CALIFORNIA

In This Issue I
THE LANDERS-BIG BEAR EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCE
GEOLOGY AND ITS FELT EFFECTS .
SURFACE FAULTING ASSOCIATED WITH THE JUNE 1992
. 3

LANDERS EARTHQUAKE. CALIFORNIA 10

A PUBLICATION OF THE ROCKFALLS AND SURFACE EFFECTS OTHER
DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY THAN FAULTING . . 17
SURFACE RUPTURE ALONG A PORTION OF
$We 01 c.wom.r. PETE WILSON THE EMERSON FAULT . ......................... 23
Governor DMG CLEARINGHOUSE FOR THE JUNE 28. 1992
LANDERS AND BIG BEAR EARTHQUAKES . . 27
The Resourcu AoencY DOUGLAS P WHEELER
Sllaelary for RelWu/'CfIs TEACHER FEATURE . . 28
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY SUBSCRIPTION AND CHANGE OF
D.\)anmenlol eons-aeoon eDWARD G. HEIDIG ADDRESS FORM 29
Drrector OMG PUBLICATIONS REQUEST FORM . 30
DMG OPEN-FILE REPQRT RELEASES 31
0Ms00n 01 """'" '" Geology JAMES F DAVIS
Stare GeoIogISI

CALIFORNIA GEOlOGY
AMERICAN SOCIElY FOR SURFACE MINING
TechnICal Ed'tor; Elise Mallison AND REClAMAnON
Copy Editor Lena Tabllio
GraphICS al'ld DesIgn Peggy Walker 10th Annual Meeting and T Tade Show
Publications SupeMSOf Jell Tambert
May 16-19. 1993
~ ~ 801 K Street 12th Floor loiS 1:l·30 Spokane. Washing/on
s.:ramento. CA 958'.·3531
916-"5·1825 Programs: Revegetation. soils and overburden. AMD coal and metal. surface
PUIIIca_ and Inlormauan 0110» 801 K SU_ hydrology. subsurface hydrology. landscape architecture, gold mining reclama-
'.Ih FIoo<. M$ 14-33 tion. wetlands. tailings reclamation. policy and regulations. philosophies of recla-
Seeramerna, CA9581'~
916·U5·!>716 mation. innovative waste disposal. analytic and mensurationaltechniques and
standards.
Soothern CaidomolI RegoonaI 0IIice
107 Sculh ar-av Room 1065 Symposium: Ecological restoration of disturbed lands.
Los ""9fI". CA i0012·4402
213-620-3560 Workshops: Wetlarxl design for treatment of add rock drainage. Applications
Bay AI. RegoonIII 0Il0ce 1145 Miotke! SI/"'"
of computer aided design/engineering to storm-water managemenl and sedi-
San Frarcsco. CA jMl03·1!>13 ment conlrol systems. Geochemical modeling.
415·S57·1SOO
Tours: Mine and superfund site tours will be conducted.
CALlFQFlNIA GEOlOGY (ISSN 0026 "5SS) IS pv!:Ilishe<l l>-
monINVby1he Oep.anmenlole-nPOtl, ~ o! M,nes Sponsored by: Washington State University. Bureau of Mines. Office of Sur-
'rod GeoIogv T1Ie RecorDs Olla 1& II 1059 V~ Stree1. SI.ole face Mining. Bureau 01 Land Management. Forest Service. Bureau of Indian
103 SIoatnenlO. CA 9581. Second daM po$la;e
s a a _ . CA Poslrnasler- Send acldr'"
~ \0 CALI·
"'l1li"'
II Affairs. and the Northwest: Mining Association.
FQANIAGEOlOGY jUSPS350 840). 80. 29&0, s.cr-. For more infonnation. contad:
CA 95812-2980

Reports ~ OrvISlOfl or Mones and Geology Plo,ects, Cathy Doerr

and ar\Ide$ ana __ nellIS related 10 \he ..... _ ..
ShoWorks. Inc.
CaLIon'oI, arelllCl\lOed on OM ~ ConIr_ ar\ICln.
llN*9'aphs, news ,t...... and gec:*lgoCaI ~ ~ 702 S. Washington
_ ..ewelcome
Spokane. WA 99204-2524
THE CONCLUSlOt"S AND oPlNlOt"S EXPRESSED IN AR· 'Zl' (509) 838-8755. FAX (509) 838-2838
TICLES ....RE SOLELV THOSE OF THE ....UTHORS ND ....RE
NOT NECESSARilY ENOOJISEO BY THE DEP RTMENT
OF CONSERV....TlOt"

Cor~ """'kl be aGdreued 10 EOoIOr COlier photo: View 10 Ille southeast. A complex zone 01 Sl..II1ace rupture
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGV. 801 K S1rHl. MS 1_ 33 along the Emerson Fault e.lends from bottom center 01 photo to just beyond
s.:r_. CA9581_.J532 small playa (sag pond) al cenler 01 photo. The uplifted older alluvial fan
Suclscf_ S8QO·lyr (6<SSl>1tS) S155(1"'2~(12_l. deposits Immediately east and north 01 the small playa appear to be offset
S23.QO;3~ 11,,_> S¥lcl _ _ OtOe<lanGo;!lVoQll
right-Ialerally about 1.000 leel (300m). South 01 the playa, the rupture zone
ola"""" omOll""t100tO C....UFOFINlA GEOLOGV. P 0 9<),
extends soullleastward Into the mountain range. Emerson Lake playa is In
2980. S"I""m.... lO. C.... 95812·~
upper left quadrant of photo. Johnson Valley and Means lake are viSIble In
upper right corner. west 01 mountain range. light-colored, narrow lines are
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993
Volume 461Number \ dirt bike and Jeep trails Photo by I.K. CurtiS SeflliCes. Inc.. July 3. 1992.
CGEOA46(1) 1·32 (\993)

, CALIFORNIA GEOlOGY JANUARY/fEBRUARY 1993

 THE lANDERS-BIG BEAR EARTHQUAKE
SEQUENCE AND ITS FELT EFFECTS
TOUSSON A. TOPPOZADA, Seismologist
Division 01 Mines and Geology

•
- -. . -"-
...
.......... 4-_
~ ~ -

':~'~i
if;
. . ,.:;.
. .. ...
'.
'.
-~ ~~
.
:

•
: ...,-

.
.... -'. ".......,..
• .' •
.: ;r.~2..~ w.~
-~ ~,-~~

Photo 1. Unusual ruptures in sand dunes along northern segment of Homestead Valley Fault had about 10 feet (3 m) of nghHaleral
displacement. Nole the leh·steppmg panern and narrowness of the fault zone. Photo by W.A. Btyant.

INTRODUCTION 1923 earthquake. Sanders (1986) showed (18 km) east of Desert Hot Springs.
that the sparse instrumental data were Subsurface faulting Irom this event propa-

L ast year a remarkable sequence of

moderate to major earthquakes
occurred in the Mojave Desert. 30 to
50 miles (50 to 80 km) east of San Ber·
nardino (Photo 1). This area is north and
east of the historically active San Andreas
Fault and south of the Holocene-active
Garlock Fault (Hart. 1992).
The table on page 4 lists the earth-
quakes of magnitude· (M) ~5 tnal occurred
before June 28. 1992 in the area sur-
rounding Landers. Locations and magni-
tudes of the 1935-1986 earthquakes are
taken from the California Institute of
Technok:.gy (ell) catalogs. Locations and
magnitudes of the pre-1935 earthquakes
were estimated from intensity data by
Toppozada and Parke (1982) and
Toppozada and others (1981). For the
• See page 16 lor e.planabOfl 01 magnItude
approximately consistent I.Vith the intensity
data. The record of M~5 earthquakes in
thiS area may be incomplete before 1930
and probably is incomplete belore 1900.
Figure 1 sho.vs the locations 01 events
in the table. Most of the pre-1975 activity
appears to be related 10 the San Andreas
Fault Zone. Surface faulting occurred in
the 1975 and 1979 earthquakes and was
reactivated as part of the 1992 Landers
faulling. TIle most recent earthquake of
M~5 related 10 the San Andreas Fault
occurred near Palm Springs in 1986.
EARTHQUAKE SEQUENCE
Joshua Tree Earthquake
On April 22. 1992.2 months before
the Landers and Big Bear earthquakes. an
earthquake of M~6.3 occurred 11 miles
gated northward 12 mites (19 km) to the
loum of Joshua Tree. where it caused
the most damage. Seismographic first
motions indicate right-lateral strike slip on
a north-nor!hwest·trending vertical faull
(Hauksson and others. 1992). Aftershocks
extended northward across the Holocene-
active Pinto Mountain Fault (Hart. 1992)
as shown in Figure 1. No primary surface
faulting was observed. Minor triggered slip
(0.24 inches [6 mm] right lateral. 0.16
inches [4 mml vertical, east side up) was
observed 3.5 miles (5.6 km) west-north-
west 01 the main shock on a less lhan
1 mile long. discontinuous segment of a
north-trending. west-dipping fault (Rymer.
19921.
Landers Earthquake
On June 28 at 4:57 a.m. the largest
earthquake (M~ 7.5) in Califomia since the

CALIfORNIA GEOLOGY JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993 3

M:?5 earthquakes (mamshocks only) m the area of FJ9Ure I 19 miles (30 km) apart. with the second
event, to the north. being twice as large
1992 June 28 Ms 6.6 81g Bear as the first (Kanamori and others. 1992).
1992 June 28 Ms 7.S Landers
1992 April 22 M&6.3 Joshua Tree Inversion of teleseismic P and S waves
1986 July 8 MS.6 North Palm Spnngs
revealed two strike-slip subevents of G-
1979 March 15 MS.3 Homestead Valtey (Hili and others. 1980: Hullon
and 8'second duration and about 10 sec-
and others, 1980: Sberman and others, 1980) onds apart. The strike of the first event is
1975 May31 MS.O Galway Lake (Beeby and HIli. 1975)
I degree west of north. and of the second
event 27 degrees west of north (Kanamori
1948 December 4 M6.S Desert Hot SPl'lngs (RIChter and others. 1958)
and others. 1992). TIle change in strike
1947 July 24 MS.S Mofongo Valley
from the first 10 the second event is con<;is·
1947 April 10 M6.2 Manlx
tent with the distribution of aftershocks
1946July 18 M5.6 Ludlow-Bagdad and the faulting shown in Plgure 2.
1944 June 12 MS.3 San Gorgonlo Pass
1940 May 17 MS' Morongo Valley B.g Bear Eanhquake
1935 October 24 MS, I San GorgonlO Mountain
The Big Bear earthquake 1M.., 6.61
1923 July 23 M6,2 San Bernardlno-Loma Linda
occurred at 8:05 a.m.. 3 hours after the
1907 September 19 M-S.S-6 Eastern San Bernardino Mountains
Landers event. along a northeast-trending
1899 July 22 M-6.S lytle Creek-san Bernardino Mountains left-lateral strike-slip fault at a focal depth
1889 February 6 M-S.S Mofongo Valley of approximately 6 miles (10 km). No
surface faulting was found for this earth-
"""ke.

