San Diego Fault Lines

San Diego lies directly on one of California’s most active fault line. The Rose Canyon Fault Line is said to be San Diego’s largest threat in terms of a large earthquake. If this were to occur thousands to millions of people would lose their belongings, homes, and possibly their lives. This fault line occurs from movement of two plates sliding and grinding past each other, also know as a transform plate movement.

Image from: http://mvsdperiod4.wikispaces.com/Transform+Boundaries

The large amount of pressure that the two plates passing by one another create is what causes broken ground. In addition, this pressure along with heat from inside the Earth can create metamorphic rock. Over time this metamorphic rock surfaces due to shifting plates.

Image from: http://dnowlan.ca/VM/science7/planetearth/rocks.htm

When the plates begin to shift, during an earthquake, the movement of the sediments causes liquefaction, the process where the soil begins to act as a liquid in response to a change in applied stress. This liquefaction could also create problems for the people in the area because this will cause their houses to sink.

Image from: http://cce.oregonstate.edu/geotech/research.html

The tectonic pressure and faulting cause San Diego counties coastal mountains that occur around the San Andreas Fault system. The fault is a right lateral strike slip fault, which causes the mountains. An example of these transverse ranges would be the La Jolla canyon in San Diego County. 

Image from:http://membercentral.aaas.org/multimedia/galleries/field-trip-san-diego-coastal-geology-and-hazards

Sources:

http://www.eeri.org/cds_publications/earthquake_basics_series/LIQ1.pdf

http://aese2006.geology-guy.com/sd_geology_marshall.htm

http://www.ce.washington.edu/~liquefaction/html/what/what1.html

Introduction

Hello! My name is Jaclyn Zelasko and I am the creator of this blog. Its purpose is to take an in depth look into the Physical Geography of San Diego, California.

I chose San Diego as my location because it is a city near where I was born and raised. Also, you may have noticed, from the title, that I liked to play the game Where in the World is Carmen San Diego? (Houghton Mifflin Harcourt) when i was younger. Like this game I will be taking an in-depth look at a specific location's Physical Geography. Different forms and processes can be seen all around San Diego: Parks, the Pacific Ocean, in the amazing weather, etc. I am looking forward to seeing this astonishing city from the eyes of a geographer! 


Image from http://www.coronadovisitorcenter.com/CVC/index.html
Title from http://www.carmensandiego.com/hmh/site/carmen/