What is a fault rupture?
Surface rupture occurs when movement on a fault deep within the earth breaks through to the surface.
What would happen if the fault line rupture?
USGS scenarios project more than 1,800 deaths, and 50,000 injuries due to a major Southern San Andreas fault earthquake. CoreLogic, a business analysis service, estimated a Southern San Andreas fault rupture will cause 3.5 million homes to be at risk with $289 billion in reconstruction value.
What would happen if the San Andreas Fault ruptured?
If a large earthquake ruptures the San Andreas fault, the death toll could approach 2,000, and the shaking could lead to damage in every city in Southern California — from Palm Springs to San Luis Obispo, seismologist Lucy Jones has said.
What point on the fault does rupture occur?
The hypocenter is the point within the earth where an earthquake rupture starts. The epicenter is the point directly above it at the surface of the Earth. Also commonly termed the focus. See also epicenter.
What happens during ground rupture?
Ground Rupture & Surface Faulting From Earthquakes An earthquake can push and pull the ground, tearing the surface and pushing the ground apart and upward. If a surface rupture develops close to or at your house location, it can cause considerable damage to structures as well as to land.
What type of hazard is ground rupture?
An earthquake can push and pull the ground, tearing the surface and pushing the ground apart and upward. These are known as “surface ruptures.” A surface rupture may occur suddenly during an earthquake, or it can happen more slowly—in either case, surface ruptures often happen along preexisting faults.
How does a rupture of a fault cause an earthquake?
Earthquakes occur for many reasons that include: landslides, movement of magma in a volcano, the formation of a new fault, or, most commonly of all, a slip on an existing fault. A tectonic earthquake begins by an initial rupture at a point on the fault surface, a process known as nucleation.
What happens if the Alpine Fault ruptures?
A simulation shows the widespread damage that could occur if the South Island’s Alpine Fault ruptures. Scientists, working as part of Project Alpine Fault Magnitude 8 (AF8), have marked the end of their first two years of work planning and preparing for a severe magnitude eight earthquake.
What happens when a foam fault is ruptured?
Brune (1996) observed strong fault opening in a foam rubber model of thrust faulting. The opening increased as the rupture approached the surface, resulting in a spectacular flip of the hanging wall tip of the fault at the surface as it detached from the foot-wall.
What happens if the San Andreas Fault ruptures?
Forget tsunamis and deep chasms opening up, but do expect violent shaking, building damage, fires and widespread economic impacts as the region is out of action for potentially a long period of time. Follow us on FACEBOOK and TWITTER. Share your thoughts in our DISCUSSION FORUMS.