Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Scientists Drill Into San Andreas Fault
ap ^ | 8.3.05 | na

Posted on 08/03/2005 7:02:59 PM PDT by Flavius

PARKFIELD, Calif. - Geologists drilling a borehole into the San Andreas Fault to better understand the physics of earthquakes have hit a seismically active section of the fault for the first time. ADVERTISEMENT

The scientists, who began drilling in 2004, finally entered the fault zone about two miles below the surface of the Earth on Tuesday. The entire borehole will be covered with steel and cement at the end of the month so scientists can later install instruments to measure future temblors.

"It's the first time we've been inside the earthquake machine," said Bill Ellsworth, a geophysicist with the U.S. Geological Survey in Menlo Park.

The drilling is part of a project, known as the San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth, to rig a patch of private ranchland near Parkfield with instruments to observe earthquakes up close and to better understand what happens during stress buildup of the ground. Parkfield is one of the world's most seismically active areas.

Parkfield — located halfway between San Francisco and Los Angeles — straddles the San Andreas Fault, which is the meeting of the Pacific and North American plates as they grind along 800 miles through the state.


TOPICS: News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: sanandreas
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

1 posted on 08/03/2005 7:03:00 PM PDT by Flavius
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Flavius

2 posted on 08/03/2005 7:05:24 PM PDT by Flavius ("... we should reconnoitre assiduosly... " Vegetius)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Flavius

Sounds like a villian in a James Bond movie.


3 posted on 08/03/2005 7:13:23 PM PDT by George from New England
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: George from New England

Did they have her permission. (sorry, couldnt help myself)


4 posted on 08/03/2005 7:15:29 PM PDT by Mrs. Shawnlaw (Rock beats scissors. Don't run with rocks. NRA)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 3 | View Replies]

To: Flavius

Art Bell will eat this up with a spoon. He loves this under the earth stuff.


5 posted on 08/03/2005 7:20:00 PM PDT by Kirkwood
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Flavius

Parkfield is a cool little town.


6 posted on 08/03/2005 7:23:51 PM PDT by doingtherightthing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Flavius

ap ^ | 8.3.05 | 24:21


PARKFIELD, Calif. - Geologists who were drilling a borehole into the San Andreas Fault to better understand the physics of earthquakes have hit a seismically active section of the fault for the first time.

Shortly after the drill probe reached the active area, California began slowly sliding west and southwest. As San Francisco plopped into the Bay, a tsumani formed that has overtaken the coast of Japan. Mexico sunk without a trace.


7 posted on 08/03/2005 7:24:23 PM PDT by mlmr (CHICKIE-POO!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Flavius

Parkfield is a cool little town.


8 posted on 08/03/2005 7:24:26 PM PDT by doingtherightthing
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Flavius
I have to admit the idea of subterranean seismographs and collecting real 3-D data sounds very exciting!
9 posted on 08/03/2005 7:26:34 PM PDT by balrog666 (A myth by any other name is still inane.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Flavius

Let's just hope that Superman is in the vicinity.


10 posted on 08/03/2005 7:30:16 PM PDT by Recovering Hermit
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Recovering Hermit
They should've just asked this guy about it:


11 posted on 08/03/2005 7:32:11 PM PDT by Brett66 (Where government advances – and it advances relentlessly – freedom is imperiled -Janice Rogers Brown)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 10 | View Replies]

To: Flavius
Hmmm, I think I heard of this before ...


12 posted on 08/03/2005 7:34:35 PM PDT by PMCarey
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Flavius
What are temblors?
13 posted on 08/03/2005 7:37:51 PM PDT by msnimje
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: msnimje

Earthquakes. Online dictionaries are your friend.


14 posted on 08/03/2005 7:54:27 PM PDT by TaMoDee
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: msnimje

"What are temblors?"

Earthquakes


15 posted on 08/03/2005 7:56:41 PM PDT by Doodle
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 13 | View Replies]

To: PMCarey

"What's that sound?"

"Whoops, there goes Kalifornia...hmmm maybe we should have drilled over there."


16 posted on 08/03/2005 7:56:51 PM PDT by WillMalven (It don't matter where you are when "the bomb" goes off, as long as you can say "What was that?")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 12 | View Replies]

Comment #17 Removed by Moderator

To: Flavius
Borehole drilling in California?

This is not news.

18 posted on 08/03/2005 7:59:30 PM PDT by Miss Behave (Do androids dream of electric sheep?)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Doodle
Is this another one of Bush's faults?

Stupid jokes aside (directly above, ahem)

if one were to capitalize the the word in question, and write it Temblors, then one could be referring to a small mountain range some miles East of Parkfield, adjacent also to the Southern San Joaquin Valley's, West side. The Temblors are not much in the way of mountain ranges, and most of it---
is as near dry as a bone.

19 posted on 08/03/2005 8:15:42 PM PDT by BlueDragon (Buckhead did it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 15 | View Replies]

To: BlueDragon

Southeast of Parkfield would be more precise.
If one refers to the map in this post, they lay
right under the red line beginning again to the SE of
Parkfield, ranging S to Hwy 166 or thereabouts.


20 posted on 08/03/2005 8:19:08 PM PDT by BlueDragon (Buckhead did it)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 19 | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-26 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
News/Activism
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson