Imperial Fault Zone
Encyclopedia
The Imperial Fault Zone is a system of geological
faults located in Imperial County
in the Southern California
region, along the border of the United States
and Mexico
.
. It is connected to the San Andreas Fault
by the Brawley Seismic Zone
. It terminates on its southern end at another spreading center, the Cerro Prieto
spreading center. Historical earthquakes along the fault have occurred in 1979, 1940, 1915 and 1892, the latter quake being the strongest (moment magnitude 7.2-7.8).
Geology
Geology is the science comprising the study of solid Earth, the rocks of which it is composed, and the processes by which it evolves. Geology gives insight into the history of the Earth, as it provides the primary evidence for plate tectonics, the evolutionary history of life, and past climates...
faults located in Imperial County
Imperial County, California
Imperial County is a county located in the Imperial Valley, in the far southeast of the U.S. state of California, bordering both Arizona and Mexico. It is part of the El Centro Metropolitan Area, which encompasses all of Imperial County. The population as of 2000 was 142,361. The county seat is the...
in the Southern California
Southern California
Southern California is a megaregion, or megapolitan area, in the southern area of the U.S. state of California. Large urban areas include Greater Los Angeles and Greater San Diego. The urban area stretches along the coast from Ventura through the Southland and Inland Empire to San Diego...
region, along the border of the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
and Mexico
Mexico
The United Mexican States , commonly known as Mexico , is a federal constitutional republic in North America. It is bordered on the north by the United States; on the south and west by the Pacific Ocean; on the southeast by Guatemala, Belize, and the Caribbean Sea; and on the east by the Gulf of...
.
Geology
The Imperial Fault Zone is a right lateral-moving strike slip fault, representing the northernmost transform fault associated with the East Pacific RiseEast Pacific Rise
The East Pacific Rise is a mid-oceanic ridge, a divergent tectonic plate boundary located along the floor of the Pacific Ocean. It separates the Pacific Plate to the west from the North American Plate, the Rivera Plate, the Cocos Plate, the Nazca Plate, and the Antarctic Plate...
. It is connected to the San Andreas Fault
San Andreas Fault
The San Andreas Fault is a continental strike-slip fault that runs a length of roughly through California in the United States. The fault's motion is right-lateral strike-slip...
by the Brawley Seismic Zone
Brawley seismic zone
The Brawley Seismic Zone , also known as the Brawley fault zone, is a predominantly extensional tectonic zone that connects the southern terminus of the San Andreas Fault with the Imperial Fault in Southern California...
. It terminates on its southern end at another spreading center, the Cerro Prieto
Cerro Prieto
Cerro Prieto is a small rural town located in the county of La Misión in the northwestern part of the Mexican state of Hidalgo....
spreading center. Historical earthquakes along the fault have occurred in 1979, 1940, 1915 and 1892, the latter quake being the strongest (moment magnitude 7.2-7.8).
See also
- 1940 El Centro earthquake1940 El Centro earthquakeThe 1940 El Centro earthquake struck on 18 May 1940, due to a rupture of the Imperial Fault, and was the strongest recorded earthquake to hit the Imperial Valley...
- 2010 Baja California earthquake2010 Baja California earthquakeThe 2010 Baja California earthquake was an earthquake of 7.2 magnitude on the moment magnitude scale. It started south of Guadalupe Victoria, Baja California, Mexico, at a depth of . It occurred at 3:40:41 p.m...
- Gulf of California Rift ZoneGulf of California Rift ZoneThe Gulf of California Rift Zone is the northernmost extension of the East Pacific Rise which extends some 1300 km from the mouth of the Gulf of California to the southern terminus of the San Andreas Fault at the Salton Sink....