what is san andreas fault movie about

Hayes discovers that the entire San Andreas Fault is shifting and will soon cause a series of major earthquakes, potentially destroying cities along the fault line. He begins racing to warn the population of California along with his students Alexi and Phoebe and reporter Serena Johnson.

Full Answer

What is so dangerous about the San Andreas Fault?

The San Andreas fault is an active faultline. Then too much pressure has built up in the fault, it will “snap” and move to a new position relieving the pent-up stress. That is an earthquake. It has been estimated that the massive 1906 earthquake was around a magnitude 8.3 on the Richter Scale (extremely high).

What's the deal with the San Andreas Fault?

San Andreas is one of many fault systems roughly marking the border between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates. Both plates are moving in an approximately northerly direction but the Pacific plate is moving faster than its North American counterpart, meaning that stresses between the plates are constantly building up .

What does the San Andreas fault even do?

The San Andreas Fault is where two tectonic plates meet in California, and it's the reason why the state receives so many earthquakes. The fault line stretches for 1,200 kilometres and is the boundary between the Pacific and North American tectonic plates.

Is the San Andreas Fault about to crack?

is the San Andreas Fault about to crack? There are many myths and legends about the San Andreas Fault, the biggest being that it will one day crack and California will slide into the sea. WRONG! It won't happen and it can't happen.

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What is the content of the movie of San Andreas?

Movie Info As the Earth cracks open and buildings start to crumble, Ray Gaines (Dwayne Johnson), an LAFD search-and-rescue helicopter pilot, must navigate the destruction from Los Angeles to San Francisco to bring his estranged wife (Carla Gugino) and their only daughter (Alexandra Daddario) to safety.

Is San Andreas fault Based on a true story?

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 caused the earthquake in San Andreas movie?

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 disaster happened in San Andreas movie?

earthquakeWhen 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.

How many people died in the movie San Andres?

At least 300 Unnamed People - Killed when the tsunami destroyed the bridge. Unnamed Old Couple - Crushed by a cruise ship. Unnamed Female Police Officer - Crushed by a cruise ship.

Is San Andreas a real place?

San Andreas (Spanish for "St. Andrew") is an unincorporated census-designated place and the county seat of Calaveras County, California. The population was 2,783 at the 2010 census, up from 2,615 at the 2000 census. Like most towns in the region, it was founded during the California Gold Rush.

Could the Hoover Dam break in an earthquake?

Extensive seismic analysis says the probability of failure is very, very remote at the Hoover Dam. Other dams might be at risk. But even if they failed, it's not that they would explode. Rather, the dam would develop cracks, causing water to seep through first.

What is the largest earthquake ever recorded?

great 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.

What is the San Andreas movie about?

Its plot centers on an earthquake caused by the San Andreas Fault devastating Los Angeles and the San Francisco Bay Area .

How much did San Andreas make in its opening weekend?

It made $3.1 million from Thursday night showings and $18.2 million on its opening day. It earned $54.5 million in its opening weekend which was well above the tracking and predictions. It was Johnson's biggest opening as a lead actor, surpassing the $36 million debut of his The Scorpion King in 2002 even after adjusting for inflation. Warner Bros. distribution chief Dan Fellman commented about the successful opening, saying that audiences never get tired of disaster films, even going back to The Poseidon Adventure (1972). He added, "What also gets tiring is when you start to do sequels of the same thing. It needs to be fresh, and you have to have the right chemistry in the cast", pointing out the originality of the film, and the performances of Johnson and the other cast, as some of the factors behind the film's successful opening. In its second weekend, it experienced a drop of 52% earning an estimated $26.4 million, falling in second place (behind Spy ), but experiencing a smaller fall than that of other disaster movies.

How much did San Andreas make?

Box office. San Andreas grossed $155.2 million in North America and $318.8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $474 million. It became the highest-grossing Warner Bros. film of 2015, and the fourteenth highest-grossing film worldwide overall.

What happened to Ray and Emma in the San Andreas Fault?

The pair encounter a couple broken down on the side of the road, shortly before the San Andreas Fault, which has torn a large fissure through the highway and extends for the perceivable length of the fault in either direction. Ray and Emma exchange the truck for an airplane the couple owns.

How good is San Andreas?

The website's critical consensus reads, " San Andreas has a great cast and outstanding special effects , but amidst all the senses-shattering destruction, the movie's characters and plot prove less than structurally sound." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 43 out of 100 based on 42 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.

