Shows a possible history of southern San Andreas fault ruptures from a study by Sieh, Stuiver, and Brillinger, 1989. They deduced the rupture history from the interpretion of disruptions of sedimentary beds in cross-fault trenches and from data collected after historic earthquakes. They show ruptures during major earthquakes in 1100, 1346, 1480, 1680, 1812, and 1857 AD. Especially impressive are two huge events, in 1100 and 1480, that appear to have ruptured the fault from the Salton Sea to central California, more than 300 miles. Note that within the dating uncertainties, some of the long ruptures could have actually been two or more shorter ones that occurred closely in time.

Download package includes the animation and a set of jpg images.

To view this movie, click on the image.

Download: Earthquake Ruptures along the San Andreas Fault in So. Calif. (6 MB)

This movie was created by Tanya Atwater using Photoshop and Morph.
Rupture patterns are from Sieh, Stuiver, and Brillinger, 1989, "A more precise chronology of earthquakes produced by the San Andreas fault in southern California" Journal of Geophysical Research, v.94, No.B1, pp.603-623.
Background physiographic map is from K. Edwards and R.M.Batson, U.S.G.S., 1990, "Experimental Digital Shaded-Relief Maps of Southwestern United States."

Comments on this and all of the materials offered on this site are welcomed: atwater@geol.ucsb.edu