1952 Kern County M~7.7 earthquake

occurred near Landers and the northern Aprtl
1947 MAGNI'l\roE$
end 01 the Joshua Tree aftershock zone.
1he Landers rupture propagated north- 0 3.0+
ward on the Johnson Valley Fault. and ... 0 4.0+

~
then stepped to the east to the Home- 5.0+
stead Valley. Emerson. and Camp Rock 6.0+
faults. with the strike of each successive
...
fault trending farther to the west. (Agure
2l. TIle fault rupture was mapped lJy
CIT. the U.S. Geological SUlvey (USGS).
..~

and the Division of Mines and Geology

(DMG). and is described by Hart and oth- ... 1946

~"\
ers. and lJy Irvine and Hill in this issue.

Kanamori and others (1992) deriV€d

the distribution of slip along the fault by
inverting seismic waveforms and found
... "t\~
it to be roughly comparable to the slip e/ANOUS
observed in the field. Large slip begins
about 2 miles (3 kml north of the epicen-
ter on the Johnson Valley and southern
". eo ",.,
7WENI'Y NlIIE

Homestead Valley faults and dies out ~--

( '889
about I I miles (18 km) north of the epi-
19&-:"-
center (Rgure 3). It resumes on the ". 1944 "..
Homestead Valley Fault about 17 miles DesclfT IIQI.SPI/,INGS
(27 kml north of the epicenter, and con-

..
tinues on the Emerson (where maximum
slip was observed in the field) and Camp
Rock faults. extending to approximately ". "7' ... . ... ""
37 miles (60 km) north of the epicenter Figure 1. seIsmICity preceding the landers earthquake. EpICenters 01 M~5.0 earthquakes are
(Earthquake Engineering Research Insti- blue. Appl"oxlffiate locations 01 pre·instrument earthquakes (MS.5---6.5) are outlined WIth dashes.
tute. 1992). These two regions of large Altershocks 01 M;:.30 lor the Apn! 22, 1992 Joshua Tree earthquake, through June 27. 1992 are
slip (FIgure 3). indicate the Landers earth- black The malnshock is near the south end 01 the altershocks. The laultlng lrom lhe then-
quake consisted of two subevents about Impending June 28 Landers earthquake IS dotted. Joshua Tree data couf1esy of CIT and USGS.

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY JANUARYIfEBRUAAY 1993


'"
,"'
,"'
,"'
,"'
,"' 117'
'"
Figure 2. Aftershocks of M~3.S for the June 28.1992 Landers and BI9 Bear earthquakes
through september 10. 1992 Blue shading has been added to shOw surface lautbng
Courtesy of CIT and USGS.
Aftershocks
The ahershock zones of the two June
1992 earthquakes form a triangle about
43 miles (70 km) on a side. with the
Landers zone on the east. the B'9 Bear
zone on the west. and the San Andreas
Fault Zone (Mission Creek and Banning
strands) on the south (Figure 2).
Aftershocks ~ M3.5 thaI occurred
from June 28 to September 10 are
shown in FIgure 2. and have a distrib-
ution similar to the M>3.0 aftershocks
that occurred from June 28 to July 27
(Toppozada and Wilson. 1992). Both
afteTShock maps show that surface fault-
ing on the Camp Rock Fault extends 3
to 6 miles (5 to 10 km) farther northwest
than the main aftershock zone. This sug-
gests that the northwest end of the sur-
face faulting is shalloo' and may not
extend to seismogenic (earthquake-gen-
crating) depth. Also. both maps show
a persistent cluster of earthquakes ncar
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY
MAGNITUDES
o 3.S'f
4.0+
5.0+
6.0+
7.0'"
, more complete intensity infonnation.
.~
1.....ENTYNIN£
"ALIIS
PINTO MOUNTAIN
FAULT
o zone. where mllch of the damage was to
oo@
0J::)-
,"' ,"' ,"'
Barstow that is separated from the main
aftershock zone by a 22-mile (35-kmj gap_
Aftershocks follow the trend of the
surface faulting. as seen in Figure 2_ The
epicenters of the Landers aftershocks
form a continuous north- to northwest-
trending zone from the San Andreas
Fault to the Camp Rock Fault. TIley have
extended across the Holocene-active
Pinto Mountain Fault and south of the
surface fault rupture as far as the San
Andreas Fault. The aftershocks of the Big
Bear earthquake have extended southwest
as far as the San Andreas Fault. ">here a
M4 earthquake occurred near Yucaipa.
with mechanism parallel to the San
Andreas Fault
PRELIMINARY ISOSEISMAL MAP
OF LANDERS EARTHOUAKE
Modified Mercalli Intensity {MMO
values VJeTe obtained mainly from the
National Earthquake Information Center-
JANUARYIFEBRUARY 1993
USGS (NElC-USGS). DMG staff assigned
addillonal intensities by interpreting news-
paper reports for severaltOWTls that v.>ere
not listed by NEIC-USGS. The highest
predominant intensity values were plaited
on a map and contoured to show the
areas shaken at MMl"s VI. VII. and VIll
(Figure 4). This is a preliminary map.
and may differ in detail from the NBC-
USGS map to be published in 1993 using
It is possible that the preliminary map
includes the effects of the Big Bear earth-
quake. which would result in higher inten-
sities. particularly in the Big Bear to San
Bernardino area.
The MMI VII and VIII ZOrlCS are poorly
defined because of the sparsity of popula·
tion around the fault area. A[so the MMI
VII zone possibly includes some effects of
the Big Bear earthquake. The MM[ VI
contents of buildings. appears to be mod-
erately \.Ilell defined and extends from the
Los Angeles Basin to the eastern Mojave
Desert (Figure 4). It covers about 18.100
square miles (47.000 kmlj. This is smaller
than the 27.000 square miles (70.000
"5"
km") for the MM[ VI and greater area of
the 1952 Kern County earthquake of
M~ 7.7. but larger than the land area of
7.300 square miles 09.000 kmlj for the
M~7_1 Lorna Prieta earthquake. Figure 5
shows the MMI VI area for each of these
earthquakes. and for the MIl Imperial
earthquake of 1941 Of these four impor-
tant M>7 earthquakes. Lorna Prieta was
the most destructive. because the VII zone
included much of the metropolitan San
Francisco Bay area.
CASUALTIES AND DAMAGE
The California Office of Emergency
Services (DES) reported one death. 25
serious injuries. and 372 other injuries
as a result of the eartl-Kjuake series. [n
San Bernardino County. 77 homes v,rere
destroyed and 4.369 were damaged.
with losses estimated to be $47.5 million
Twenty-seven buSInesses were destroyed
or had major damage. and 139 others
sustained lesser damage. resuhir)g in
losses estimated to be $17 million. Public
sector damage (water. SCVJeT. and public
buildings) was estimated al $26,6 million,
Damage estimates for Riwrsidc County
included 24 residences and seven
businesses. totaling slightly less than
5
 8 No significant damage to the under-
observed at surface
S8'SmologlCaily esllmated
o 10 20 30
Distance (north trom the 8pIC8l1Ier). km
FIQure 3. Slip distribution along the lau1l estimated Irom TERRAscope broadband
records (solid line). Surface displacements observed in the field are shown by the
dashed line. From Kanamori and others. 7992.
$1 million (Earthquake Engineering
Research Institute. 1992).
IMPACT ON LIFELINES
Damage to water and gas systems
and highways was limited 10 the epk:en'
lral region because faulting occurred in a
desert area. The following lifeline infor-
mation is mostly from the August 1992
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute
report.
Water and Waste Water
Water distribution systems suffered
damage to pipelines and storage tanks.
Ground-water wells and storage tanks
supply all the water in Ih€ Landers epicen-
lral area. Wafer customers \.VeTe without
water for several hours to 2 IAleeks. Hun-
dreds of water-line breaks were reported
In the Landers area. Much of the pipeline
damage OCCUlTed in the fault zone. where
there were large displacements.
Damage to water systems was less
severe in the Big Bear area. According
to the director of Big Bear Lake Public
Works. there were approximately 50
water pipe repairs made in 2 days. Water
storage tanks appeared to be undamaged.
Waste water disposal in the Yucca
Valley area is handled by private individual
sewage disposal facilities. Concern about
contamination from waste water led to
the boiling of drinking water for 2 weeks.
until both systems were inspected and
repaired.
, CALIFORNIA GEOlOGY
shp along the raull
40 50 60 70 80
Power
1lle major electric pou,ter agency in
and around Landers lost service to
550.000 customers due to localized dam-
age within the distribution system. Most of
the service was restored within 24 hours.
Localized failures caused loss of
poy..oer for several hours 10 5.000 custom-
ers in lhe Big Bear Lake area. In the Los
Angeles area 51.000 customers lost
power. again due to distribution system
failures. Nearly all service was restored
within 24 hours.
The high voltage poy..oer transmission
and switching system perlonned well
becau5C 01 the distance between the fault
trace and vulnerable swilchyards. The
Camp Rock-Emerson surface fault rup-
tured under a bolted steel frame 220 kV
transmission tower. moving two of the
legs approximately 9 feet (3 m) relative to
the other two (Photo 2). This resulted in
substantial deformation of the steel tower
and lailure of several braces. but no dam-
age was sustained by the transmission
lines or ceramic insulators.
Fuel
ll1ere was no damage to two high
pressure gas transmission lines passing
through the area. one a 6·inch (l5-cm)
hne south of the primary rupture zone and
the other a 30'inch {76-cm) line north of
the primary rupture zone_There was
some nonstructural damage to a compres-
sor station on the 3Q..inch (76-cm) line.
JANUARY fEBRUARY 1993
ground natural gas distribution system was
observed in Yucca Valley or Joshua Tree.
Houses in Landers use propane gas
from ab0ve-9round tanks. Some of these
tanks slid and fell off their concrete pads.
rupturing the attached piping. Unbraced
not water tanks toppled. breaking pro-
pane line connections in some cases.
Rres resulted in several instances.
The natural gas system in Big Bear
did not suffer any breaks in its main lines.
although many gas connections were
broken because houses shifted from their
foundations. Some areas around Big Bear
rely on propane tanks for fuel. Damage
to unancnored tanks was similar to that
in the Landers area.
Transpor1ation and CommunICations
State Highway 247 (Old Woman
Springs Road) was disrupted in ten loca-
tions and not fully restored until 8 days
later. Other county and gravel roads in
the area were Similarly disrupted. but
remained open to tramc as repairs were
made. State Highway 38 10 Big Bear
Lake remained closed for 2 weeks
because of rock slides. Restrictions to
travel on Highway 247 south of Lucerne
Valley were imposed to reduce conges-
tion in the Big Bear area.
Operations at one military and three
small civilian airports in the Yucca Valley
area \A1CTC not adversely affected by the
earthquakes. despite minor cracking of
runways and taxiways and some loss of
poweL
Telephone systems perfonned well.
ahhough service was affected by the usual
post-earthquake high volume congestion.
Reported damage included a downed
overhead cable and a few tension failures
in buried cable. Although there were some
temporary disruptions immediately follow-
ing the event. telephones were generally
working throughout the epicentral region
within a few hours. Sporadic local outages
VJ€re reported lor approximately 3 days
following the earthquakes.
FM radio station KROR in Yucca
Valley. which had emergency backup
power. continued operations after the
earthquakes. providing valuable Oocal
 _. --
• 5. Cant,1

