Chapter 15: California - Earthquakes

Chapter 15 is about the California region, which Monterey County is a part of. I am going to talk about the earthquake section of the chapter.

Sign on Bridge in Parkfield

Monterey County is on top of active geologic fault lines. The most active one is the San Andreas fault line. It runs through Parkfield, which is called the "Earthquake Capital of the world." Scientists monitor Parkfield and gather data about earthquakes. The ground there moves at a rate of 2.33 inches per year.

 M6.0 Parkfield Earthquake on 9/28/04

The largest earthquake within 100 miles of Monterey County was a 6.9 Magnitude in 1989. And although San Francisco is over 125 miles north, the 1906 San Francisco earthquake "permanently shifted the course of the Salinas River near its mouth. Where previously the river emptied into Monterey Bay between Moss Landing and Watsonville, it was diverted 6 miles south to a new outlet just north of Marina."

Map of Monterey County Faultlines

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