Kern Canyon Fault
Encyclopedia
The Kern Canyon Fault is a geological fault which runs the length of Kern Canyon
in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains in California
.
The fault was once considered inactive, but recent studies show the contrary.
The fault is a break in the southern section of the Sierra Nevada-Great Valley Block
, manifesting differences in the stresses in this region over a period of over 100 million years. The fault was formerly right lateral-moving (horizontal sliding), but has changed to a normal (vertical lifting) mode of motion over the past several thousands of years.
Kern River
The Kern River is a river in the U.S. state of California, approximately long. It drains an area of the southern Sierra Nevada mountains northeast of Bakersfield. Fed by snowmelt near Mount Whitney, the river passes through scenic canyons in the mountains and is a popular destination for...
in the southern Sierra Nevada mountains in California
California
California is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
The fault was once considered inactive, but recent studies show the contrary.
The fault is a break in the southern section of the Sierra Nevada-Great Valley Block
Sierra Nevada-Great Valley Block
The Sierra Nevada-Great Valley Block is a section of the earth's crust in California encompassing most of the region east of the Great Valley fault system which runs along the eastern foot of the Coast Ranges, and west of the Sierra Nevada Fault which runs along the foot of the Sierra Nevada's...
, manifesting differences in the stresses in this region over a period of over 100 million years. The fault was formerly right lateral-moving (horizontal sliding), but has changed to a normal (vertical lifting) mode of motion over the past several thousands of years.