richter Scale.
Broaden your knowledge of the topic by reading the texts:
- Tectonic plates
- tectonics
- Earthquake
Big One
The Big One is the name given to a possible major earthquake that could occur in the region, hitting the state of California.
Scholars say the site is likely to suffer another devastating earthquake in about 30 years.
According to them, over time the fault accumulates energy, and when it is released it could be catastrophic for the country.
Movie: Earthquake: The San Andreas Fault
The film "Earthquake: The San Andreas Fault” (2015) was performed by Brad Peyton. It presents a scenario of destruction and devastation after the area was hit by a major earthquake, triggered by the San Andreas Fault.
