Full Answer
How many miles long is the San Andreas Fault?
At nearly 800 miles long, it cuts through California like a scar and is responsible for some of the largest shakers in state history. In the film, a previously unknown fault near the Hoover Dam in Nevada ruptures and jiggles the San Andreas.
How big was the earthquake in the San Andreas movie?
In the San Andreas movie, a 9.6 magnitude earthquake hits San Francisco, which was triggered by a 9.1 magnitude quake in Los Angeles, following a 7.1 in Nevada. U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones says that if you adjust the magnitudes for what's possible along the real San Andreas Fault, the movie's triggering pattern is plausible.
Could the San Andreas Fault have ruptured in real life?
No. As seismologist Lucy Jones states in her article on the movie, "the gaping chasm we see rupturing the San Andreas in central California belongs to the realm of the completely impossible." If the San Andreas Fault could open up to the degree shown in the movie, there would be no friction, and it is friction that creates an earthquake.
What is San Andreas movie about?
San Andreas is the name of the tectonic fault line that runs through most of California. Seismologists have been predicting for years that California is due for a massive earthquake caused by this particular fault. See more » The Cessna 208 Caravan depicted in the movie is powered by a turboprop engine.
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How long is San Andreas movie?
1h 54mSan Andreas / Running time
Was San Andreas movie a flop?
It earned $474 million in unadjusted global grosses, including $155 million in North America, becoming the last original live-action Hollywood flick to earn even $450 million worldwide. The film opened not with the over/under $45 million projected at the time but $55 million in the first three days.
What is San Andreas Fault movie all about?
When a sudden massive earthquake demolishes Hoover Dam, triggering a devastating string of quakes from L.A. to San Francisco by the entire length of the San Andreas fault, Ray will embark on a frenzied mission to rescue not only his estranged wife, Emma but also his trapped eighteen-year-old daughter, Blake.
Is the San Andreas Fault movie realistic?
The movie's gaping chasm is completely impossible. Earthquakes happen because of friction and with a gap that wide, there would be no earthquake! Have any earthquakes in recorded history been larger than the movie's 9.6 quake? No, but the Great Chilean earthquake that hit Chile on May 22, 1960 comes very close.
Will there ever be a 10.0 earthquake?
No, earthquakes of magnitude 10 or larger cannot happen. The magnitude of an earthquake is related to the length of the fault on which it occurs. That is, the longer the fault, the larger the earthquake.
What caused the 9.5 earthquake in Chile?
A sudden breaking in the rocks along a roughly 560–620-mile (900–1,000-km) stretch of the Nazca Plate caused the earthquake, which has been generally agreed to have had a magnitude of 9.5—the largest earthquake recorded in the 20th century.
Is San Andreas worth watching?
San Andreas is nowhere near the best movie made this year. Indeed, it might be one of the worst. But it is, without a doubt, one of the most unapologetic, self-aware, and entertaining romps of 2015. And that counts for something.
What was the worst earthquake in US history?
The largest earthquake to hit the U.S. was on March 28, 1964, when a 9.2 magnitude quake struck Prince William Sound in Alaska....The Largest Earthquakes in the United States.RANK3.MAGNITUDE8.7DATEFeb. 4, 1965LOCATIONRat Islands, Alaska29 more columns
What is the biggest earthquake ever recorded?
Mw 9.5 earthquakeOn May 22, 1960 a great Mw 9.5 earthquake, the largest earthquake ever instrumentally recorded, occurred off the coast of southern Chile. This earthquake generated a tsunami that was destructive not only along the coast of Chile, but also across the Pacific in Hawaii, Japan, and the Philippines.
Can the Hoover Dam withstand an earthquake?
The 59-year-old dam, which stands 726 feet high, provides power to areas of California, Nevada and Arizona. “Crews did a complete visual inspection of the dam and found no damage,” Walsh said. He said the dam was built to withstand “a very strong earthquake, in the range of 8.0.”
