![]() ![]() ![]() The oases and palm trees - made possible only because earthquakes pulverized rocks that allowed springs to burst to the surface.Ī geologist’s trained eye can even spot exactly where the fault is located. In Desert Hot Springs, hints of the mighty San Andreas fault lie all over: The rise of mountains that created the Coachella Valley. But the geological evidence of such quakes is all around us. Southern California has not seen an earthquake like this since humans started recording history here. Such a quake would be particularly dangerous because the fault’s shape points shaking energy toward Los Angeles. One of the most dire scenarios geologists have studied is a quake that begins at the Salton Sea. ![]() Other problem spots are the Tejon Pass, through which Interstate 5 passes, and the Palmdale area, through which the California Aqueduct crosses. Southern California’s cities are surrounded by mountains, making access through narrow passes like the San Gorgonio essential.Įxperts have also expressed grave concerns about the Cajon Pass, where Interstate 15 and key electric and fuel lines run. They worry a huge quake could sever lifelines at the pass for weeks or months, cutting Southern California off from major highway and rail routes as well as sources of power, oil and gas. It’s also the path for crucial power transmission lines.Ĭalifornia earthquake experts believe what happens at the San Gorgonio Pass during a major rupture of the San Andreas fault could have wide-ranging implications for the region and beyond. Through it runs an essential aqueduct that feeds Southern California water from the Colorado River as well as vital transportation links. The pass sits at a key geological point, separating the low desert from the Inland Empire, and, beyond that, the Los Angeles Basin. But for geologists, the narrow desert canyon is something of a canary in the coal mine for what they expect will be a major earthquake coming from the San Andreas fault. The pass is best known for the spinning wind turbines that line it. As Interstate 10 snakes through the mountains and toward the golf courses, housing tracts and resorts of the Coachella Valley, it crosses the dusty slopes of the San Gorgonio Pass. ![]()
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