What is the rating of San Andreas?

On Rotten Tomatoes, a review aggregator, the film has an approval rating of 49% based on 247 reviews and an average rating of 5.20/10. The website's critical consensus reads, " San Andreas has a great cast and outstanding special effects, but amidst all the senses-shattering destruction, the movie's characters and plot prove less than structurally sound." On Metacritic, the film has a score of 43 out of 100 based on 42 critics, indicating "mixed or average reviews". Audiences polled by CinemaScore gave the film an average grade of "A–" on an A+ to F scale.

How did the Golden Gate Bridge collapse?

The ship bisects the Golden Gate Bridge 's center span in half, killing everyone on the bridge, including Daniel. The tsunami proceeds to strike the ruined city, capsizing a cruise ship in the process, and killing thousands more. Blake, Ben, and Ollie enter the Gate, a building whose construction Daniel had been overseeing, but are still caught by the wave. As the building begins to collapse, trapping Blake underwater, Ray dives in, rescues her, and begins performing CPR. Emma crashes the boat through a window and drives the five of them out of the collapsing building as Ray resuscitates Blake.

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.

What is the Great Shakeout?

The Great ShakeOut is a national public earthquake drill that provides preparedness information and an opportunity to participate in the world's largest earthquake drill. Kent spearheads the ShakeOut exercise in Nevada through the Great Nevada ShakeOut.

What was the magnitude of the San Andreas earthquake?

The latest disaster movie, San Andreas, has drawn considerable attention, especially when coupled with the real-life earthquake disaster that struck Nepal April 25 and the magnitude 4.8 gentle-reminder earthquake 100 miles north of Las Vegas that rattled homes and highways throughout the valley on May 22. "As a couple of our graduate students can ...

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.

How many truths does Kent have about San Andreas?

Kent has separated fact from fiction by outlining five truths about the depictions in San Andreas:

Is the San Andreas fault a rupture?

Hollywood has decided to go "wall-to-wall" and depict a rupture of the entire San Andreas Fault, which extends from near the Mexican border to almost Oregon. Kent notes that in reality this has not been seen before, and although nothing is ruled impossible, this is a highly unlikely scenario given the past records of both historic and paleo-earthquakes. And, based on this history, the magnitude would be closer to magnitude 8.3, not magnitude 9.6.

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.

Does Hollywood paint a bigger picture than life?

Of course, Hollywood paints a bigger-than-life picture, and plays with the truth in order to entertain.

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.

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.

Can the San Andreas fault cause a tsunami?

It is also important to note that — unlike in the movie, San Andreas — the San Andreas Fault cannot create a massive tsunami. While a part of the fault near and north of the San Francisco Bay Area is offshore, the blocks on either side of the fault slide past each other horizontally. This will not cause significant vertical motion of the ocean floor that is needed to create a widespread, damaging tsunami. In the movie, we commend the hero’s recognition of the onset of a tsunami-event. That was portrayed well, with Dwayne Johnson noting the drop/retreat of water-levels prior to the arrival of the tsunami, which allows people to take action to seek safety. Vertical evacuation, as shown in the film, is a good response. Still, many of the characteristics of the tsunami portrayed in the film are done for dramatic effect and are inaccurate. For example, a tsunami does not have a crest, and the water levels do not stay in place upon arrival.

Is San Andreas a disaster?

So, in that sense, San Andreas is more than just escapist disaster-porn. It offers us a teachable moment, to separate the myths from reality about earthquakes.

What is the Richter scale used for?

There’s a scene at the beginning of San Andreas where the seismologist Lawrence, played by Paul Giamatti, uses the term “Richter magnitude” when referring to a large earthquake. Now, Richter magnitude is used a lot by journalists, but the Richter scale is actually for local magnitude. It was developed for assessing small earthquakes in California, and so the actual scale cannot capture very large earthquakes. It’s unable to record them. Seismologists would, in fact, use something called the moment magnitude scale to measure these large events. It’s a small thing, but it’s just not the term we would use.

What scale do seismologists use to measure large events?

Seismologists would, in fact, use something called the moment magnitude scale to measure these large events. It’s a small thing, but it’s just not the term we would use. Paul Giamatti and Archie Panjabi in San Andreas. Photograph: Jasin Boland/AP.

Why is the film San Andreas negative?

