shear stress created the san andreas fault in southern california. it is an example of a continental transform fault.
shear stress created the san andreas fault in southern california. it is an example of a continental transform fault.
shear stress created the san andreas fault in southern california. it is an example of a?
a continental transform fault
san andreas fault









































the san andreas fault is a continental transform fault that extends roughly through california. it forms the tectonic boundary between the pacific plate and the north american plate, and its motion is right-lateral strike-slip (horizontal). the fault divides into three segments, each with different characteristics and a different degree of earthquake risk. the slip rate along the fault ranges from /yr.
san andreas fault
an earthquake is caused by a sudden slip on a fault. tectonic plates are always slowly moving, but they can get stuck at their edges due to friction. when the stress on the edge of a tectonic plate overcomes the friction, there is an earthquake that releases energy in waves that travel through the earth's crust and cause the shaking that is felt. for example, in california, there are two plates, the pacific plate and the north american plate. the pacific plate consists of most of the pacific ocean floor, and also includes baja california and the california coastline. the north american plate comprises most of the north american continent, including the inland parts of california, as well as parts of the atlantic and arctic oceans' floors. the primary boundary between these two plates is the san andreas fault. the san andreas fault is more than 800 miles long and extends to depths of at least 10 miles. many other smaller faults like the hayward (san francisco bay area) and the san jacinto (southern california) join with the san andreas to form the san andreas fault zone. the pacific plate grinds northwestward past the north american plate at a rate of about two inches per year.
earthquake weather