~----"
-- -- , . _ - _._._.- -eJi F(I(1lrw,n ..
Baker 6.
e,ma

,
I ••
TehachaPI
" "- \
I
I \
I
I
I
e5. Lebec f • 6 Rosamond
VI Barstow 6-7.
6••
.6 Yermo
Daggen _ .... §+ Newberry Springs
\
\
\
6.
Esse.
I
I I .6+ Ludlow
\
I v l • 6+ Lancaster \

g
I
I
I
\
\
\
6.
• ...
.6 VictOlVllle

.6
VII
.6Amboy

.•-,
\
I

.,
I I
i» \
••
\ Hespena
~'IlLake
I
sanla Paula 5. \ Lake
Arrowhead 6
Bear
I
~ \ ,..., Ii:." ~1.8?
7~"
EPICENTER
Simi Valley 5. San Femanoo I
•••
6+ Twencynltlll
e
6~
Pasadeoa S.a. Ontano san Bernardino e6 • Palms
Olnatd 4 ..
•
'"' Los Angeles r 4+ 6 6 • Redlands·
I
I
-.....~~=_5 5• •6 wh'l1Ier e5-6 • • • 6+ 6-7. .7· e6 I
.. r =so. .6..5
,,,,---
Santa MonICa e., \ 5 .6-
••
5.6-
e6 RIVersldeee
6 - 7 · · 6+

5.
_6
&.e .6 .... 6.. Desert Hot Spnng,
I
I

~
5 N Palm Spnngs
I 6• • 6+ I
.6

.. .6. /
(6 long • 5-6 Aneheom 6. 6
~ Beadl 5-6e
San JaonlO 6 •
e6+ Hemel Palm • • S+ IndIO .5o
•
Paramount - -.5-6.-5 Tustin
" , Desert e6.6

~
5 HunliflQlon Beach
"- ,_5+ Mecca 5e _

.6 . . -.6-
.5-6
Anza §..'I- - - - - e 5 Desert Beach
-5 18guoa N.guel
~

e.planatlon 01 Modified Marcam

Intensilles Shown
San Clemenle 6
\
"- ,
--- -
Temecula .... .-
Aguanga

., V
.,. .5 Niland
Wamer Springs 531101'1 Cily

V Ov8l1umed sma" objects. WIth

VI
occaslOI'I8l fall
Fall ot small furnishings and
oceanside 4 ..' .4.. Vista
•• .5
Escondido_ _ - -
__
.4 Juli;;- - - - _ _ • ~eslmortand
some plaster - - - - - - - e3·4
VII Severe cracking 01 chimneys
and unreln/orced masooJY walls " Brawley

VlIl Fall of chimneys and

unrellliorced masonry walls
'" e4, Sanl" o 2' SOMdel
I I 1
e6 San Diego I I ,
o ~ 100 Kolomll18...
,
Figure 4 Prehmlnary MOdlhed Mercalh lnlensily map ollhe Landers earthquake, based largely on Inlormatlon Irom NEIC-USGS

+ +M
,,+
o 50 100 Miles
I '. '
o 100 200 Kilometers
+ ...
'"
emergency) public information. The
radio station In Big Bear also remained
in service.
TRIGGERED OR
STIMULATED SEISMICITY
Within minutes after the Landers
earthquake. hundreds of small earthquakes
(M<3) OCCUlTed in volcanic areas near
Mammoth Lakes in central California and
near Mount Shasta in nonhern California.
Also. a swann of earthquakes of M:S4.1
near Cedar in southVJeSlcm Utah began
within an hour of the Landers earthquake.
The next day. a M5.6 earthquake
struck near the Nevada-<:alilomia border,
210 miles (340 km) nonh-northeast of
Landers and 12 miles (19 km) east of
Lathrop Wells. The event may be associ-
8 CALIFORNIA GEOlOGY
" ments are IndICated schemat·
.+""
..
aled with the Rock Valley Fault System.
just off the southern border of the
Nevada Test Site. Damage to a Depart-
ment of Energy unreinforced masonry
office building included cracks in the
oulskle walls. damage to interior steel
frame doors. and broken glass. The
building is about 6 miles (10 km) from a
proposed underground radioactive waste
site (Earthquake Engineering Research
Institute. 1992).
The western Mojave Desert also ex-
perienced an increase in seismic activity.
including a M5.5 earthquake on July 11.
1992. near the junction of the Garlock
and Sierra Nevada faults. 124 miles
(200 km) northwest of Landers. Seismic-
ity at several other sites as far away as
Yelloo.wstone National Park. 750 miles
(1.200 km) from Landers. also increased
JANUARY FEBRUARY 1993
FIQure 5. The areas shaken at
Modihed Mercalll IntenSity
(MMI) VI and greater for the
1992 Landers. 1989 Lorna
Prieta (Stover and others.
1990). 1952 Kern County
(Slover and Collman. 1993).
and 1940 Imperial County
(Neumann. 1942) earthquakes.
The corresponding laull seg-
lCally by thICk III'les.
markedly. The conventional wisdom that
seismicity is triggered only within about
one source dimension (50-mile [So-km]
rupture for Landers) is being reevaluated.
at least for Ms2:7.5 earthquakes.
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
Drs. Egil1 Hauksson and Hiroo
Kanamori (ern kindly provided preprints
of their papers. Katrin Douglass (Crn
provided the epicenter maps of 1992
activity. Undie Brewer. Glen Reagor.
and Carl Stover (NElC-USGS) provided
most of the MMI data in F"tgure 4.
Michael Reichle reviewed the paper.
Claudia Hallstrom searched newspapers
for reponed effects of the Landers earth-
quake. and plotted the Intensities on the
isoseismal map. Virginia Williams typed
the manuscript.

Pnolo 2. Powerline tower severely damaged by rupture on Emerson Faull where \1 leel
(3.4 m) of nght-Iateral slip was measured. Rupture lorms a relatively narrow mole track
here but splays Inlo a complex zone nearly 1.000 feet Wide (300 mj 1 mile (1.6 km) to lhe
northwest Photo by A.G. Barrows.
REFERENCES
Beeby. OJ. and HIli. RL.. 1975. Galway Lake
Fault, a pr9YlOOsty unmapped active faull
In lhe Mojave Desert. san Bernardino
Counly, California CALIFORNIA GEOL-
OGY, v. 28, no. 10. p. 219·221.
Earthquake Englneenng Research Inslltute.
1992, special report on Landers and
Big Bear earthquakes. AuguSI 1992
Newsletter
Hart. E.W, 1992, Fault-fUplure hazard zones In
California. DiVISIOn of Mines and Geology,
Sp9Clal PubilCatJOfl 42. 32 p.
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY
Hauksson. Egil. HUllon. Kale. and Jones. Lucy.
1992, Prelimmary report on the 1992
Landers earlhquake sequence m SOIJlhern
California In Ebersold. DB. OO110r. Field
Tnp Guidebook. Soulhern Calilornla Sec-
lIOn of the ASSOClal,on of Engmoonng
GeologlSIS
Hili. RL. Pechman. J,C. Trelman. J,A..
McMillan. JR Grven, J W. and EOOl.
J.E.. 1980. GeologIC Sludy of lhe Home·
stead Valley eaflhquake swarm of Malch
15. 1979 CALIFORNIA GEOlOGY. v 33.
no 3. p. 60·67.
HUllon. LX. Johnson. CE.. Pechmann. J.C,
Ebel. JE Given. J W. Cole. 0 M. and
JANUARY FEBRUARY 1993
German. PT., 1980, Epteentral 1oca110f1$
for the Homeslead Valley earthquake
sequence. March 15. 1979 CALIFORNIA
GEOlOGY. V 33. no, 5. p. 110-114
Kanamon. Hlroo, ThIO, Hong K,e; Dreger.
Doug, Hauksson. Eglll; and Healon.
Tom. 1992. IMlal Invest'9atlOn Of lhe
Landers. California. earthquake 01 28
June 1992 us'ng TERRAsoope Geo-
physical Research Lelle.s. v 19. no 22.
P 2267-2270.
Neuman. Frank. 1942. Untled Stales earth-
quakes 1940: Coasl and GeodetIC
Survey. S9f1al rtO 647
RlChler. CF. Allen, C A, and NordqUist J M
1958. The Desert HOI Spflngs earth-
quakes and lhelr tectOI'llC enVironment,
Bullelin of the seismologICal SocI8!y of
Ame.ica, v. 48. p. 315-337
Rymer. M J.. 1992. The 1922 Joshua Tree.
CalJfornla earlhquake: tectOniC sewng
and tnggered slip (abslracl] Amencan
Geophysocal UnIOn Transactions,
November 1992
Sande.s. C 0 .. 1986. selSmolectOnlCS of lhe
San JaCinto Faull Zone and the Anza
seismic gap Ph,D dISSertatIOn, California
InsutUle 01 Teennology, Pasadena. 143 p
SlIerman. OJ.. Lee, lien-Chang. Zappe.
5.0. Seamount Dan, 1980. Alle.shocks
ollha Homestead Valley earthquake 01
March 15, 1979: CALIFORNA GEOLOGY.
v 32. no 1.p.14-17
Slover. C W. and Coffman. J.L., 1993. SeiS-
mICity of the Unrted Slales 1968-1989:
U.S. GeologICal Survey ProfessIOnal
Paper 1527. In press
Stovef, C.W.. Reagof. BG. Baldwin. F W
and Brewer, L.R., 1990. Preliminary
ISOS9lsmal map lor the Sanla Cruz (Lorna
Prlela). California. earlhquake of OCIober
17. \989 UTC U.S. GeologJcal Survey
Open FIle Report 90-18. 24 p.
Toppo~ada, T.R and Parke. DL.. 1982.
Aleas damaged by Cahfornla earth-
quakes. 1900-1949. AnnualleenmcaJ
repon 10 lhe U.S. GeologICal Survey
California DiviSion 01 Mines and Geology
Open·Flle Report 82-17 SAC, 65 P
Toppo13da, fR .. Real. CA.. and Parke.
O.L.• 1981. PreparatIOn 01 IS05elsmal
maps and summanes of reported effects
for po-e-l900 Cahfornla earthquak~s
Cahfo.ma D,VISIOn of Mines and Geology
Open·File Report 81-11 SAC. 181 P
Toppo~ada. TA. and Wilson. RI., 1992,
Apfll 22 Joshua Tree. and June 28
Landers and Big Baal earthquakes.
1992. CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY, v. 45.
no 4. p. 118-120,
9
 Surface Faulting Associated with the
June 1992 Landers Earthquake, California
EARL W. HART, WILLIAM A. BAYANT, AND JEROME A. TAEIMAN, Geologists
Division of Mines and Geology

Photo 1. Geologists measuring 9.5 feel (2.9 m) 01 nghHateral olfset ot chain· link lence along Encanlado Road west of
Landers. Photo courresy of Geomalnx Consunants.

