San Andreas Fault Sign - Pearblossom, CA - Places of Geologic Significance on Waymarking.com

Plate Tectonics are very interesting to most geologists (and some geocachers). This spot above shows a great place to see plate tectonics in action. Pangaea was the biggest continent to ever form on planet Earth. It broke apart about 200 Million years ago and formed seven new continents called Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America.

Along these very large continents there happens to be many fault lines and several tectonic plates. These plates are in constant movement caused by convection currents in the magma of earth's mantel which is in constant circulation (heat rises, then cools then sinks, and so fourth). This action moves the plates around the earth as they travel above the outer mantle. Some faults located within the plates are caused by the stresses that build up and eventually crack the crust. Others, including what you will witness in the San Andreas Fault, are where two adjoining plates meet. The three main types of faults are subductive (forces push an edge into and under the other), transverse (forces push one side length-wise sliding against the other), and sea floor spreading (spreading in the crust - the sides move away from each other).

One of the most famous faults is the San Andreas Fault. This fault is located at the border line between two tectonic plates called the North American and Pacific plates. The North American Plate spans over half of California through half of Iceland. The Pacific Plate spans from the other half of California all the way to the eastern shore of Japan. The San Andreas Fault starts in the Gulf of California in Mexico and ends just a few miles south of Eureka, California for a total of about 800 miles! This fault is the most famous fault of all because of the earthquakes it causes. About 100 earthquakes a day are measuerd along the San Andreas Fault! It is a dangerous fault because of all the deadly earthquakes it causes like the one during the World Series in California in the 1989. Geoloists are predicting a major earthquake along the San Andreas Fault, about a 7.5 to an 8.0 on the southern end of the fault (Southern California). History has shown that a major earthquake erupts along this area about every 100 years. The last major quake in the Southern California region of the San Andreas was the 7.9 Fort Tejon quake 1857 which was felt from Los Angeles to San Francisco. We are over due!!

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