Puente Hills Fault
The Puente Hills Fault is a thrust (fissure) 17 kilometers deep directly below the city of Los Angeles in the US state of California . It was only discovered in 1999. The fault runs approximately 25 miles (40 km) from the La Puente Hills in the southeast to Griffith Park in the northwest.
Earthquake hazard
Geologists have found that the crevice caused major earthquakes at least four times in the past 11,000 years . The risk from the Puente Hills fault is nevertheless classified as high. One reason for this is the course of the crevice under the densely populated area. In 2008, the Los Angeles metropolitan area was tenth on the list of the largest metropolitan areas in the world with 17.7 million inhabitants . The researchers expect that this crevice will cause a devastating earthquake this century. The expected magnitude could reach a magnitude of 7.0 to 7.5 on the Richter scale . In this case, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS), property damage of up to 250 billion US dollars and around 3,000 to 18,000 deaths can be expected. The tremors will be much stronger than the previously calculated earthquakes triggered by the San Andreas Trench .
Web links
- Official website of the Southern California Earthquake Center (English)
- Official website of the USGS (English)
- Map current earthquake in California (English)
Individual evidence
- ^ A b John Marquis: New Study Reveals the Behavior of the Puente Hills Thrust Fault. (No longer available online.) Southern California Earthquake Center , April 4, 2003, archived from the original on December 12, 2008 ; accessed on May 17, 2009 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
- ↑ Major Losses of Up to $ 250 Billion Projected for Earthquakes on Puente Hills Fault Under Los Angeles. (No longer available online.) Southern California Earthquake Center , archived from the original on April 1, 2009 ; accessed on May 17, 2009 . Info: The archive link was inserted automatically and has not yet been checked. Please check the original and archive link according to the instructions and then remove this notice.
