How accurate is the San Andreas movie about the earthquake?
For those looking for some scientific accuracy to put the film into context, here are some apropos factoids from USGS: The San Andreas Fault is not long and deep enough to have a magnitude 9 or larger quake as depicted in the movie. The largest historical earthquake on the San Andreas was the 1906 magnitude 7.9 earthquake.
How realistic is the movie San Andreas?
Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino in San Andreas. Rather scientifically unrealistic … Dwayne Johnson and Carla Gugino in San Andreas. First of all, San Andreas is a fun film. It’s interesting. But it has a bit of a fatalistic scenario of destruction – one we hope will never actually happen – and the film makes several scientific errors.
Is'San Andreas'a true story?
Scientists say 'San Andreas' is not accurate: Will moviegoers care? Actor Dwayne Johnson has said an expert seismologist signed off on the script for 'San Andreas,' but the US Geological Survey says it found several scientific inaccuracies in the plot line. Actors Paul Giamatti and Archie Panjabi take cover in film 'San Andreas.'
Is San Andreas worth the watch?
First of all, San Andreas is a fun film. It’s interesting. But it has a bit of a fatalistic scenario of destruction – one we hope will never actually happen – and the film makes several scientific errors.
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Is a 9.6 earthquake possible?
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.
Is San Andreas movie based on a true story?
Ultimately, GTA San Andreas is not based on a true story. Some true events inspire it, but it would be disingenuous to say it's a true story.
Is the tsunami in San Andreas possible?
The San Andreas fault cannot create a big tsunami, as depicted in the movie.
Are the aftershocks in San Andreas realistic?
At those distances, we call them “triggered earthquakes” instead of “aftershocks,” but they are common. The aftershocks that continue to rattle the characters in the movie are representative of what indeed could follow a real event. The most plausible part of San Andreas is its portrayal of the emotions in a disaster.
What did the San Andreas movie get wrong?
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.
Why is San Andreas movie not realistic?
No. 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.
What would happen if a nuke was detonated in the San Andreas fault?
If the nuclear bomb say gets detonated on an active fault line with just enough depth. It could a Massive earthquake, further more the sudden movement of the plates could result in generation of new fault lines.
Did the rock actually jump in San Andreas?
The 6-foot-5, 260-pound Johnson already is solid enough to play the Greek hero Hercules on-screen. Yet shooting San Andreas only pumped up his hero credentials. One scene required Johnson to skydive (a first) with Gugino into San Francisco's AT&T Park.
How many years are we overdue for San Andreas?
The major danger is from the earthquakes on the San Andreas Fault system. Narrator: On average, the San Andreas Fault ruptures every 150 years. The southern parts of the fault have remained inactive for over 200 years.
Can we predict San Andreas Fault?
Scientists cannot predict precisely when the next 1906-like earthquake will happen. Unfortunately, earthquakes do not produce known warning signs just before they occur. So estimates of when a large earthquake will occur are imprecise and are based on "models."
How far will you feel San Andreas Fault?
The Big One is what people call earthquakes of a magnitude 8 or higher. Scientists know that quakes of this size hit California semi-frequently, and study probability in order to understand the risks. We know the San Andreas Fault will strike again and significantly impact all civilization within a 50-100 mile radius.
How likely is it that San Andreas fault will happen?
In areas near the state boundary, it is nearly 100 percent likely to occur. In the San Francisco and Los Angeles regions, the USGS estimates that there is a 10 percent chance of a strong magnitude 6.7 earthquake in the next 30 years.
What is San Andreas movie based on?
Its plot centers on a massive earthquake caused by the San Andreas Fault devastating the West Coast of the United States....San Andreas (film)San AndreasTheatrical release posterDirected byBrad PeytonScreenplay byCarlton CuseStory byAndre Fabrizio Jeremy Passmore13 more rows
What was San Andreas based on?
San Andreas is closely based on real-life California. When compared to its 3D Universe predecessor, San Andreas is much more accurate in terms of geography and size.
What is the story behind San Andreas?
In the aftermath of a massive earthquake in California, a rescue-chopper pilot makes a dangerous journey with his ex-wife across the state in order to rescue his daughter. In San Andreas, California is experiencing a statewide earthquake that goes on record as easily the biggest earthquake in history.
Is GTA San Andreas based on a movie?
GTA San Andreas is a timeless classic that pays homage to several American films, which inspires the 90's setting of the story. Rockstar continues to reference several crime-based movies in their work.
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.
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 ...
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!
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 was the largest earthquake in history?
No, but the Great Chilean earthquake that hit Chile on May 22, 1960 comes very close. It measured 9.5 in magnitude and is the largest earthquake ever recorded.
Where are tsunamis created?
Also, tsunamis caused by earthquakes are created at subduction zones, places where tectonic plates collide and one plate is pushed under another. As a result, the sea floor is deformed and a tsunami is created. There hasn't been an active subduction zone under San Francisco or Los Angeles for millions of years.
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.
How are tsunamis formed?
Giant tsunami waves are formed when the Earth's crust violently shifts, displacing huge amounts of seawater. The larger the magnitude, the more these waves can race across the ocean without losing energy. The San Andreas is strike-slip fault, in which opposing blocks of rocks slide past each other horizontally.
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 ...
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.
Where are the most powerful earthquakes?
