Aerial photograph of the San Andreas fault as it crosses the Carrizo Plain approximately 450km (300 miles) south of San Francisco & 160km (100 miles)

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Aerial photograph of the San Andreas fault as it crosses the Carrizo Plain approximately 450km (300 miles) south of San Francisco & 160km (100 miles) north of Los Angeles. One of the world's great seismic faults, the San Andreas extends almost the full length of California & is responsible for major earthquakes. A linear valley has eroded along the main track of the fault, running from bottom left-centre to top right of the photo. The black line on the Carrizo Plain at right is not a fault but a fence line against which tumbleweed has collected. The desolate landscape consists of pressure ridges formed as a result of hundreds of fault movements. Location: Carrizo Plain area, Sec. 19, T32S, R22E.

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Size: 2890px × 4479px
Photo credit: © US GEOLOGICAL SURVEY/SCIENCE PHOTO LIBRARY / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No

Keywords: andreas, carrizo, earthquake, fault, geology, photos, plain, san, seismic, seismology