RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT SAN ANDREAS FAULT SYSTEM: - TECTONICS, GEOLOGY, FAULT DYNAMICS, AND HAZARDS -

Transcription

1 RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT SAN ANDREAS FAULT SYSTEM: - TECTONICS, GEOLOGY, FAULT DYNAMICS, AND HAZARDS - Due Date: TUESDAY JULY 25, 2017 by 11:59 pm A. Introduction: This writing assignment involves the research, analysis, and writing on the San Andreas Fault System of California, with focus on the Southern California segment. The San Andreas Fault System (SAFS) is a network of related active faults that occur in California. Here, in Southern California, the SAFS is quite complicated and extensive, being nearly 200 kilometers wide - from the Salton Sea to Catalina Island - comprised of many interconnected, side-by-side, transform fault lines. Your textbook and various listed websites will be your primary sources of information. The topics include the tectonic setting of Southern California, the development and evolution of the SAFS, the present day dynamics and activity of the SAFS in So Cal, and the associated seismic hazards and precautions of living on within or near the SAFS. The following parts of this document includes information on what topics to address, where to go for research information, how to assemble your research paper, and where and how to submit it. You can earn up to 100 points for this assignment. B. Assignment Resources: The primary source of information for completing this assignment, besides your textbook, comes from USGS publications along with other helpful sources listed below. If for some reason you cannot find the needed information from the following online sources, please feel free to search the Internet for additional reliable sources of information. Please list your sources at the end of your assignment document. I. Overview - General Info about Earthquakes and Faulting: Earthquakes 101: URL: URL: Magnitude, Size, Measuring of Earthquakes: URL: URL: URL: II. General Overview of the San Andreas Fault Zone: URL1: URL2: URL3:

2 San Diego State University document on SAFS: URL4: USGS Text and Image documents on the SAFS: URL5: URL6: In-depth/Detailed Reports: SAFZ - USGS Professional Paper URL1: III. Images and Maps of SAFZ: URL1: URL2: IV. History and Prediction of Earthquakes along the SAFZ: URL1: URL2: The Future "Big One" on the SAF URL1: URL2: V. Earthquake Hazards and Safety of SAFS: URL1: URL2: C. Eight-Point Assignment Instructions: 1) Carefully review the three sets of assignment questions. 2) Read and study the listed URL's for the necessary information for answering questions. 3) Answer the question sets listed in Section D below. Minimize using quoted information. 4) Make sure to organize your paper into SEPARATE responses - leave space between each answer. Please include the stated questions as listed below at the beginning of each response. Color your answer text with a different text color from that of the question set text. An example of the required writing format is linked in the assignment folder. 5) Include a bibliography of the sources of information that you used at end of your paper.

3 6) Once you've written and edited your research assignment, then you can save it as SAFS_ASSIGN_YOUR NAME. Note that it helps me greatly in grading your response if you include your name in the title of your assignment document file. I prefer that you save it as a WORD.doc and.docx files, but,.wps or.rtf files are OK too if you do not use MS WORD. DO NOT submit a.pdf file. Also note that using symbols such as /, # or \ in your file name will cause uploading problems. 7) Upload your completed research assignment as an ATTACHMENT with the above file name. To submit your assignment, click on the "Assignment" link and then click on the appropriate assignment title link (underlined). Then wait for an upload window to appear with the button titled Browse My Computer next to it. Then click on the button Browse My Computer. There you will be able to access your computer folders and files for your assignment file. Find the file, click the Open button, and your assignment file will automatically upload onto Blackboard. You will know if the upload was successful because you will see your file name link appended above the Add Attachments button. DO NOT submit your file by pasting your assignment as a block of text into the Submissions: text box found directly above the Add Attachments button pasted-in assignments will not be accepted. As a final note, please make sure to include your name in the title of your assignment word-doc file. 8) You must do your own work NO plagiarism will be tolerated, either from the textbook or online sources, nor sharing work with classmates. It is OK to point your fellow student in the right direction on where to get information, but is not OK to share your actual response information. My plagiarism policy is found in the Class Start Info folder - read and understand it very carefully. Note that I use plagiarism detection software like Turnitin.com and SafeAssign on the assignments that you turn in to me. Any evidence that you plagiarized will result in a big, fat ZERO on your assignment. 9) This assignment is worth 90 points (30 points for each question set). D. Answer the following 3 question sets on California s San Andreas Fault System below: Part 1 - Overview of the San Andreas Fault System a) Where exactly is the San Andreas Fault system (SAFS)? b) What the dominant type of fault within the system); c) Where exactly is the San Andreas Fault system in California?; d) Dimensions of the fault? How long? How wide? How deep into the crust? e) What specific type of plate tectonic setting does the SAFS represent (Include boundary type and names of the two plates involved and their movement relative to each other)? f) How long ago did the SAFS first develop (in millions of g) What type of plate tectonic setting occurred prior to the development of the present- day SAFS (Include boundary type and names of the two plates involved and their movement relative to each other)? h) What are the names of the major active faults found within the Southern California segment of the SAFS? Note that you should have the names of at least five active