INTRODUCTION

S urface fault rupture associated with

the June 28. 1992 Landers earth~
quake occurred in San Bernardino
County. from Ihe vicinity of Yucca Valley
to the Rodman Mountains. a distance of
53 miles (85 km). This was the largest
fault-rupture event in California since the
1906 earthquake on the San Andreas
Fault which had as much as 250 miles
(400 km) of rupture and 15 to 20 feet
(4,6106.1 m) of right-lateral slip. Rup-
tured duEing the Lmders event were
the Johnson Valley. Homestead Valley.
Emerson. and Camp Rock faults. all of
which \AleTe active and previously mapped
(Photo I and Figure 1). Also. several pre-
viously unknown faults ruptured, including
the Eureka Peak and Burnt Mountain
faults in Yucca Valley and the Kickapoo
Fault' in Homestead Valley.
• Also relerred to as the Landers FauM
These ruptures came as a big surprise
to the earth scientists who had studied
these faults because: I) faults previously
considered to be separate structures
were found to connect (Figure 1): 2} the
amount of surface displacement was
two or three times as large as generally
anticipated; 3} the magnitude" of the
eanhquake was much larger than envi-
sioned by seismologislS for individual
faults: and 4) seismicity was continuous
across the active Pimo Mountain Fault.
RESPONSE
The Landers eanhquake was felt by
many in soulhem California. including
author Jerome Treiman. He and olher
eanh scientists checked for fault rupture
as soon as the epicenter was located.
"See ~ 16 lor eXplanatIon 01 rT\iIogMude
Other geologists from the Division 01
Mines and Geology (DMG), the U.S.
Geological Survey (USGS}. the California
Institute of Technology (CIl). universities.
consulting finns. and other organizations
arrived during the next few days.
Initially. the extent. magnitude. and
sense 01 rupture were detennined. Much
of this information was channeled through
DMGs clearinghouse (see Toppozada and
others. this issue). By July 1 or 2. most
of the main ruptures had been identified
and. to some extent. measured. but the
desert terrain and its limited features did
not pennit most rupture traces to be pk>t-
led accurately on topographic base maps.
Aerial photographs (scale of 1:6.000,
or I inch _ 500 feet). taken by IX Curtis
for USGS on June 30 and available
July 3. greatly facilitated the mapping of

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY JANUARY FEBRUARY 1993

fault ruptures. Although many of the faults
could be seen on the air photos. it was
necessary to examine them in the field 10
measure magnitlKle of slip and to provide
continuity. Because of the large number
of ruptures and because fractures degrade
rapidly in soft alluvium. DMG joined the
USGS and others to map the many
strands of faults. The results presented in
this article are preliminary and general-
ized. More detailed and complete results
will be published jointly with the USGS.
Other preliminary reports on the Landers
earthquake have been prepared by Earth-
quake Engineering Research Institute
(1992) and Geomatrix Consultants
(1992).
1ne authors would like 10 acknowl-
edge the dozens of geologists from DMG.
lhe USGS. and other organizations for
making their preliminary data available
for this report.
TECTONIC SETTING
The Landers earthquake occurred
along part of a group of right-lateral.
northwest-trending late Quaternary faults
in the central Mojave Desert (Figure 1).
Near its southern end. the rupture zone is
tTaversed by the east-VJeSt-trending Pinto
Mountain Fault. The region is bounded on
the southwest by the San Andreas Fault
Zone and on the north by the Garlock
Fault.
The principal faults and general struc-
ture of the Mojave Desert region have
been summarized and discussed by
Dibblee (1980). According 10 Dokka
(I 983). the principal northwest-trending
faults of the south-central Mojave Desert
have haci 0.9 to 9.0 miles(I.5 to 14.5
km) of right-lateral displacement in late
Cenozoic time. Recently-active traces of
these faults have been mapped by Bull
(19781. Morton and others (1980). and
Hart and others (1988) using teclonic
geomorphology. Geodetic measurements
between 1934 and 1982 suggest cumula-
tive right-lateral slip (strain) of 0.26 ±
0.05 inch (6.6:t 1.3 mm) per year along
the northVJeSHrending faults of this
region (Sauber and others. 1986). Based
on the development of tectonic geomor-
phic features and offset Iale Quaternary
geologic units. the Pisgah-Bullion. Calico.
and related faults to the west each
appears to have a late Quaternary slip
rate approaching 0.04 inch (l mm) per
CALIFORNIA GEOlOGY
,
\ ".•
.•
I
.
I
~-
,
---- - '-
"
~.
•
"• •.
Figure 1. Quaternary tautts of the south'central
Mojave Desen shoWing Holocene faults zoned \~
under lhe AIQUlst,Prlolo Special Studies Zones Act \
(rust lines) and olher late Ouaternary faults (green hnes).
Surface rupture zones associated wilh the Landers eanhquake
are Identltied by gray lines: triggered slip on other faults is shown by
triangles. Hell:agons mark eplC8nters. letters ldentlly ClIleS: B • Barstow: BBC. Big Bear
City; DHS • Desen Hot Springs; JT • Joshua Tree; L• Landers: NS • Newberry Spnngs;
TP. Twentymne Palms. YV. Yucca Valley.
year (Hart and others. 1988). Surface Johnson Valley Fault died out southward
rupture in the central Mojave Desert just north of Yucca Valley. but rupture
prior to the Lanclers event was minor~ appeared again 10 the south of the Pinto
it occurred on the Manix Fault in 194 7 Mountain Fault. 1ne zone of aftershocks is
(Richter. 19581. the Galway Lake Faull continuous and shows the Johnson Valley
in 1975 (Hill and Beeby. 1977). and the Fault to connect in the subsurface with the
Homestead Valley and Johnson Valley Bumt Mountain and Eureka Peak faults.
faults in 1979 (Hill and others. 1980).
Most of the rupture .....as right-lateral
DESCRIPTION OF SURFACE strike-slip along nonh to northVJeSt-trend-
RUPTURES
ing faults. with maximum slip of 15to 20
The epicenter was located south of feet (4.6 to 6.1 m) on the Emerson Fault
Landers on the Johnson Valley Fault and (Figure 2 and Photo 2). TItere was more
ruptured mainly northward to the Home- than 3 feet (l m) of right-lateral slip over
stead Valley. Emerson. and Camp Rock 38 miles (61 km) of rupture. Left-lateral
faults (F"Igure 2). Rupture along the slip also occurred locally along northeasl-
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993
"
 •

,
'. 1
a.OlR·....... ~- ....-
>. . ...' ,
2R .•
" l~ril="
'.•
.,.
, ..
~......

'1';-
~

= c "

,, "'"',
~
,,~

,, o
2A,IV
OmR c o'~ p

1.

"

" -

Figure 2. Surface faulting associaled with lhe 1992 Landers eanhquake. For details 01 shaded area. see Irvine and HIlI, lhls Issue

" CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993


Photo 2. Surface rupture along the Emerson Fault offsets road 151020 teet (4.6 to 6.1 m)
right-laterally. which IS lhe near·maxlmum tault displacement measured 'or lhe Landers
earlhquake. Main rupture is a broad. fissured mole track or warp aboul 50 'eet (15 m) wide
lIanked by subsidiary fissures extending 50 to 100 feel (15 10 30 m) on each side. Photo by
W.A. Bryant.
to east-trending faults. but mostly was
minor. Maximum left·lateral slip measured
was about 1.5 feet (0.5 mI. VJeSt of
Galway lllke. A vertical component of
rupture was also common and locally
attained 3 feet (J m) or more.
Zones of closely associated ruptures
commonly were 33 1066 feet (10 to
ZO m) UJide. In some cases there were
two or three main breaks and. together
\Vith subsidiary faults. fanned complex
rupture zones at least 650 feet {ZOO m)
wide. TIlere were so many ruptures that
many were obscured by reconstruction.
traffic. and weather before they could be
field mapped. Fortunately. most of the
ruptures were recorded on aerial photo-
graphs shortly after the earthquake. The
several segments of faults that ruptured
(Figure 2) are discussed below. from south
to north.
Eurella Peak and Burnt
Mountain Faults
1hese faults were not known prior to
their rupture on June 28. 1992. There is
no geomorphic evidence suggesting previ-
CALIFORNIA GEOlOGY
ous Holocene activity. but there is subtle
evidence of the faults in older alluvium
and bedrock ITreiman. 1992). An explor-
atory trench across the northern part of
the Eureka Peak Fault revealed caliche-
filled fraclures in alluvium. Both faults are
right-lateral faults with minor down-to-the-
west vertical components. Maximum
right-slip on the Eureka Peak Fault was
8.3 inches (21 em). There was nearly 1.6
inches (4 cm) of afterslip on this fault and
about half of it occurred during the first 2
weeks after Ihe earthquake (Art Sylvester.
University of California. Santa Barbara.
Ofal communication. December 9. 1992).
Uttle if any afterslip was recorded on
other faults in the epicentral area.
Although these faults align with the
lllnders earthquake aftershock pattern.
they do not extend continuously to the
north or south as do the aftershocks.TIle
faults also align with minor Quaternary
faults to the south that are apparently
related to the April 22. 1992 Joshua Tree
earthquake of M~6.3. One of lhese faults
shO\l.'ed minor right-lateral and dovm-to-
the·west vertical slip (Rymer. 1992).
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993
Johnson Valley Fault
Ruplure that caused the Landers
earthquake was initialed at the southern
end of the Johnson Valley Faull. at a
depth of 5.6 miles (9 \un). Only til!! south·
em half 01 the Johnson Valley Faull niP'"
lured (Photo 3) with the minor exception
of triggered (?) slip near its northwestern
end (PIgure 1). ITJiggered slip occurs
when strain stored along a fault at a shal-
IovJ depth is released by shaking.) The
fault was previously known and most of
It was considered to be Holocene active
Maximum righI-lateral displacement was
about 10 feet (3 m) and mOSl of the fault
displayed more than 6 feet (2 m) of slip.
The surface ruptures splayed com-
plexly at the south end and died-out north
of Yucca Valley. The fault segment con·
nected complexly to the north with the
Homestead Valley Fault. again along a
conlinuous aftershock zone. Near its junc-
lion with the Kickapoo Fault. the Johnson
Valley Fault previously had very minor.
discontinuous surface rupture associated
with lhe Homestead Valley earthquakes
of 1979 (Hill and others. 1980).
-". # •
t.
I •
:~ { OJ
"
I".
;,
'J ••'
.. ,~~.: -V'..
, .....~,.
..
-.... ~J-1:!:.
..... . ..._IIr. ~~,
Photo 3. Exposure 0' Johnson Valley Fault In
hillside CUI. had 4.6 toot (1.4 m) ot nght-lateral
and 1.0 'oot (0.3 m) ot verllCal ollsel (scarplel
allower right). Vertical resistent teature IS
calcite-cemented rault breccia il'ldicallng
prevIOus faulting in Pleistocene allUVium. NOle
new fissures In breccia. Photo by E. W. Hart.
Kickapoo and Related Faults
lhese newly discovered faults consti-
tute a major connection between the
Johnson Valley and Homestead Valley
faults. 1he main element is the Kickapoo
Faull. which had a maximum of 9.5 feet
(2.90'1) of right-lateral slip. 1he north end
of the fault has a large vertical component
fanning an east-facing scarp about 3 feel
(1 m) high (Photo 4). Only subtle and
discontinuous evidence for this fault can
be seen on air photos and in okler Pl
alluvium in the field. This stepov€r area
is the approximate location of the 1979
M5.3 Homestead Valley earthquake (Hill
and others, 1980).
Homestead Valley Fault
Virtually this entire IS-mile- (29 km-)
long fault ruptured in 1992, developing
maximum right-lateral displacement of
11 feel (3.35 m), It has multiple strands
fanning a wide zone. and connects com-
plexly with the Emerson Fault. 1he south-
ernmost segment. which had minor rup-
ture in 1979. is separated from the
central part of the fault by a complexly
faulted hill. The eastern side of that hill
(west-southwest of the Los Padres Mine)
is bounded by a west-dipping thrust fault
with a 3-fool- (l-m-) high scarp (Hgure 2),
The Homestead Valley Fault ruptures
diminish to the southeast and zones of
discontinuous ruptures connect it with the
Johnson Valley Fault.
Emerson and Galway Lake Faults
Maximum rupture associated with
the Landers earthquake occurred along
the Emerson Fault near Bessemer Mine
Road. There was 16.7 feet (5.1 m) of
righHateral slip just north of that road.
Measurements of right-lateral displace-
ment of a road just south of the Bessemer
Mine Road range from 15 to 20 feet (4.6
to 6.1 m) (Photo 2). Only the northwest-
ern half of the Emerson Fault ruptured in
this event. although the southeastern half
is considered active (FIgure 1). To the
northwest the fault connects complexly
with the Camp Rock Fault. paralleling it
lor Smiles (13 km). The Galway Lake
Fault. at the southeast end of the Emer-
son ruptures. also ruptured with nearly
3.5 inches (9 em) of right-lateral slip (this
may have been triggered slip). 1he same
segment had minor rupture in 1975 (Hill
and Beeby, 1977). Except lor some short
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY
"
Photo 4. Newly dIscovered Kickapoo Fault near Charles Road shows relatIvely narrow
zone 01 rupture along scarp up to Jleet (1 m) high WIth nearly J 'eet (1 m) 01 right·lateral
onset. Fault seemIngly passes between house and outbul!dIl'IQ (see Photo 5). Photo by
WA Bryant.
segments. the Emerson Fault was previ- quakes. Some triggered slip is coseismic
ously recognized as a recently active fault. and some occurs as creep or afterslip.
Within the south-central Mojave Desert.
Camp Rock Fault rupture was triggered on the follovJing
faults (Figure 1):
Most of the central and southeastern
pans of this fault ruptured with maximum
Pisgah Foull-Q.S to 1.6 inches
right-lateral displacement of about 6 feet
(2 m). 1he rupture. ha.vever. was discon-
(2 to 4 em) right lateral-slip in two zones
tinuous where the Camp Rock Fault paral- near the Hector Mine.
lels the Emerson Fault. and the north-
Calico-Wesl Calico Fault-maxi'
western part of the fault did nOl rupture
mum O.B-inch (2-cml right-lateral slip in
(Figures 1 and 2). 1he magnitude of sur-
three short northwest-trending segments.
face fault rupture diminished substantiaUy
A broad 6-mile- (1 O-km-) long zone of
to the northwest. Some ruptures splayed
north to northeast-trending cracks with
northeast (with as much as 9 inches
as much as 4 inches (1 a em) of vertical
[23 cml of left-lateral slip) around the
offset developed east of the fault. 4 miles
southeast side of the R<XIman Mountains. (6 km) northeast of Newberry Springs
This suggests that a new fault zone is
(Janet Sa.vers. William Lettis and Associ-
developing between the Camp Rock-
ates. oral communication. January
Emerson and the Calico-West Calico fault
1993).
zones. which also had minor right'slip
ruptures at three localities (Figure 1),
Johnson Volley Foult (northwest
Ruptures on the Galway Lake Fault may segmenl}-minor zone of left-stepping
be part of this complex slepover. cracks; 0.08 to 0,16 inch (2 to 4 mOl)
Triggered Slip on Other Faults right-lateral slip.
The Landers earthquake apparently Upper Johnson Volley Foull-Post-
triggered minor slip on several faults earthquake photo interpretations suggest
weD beyond the primary fault-rupture that fault rupture occurred along several
zone. Although not wen understood. this miles of the newly named Upper
phenomenon is common with large earth· Johnson Valley Fault. A field check in
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993
November verified cracks in at least three
places in zones at least 32 feet (10m)
w'ide (Ken Lajoie. USGS. oral communi-
cation. January 1993).
Lenwood Fault-o.6·to 1.2-mile-
(I -2-km-) long zone of left-stepping cracks
south of Soggy Lake.
Old Womon Fault-questionable
minor extensional cracking: northwest
trend.
Pinto Mounlain Fault-local minor
cracking VJith up to 0.8 inch (2 em) of
extension: right-stepping cracks suggest
left-lateral displacement.
Other triggered slip was reported in
Imperial Valley on the Superstition Hills
Fault. the East Branch of the Bmore
Ranch Fault. and the Coyote Creek Fault
(Sharp. 1992) and in Coachella Valley
along the Indio Hills. Mecca Hills. and
Durmid Hills segments of the San
Aooreas Fault (Mike Rymer. USGS. oral
communication. 1992). Maximum right-
lateral slip on the San Andreas Fault was
0.83 inch (2 em).
1988. Based on preliminary data.
approximately 55 percent of the fault
rupture associated w'ith the Landers earth-
quake occurred within the established
SSZs. About 31 percent of the rupture
was outside the SSZS along previously
unrecognized faults. including branch
and subsidiary faults and interconnecting
faults. lhe remaining 14 percent 01 the
rupture outside the SSZS occurred on
previously mapped faults that did not
appear to meet zoning criteria. An esti-
mated one-third of the rupture outside
the SSZS was relatively minor. with fewer
than 4 inches (10 em) of displacement
By way of contrast. only 38 percent of
the fault rupture from the November
1987 Superstition Hills and Elmore
Ranch earthquakes was within established
SSZs. Again. part of that rupture occurred
on previously unmapped faults and much
of it was relatively minor.
Another method 01 measuring the
effectiveness of zoning is to evaluate the
percentage of zone length within which
rupture occurred For the Landers earth-
quake. betv.<een the south end 01 the
Johnson Valley Fault and the north end of
the Camp Rock Fault ruptures. 92 percent
of the SSZs contained fault ruptures. lhe
great majority of the rupture within the
SSZs occurred w'ithin 200 feet (60 m) of
the traces shovm on the S5l maps.
U.S. Bureau of Land Management
photos (scale 1:30.000) were used for
interpreting most of the region. Although
the SSZs established for the Johnson Val-
ley. Homestead Valley. Emerson. and
Camp Rock faults appear to be effective
(92 percent ruptured). additional active
faults probably could have been identified
on larger-scale air photos. Even w'ith the
best possible aerial photos. many of the
faults that ruptured wouk:l not have been
identified as active because they were
largely obscured by alluvial processes and
by mining. roads. and construction. It
should be recognized that not all active
faults can be identified in advance. There-
fore. using these techniques. investigations
for possible active faults or other types of
potential ground failure prior to construc·
tion of critical and sensitiw structures may
be warranted.

EFFECTIVENESS OF ALQUIST·PRIOLO
SPECIAL STUDIES ZONES

On March 1. 1988. DMG issued Offi-

cial Maps of Special Studies Zones (SSZs)
for faults in the central Mojaw Desert
lOMG, 1988). These maps were issued in
accordance with the Alquist-PrIolo (A-P)
SSZ Act of 1972 to assist cities and coun-
ties in regulating development to mitigate
surface faulting hazards to structures for
human occupancy. The 1988 maps were
the result of a 1986-1987 study of the
faults in the Mojave Desert. the eighth
region to be evaluated under a 1Q-region
plan (Hart. 1992: Hart and others.
1988). Under this plan. those faults with
evidence of Holocene activity and reason·
ably well defined as surface features were
zoned under the APSSZ Act. Mapping by
DMG geologists was largely based on the
interpretation of air photos w'ith only
limited fiek:l checking. The work of other
geologists was also used. Faults zoned in
the south-central Mojaw Desert region
are identified in Figure 1.
Photo 5. House damaged by KlCkapoo Fault. Although main scarp and rupture passes
between house and outbUilding. numerous other fissures are distributed over a zone at
The Landers earthquake provides an least 50 feet (15 m) Wide. Much 01 the subsidiary rupture was diverted araund the slab
excellent opportunity to detennine the foundation 01 the house, oflselllng the patIO slab right·laterally more than 2 leet (less man
effectiveness of the SSZS established in 1 m) (see Photo 4). Phota by E. W. Haft.

