San Andreas fault

[choccieaddict]

We are staying in Orange County later this year. Is there anywhere we can show our teens the San Andreas Fault?

I know it's not a big gaping hole, but they're interested in earthquakes and I've seen a few photos that look like a valley but I don't know if these photos are in Southern California.

We'd be driving out from Anaheim to Barstow and the Palm Springs areas anyway so I just wondered if there was anywhere between these places where we could see it.

 

[GrandBob]

You're right - it's not a big hole in the ground, and it's easier to see from a distance, like from a plane. Many of the sections appear as mountain ranges and escarpments. I can see a section, from Mt. Madonna to Mt. Loma Prieta, from my bedroom window. It appears as just a range of mountains.

Still, there are some features you can see closer up. From the Wikipedia page on the fault:

"It runs along the southern base of the San Bernardino Mountains, crosses through the Cajon Pass and continues to run northwest along the northern base of the San Gabriel Mountains. These mountains are a result of movement along the San Andreas Fault and are commonly called the Transverse Range. In Palmdale, a portion of the fault is easily examined as a roadcut for the Antelope Valley Freeway runs directly through it. Box Canyon, just southeast of Palm Springs, is a dramatic section.[2]"

That last reference is from this article in Time magazine:

http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,2010067,00.html/

Since you're going to Palm Springs anyway, I think you should research guided trips to see the geology of the region. The above is a good start. Also, you'll go over Cajon pass on I-15 from San Bernadino to Victorville. This picture from the Wikipedia page is from there.

Good luck, and have fun. It's great to hear about young people interested in the sciences.

-Bob

 

[choccieaddict]

You're right - it's not a big hole in the ground, and it's easier to see from a distance, like from a plane. Many of the sections appear as mountain ranges and escarpments. I can see a section, from Mt. Madonna to Mt. Loma Prieta, from my bedroom window. It appears as just a range of mountains.

Still, there are some features you can see closer up. From the Wikipedia page on the fault:

"It runs along the southern base of the San Bernardino Mountains, crosses through the Cajon Pass and continues to run northwest along the northern base of the San Gabriel Mountains. These mountains are a result of movement along the San Andreas Fault and are commonly called the Transverse Range. In Palmdale, a portion of the fault is easily examined as a roadcut for the Antelope Valley Freeway runs directly through it. Box Canyon, just southeast of Palm Springs, is a dramatic section.[2]"

That last reference is from this article in Time magazine:

http://www.time.com/time/travel/article/0,31542,2010067,00.html/

Since you're going to Palm Springs anyway, I think you should research guided trips to see the geology of the region. The above is a good start. Also, you'll go over Cajon pass on I-15 from San Bernadino to Victorville. This picture from the Wikipedia page is from there.

Good luck, and have fun. It's great to hear about young people interested in the sciences.

-Bob

oh it's not just the young 'uns, I did a quarter of my BSc in earth science in my 30s (and still know very little of the world!), been hooked on Earth since I was a pre-teen and my parents took me out to the American West for 3 months in an old motorhome to see canyons, dinosaurs, petrified forests and other wonderous things! Happy memories that I hope to leave with my own children....coming to Ca. isn't just about Disney *gasp...did I just say than on a Disney forum?!*

Thanks for the links, I will go explore...

 

[Saskiwi]

On our last trip to DL from NZ we went to Palm Springs for a few days and visited Joshua Tree National Park. From a look out there called Keys View, you have an amazing view over the valley and the San Andreas fault can be seen. There is a photo on Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Tree_National_Park#Geology
Joshua Tree park was fascinating and very interesting from a geological point of view -amazing rock formatiions

Coming from Christchurch we are not very interested in anything to do with earthquakes this time around, on our trip in two weeks time! A bit of Halloween will take our minds off all the seismic goings-on back home!

If you every come down this way you can see evidence of our recent quakes very plainly:
http://qjegh.lyellcollection.org/content/44/3.cover-expansion
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/historic-earthquakes/12/3/1

cheers
Sarah

 

[choccieaddict]

On our last trip to DL from NZ we went to Palm Springs for a few days and visited Joshua Tree National Park. From a look out there called Keys View, you have an amazing view over the valley and the San Andreas fault can be seen. There is a photo on Wikipedia here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joshua_Tree_National_Park#Geology
Joshua Tree park was fascinating and very interesting from a geological point of view -amazing rock formatiions

Coming from Christchurch we are not very interested in anything to do with earthquakes this time around, on our trip in two weeks time! A bit of Halloween will take our minds off all the seismic goings-on back home!

If you every come down this way you can see evidence of our recent quakes very plainly:
http://qjegh.lyellcollection.org/content/44/3.cover-expansion
http://www.teara.govt.nz/en/historic-earthquakes/12/3/1

cheers
Sarah

thanks for those interesting links. I can totally understand what you are saying. I have a friend on Facebook who lives near Christchurch and she has had many a disturbed night lately. Much as I am interested in the fault I hope it stays quiet too. Have a great Halloween in DL! Not long now!

 

[aurorae]

I'm a big fan of the Roadside Geology series of books, for road trips.

I just checked amazon, and the one for southern California is not currently available.

There is a Geology Underfoot book for Southern California, but I have not read it.

I like the Roadside Geology books because they have general info as well as descriptions of the common highway routes.