San Andreas Fault - Lake Palmdale EarthCache
San Andreas Fault - Lake Palmdale
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***There is no physical container here*** Parking is close. Have fun and enjoy
the history! *Note: To log this cache as a find, you must read the
description below to understand it and to answer it.
Plate Tectonics are very interesting to most geologists (and some geocachers). This spot above shows a great place to see plate tectonics in action. Pangaea was the biggest continent to ever form on planet Earth. It broke apart about 200 Million years ago and formed seven new continents called Africa, Antarctica, Asia, Australia, Europe, North and South America.
Along these very large continents there happens to be many fault lines and several tectonic plates. These plates are in constant movement caused by convection currents in the magma of earth's mantel which is in constant circulation (heat rises, then cools then sinks, and so fourth). This action moves the plates around the earth as they travel above the outer mantle. Some faults located within the plates are caused by the stresses that build up and eventually crack the crust. Others, including what you will witness in the San Andreas Fault, are where two adjoining plates meet. The three main types of faults are subductive (forces push an edge into and under the other), transverse (forces push one side length-wise sliding against the other), and sea floor spreading (spreading in the crust - the sides move away from each other).
One of the most famous faults is the San Andreas Fault. This fault is located at the border line between two tectonic plates called the North American and Pacific plates. The North American Plate spans over half of California through half of Iceland. The Pacific Plate spans from the other half of California all the way to the eastern shore of Japan. The San Andreas Fault starts in the Gulf of California in Mexico and ends just a few miles south of Eureka, California for a total of about 800 miles! This fault is the most famous fault of all because of the earthquakes it causes. About 100 earthquakes a day are measuerd along the San Andreas Fault! It is a dangerous fault because of all the deadly earthquakes it causes like the one during the World Series in California in the 1989. Geoloists are predicting a major earthquake along the San Andreas Fault, about a 7.5 to an 8.0 on the southern end of the fault (Southern California). History has shown that a major earthquake erupts along this area about every 100 years. The last major quake in the Southern California region of the San Andreas was the 7.9 Fort Tejon quake 1857 which was felt from Los Angeles to San Francisco. We are over due!! To see recent earthquakes of the San Andreas Fault please visit this URL on the related web page.
This fault was named after geologists found the fault in Lake San Andreas up in San Fransico. Lake Palmdale was and still is a huge sag pond made by the San Andreas Fault. A sag pond (in this case) when an underground river leaks up towards the surface of the Earth. Lake Palmdale was formed by the San Andreas Fault. As you can see there is a huge windmill on the other side of the lake. This windmill is on the North American Plate while, where you will be standing is on the Pacific Plate. You can see more of the fault if you go to Google Earth and zoom in to Lake Palmdale. And if you look toward the lake and follow the landform all the way from the northeaset down through the southwest, you'll be following the fault as it passes directly through this region.
TO LOG A FIND ON THIS CACHE YOU MUST GIVE ME THE CORECT ANSWERS BEFORE YOU LOG A FIND. YOU CAN CONTACT ME THROUGH MY EMAIL OR THE GEOCACHING MESSAGE CENTER. ANY INCORRECT ANSWERS WILL RESULT IN A DELETED LOG
*NOTE - THE QUESTIONS ARE ALL BASED ON THE ORIENTATION MAP OF THE SAN ANDREAS FAULT, NOT "THE AEROSPACE VALLEY".
1. What is the name of the valley just northeast of here according to the plaque of the San Andreas Fault?
2. What year was it made and who paid for it?
3. Name 3 landmarks that are located on the North American Plate and state their distances.
4. What is the direction of the fault line?
5. State the distance in inches from where you are now (Vista Point) to the intersection of the San Andreas Fault with Highway 14 using the map, not the actual distance.
* NOTE - You will likely not receive an email back from me, unless I need clarification on your answers. Please, don't wait for me to tell you you have it correct or not. I do review you emails within 12 hours of getting them in my inbox and with other of my earthcaches, it has become too hard to do. As soon as you send the email, you can log this earthcache.
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