California
Near California the Pacific Plate is moving north relative to the
North American Plate.
![](california.gif)
Implications of this model:
- It's not so easy to move rock on rock!
- It sticks for a long time, then the fault breaks and one side moves
relative to the other all at once.
- Result: an earthquake.
![](../ImEarth/ncal.gif)
Here is a more detailed view, near San Francisco. There are several faults.
The main one is the San Andreas Fault.
![](../ImEarth/san_francisco_bay.gif)
ASTR 121 Home
Davison E. Soper, Institute of Theoretical Science,
University of Oregon, Eugene OR 97403 USA
soper@bovine.uoregon.edu