Term Project 4

History of the San Andreas Fault and What

Citizens Can Do To Prepare For the Next Big
Earthquake
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Allyson Hoggard
Natural Disasters
Michael Kass
November 13, 2019

Introduction
Earthquakes are part of the Earth’s natural response to built up stress and pressure. They

can produce massive amounts of damage in a matter of seconds, which can be life-threatening to

the victims. There is currently no way to predict the exact time and intensity of future

earthquakes, therefore, it is essential to be prepared. There are plenty of things that can be done

as a community and as individuals to minimize the threat of future earthquakes. Things like

securing bookcases to the wall or making sure members of the household know where the gas

and electrical shut-offs are may not seem like a lot, but it can potentially save a life during a

future disaster. Complacency is not worth the risk. Be prepared now to save a life later.
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Term Project
Term Project 4 - San Andreas Fault

Throughout history, scientists have worked tirelessly in order to understand our Earth and

its phenomena. Groundbreaking discoveries have been made that have produced information

regarding the way the planet is organized and how it functions in order to keep its inhabitants

alive. Scientists have come to understand natural disasters and the causation of such intense

episodes of destruction. One particular disaster of interest is an earthquake, intense shaking due

to movements in Earth’s crust. There are many infamous faults around the world that have

produced massive earthquakes that have affected many people. One of those is located on the

west coast of the United States. California is home to a very large fault line called the San

Andreas fault. It has been the root cause of many large earthquakes throughout history and it is

far from finished. There are many more to come and it is vital that the residents of the Golden

State are prepared for it.

Earth is a complex system that works in a

variety of different ways, for different purposes. It is

able to naturally provide oxygen, water and nutrients in

order to benefit its inhabitants. However, sometimes the

earth reacts to built up stress and pressure in a way that

is extremely threatening to those living on the planet.

This built up stress and pressure can cause natural disasters such as earthquakes, volcanic

eruptions and tsunamis. Most of this tension originates on the surface of the earth which we call

the crust. The crust “is constantly moving, driven by heat currents that originate deep within the
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planet. The movement is very slow but immensely powerful. It has divided the crust into huge

rocky plates that are pulling apart in some places and grinding together in others” (Woodward,

Post, Stewart, 2017). Imagine two people holding hands while standing across from each other.

If each of them start to pull away from each other and add more stress at the breaking point, it

gets harder for them to continue holding hands. Eventually, the pressure will be released by

letting go and they fall apart from one another very quickly. The same idea applies when

considering Earth’s plates. They are constantly moving and if one of them gives way, that energy

is released and it has to be manifested in some way.

The place where these plates are meeting together is called a fault line. Earthquakes most

commonly occur here because of the tension. These faults come in a variety of shapes and sizes;

“Some faults are thin and short. They can be as thin as [a] human hair. Others go on for miles.

Some are near the surface. Others are below ground. Some you can see. Others you can’t”

(Perritano, 2015). Scientists are working tirelessly by researching activity at fault lines and

attempting to make ground-breaking discoveries that will allow earthquake predictions to be

made. Some scientists are embedding sensors 800 feet into the ground to regulate activity at

specific fault lines (Nova, 2015). Others are placing “benchmarks”, or sensors, at specific

locations in order to track the movement of the plates and find commonalities among other

earthquakes (Nova, 2015). The research for earthquake prediction is still in the beginning stages

but the hope is that the ability to predict will allow people to be resourceful with the information

rather than fearful of the unknown.

One of the most well-known fault lines is located in the United States in California. The

San Andreas ffault. This fault was discovered by Andrew Lawson in 1895 on an expedition in
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California (Dvorak, 2014). “The first indication that there might be something of particular

geologic[al] interest in this region of California was the existence of a remarkably straight and

deeply trenched valley that does not run parallel to the

mountain ridges of the Coast Ranges but rather cuts across

them” (Dvorak, 2014). The map shown here gives a clear

representation of how this fault cuts directly through some

mountain ridges. Most mountain ridges are considered to

be fault lines themselves due to their formation by plates

colliding with one another which is why this particular

fault caught Lawson’s attention. This map also gives a clearer view of how long the San Andreas

fault is. It stretches through California for approximately 800 miles, nearly cutting through the

entire state (Dvorak, 2014).

