These plates are the bases of the North American continent and the Pacific Ocean, respectively. The 800 miles long San Andreas fault forms the tectonic boundary between the North American and Pacific tectonic plates. They can be up to hundreds of miles long. It is a fracture in the ground where one side is moving (or has moved) relative to the other. A fault is an area where two of these plates come together. The Earth’s crust (the solid upper portion of the Earth) is divided into huge plates that are slowly moving past each other. The major cause of earthquakes in California is the movement along one of Earth’s major fault lines the San Andreas fault. These jerking movements emit waves of energy that cause the ground to shake (sometimes so violently that it destroys buildings and other structures). The friction caused by this motion causes a release of pressure that leads to sudden jerking movements once in a while. These two plates grind past each other in opposite directions at 1.5 inches per year. The state is one of the most seismically active regions in the world. People looking at damaged buildings after the 1906 earthquake in San Francisco, California.Įverett Collection/ Reasons for Earthquakes in Californiaīut why do earthquakes happen so often in California? The long and short of it is that California is located on top of two major tectonic plates the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate. That title belongs to the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which killed over 3,000 people and destroyed several buildings and social institutions. However, this isn’t the most devastating earthquake in California. This earthquake measured 7.9 on the Richter scale and ruptured the San Andreas fault for about 225 miles (starting from Parkfield to Wrightwood). The most massive earthquake on record in California was the Fort Tejon Earthquake which occurred in 1857. These are the ones that are large enough to cause major devastation. There are about two or three low magnitude ones each year with a magnitude of 5.5 or more. California experiences thousands of relatively insignificant tremors. However, most of these quakes go unnoticed mainly because they’re of low magnitude. While these are the major ones that had major impacts on human settlements, there have been countless other tremors and minor tectonic events that are not on records.Ĭalifornia is a precariously located state, and earthquakes are quite common. Since 1812, there have been around 70 major earthquakes on record in California. How Often Does California Experience Earthquakes? But why does California experience so many earthquakes? Read on to find out. While most of these earthquakes are too weak for humans to feel, a major earthquake strikes every once in a while that causes significant damage to buildings, roads, bridges, and other physical infrastructure. Every 3 minutes, an earthquake occurs in California. However, earthquakes and tremors may also occur due to other forms of volcanic activities that disrupt the Earth’s surface, such as volcanic eruptions.Ĭalifornia happens to be one of the most tectonically active states in the United States. The pressure builds up as these plates move against each other and are released explosively, leading to an earthquake. Typically, it occurs in an area where two plates in the Earth’s crust grind against each other. An Absolutely Gigantic Moose Makes These Grizzlies…Īn earthquake is a natural disaster characterized by a significant movement in the Earth’s crust.
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