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993

"
 On January 1. 1993. Preliminary
Review Maps of new and revised SSZs
were issued for !he Yucca Valley and
Landers areas VJhere development is
underway. These maps will become offi·
cial July 1. 1993 following a 90-day
rev'ew period. The maps will show the
faults that ruptured during the Landers
earthquake. Revised SSZs for undevel-
oped areas that ruptured to the north will
be issued In 1994 or 1995 when map-
ping of the recent ruptures is completed.
Although no comprehensive studies
v..rere made. it is apparent that many
houses were damaged by the Landers
fault ruptures-some extensively (Photo
5). A survey of air photos and limited
fiek! checking indicate 29 houses were
damaged and an additional 50 houses
may have been damaged by fault rupture
in the Landers and Yucca Valley areas.
There were no reports of structural col·
lapse of houses or loss of life that resulted
directly from fault rupture (Johnson and
others. 1992). However. an interior
stone fireplace wall did collapse in one
residence on a minor branch fault. It is
clear that houses placed astride major
active faults may sustain severe damage.
In places where ground defonnatlon
is distributive and displacements are
not large. ackIitional protection may be
afforded by the use of reinforced founda-
tions. It was noted that fault rupture. in
some cases. was diverted around slab
foundations and presumably reduced
~intemar damage to the structures.
Magnitude is the measure of the
strength of an earthquake. or the
strain energy released by It. usually
expressed by the Richter magnuude
scale. Each ....hoIe number $lep of
magrunne on the scale represents a
ten·lokIlOcrease in the amplitude 01
the waves on a seismogram and
about a 31·fold increase in energy
release Magnitudes detennined
within about 400 miles (600 ken) of
an epicenter are local magnitudes
(Mil. Surfac~ve and body-Wdve
(M~. M,J magnltudes are measured
from sei~mograms recorded farther
away. Moment magnitudes are deter-
mIned from fault dimensions and
displacetnent
" CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY
REFERENCES
Bull. WB, 1978. TectonIC geomorphology
ot the MOjave Desert. Calilornla:
Unpublished Techmcal Report lor
lhe U.S Geological Survey. Contract
no. 14-08·0oo1·G-394. 188 p.
Dlbblee. TW.. Jr.. 1980. GeologlcaJ struc·
lure of the MOjave Desert in File. D.L
and Brown, A.R" Geology and minerai
wealth 01 the Cahforma desert: South
Coast Geological Society. p. 69-100
0'
DIVISion Mines and Geology. 1988. OffICial
Maps of Special Sludles Zones of lhe
Camp Rock Mine. Silver Belt Mine. Fry
Mountains, Iron Ridge, Galway Lake.
Melville Lake. Emerson Lake. Landers.
Yucca Valley North and Yucca Valley
Soulh quadrangles. scale 1:24.000.
Dokka. AK., t983. Displacements 01 late
Cenozoic slrlke-sllp faults ollhe central
Mojave Desert. Califorma: Geology.
v. 11. p 305-308.
Earthquake Engineering Research Institute.
1992. Landers and Big Bear earth·
quakes of June 28 8. 29, 1992: EERI
SpeclaJ Earthquake Report 12 p.
Geomatnx Consultanls. 1992. 1992 Landers
and Big Bear earthquakes - some
prehmlnary assessmenlS. Unpublished
report of Geomatnx Consultants. San
FranciSCO. Callforma, 4 p
Hart. EW . 1992. Faull-ruplure hazard
zones In Cahfornla DIVISion of Mines
and Geology Special Report 42, 32 P
Hart, E.W" Bryant. W A.. Kahle, JE..
Manson. M W.. and. Bortugno. E.J.,
1988. Summary report: Faull Evalua·
tlon Program. 1986·1987. MOjave
Desert and other areas: DIVISion 01
Mines and Geology Open-File Report
88-1.40p,.1 plale.
HilI. RL.. and Beeby. D,J" 1977, Surface
faulting aSSOClated with the 5.2 magni-
tude Galway Lake earthquake ot May
31. t 975. MOjave Desert. San Bernar·
dino County. California Geological
Society 01 Ameoca Bulletin, v 88,
no 10. p. 1378-1384.
Hill. RL., Pechmann. J.C.. Trelman, JA.•
McMillan. J.R.. Given, JW., and Ebel.
J.E,. 1980. GeologIC study of lhe
Homestead Valley earthquake swarm
of March 14. 1979: CALIFORNIA
GEOLOGY, v, 33. no. 3, p 6Q..67.
Johnson. Jell, Siosson. Jim, and Gray. CIlt!.
1992. Modify !he AIqUlsl·Pno~ Act
Earthquake Engineering Research
InSlitule Newslelter, v 26. n. 9. p. 7,
Morton. OM" Miller. FK. and Smith. CC.
1980, Photoreconnalssance maps
shOWing young·looklng fault features In
the southern Mojave Desert. Callforma'
JANUARY FEBRUARY 1993
U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous
Field Studies Map MF-l051, 7 sheets,
scales 1:24.000 and 1:62.500.
Richter. C.F" 1958. Elementary seismology:
W.H. Freeman and Company. San
Francisco, California, 768 p.
Rymer. M.J., 1992, The 1992 Joshua Tree.
Calt!omia. earthquake: Tectomc setlll'IQ
and InggereO' slip: EOS. Transactions
of the Ameocan Geophysical UnlQl1.
v. 73, no. 43,p. 363.
Sauber. Jeanne, Thatcher. Wayne. and
Solomon, S.C.. 1986, Geodetic mea-
surement of delorma\lon in the central
Mojave Desert, California: Journal of
GeophYSICal Research. v. 91. no. B12.
p.12.683-12.693.
Sharp. A.V., 1992, Surtace faulting in lhe
Imperial Valley tnggered by the 1992
Landers. CaMomia. earthquake:
EOS. Transactions o! the American
Geophysical Union, v. 73. p. 380.
Trelman. JA. t992. Eureka Peak and
Burnt Mountain faults. two "new" faults
in Yucca Valley San Bernardino
County. Cahfornia In Ebersold, D.B.•
editor, Landers earthquake of June 28,
1992 San Bernardino County. Cahlor·
nia Field Tnp Guidebook: Southern
Call!ornla Section of the Association
01 Engineering GeologiStS. p. 19·22.
SMIP 93 SEMINAR
ON SEISMOLOGICAL
AND ENGINEERlNG
IMPUCATIONS OF RECENT
STRONG MOnON DATA
Sacramenro. California - May 20. 1993
The Division of Mines and
GeoIogy's California Strong Motion
Instrumentation Program tCSMIP') will
hold its lihh annual seminar on seismo-
logical and engineering implications of
recent Strong-molion data. The findings
will be furnished 10 practicing seismic
design professionals and earth scien'
tists. For more infonTlation. contact,
Strong MOhonInstf\lmentatlon Program
801 I( St.eet, MS 13·35
Saclamento. CA 958t4-3531
916·322-3105
 Rockfalls and Surface Effects Other Than Faulting
Landers and Big Bear Earthquakes
ALLAN G. BARROWS, GeologIst
Division of Mines and Geology

Photo'. Vehicle-size block shaken loose dUTU'IQ Big Bear earthquake 5 miles (8 km) east 01 Barton Flats Campground on
Highway 38. Allhough very close to epicenter. thiS was the only debris on road Note hole in pavement to left ot block. Photo
by Jeff Knoll, CAL TRANS. laken 31 , 1:00am, June 28.1992.

INTRODUCTION
massive landslides nor remobilized exist- coalescing alluvial fans and. locally. scat-

F or much of the day following the early

morning M7.5 Landers and M6.6
Big Bear earthquakes. dense. white clouds
of dust. resulting from nearly continuous
rockfaUs. concealed the deep canyons and
rugged mountain peaks in the eastern San
Bernardino Mountains. E1seo.vhere in
these mountains. widespread rockfalls
from roadculs and steep slopes made
some roads impassable or dangerous for
several days following Ihe earthquakes.
c.eologists found evidence of rockfall and
streambank sloughing in relatively few
localities in the 2.700·sqlJilre-mile (7.000-
km2) area (Photo 1 and map on page 18).
Oddly enough. in spite of forceful
and prolonged shaking. the Landers and
Big Bear earthquakes neither triggered
ing slumps or block glides in the San
Bernardino Mountains. Consequently.
the effects of the June 28. 1992 eanh-
qlJilkes contrast dramalically with the
extensive landsliding triggered by the
M64 San Fernando earthquake of Febru-
ary 9. 1971 (Morton. 1975) or the M7 1
Lorna Prieta earthqlJilke of October 17,
1989 (Spittler and others. 1990),
M7.5 LANDERS EARTHQUAKE
ReglOrlal selling
lhe region subtected to the strongest
shaking associated with the Landers
earthquake is typical Mojave Desert ter-
rain. It is characterized by rugged. nearly
barren. fault·boullded mountain ranges
that border broad valleys comprised of
tered playas, Exposed in lhe mountains
and dispersed hills are older. granitic
and metamorphic ''basemen( rocks
and younger vokanic rocks. Sedimentary
rocks are nearly absent in this region
The drainage syslem consists of sandy.
gravelly vrclshes incised by steep to
vertical-walled channels.
Rockfalls
Rockfalls were triggered near surface
fault rupture. particularly 21 miles (35 km)
north of Yucca Valley (15 miles or 25 km
north of the epicenter) in the mounfains
between the Homestead Valley and Em-
erson faults. Large blocks thaI had weath-
ered out of the typical jointed bedrock on
the slopes rolled. slid. and even bounced
fo fhe base of the slopes (Photo 2).

