The southernmost section, southeast of Los Angeles, however, last ruptured in 1726 and has accumulated significant strain since. The northern and central sections of the San Andreas have ruptured relatively recently, geologically speaking (in 19, respectively), producing magnitude-7+ earthquakes (Fialko, 2006). But its southernmost section, which is divided into strands like the frayed ends of a rope, still puzzles scientists. Since its formal identification in the late 19th century, the fault has been analyzed, dated, mapped and modeled by thousands of scientists.

The San Andreas Fault is as close to a celebrity as geological features can get - it even has a movie named in its honor. A recent study indicates increased slip rates along the Mission Creek strand of the San Andreas Fault, suggesting a novel configuration of earthquake risk at this latitude.īy Ben Wolman, science writer Wolman, B, 2021, Surprising recharacterization of earthquake risk along a strand of the San Andreas, Temblor,

San andreas quake vs san andreas