The most powerful temblors in recorded history have struck along offshore subduction zones where one massive tectonic plate dives beneath another. The 1960 magnitude-9.5 quake off Chile is the current world record holder.
Which country has the most advanced seismic alert system?
Japan has the most advanced seismic alert system in the world while the U.S. is currently testing a prototype.
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.
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.
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, ...
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.
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.
Who said "drop cover and hold on because your whole life is going to depend on it"?
When the seismologist played by Paul Giamatti says, “Drop cover and hold on because your whole life is going to depend on it,” that was actually sound advice.
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What movie did NASA find scientific inaccuracies in?
NASA identified 168 scientific inaccuracies in Touchstone Pictures' 1998 film "Armageddon." That didn't deter movie goers from dropping $200 million at the box office. And Jan De Bont's 1996 blockbuster "Twister" grossed nearly $250 million in box office sales despite numerous inaccuracies, including a live cow being flung out of the epicenter of a cyclone.
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The Monitor is a peculiar little publication that’s hard for the world to figure out. We’re run by a church, but we’re not only for church members and we’re not about converting people. We’re known as being fair even as the world becomes as polarized as at any time since the newspaper’s founding in 1908.
What does Professor Thompson think of the middle of reality?
Professor Thompson thinks playing it right up the middle between reality and fantasy is the way to go.
How does monitor journalism change lives?
Monitor journalism changes lives because we open that too-small box that most people think they live in. We believe news can and should expand a sense of identity and possibility beyond narrow conventional expectations.
Who signed off on the script for San Andreas?
Actor Dwayne Johnson has said an expert seismologist signed off on the script for 'San Andreas,' but the US Geological Survey says it found several scientific inaccuracies in the plot line.
Who is the actor in San Andreas?
Actors Paul Giamatti and Archie Panjabi take cover in film 'San Andreas.'
How did gravity help the chopper?
Gravity helped pull the chopper into place in the movie once it was tilted allowing it to "slip" in between the rock formation. Now once this is complete I suspect you would be stuck between a rock and a hard place. I can't think of any plausible way to reverse that maneuver and gain altitude.
Why don't they kill us in the wild?
Perhaps the don’t bother us because we don’t taste good. Perhaps they don’t bother us because they know how ill-tempered humans can get when one of us gets attacked.
What scale is used to describe earthquakes?
First, the seismologist used the Richter magnitude to describe large earthquake, that’s false, the Richter scale is used for local magnitude, developed for smaller earthquakes, the actual scale cannot record very large earthquake. For large earthquake, scientist uses the moment magnitude scale. The San ...
Is an earthquake like a movie?
An earthquake event is nothing like the movie shows, not even close. Earthquakes don't open up the ground, St. Andreas fault in on land, how a tsunami appears?
Which animal has never killed a human?
I know of only one large predatory animal who has, to my knowledge never killed a human in the wild - the Orca. A few confused, or irritated Orca have bothered some people over the years, like the one who bit a surfer and then apparently realized he didn’t have a seal and let go. Not that an accidental bite from an Orca is nothing to ignore - the man could have bled to death and required a hundred stitches.
Is Hoover Dam at risk from San Andreas fault?
The Hoover Dam is not at risk from the San Andreas fault. There are other faults much closer to that dam that could be a problem, but the San Andreas is too far away across multiple geologic terrains for an earthquake there to seriously damage the Hoover dam. (Recent seismic hazard map from USGS: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/states/nevada/hazards.php)
Is an earthquake on the San Andreas fault apocalyptic?
Given the size and geometry of the fault (s), the odds of an earthquake above magnitude 8.3 on the San Andreas fault (or any other nearby fault) are somewhere between astronomically low and completely impossible. For a summary of earthquake risks in California, I refer you to the USGS ( 2008 Bay Area Earthquake Probabilities, etc). A M 8.3 is big, but it isn't apocalyptic , especially in an area with modern building codes and 49 other states to help absorb the economic impacts.
What earthquakes have tension cracks?
The Crevasse: Most large earthquakes with ground rupture have associated tension cracks that can, at times, get large enough to place an arm into, a far cry from the chasm seen in San Andreas. The San Andreas Fault will not swallow up cars, people or buildings.
What happened in 1906?
In the 1906 earthquake a less than a half-meter wave was generated. Strong shaking could trigger landslides offshore that could spawn a tsunami, which appears to have happened after an 1812 earthquake near Santa Barbara, which resulted in a tsunami wave several meters in height.
Is San Andreas a reality?
The new disaster movie San Andreas draws on science fact - that earthquakes are a reality - and turns it into an action movie by creating a domino effect and pitting Duane "The Rock" Johnson against them.
Will the East Coast sit out the San Andreas earthquake?
The East Coast gets to sit out this event in terms of ground shaking from a large West Coast earthquake. But the “bill” from the next major San Andreas quake will shake up politicians as death tolls rise and damages estimated at $200 billion or more from a real major earthquake begin to roll in. Nothing Left Standing: Will California’s skyscrapers ...
Who is Ian Buckle?
Ian Buckle, a civil engineering professor in the University’s College of Engineering, shakes large structures for a living with huge shake tables in the world renowned Earthquake Engineering Laboratory. “The tall modern buildings, like the 50-story buildings built of steel, should do quite well,” Buckle said.