CALIFORNIA GEOlOGY JANUARYIFESRUARY 1993


"'1""
Limits of area aHected by surlace faulting. rockfalts. and other surlace geologic etfects otlhe
Landers and Big Bear earthquak.es. June 28. 1992. Numbers in squares are localities of
photos in this artICle.
Bank. Collapse
North of Yucca Valley where Old
Woman Springs Road crosses Pipes
Wash. 1 to 2 miles (2 to 3 km) south 01
the epicenter, roadcut failures occurred
only v.mere there was surface faulting
(along the Johnson Valley Fault) within a
few hurxlred yards (meters) of the high-
way. The north-facing bank of Pipes
Wash, VJest of the highway, exhibited
very shallow landslides within 1,600 feet
(500 m) of the road.
Triggered slip on the Calico Fault,
34 miles (55 km) north of the epicenter,
was marked b,llocalized sloughing of the
vertical bank of Box Canyon Wash in
the Rcxlman Mountains. It is noteworthy
that bank sloughing was seen only within
600 leet (200 m) of the area of minor
surface rupture.
CALIFORNIA GEOlOGY
"
I[ \
~,
R
.,.,, ,
, "
t f
I
}:.- r_
_.::-
,=-"" "1.:;"
,=71....~1
-.
Fissures. ExfensionaJ Cracks,
and settlement Features
Prominent earthquake shaking effects
VJere widespread in the area between the
Camp Rock and Calico faults. 28 to 31
miles (45 to 50 km) north 01 the epicen·
ter. Many northeast-trending fissures
developed across the aUuviated area
between the Rcxlman Mountains and Iron
Ridge. There is a series of short, right-
stepping cracks. striking NSO" to 60 0 E
where the road paralleling the steel·tower
poweHransmissK>n line crosses a rocky
projection of the Rcxlman Mountains,
1.25 mile (2 km) east of the Camp
Rock Fault. Lateral displacement was
not seen on these cracks. which typically
were open only about 1/2 10 1 inch
(lor 2 em). The cracks coincided with
caliche-filled zones in the rocks, indicating
that cracks developed earlier in the same
JANUARYrFEBRUARY 1993
place. This suggests they are not random
.-, shaking features but reflect an underlying
"
tectonic paltern. perhaps as part of a
conjugate set with the bounding Camp
Rock and Calico faults.
A couple miles east of the above-
described cracks. in the Silver Bell Mine
quadrangle. a zone of righl-stepping fis-
sures could be followed across the desert
for more than 2 miles (3 km). The zone
ranges from a single crack to a 200·loot-
(60-m-) wide belt containing dozens of
fissures. Most of the cracks appeared
to be purely extensional features with
"
,
collapsed walls that. locally. were open to
depths exceeding 3 feet (I mI. At several
places. however, left-lateral displacements
• of up to 9 inches (23 cm) were mea·
sured. This particular zone 01 fissures
strikes tOVJard a knoll known as Ford's
Knob, upon vmich sits a microwave relay
tower. The road to the tower along the
-~
west side of the hill was blocked by abun-
dant rockfalls and seriously damaged for
.. _- about 1.600 feet (500 m) by settlement
of the downslope (west-lacing) part of
the roadway embankment.
The exceplionalleatures in this vicin-
ity. nearly 31 miles (SO km) from the
epicenter, teslify to the strength of the
earthquake shaking. The simplest expla-
nation for such pronounced manifesta-
lions of strong shaking relates to a pecu-
liarity of the Landers earthquake event.
According to seismologists (Hauksson
and others. 1992), during the Landers
earthquake energy was released in two
M
subevenls. with the first subevent starting
at the epicenter and the second subevent
at approximately 40 kilometers 125 milesl
to the north-northwest and starting about
10 seconds after the beginning of the
rupture. The second subevent. which
M
released more energy than the firsl.
began along the Emerson Fault only
about 6 miles (10 km) from the features
described above.
Earthquake shaking was unusually
forceful at the small desert community of
NevJberry Springs, 17 miles (27 km) east
of Barstow (Richard Willette. Hector Mine
geologiSt. oral communication. 1992).
The California Strong Motion Instru-
mentation Program slation at Yenno.
52 miles (84 km) from the Landers earth-
quake epicenter recorded a peak accelera-
tion of 0.25 g (Shakal and others. 1992).
The strength of the earthquake in this
vicinity can be attributed to the second
subevent that started on the Emerson
Fault. about 22 miles (35 km) south of
Newberry Springs. and the northward
propagation of the faulting.
[n Newberry Springs. north of Inter-
state Highway 40. several northeast-
trending fissures ruptured streets on the
east side of Mojave Valley, Three promi-
nent extensional cracks. striking N30"
to 35"E. crossed Valley Center Road.
The crack 0.8 mile {1.3 kml east of New-
berry Road had a west-facing scarp with
2 inches (5 em) of relief. Cracks 1.1 miles
(1.8 km) and 1.25 miles (2.0 kml east
of Newberry Road had 2.3-inch (6-cm)
scarps facing each other where they
crossed Valley Center Road. These
cracks. which could be traced mostly as
open. extensional fissures for more than
980 feet (300 m). bounded a down-
dropped block or swale-Iike depression
along Valley Center Road. The relief on
this down-dropped block between the two
cracks is 5 to 6 feet (1.5 to 2 ml, Accord-
ingly. the earthquake cracks fonned
where a pre-existing trough-like channel
occurs in the lakebed deposits of Mojave
Valley. A L2-inch- (3-cm-) high. east-
facing crack developed across Silver
Valley Road. 0.56 mile (0.9 km) east of
Newberry Road. that also mimicked the
existing gentle topography. An explana-
tion for the development of the series of
fissures in Mojave Valley may lie in the
rapid decrease in the water table. due to
pumping. in this area (Wes Reeder. San
Bernardino County geologist. oral com-
munication. 1992). Prominent fissures
have developed. mostly aseismically. in
many places in the arid southwest where
there has been rapid withdrawal of
ground water.
Additional Shaking Features
A concentration of surface effects was
also seen along a 3-mile (5-km) stretch of
the Pisgah Fault near the Hector Mine.
some 38 miles (60 km) from the epicen-
ter. One soilfall occurred in a prospect
pit. However, cracked or shattered crusts
aligned with the fault trace were more
common. The shattered crusts were on
piles of prospect pit debris rich in dry.
brittle clay. In addition. a broad zone of
cracks developed over an area of about
half a square mile (l or 2 km2j. east of the
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY
trace of the Pisgah Fault north of the
Hector Mine. Due to prolonged. east-
ward-directed shaking. pebbles fell from
the western surface into many of the
northwesHrending cracks (Photo 3).
.\
Photo 2. large boulder (shaken loose
during landers earthquake) that rolled
down this windblown. sand-covered slope
on the east side ot mountains north 01
Homestead Valley. Boulder came to rest
within 3 teet (\ m) otthe Homestead
Valley Faull. which crosses sand
immediately behind bouldel. Pharo by
A.G. Barrows.
BIG BEAR EARTHQUAKE
Regional Setting
The region where the strongest shak-
ing was concentrated during the Big Bear
earthquake lies in the eastern and central
San Bernardino Mountains. Here. maxi-
mum variation in elevation exceeds 2.000
feet (610 m) over a horizontal distance of
1 mile (1.6 km). The rocks are predomi-
nantly igneous and metamorphic with
minor sandstone and conglomerate units.
A combination of several factors con-
tributed to the severity of the slope-failure
features triggered by the Big Bear event
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993
including steep slopes. shattered rocks in
a complex tectonic environment of mul-
tiple major fault strands. frost-wedging at
higher elevations. and lack of a continu-
ous ground cover to protect the surface.
In such places rockfalls are common. even
without powerful earthquake shaking.
In the vicinity of the Big Bear earth-
quake epicenter many very large ancient
landslide masses have been mapped
(Bortugno and Spittler. 1986). In fact. the
epicenter is on a very large landslide on
the slopes of Sugarloaf Mountain. 5 miles
(8 km) southeast of Big Bear Lake. Else-
where in the San Bernardino Mountains.
a number of recently active or trouble-
some landslides have been mapped [fan.
1989. 1990). Directly after the earth-
quake. several geologists checked the
known large landslide masses and the
young problematic ones and did not find
clear evidence of remobilization.
Rocktalls
Nearly continuous rockfall activity in
the deeply dissected wildemess terrain
south of 11.499-foot (3.500-m) San
Gorgonio Mountain was triggered by the
Landers and Big Bear earthquakes and
their abundant aftershocks. The eastern
San Bernardino Mountains were obscured
by the dense gray clouds of dust rising like
smoke all day on June 28. l1le very steep
to vertical. nearly barren walls of the
I.800-foot- (550-m-) deep amphitheater
at the head of Mill Creek and the 2.000-
foot- (6IO-m-) deep amphitheater at the
head of the Middle Fork of Whitewater
River were the sources of much of the
broken rock and dust that tumbled. rolled,
and fell down chute·like ravines during
and for several days after the earthquakes.
Fresh rockfalls were obsetved on
the slopes of the Utile San Bernardino
Mountains eastward into the Joshua
Tree National Monument and on both
sides of Morongo Valley as well as in the
deeply dissected canyons of the San
Gorgonio Wilderness. State Highway 38.
which is the only paved road across the
epicentral area olthe Big Bear earth-
quake. was closed between June 28
and July 3 to allow for road cleanup and
repair. Very near the epicenter of the Big
Bear earthquake. 5 miles (8 km) east of
Barton Rats. a single large rock tumbled
onto Highway 38 (Photo 1).
"
 An unusual phenomenon in Mill
Creek Canyon was described by Tom
Wellman. Rre Chief of Forest Falls (oral
communication. 1992). There were three
"fraction" fires near Mountain Home
Village. ignited by sparks generated by
falling rocks striking others.
Blocklalls
About two dozen granodiorite blocks.
each weighing between 50 and 300 tons
(45 and 270 metric tons) and measuring
as much as 18 feet (6 m) long. were
shaken from jointed. ledge·like outcrops
close to the trace of a branch of the Mill
Creek Fault (Dibblee. 1964). They
tumbled 600 to 800 feet (180 to 250 m)
dO\VTl the south wall of Mill Creek Can·
yon. breaking mature trees and landing
30 to 100 feet (10 to 30 m) from various
structures (PhOIOS 4 and 5). The blockfalls
OCCUlTed in an area 9.3 miles (15 km)
southwest of the epicenter. on a hne
that coincides with the N45°E orientation
of the fault that generated the Big Bear
earthquake. Although there were no
injuries or structural damage from the
blockfalls of June 28. many of the
southernmost structures in the com-
munity of Forest Falls are in a rockfall·
hazard zone.
Additional Shaking Features
For the Big Bear earthquake. the
greatest ground acceleration recorded
by a California Strong Motion Instru-
mentation Program ground-response
station was 0.57 g at the Civic Center
in Big Bear Lake. 7 miles (11 km)
from the epicenter (Huang and others.
1992). Damage was restricted to com-
munities in the San Bernardino MQWl'
tains. Liquefaction-induced lateral-
spreading fissures damaged structures
in the Pan Hot Springs area. east of
the intersection of Highway 18 and
Paradise Way in Big Bear mm
McCrink and Mark DeUsle. Division
of Mines and Geology lDMG]. written
communication. 1992). At the hot
springs facility there were arcuate
cracks striking N20oE. with O.5-to
2-inch (1- to 5-cm). dO\VTl-to-the-east.
vertical displacements. Numerous
cracks also developed in the meadow
to the southeast. McCrink and DeUsie
concluded that shallow ground water from
the artesian spring and the location of the
facility on a sandy alluvial fan made the
sHe susceptible to liquefaction.
On the south bank of the Santa Ana
River. about 0.8 mile (1.3 km) along River
Road. west of its junction with Highway
38 near South Fork Campground. an
800-foot (250'm) zone of curved cracks
developed in a wooded area at the base
of the slope and disrupted unpaved River
Road. The cracks were as much as 4
inches (10 em) wide and. locally. exhibited
down-to-the-north displacements of as
much as 12 inches (30 em) (photo 6).
Apparently. they fonned in response to
strong shaking and were locally accompa-
nied by sand boils (Doug Morton. U.s.
Geological Survey [USGS] oral communi-
cation. 1992). Surface fault rupture was
not found in this area.
McCrink and DeUsle (DMG. written
communication. 1992) observed a set
of linear cracks trending N700E that
cut across a stream terrace deposit on
Patterson Road along the north side 01
the Santa Ana River about 0.5 mile

Photo 3. Small. N15 W-trending extensional cracks within a broad zone of such features along the Pisgah Fault north 01
the Hector Mine. Prolonged shaking cleared the surlace 01 pebbles on the west side (pebbles lell into crack) resulting in
light·colored bands along each crack. Photo by A.G. Barrows

20 CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY JANUARY FEBRUARY 1993

 (800 m) southwest of the Converse Rats Fire
Station. The cracks probably resulted from minor
lateral spreading of the terrace malerial. toward
the Santa Ana River.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

I am indebted to rnany DMG colleagues who

shared data and obsClvallons about the effects of
the Landers and Big Bear earthquakes. Special
thanks go to Pam Irvine and Steve Bezore. with
whom I VJOrked in the field. Siang Tan contrib-
uted valuable infonnation on the Foresl Falls
rockfalls and other effects in the San Bernardino
Mountains.

Tim McCrink and Mark DeUsie also contrib-

Photo 4. Looking southwest tram the north side 01 Mill Creek Canyon over
the roottops at the Forest Home community across MIl! Creek toward the
3.000 foot- (900 m-) high slope 01 Birch Mountain. The irregular. light·
colored streaks are debris lIow scars and creek ravines. The thin line left
01 center is the track through the trees cut by the large block pictured In
Photo S. Photo by A.G. Barrows,
uted infonnation from their field investigations
in the San Bernardino Mountains. J am very
grateful to Dave Keefer of the USGS for 9ra'
ciously sharing data about the extent of rockfall
acllvity and. along with Randy Jibson, also of the
USGS. for the invitation to participate in a heli-
copter reconnaissance of the region affected by
rockfalls, California Department of Transporta-
tion (CALTRANS) geologist Jeff Knott supplied
some excellent photos of rockfall features. Hector
Mine geologist Richard Wj]]ette cordially guided
me on a tour of the earthquake effects along the
Pisgah Fault in the Heclor Mine and provided
infonnation about the effects in Newberry
Springs. Wes Reeder. San Bernardino County
geologist. shared obselVations about the fissures
in Newberry Springs and the rockfalls in the
San Bernardino Mountains.

PhotoS. The 20)( 12)(

12-loot (6.1)( 3.7)( 3.7·m)
block came to rest 100
leet (30 m) Irom the shed
with the gable rool and
150 teet (46 m) from the
deck anached 10 the
house on the right. Photo
by Siang Tan.

