Exploring The San Andreas Fault- America's Most Dangerous Fault Zone

Talc is the reason the center section of the San Andreas produces no earthquakes. The softest mineral Talc acts like a lubricant in that section.

One must remember that the San Andreas isn't just one fault, but a fault system, with several smaller faults attached (for lack of a better word) to the main fault. Many of the sub-faults have created earthquakes of 7 or greater on the Richter scale. As to the main San Andreas fault...here in the southern section there is a very good way to not only see the fault, but track it as well, from Cajon Pass, through Wrightwood, and eventually into Palmdale. In the more central section of the fault, it is easily trackable on the Carrizo Plain.

Congratulations on this video. It was a beautifully produced mini-tutorial on the San Andreas and thoroughly enjoyable. Living in Southern California (San Fernando Valley) I have a huge interest in what has shaped the majority of my life quite frankly. At 10 years old I went through the February 9, 1971 San Fernando/Sylmar Earthquake which destroyed the newly built house my family had moved into just 2 months earlier in Newhall, CA and then after purchasing my first home in Santa Clarita, CA in November 1993, 2 months later in January 17, 1994 for my newly built home was yellow tagged and it was almost 2 years before it was fully repaired. So, my perspective has been very focused on the seismic threats which are basically in my back yard. But, you taking us on a journey of the Northern Segment of the San Andreas was brilliant. Thanks so much and can’t wait to see the portion(s) in Southern California. Hopefully, you will do a video on the fault which I think is the next to go and that is The Hayward Fault in the East Bay area of Northern California. Also, there is little mention of the incredibly active period in the Bay Area PRIOR to 1906. San Francisco was rocked repeatedly by earthquakes in the 6.0 to 7.1 range in the 1830’s and the 1860’s, including what had previously been known as the Great San Francisco Earthquake being the October 8, 1865 earthquake on the San Andreas in the Santa Cruz Mountains which were a violent series of jarring jolts coming in intervals separated by about 5 seconds with each successive seismic slam being stronger with the third jolt being particularly violent and lasting around 7 seconds. Mark Twain was in the city and wrote a famous article about it which is fascinating and available to anyone online. And just 3 short years later came and even more powerful event, the massive and devastating October 21, 1868 Hayward Fault Earthquake estimated at 6.8 to 7.0 which tore through the San Francisco Bay Area for upwards of 40 seconds to a full minute of extremely powerful seismic waves that ripped through the East Bay and Northern California causing significant damage in San Francisco and devastation to the East Bay communities of Hayward, Fremont, Oakland, Berkley, and particularly extreme damage in San Leandro. Also, 1836, 1838, 1890, two m6+ in 1898 and then the big Daddy of all, probably the most renowned earthquake in history, the 1906 beast which for all intents and purposes was the catalyst which led to the near total destruction of San Francisco which at the time was the absolute powerhouse city on the West Coast of the U.S. The 1800s in the Bay Area saw a series of damaging and frightening earthquakes at a time when so little was known about earthquakes. There was certainly not much thought by residents that they could be going through a cycle of increasingly strong and increasingly frequent earthquakes culminating in the massive release of energy over a huge swath of area in an extremely violent force which forever altered the topographical profile of a region in the blink of an eye, the more than 20 feet of vertical displacement of the San Andreas Fault on April 18, 1906.

I like this kid. (I'm 62) He reminds me of some professors I had in high school & college. Learned lessons with some humor makes it stick better. Keep it up young man. You got a knack.

It would be awesome to see the San Andrés fault actually moving in a time lapse videoduring an earthquake or see the fault moving over a period of 15 years👍🏿

Notwithstanding the magnatude of the San Fran earthquake, one of the reasons for major damage is that there was no earthquake code for buildings back then. Thanks for this. Interesting!

I have an aunt who used to live in Paso Robles, California. She loved the wine but had to live with the fault constantly moving. Her neighbors who live across the street are moving about a 1/4 inch a year relitive to her property. Their joke was that one day they'd find themselves in different zip codes.

Thank you so much for very professional & informative Documentaries, We the people Appreciate your hard Work thank you Salomon !!!! Blessings

Great video dude! Very enjoyable, lots of info and good pace!

14:30 That water on the right. That's a sag pond, which are often found along faults.

Excellent tour. I also enjoyed the the deer and squirrel. Best wishes, 👌🏾

A great video and lighthearted well narrated video, many thanks, from the UK

Ok you earned my subscription what an absolutely nerdy good time and interesting video never have I thought I would watch a video like this congrats

really good video man. just started my day to this, and enjoyed it.

Well first time seeing your videos and cant help but like it! Very well put video mate. 👍🏻

Used to be a spot in Hayward where a sidewalk had been displaced by the fault line. City fixed it a few years ago because people kept hitting it with their cars.

I really enj….squirrel! Thanks for posting.

Thank you for this video. You clearly put a lot of time and effort into making it, and the information was very accurate. As a 60 year native of the Mojave Desert, I would like to add my two cents worth. There is no question that a large slip along the southern section of San Andreas fault would be very ugly. But I wish that scientists wouldn’t pound the drums and predict that a large earthquake in that region is long overdue. Some research shows that there have been periods of several hundred years between large events in the southern section of the fault. A large earthquake may not happen in our lifetime or the next. I am not suggesting that people ignore the risk, I am saying not to “put all your eggs in one basket”. Let me explain why- Not all Californians life in the city. Many of us live in smaller communities. In my lifetime I have seen and experienced the smaller localized earthquakes that decimate a small community. I was in Yucca Valley in 1992 when a 7.3 earthquake clobbered our community. No one saw thar coming. Nor did the people of Ridgecrest in 2019 when a pair of earthquakes, a 6.4 and 7.1 shook them to the core. Coalinga was leveled by a 6.5 event in 1983, and the Imperial Valley got it twice in 1979 and 1987. I could list many more but you get the point. If you live in in of these communities when it happens, you realize just how cut off you feel from the rest of the state. The San Andreas means nothing to you at that point because you and your neighbors have to figure out what to do. Don’t just prepare yourself for the Big One. If you live in California, be prepared for ANY disaster. It may come where you least expect it

Very interesting video, thank you! I also very much enjoyed the random cameos from squirrel and deer ❤.

I lived in Highland, CA for a number of years back in the 1980's. The house I rented at the time sat directly on the fault zone as noted in my lease. Never felt anything during my time there.