In general, the death and destruction portrayed in the film is quite negative, because it inspires fatalism and promotes a sense of helplessness. The film also undermines seismic design. New buildings are designed to be resilient against earthquakes. They would be heavily damaged, but there would be time to get out of them before they might collapse. To see buildings crumbling in San Andreas suggests that engineers are unable to design against these sorts of events – this is simply not true. We can’t protect against every sort of damage, but we can ensure that buildings stand up in a way that allows people to escape.

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Why are new buildings so resilient?

New buildings are designed to be resilient against earthquakes. They would be heavily damaged, but there would be time to get out of them before they might collapse. To see buildings crumbling in San Andreas suggests that engineers are unable to design against these sorts of events – this is simply not true.

How does a tsunami happen in San Andreas?

Physically, an earthquake-triggered tsunami happens at a subduction fault, which San Andreas is not. San Andreas is a land-based fault, which moves along the rupture horizontally (by the way, the fault would never open up as it does in the movie, leaving a gaping chasm in the ground). As the fault is not under the water there is no way that it would actually displace any water and create a tsunami. The only physical thing that might have generated a tsunami would be an underwater landslide triggered from the ground shaking. It’s a possibility, I suppose.

What does Lawrence say about earthquakes?

At one point, Lawrence (Giamatti) says something along the lines of: “It’s not a matter of ‘there may or may not be an earthquake’, it’s when.”. That’s the case with most areas with high seismic activity. We have to prepare for when an earthquake will happen, because it will.

What did the filmmakers get wrong?

Here’s a look at what the filmmakers got right and what they got wrong: 1. Earthquake faults don’t open up into canyons. Earthquakes happen when two blocks of Earth grind against each other. They need friction to cause the Earth to shake.

How are tsunamis made?

Big tsunamis are made by faults that are underwater. The San Andreas is mostly on land.

Is the earthquake in San Andreas real?

Could the earthquake that happened in the ‘San Andreas’ movie happen in real life? Nope. The movie version is fantastically exaggerated. Here’s a look at what the filmmakers got right and what they got wrong:

What is the wave?

The Wave is a Norwegian disaster film about a forecasted tsunami that was resulted from a crevasse avalanche. However, the citizens below the Geiranger fjord are not prepared for a more violent 85-meter tsunami. Those citizens include 40-year old geologist Kristian Eikjord (Kristoffer Joner), who finds solace with his family.

What is the best Roland Emmerich movie?

Arguably the best Roland Emmerich project in his filmography, Independence Day is a true movie event about a series of major city extraterrestrial attacks that prompted humanity to fight back in the Fourth of July.

When did the Roland Emmerich disaster end?

Finally, the Roland Emmerich disaster movie to end all Roland Emmerich disaster movies, 2012 revolves on the Mayan calendar superstition that pronounces that the world will end on winter solstice, 21 st of December 2012.

What was the earthquake in 1974?

1974’s Earthquake came at a time when disaster movies was a huge and innovative trend in the 70’s. As aptly implied by its title, this movie centers on a devastating earthquake that destroys most of Los Angeles and a motley cast of characters who need to escape the crumbling city.

What is the core movie about?

A sort of obscure disaster movie, The Core revolves on the instability of the Earth’s magnetic field that exposes the planet to radiation, creating a series of cataclysms. A team is then sent to drill the center of the Earth and set off nuclear explosion to restart the Earth’s rotation.

What is the San Andreas movie about?

San Andreas is a 2015 Dwayne Johnson blockbuster vehicle (no relation to GTA) about a series of massive scale earthquakes that rupture the region around the San Andreas Fault. Johnson plays a helicopter rescuer who enlists his wife Emma (Carla Gugino) to rescue their daughter Blake (Alexandra Daddario) from a devastated San Francisco area.

Who plays Jack Hall in The Day After Tomorrow?

At the center of the fray is paleoclimatologist Jack Hall (Dennis Quaid), who must rescue his son Sam ( Jake Gyllenhaal) in frigid New York.

Overview

Reception

San Andreas grossed $155.2 million in North America and $318.8 million in other territories for a worldwide total of $474 million. It became the highest-grossing Warner Bros. film of 2015, and the fourteenth highest-grossing film worldwide overall. Deadline Hollywood calculated the net profit of the film to be $88.07 million, when factoring together all expenses and revenues for the film. Since its release, the film remains the biggest-grossing live-action Hollywood original film of the …

Plot

Cast

Production

Release

Sequel

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