How long did Chile earthquake 1960 last?
10 minutesWhen The Biggest Earthquake Ever Recorded Hit Chile, It Rocked The World In 1960, all of Chile shook violently for more than 10 minutes. That quake along the western coast of South America was so big, it changed the way people see the world.
Will California break off the US?
No, California is not going to fall into the ocean. California is firmly planted on the top of the earth's crust in a location where it spans two tectonic plates.
How much did GTA San Andreas cost to make?
10 million dollarsAccording to a report by The Wall Street Journal, San Andreas was Rockstar North's most expensive game at the time of its release, with an estimated budget of 10 million dollars, surpassing Vice City's budget of 5 million.
Is San Andreas movie funny?
San Andreas is a disaster flick, all-righty. A disaster for good actors… and I include Johnson in that. He is at his best when he can be funny, and that's so uncalled for here. (Yes, the movie does call for him to be funny a few times.
Storyline
In San Andreas, California is experiencing a statewide earthquake that goes on record as easily the biggest earthquake in history. Dwayne Johnson plays Ray Gaines, a helicopter rescue pilot for the Los Angeles Fire Department, who is trying to find his daughter, Blake (Alexandra Daddario), who is in San Francisco amid-st the chaos.
Did you know
Director Brad Peyton brought in Thomas Jordan, USC professor and director of the Southern California Earthquake Center to fact check the script for plausibility.
What is the San Andreas fault?
The San Andreas is strike-slip fault, in which opposing blocks of rocks slide past each other horizontally. A big San Andreas quake can spark fires and other mayhem, but it can't displace water and flood San Francisco. Hough said the movie got one aspect right: The tide suddenly ebbing out signals a tsunami is coming.
What magnitude was the San Andreas earthquake?
The San Andreas has revealed its awesome power before. In 1906, a magnitude-7.8 reduced parts of San Francisco to fiery rubble. Nearly five decades earlier, a similar-sized quake rattled the southern end of the fault.
What is the most dangerous earthquake fault in the world?
The San Andreas has long been considered one of the most dangerous earthquake faults because of its length. At nearly 800 miles long, it cuts through California like a scar and is responsible for some of the largest shakers in state history. In the film, opening this Friday, a previously unknown fault near the Hoover Dam in Nevada ruptures ...
Will San Andreas break again?
Despite the implausible plot, she said the San Andreas will indeed break again, and without warning. "We are at some point going to face a big earthquake," she said.
Can a San Andreas earthquake rattle the East Coast?
Even the largest possible San Andreas quake won't rattle the East Coast. (Sorry, New York). While seismic waves from great quakes can make the Earth reverberate like a bell, the ringing can only be detected by sensitive instruments because it's so low.
How long is the San Andreas fault?
The San Andreas long has been considered one of the most dangerous earthquake faults because of its length. At nearly 800 miles long, it cuts through California like a scar and is responsible for some of the largest shakers in state history. PHOTOS: San Francisco’s 1906 Earthquake. 3.9M Earthquake Strikes Near Los Angeles.
What magnitude earthquake is in the movie The Golden State?
A quake in the movie measures 9.6 on the Richter scale. Jones said that isn’t feasible, noting that an 8.3-magnitude quake is likely the worst that the Golden State could expect. 4. In the film, the quake is strong enough to pulverize the Hoover Dam and terrify citizens, but if a quake were strong enough to do that kind of damage, Jones said, ...
Why can't the San Andreas fault cause a tsunami?
The film show’s dramatic depictions of a tsunami, but Jones said that the San Andreas fault could never generate a tsunami because the fault is on land. Most tsunamis are triggered by underwater quakes, but they can also be caused by landslides, volcanoes and even meteor impacts. 2. In the film, the earth cracks wide open and gapes terrifyingly.
Who plays Ray in San Andreas?
