San Andreas Fault

E2244

geological fault plate boundary strike-slip fault transform fault

The San Andreas Fault is a major tectonic boundary in California where the Pacific and North American plates meet, notorious for generating powerful earthquakes.

Aliases (4)

San Andreas Fault system ×8
San Andreas Fault zone ×2
San Andreas Fault near the Tehachapi Mountains ×1
San Andreas Fault system region ×1

Statements (50)

Predicate	Object
instanceOf	geological fault → plate boundary → strike-slip fault → transform fault →
averageSlipRate	about 20 to 35 millimeters per year →
country	United States →
cumulativeOffset	hundreds of kilometers over millions of years →
discoveredBy	Andrew Lawson →
discoveryYear	1895 →
formsBoundaryOf	North American Plate western margin in California →
geologicalAge	tens of millions of years →
governedBy	plate tectonics →
hasFeature	fault scarps → linear valleys → offset streams →
hazardType	large earthquakes →
length	about 1200 kilometers → about 750 miles →
locatedIn	California → western United States →
maximumObservedOffset	several meters in single events →
monitoredBy	United States Geological Survey →
namedAfter	San Andreas Lake →
notableEarthquake	1857 Fort Tejon earthquake → 1906 San Francisco earthquake → 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake →
orientation	northwest–southeast →
partOf	Pacific Ring of Fire →
passesNear	Los Angeles → San Francisco →
passesThrough	Carrizo Plain → Coachella Valley → Mojave Desert region → Salton Sea region → San Bernardino Mountains region → San Francisco Peninsula →
region	California Coast Ranges → Peninsular Ranges → Transverse Ranges →
relativeMotionType	right-lateral strike-slip →
riskTo	Greater Los Angeles area → San Francisco Bay Area →
segment	central segment → northern segment → southern segment →
seismicZone	San Andreas Fault system →
tectonicPlateBoundaryBetween	North American Plate → Pacific Plate →
terminusNear	Cape Mendocino → Salton Sea →

Referenced by (31)

Subject (surface form when different)	Predicate
Garlock Fault ("San Andreas Fault system") → North Coast Ranges ("San Andreas Fault system") → Salton Trough ("San Andreas Fault system") → San Gorgonio Pass region ("San Andreas Fault system") →	associatedWith
Hayward Fault → San Andreas Lake → San Jacinto Fault Zone →	parallelTo
1906 San Francisco earthquake → 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake →	fault
Cajon Pass ("San Andreas Fault zone") → Carrizo Plain →	geologicalFeature
Hayward Fault ("San Andreas Fault system") → The Pinnacles (rock formations) ("San Andreas Fault system region") →	partOf
Andrew Lawson → Harry Fielding Reid →	studied
North American Plate →	boundaryFeature
Gulf of California rift zone ("San Andreas Fault system") →	connectsTo
Transverse Ranges →	crossedBy
San Bernardino Mountains →	formedBy
Pacific Plate →	hasBoundaryFeature
Pacific coast of North America →	hasNotableFeature
North American plate boundary system →	hasPart
Santa Cruz County, California →	liesOnFaultSystem
San Andreas Lake →	locatedNear
San Francisco Peninsula →	locatedOnTectonicFeature
San Andreas Lake →	namedAfter
Keys View ("San Andreas Fault zone") →	overlooks
California Coast–Sierra Nevada–Transverse Ranges transition zone ("San Andreas Fault system") →	relatedTo
Garlock Fault ("San Andreas Fault near the Tehachapi Mountains") →	runsFrom
San Andreas Fault ("San Andreas Fault system") →	seismicZone
Santa Cruz Mountains →	traversedBy