The San Andreas fault has an infamous history in regards to large earthquakes. When

disaster strikes in California, it tends to affect a

lot of people due to the dense population. For

instance, in 1906, a massive earthquake

occurred along the San Andreas fault striking

San Francisco. On the morning of April 18th,

the residents began to feel massive shaking movements which caused buildings to collapse. This

earthquake measured to be a 7.9 magnitude on the Richter Scale, as shown above. It was the

largest earthquake that had ever struck a modern city and caused the same amount of damage as

6 million tons of dynamite. The aftershocks caused further damage by igniting fires from broken
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gas and electrical lines which burned for three straight days (The 20th Century Almanac, 2015).

Another infamous earthquake that took place along the San Andreas fault also occurred in San

Francisco. On October 17, 1989, while

many sports fans were enjoying game 3

of the World Series, the ground started to

shake and cause panic throughout the

city. The Richter Scale readings for this

earthquake are shown on the left,

measuring 6.8 magnitude. Buildings

collapsed and even freeways gave way

under the intense shaking that this disaster caused. In fact, this earthquake became so infamous

that it was given the name “Loma Prieta” (ABC10, 2019).

Since accurate predictions are not able to be made for earthquakes yet, it is important that

people are prepared and educated on how to act in the event of an earthquake. Better yet, it is

important that people are aware of what can be done before disaster strikes in order to spare the

lives of innocent people. There are things that can be done on a personal level, but there are also

things that can be done on a larger scale to make sure a whole community is safe. For instance,

“retrofitting structures, modifying building codes, holding regular citywide and statewide

disaster preparedness dry-runs, establishing action plans and command centers, and a host of

genuinely admirable and eminently useful endeavors to prepare for the next great earthquake”

(Nabhan, 2017). Granted, these things take a large amount of time to construct and make the

citizens aware, but if it is done in time, it will be well worth the work. The United States has
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implemented different systems such as “The Great ShakeOut” to prepare people for potential

earthquakes in their area. California has 10.8 million people who are registered and participate

annually in the drill (Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills, 2019). This drill/dry-run allows citizens

to practice how they would react if they were to experience an earthquake. The goal of the drill is

to spread awareness that getting

under a sturdy structure (i.e. a desk,

table, or chair) and holding onto the

base whilst keeping the head

covered is the best way to stay safe during the event. Los Angeles inspectors spent two years

developing a list of buildings that were/are in need of seismic strengthening in order to ensure

their stability during an earthquake (Grad, Lin, Xia, 2019). The local California government is

spending plenty of time and money on the research needed to inspect their buildings and ensure

that innocent lives will not be lost due to building codes that are not up to par.

The United States government has been researching potential ways to warn victims of an

earthquake disaster “in-the-moment” (Nova, 2015). This particular warning system has not been

put into use yet but it has the potential to change the world. The idea behind the system is to

warn victims of an earthquake before it gets to them via text message. The message would be

automatically sent to those who are within the vicinity of the earthquake after the initial jolt of

the P-wave, or primary wave, was felt. This way, people are able to get to a safe place before

they are in danger of the swaying motions of the S-wave, or secondary wave. Although there is

potential with this idea, there are pros and cons to this hypothetical warning system. For

example, it would not help the people who would be located directly above the epicenter of the
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earthquake because the P-wave and S-wave would initiate at almost the exact same time. There

would be no time to send out a warning (Nova, 2015).