Dwayne Johnson as Ray in a scene from the action thriller, "San Andreas.". — -- The movie “San Andreas” opened big at the box office this weekend, but the film’s over-the-top depiction of the so-called “big one” along the San Andreas fault was debunked by someone who knows the real deal.
What happened in 1906 San Francisco earthquake?
PHOTOS: San Francisco’s 1906 Earthquake. 3.9M Earthquake Strikes Near Los Angeles. In the film, a previously unknown fault near the Hoover Dam in Nevada ruptures and jiggles the San Andreas. Southern California is rocked by a powerful magnitude-9.1 quake followed by an even stronger magnitude-9.6 in Northern California.
How far does the San Andreas fault run?
Recent quakes and the science of plate tectonics is discussed. The San Andreas Fault runs roughly 810 miles through California and forms the tectonic boundary between the North American Plate and the Pacific Plate. WATCH. 1989 San Francisco Earthquake Footage.
What would happen if the San Andreas fault opened?
If the San Andreas Fault could open up to the degree shown in the movie, there would be no friction, and it is friction that creates an earthquake. -The Hollywood Reporter. The movie's gaping chasm is completely impossible. Earthquakes happen because of friction and with a gap that wide, there would be no earthquake!
What was the magnitude of the San Andreas earthquake?
In the San Andreas movie, a 9.6 magnitude earthquake hits San Francisco, which was triggered by a 9.1 magnitude quake in Los Angeles, following a 7.1 in Nevada. U.S. Geological Survey seismologist Dr. Lucy Jones says that if you adjust the magnitudes for what's possible along the real San Andreas Fault, the movie's triggering pattern is plausible.
How high is a tsunami in the movie?
No. Seismologist Lucy Jones says that a large tsunami is 50 feet high. It is nowhere near the height of the tsunami in the movie, which washes over the Golden Gate Bridge's roadway, standing roughly 270 feet above the water. "They can't be bigger than the ocean is deep," says Jones ( CBSNews.com ). The surfing-wave style tsunami shown in ...
How many people died in San Andreas?
Over 80% of San Francisco was destroyed and approximately 3,000 people lost their lives.
What was the most devastating earthquake in San Francisco?
The most devastating earthquake to hit San Francisco in recent history was the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, which is widely believed to have been around 7.8 in magnitude ( Berkeley Seismological Laboratory ).
Who is the real seismologist in the movie San Andreas?
In the San Andreas movie, a Caltech seismologist predicts the looming disaster and is heralded as a hero. However, Dr. Lucy Jones , a real seismologist with the U.S. Geological Survey agency, says that there does not yet exist a way to predict the time when an earthquake will strike.
Where is the San Andreas fault?
In this computer simulation constructed through a collaborative effort between the United States Geological Survey and the Southern California Earthquake Center, the magnitude 7.8 scenario earthquake ruptures 186 miles from Bombay Beach at the edge of the Salton Sea in the south to Lake Hughes northwest of Palmdale in the north.
what type of fault is the San Andreas?
A San Andreas earthquake would be classified as occurring on a strike-slip fault. Strike-slip faults are found along boundaries of tectonic plates sliding past each other.
What would be the Impact of a Major Earthquake on the San Andreas Fault?
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 fault is Los Angeles on?
Water, electricity and gas lines cross the San Andreas fault in Los Angeles. They break during the quake and remain unfixed for months. Many retrofitted homes and newer buildings survive the shaking, but many older homes are rendered structurally unusable.
How much does the earthquake fault move?
Keep in mind the fault is always moving about 2 inches a year. Find out about your home’s earthquake risk with CEA’s earthquake fault map by county.
How are strike slip faults formed?
The walls of rock move to the left relative to one another, or to the right relative to one another. These faults are formed by horizontal compression.
What fault did seismologists model?
Twelve years ago, seismologists modeled how the ground would shake on the southern San Andreas fault. Engineers and social scientists used that information to estimate the effects of a hypothetical 7.8 quake that strikes the Coachella Valley.