4 Southern California faults found between the Salton Sea and Catalina Island. i) What is the name for the closest active SAFS fault here in the San Diego area? (Hint: it runs right through the city, and does not have the word "San" in it!). j) What is the most active fault today in the southern segment (Southern California) of the SAFS (most active over the last several decades)? Which fault in Southern California is considered the most dangerous today? Part 2 - Fault Movement a) What is the total transform offset (in kilometers) along the San Andreas Fault, based on a roughly 20 million year life-history of the fault? b) How do seismologists determine the amount of total transform offset along the SAF? c) What is the average annual slip rate measured along the San Andreas Fault proper? (Note that there may be slight variations in average slip rate for each of the three segments: northern, middle and southern). d) How do seismologists determine the amount of annual offset along the SAF? e) What Richter magnitude does an earthquake need to be in order to be labeled a "Great" earthquake (such as the 2011 Japan quake)? f) What was the year when the last "Great" earthquake occurred along the three different segments (northern, middle and southern) of the San Andreas Fault? (You need to list the year and magnitude of each of the three segment quakes). Note that the last "Great" earthquake in So Cal was several centuries ago! g) What is the average frequency, or reoccurrence rate, for "Great" quakes along the San Andreas Fault? In others words, how often (how many years apart) do we get a "Great" quake on the SAF? h) Finally, what is the average offset (in meters) for a "Great" quake along the San Andreas Fault? i) What types of methods and tools are used by seismologists to monitor fault activity along the San Andreas Fault and its associated faults? In other words, how do seismologists measure and record fault stresses, and local movement on active faults? Briefly describe each method, including the specific types of scientific tools and equipment used. Note: You need to list and describe at least two different methods/tools for full credit. j) What types of methods and tools are used to measure, document and analyze very ancient fault activity along the San Andreas Fault and its associated faults? Note that the term "ancient" means fault activity that occurred millions of years ago - long before humans were around. For example, how do geologists determine when a fault was active, how

5 often it ruptures, its relative offset motion, and how much offset? Briefly describe each method, including the specific types of scientific tools and equipment used. Note: You need to list and describe at least two different methods/tools for full credit. Part 3 Prediction and Hazards a) Can geologists accurately predict earthquakes in the SAFS, or anywhere else in the world? For example, a seismologist at Cal Tech predicts that the southern segment of the San Andrea fault will rupture 10 miles NW of the town of Palm Springs on May 5th of 2018 with a magnitude of 7.9M. Why or why not? Briefly explain why or why not. b) Can geologists determine the statistical probability of when a major earthquake will taker place along a specific fault in the SAFS? For example, a seismologist at Cal Tech states that the probability of the southern segment of the San Andrea fault to rupture somewhere between Palmdale and Palm Springs with a magnitude of 7.9M in the year 2016 is roughly 1 in 500. Why or why not? Briefly explain why or why not. c) What are the major types of disaster hazards associated with large earthquake events within the SAFS? Be thorough. d) Which hazards do you think are the most dangerous and why? e) List and discuss some the ways that governments, engineers and emergency agencies address those hazards, in terms of infrastructure (buildings, bridges, dams, power lines, roads, gas lines, etc) integrity, action protocols for dealing with these hazards: before, during, and after a big quake - everything they do to minimize negative effects? f) List and describe the various ways that you and your family can be best prepared for the coming "Big One" - at home, at the office, and while driving. g) What are some of the most important things that you should do (or not do) during a large earthquake - at home, at the office, and while driving? h) What should you do (or not do) right after a big earthquake hits their vicinity - at home, at the office, and while driving? i) How currently prepared are you for a big earthquake? What could you and your family do to become better prepared for the inevitable Big One here in Earthquake Country? FINAL NOTE: Your completed assignment needs to be in correct format. Your completed assignment needs to be saved and submitted in the proper document format (.doc,.docx,.wps, or.rtf no pdf s), and as an attached file into the proper assignment folder in our Blackboard course. Check the research assignment example listed on the professor s personal website course page for correct writing and file format. Thank you!