While it is important to make sure that the community is safe, it is also important that

individuals are prepared before disaster strikes. “There is nothing [...] that can take the place of

each and every citizen doing his and her small part⎼through simple and basic earthquake

preparedness⎼to ensure that no matter what the magnitude of the next crisis, it is mitigated as

best it can” (Nabhan, 2017). There is a long list of things that can be done in preparation for a

large earthquake, such as: securing bookcases, water heaters, china cabinets and entertainment

units, knowing where gas, water and electrical shut-offs are, keeping heavy objects away from

sofas or beds, making a family plan and learning CPR (Nabhan, 2017). These are just a couple

ideas, but each one makes a big difference in saving someone’s life. For example, securing large

objects and keeping heavy objects away from resting areas would ensure that no injuries

occurred from falling objects as a result of the shaking. Knowing where the gas, water and

electrical shut-offs are is important in order to eliminate the risk of fires or flooding which could

potentially put more people in harm’s way. Making a family plan is vital in any situation. Family

plans allow all members of the household to be aware of how to reunite with their loved ones in

case an earthquake were to hit whilst separated. This not only helps the family, but also rescue

teams to know who is still missing and may need to be searched for. Learning CPR is a vital skill

that is useful in any life-threatening situation. However, in the event of an earthquake there may

not be many people who are able to come to the aid of others. Those who know the proper ways

to perform life-saving maneuvers are able to make a difference in the community and save

innocent lives.
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Another way individuals commonly prepare for disasters, such as earthquakes, is by

storing emergency supplies. This is commonly known as a 72-hour kit. These kits may include

things like a first-aid kit, a flashlight and batteries, rope, duct tape, sunscreen, dried and canned

food, medicines, jackets, tools, dust masks and water (Nabhan, 2017). 72-hour kits are created

for the purpose of ensuring safety during the aftermath of a disaster. They are usually assembled

in backpacks or bags so they are easy to grab-and-go. It should be easily transportable so when it

needs to be moved, it doesn’t take a lot of energy or time. If the name didn’t give it away, there

should be enough supplies in the kit to take care of the victim for at least 72 hours. However, it is

not possible to be over prepared when disaster strikes, so having enough supplies to last a little

longer is not discouraged.

Earthquakes can be intimidating and scary, especially since they can not be predicted

(Nova, 2015). California has had its fair share of record-breaking and damaging earthquakes due

to activity along the San Andreas fault. However, this fault is far from finished. Pressure is

constantly building due to the movement of the plates and there is no way to stop it. Residents in

California should do everything possible in order to prepare for a potential future disaster.

Innocent lives should not be lost due to being unprepared. There are simple things that can be

done to make sure lives are spared when disaster strikes. Preparedness is essential to ensure that

complacency is not the cause of death.

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References

ABC10. (2019, October 15). The San Andreas Fault: What You Need To Know. Retrieved from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WXkC4qGaLwk.

Dvorak, J. (2014). ​Earthquake Storms: An Unauthorized Biography of The San Andreas Fault.​
New York, NY: Pegasus Books.

Grad, S., Lin, R.-G., & Xia, R. (2019, July 9). Is My Building Vulnerable In A Big Earthquake?
Here's How To Find Out. ​LA Times​. Retrieved from https://www.latimes.com/local/
lanow/la-me-earthquake-building-vulnerability-20190709-story.html

“Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills.” ​Great ShakeOut Earthquake Drills - Select Your ShakeOut
Region, ​Southern California Earthquake Center, 2019, www.shakeout.org/
whyparticipate/.

Nabhan, D. (2017). ​Earthquake prediction: dawn of the new seismology​. New York, NY:
Skyhorse Publishing.

Nova, 2015, “Deadliest Earthquakes.” www.youtube.com/watch?v=ouHOEDGZbDM.

Perritano, J. (2015). ​Fault Lines.​ Costa Mesa, CA: Saddleback Educational Publishing.

The 20th Century Almanac. (2015, December 28). 1906: Earthquake In San Francisco.
Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8byQ5-2ZtYw.

Woodward, J., Post, J. E., & Stewart, I. S. (2017). ​Super Earth Encyclopedia.​ NY, NY: DK
Publishing.