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993


Photo 6. Down'lo-Ihe-north, curving tissure. related to lateral spreading. 11 is traceable for 820 feel (250 m) across unpaved River
Road 0.8 mile (1.3 km) west 01 ils Junction with Highway 38 near South Fork Campground (along the south side of the canyon of
the Santa Ana River, close to the epicenter of the Big Bear earthquake). Photo by Siang Tan.
Bortugno. E.J .. and Spinier, T.E., compilers.
1986, Geologic map 01 the San Bernar-
dino quadrangle: Division of Mines and
Geology Regional Geologic Map 3A,
scale 1:250,000.
Dibblee, rw" Jr.• 1964. Geologic map of the
San Gor90nio Mountain quadrangle,
San Bernardino and Riverside counties.
California: U.S. Geological Survey Mis-
cellaneous Geologic Investigations Map
1-431, scale 1:62,500.
Hauksson. Egill: Jones, Lucy; Heaton. Tom:
Hutton. Kale: Mori. Jim: Hough, Sue:
Kanamori, Hiroo: and Thio. Hong Kie,
1992, The Landers and Big Bear earth·
quakes in eastern San Bernardino
County. June 28. 1992: Preliminary
update report wrillen at 10:30 am 30
June 1992: California tnstitute of Tech·
nology and U.S. Geological Survey. 5 p.
Huang. M.J.. Shakal. A.F .. Cao. T.O.. Fung.
P.F., Sherburne, R.W.. Sydnor, R.H..
Malhotra. P.K.. Cramer, C.H.. Suo Feng.
Darragh. R.B., and Wampole, K.G.,
1992. CSMIP strong·motion records
from the Big Bear. California earthquake
of 28 June 1992: Division of Mines and
Geology Report No. OSMS 92-10.
236 p.
22 CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY
::;.
',.' '-ff
REFERENCES
Morton, D.M" t975, Seismically triggered region. San Bernardino Counly. Cali-
landslides in lhe area above the San fornia: Division of Mines and Geology
Fernando Valley in Oakeshott. G. B.. Open·File Report 89-7, 3 plales, scale
editor, San Fernando, California, earth- 1:24.000.
quake of 9 February 1971: Calitornia
Tan, S.S., 1990. Landslide hazards in the
DiVision of Mlfles and Geology Bulletin
Yucaipa and Forest Falls quadrangles.
196. p. 145·154.
San Bernardino County, California:
Shakal, A.F., Huang. M.J.. Cao, T.O.. Division of Mines and Geology Open-
Sherburne, R,W" Sydnor. R.H., Fung. File Report 90-5, 2 plates, scale
P.F" Malhotra. PK, Cramer, C.H.. Su, 1:24,000,
Feng. Darragh, R.B.. and Wampole,
K.G., 1992. CSMIP strong·molion
records from the Landers. California
earthquake of 28 June 1992: Division of UMTY IN 93 . CAUFORNIA
Mines and Geology Report No. OSMS MINING ASSOCIATION
92·09, 330 p.
Annual Meeting
Spittler, T.E., Harp, EL. Keefer. OK, Wil-
March 9-12.1993
son. R.C" and Sydnor. R.H.. 1990.
Landslide features and other coseismic MOnlerey Ploza Holel
fissures triggered by the Lorna Prieta Monlerey. California
earthquake. cenlral Santa Cruz Moun,
tains, California in McNutt, S,R.. and For infonnation, contact:
Sydnor, R.H.. editors, The Lorna Prieta
(Santa Cruz Mountains). California. California Mining Association
earthquake of 17 OCtober 1989: Divi- 1121 L Slreet, Suite 909
s)on of Mines and Geology Special Sacramento, CA 95814
Publication 104. p. 59·66. 'B' (916) 447,1977
FAX (916) 447·0348
Tan. S.S., 1989, Landslide hazards In the
Lake Arrowhead and Big Bear Lake
JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993
~--'I-'~",/+-: --l .,' 'T' ". . . 1: f I r. 'r~
Surface Rupture ,Along a Portion of the Emerson FaUlt
Landers Earthqua~ 01 JU(le 28. 1992 I
PAME J. IRVINE and FPBERT L. HJ!..L ~tSts 1
DMSK)n of MI and aeofogy ~

EXPlANATION

'7 HO 4.S>-mIItiJ.
(14.8 'Mil) RL I
va 1.3 meters /
(4.3 feel)EU 1
/
NS 4.7 mete",
,,
(15.4 f8e,',I.:.P;;',:;;"..
;: 18.5°,
~37"W ~
~\ - - 32' 30·"

'(I

HO Honlontal ~
VO VertlC:ill otIWl
NS Net slip

-"'
At _,;.,.,.,..~-
VO v'"""
EU Easl side up

SU
-,
IrelallVe lID_I

Soultlllde up
1

....
'~JVIIOnontl
WU Wasts up /'"

, -,
(relallve to as!

~ a;;;nttu wn
side ollaull

-f.
1
/

1 1
 Surface rupture along this part of the
Emerson Fault was mapped on July 8.
9. and 11. 1992. by geologists with the
Division of Mines and Geology (DMG) as
part of a cooperative field investigation
initiated by DMG and the U.S. Geological
Survey (USGS) shortly after the Ulnders
earthquake. The purpose of the fiekl
investigation was to document the loca-
tion and nature of the surface rupture
and to measure the displacement along
the fault zone.
The part of the Emerson Fault
lnvolved in this study is a 3.4-mile
(5.5-kml segment extending from Galway
Lake Road (SE comer of Sec. 4. T. 5 N..
R. 4 E.) southeast to a small playa in the
NE comer of Sec. 23. T. 5 N.. R. 4 E.
of the Iron Ridge USGS 7.5-minute
quadrangle (see map), Fault-rupture
features were mapped on vertical aerial
photographs at a scale of approximately
1:6.000 (1 inch - SOD feet) and data
were transferred onto the USGS 7.5-
minute quadrangle map at a scale of
1:24.000 (l inch - 2.000 feet).
GEOLOGIC SETTING
The regional geology is summarized
by Dibblee (1964) and Bortugno and
Spinier (1987). The study area is in the
western Mojave Desert geomorphic prov-
ince. an area characterizro by northVJeSt-
trending mountains and valleys bounded
by Quaternary (1ess-than-2-million-year-
oki) faults. The oldest rocks exposed in
the study area are hornblende diorite and
quartz monzonite of Jurassic and Jurassic-
Cretaceous (?) age {between 66 and 208
million years oIdJ, These granitic rocks
form the rugged mountains and hills on
the east side of Upper Johnson Valley
(cover photo).
south end of the study area (cO'Y'er photo.
center). and the younger alluvium (uncon-
solidated sand and gravel). which forms
broad fans sloping gently toward the east.
The northern portion of the Emerson
Faull lies aJong the northeast flank of the
mountains which form the eastern bound-
ary of Upper Johnson VaHey. Evidence
of previous surface faulting Is preserved
in the geomorphology of the area as
abrupt linear boundaries and depressions
along bedrock ridges. and older. subdued
fault scarps bounding uplifted Pliocene (?)
sedimentary rocks and older alluvial fan
deposits.
SURFACE RUPTURE
Surlace rupture associated with the
Landers earthquake has affected all the
rock types in the study area. including the
playa sediments and recent alluviwn de·
posited in active drainage channels. Much
of the current fault rupture appears to
follow older fault·rupture features. such as
older fault scarps. but some occurs several
yards (meters) to tens of yards away from
the older features. One possible reason
the main rupture zone does not always
occur at the base of the older scarps is
that most of the older fault scarps have
been modified by erosion. It is also pes-
sible that some current rupture has
occurred along new fault segments or
along okler fault segments that have not
been active lor a long time. In addition
to the main northVJeSt-trending fault-
rupture zone. there are several significant
rupture splays that trend north or north-
east from the main zone.
Observations of of/set features along
the main rupture zone demonstrate thaI
relative movement along the zone was
right-lateral·obllque with a predominant
horizontal (right-lateral) component and a
subordinate vertical (east-side--up) compo-
nent. In other words. the block on the east
side of the fault moved to the southeast
and up relative to the block on the \N€St
Where the trace of the main rupture zone
changes orientation. the surlace rupture
becomes more complex. and some seg.
ments IAlithin the zone display righi-lateral·
oblique offset with the west side up. The
character 01 surface rupture also changes
VJhere the rupture zone passes through
different rock and sediment types. The
zone Is more discrete within ok:ler. more
consolidated rocks and becomes diffuse
and less distinct within younger. unconsoli-
dated sediments (back cover photo).
Significant surface faulting and fractur·
ing also occur in a zone that extends more

Younger rocks in the study area

include nonmarine sandstone and silt-
stone of possible Pliocene age (between
1.6 and 5,3 million years old). which are
mantled by younger gravels and form low
hills with badlands topography east of the
bedrock ridge (back cover photo. center).
Also included are Quaternary-age older
alluvium composed of semi<onsolidated
sandstone and conglomerate. which
forms gently sloping dissected surfaces
(cover photo. center).
The most recent deposits are the clay
and fine silt deposited in the playa at the
.. ~:
.. -.
Photo 1. View toward f1OI1heast at offset south slope 01 ridge. GeologJStlS holdmg Brunton
compass to striatIOns {small. parallel grooves and (Idges not VISible In thIS photo) on fault
wrface, SlnallOOS IndICate directIOn 01 slip (actual rather than "apparent" movement) along
a faull Line In upper nght quadrant of photo IS onented parallel to the striations. (Photo 2
is a close·up of striatIOns at another locality,) Larger·scale undulalJons called mullions are
commonly observed on fault surfaces. Indicating dlrec\lOn of Slip, Mullions are VISible mthiS
photo and are onented With their long alles parallel to the stflallons Photo by RL HIli,

CALIFORNIA GEOlOGY JANUARY FEBRUARY 1993

 The most dramatic fault-rupture features occur on the
ridge 0.5 mile (800 m) south of Galway Lake Road (between
localities B and C: back cover photo. cenler) where the fault
passes through the okler. more consolidated Pliocene (?)
sandstone and siltstone fanning the ridge. Fault rupture in
the northem part of the ridge is characterized by a distinct
fault scarp trending N35Q W and dipping 79 -B9~SW with
the east side up. and several smaller. subparallel fault scarps
splaying to the east and west from the main trace. Right-
lateral-oblique movement along this segment of the fault has
offset stream channels about 15 feet (4.5 m) and created fault
scarps 4.3 feet (1.3 m) high. Numerous shaking cracks and
some seismically-induced gravity slides occur near the top of
the ridge east of the main rupture zone

The northern portion of the ridge appears to have been

. trending cracks and fissures that displace the ground surface
Photo 2. Close-up of slickenside striae (small, parallel grooves and
ridges) on fautt surface in Photo 3. View IS to nonheast, perpendicular
to the fault. Striations indicate the block east of fault has moved diag-
onally upward and to the southeast (to the viewer's right). Striations
plunge 23~ from the horizontal. They are on gouge (or fault gouge)
whIch conSists of finely crushed and pulverized rock and mmeral
tragments and clay. The thickness of the gouge at this location and
elsewhere along the faull indicates that movement has occurred
intermittently. probably many times over a period ot perhaps several
hundred thousand years or more. Photo by RL Hill.
displaced northward as a seismically-induced. large. incipient
landslide bounded by an arcuate zone of surface rupture. On
the east flank of the ridge. the rupture zone consists of north-
as much as 13 inches (33 em). north side down. [n the allu-
vium near the base of the ridge. these features become dis-
crete cracks or narrow zones of cracks with a more north-
westerly trend. lhese discrete cracks offset drainage channels
as much as 7.9 inches {20 em) right-laterally. and displace
the ground surface as much as 3 inches (7.6 em) vertically.
v..rest side up The cracks and fissures on the ridge are exten-
sional features interpreted to be the break-away zone at the
head of the landslide. The discrete cracks in the alluvium are

than 1.2 miles (2 km) east of the main rupture zone. Some
of these features are shown on the map but they. along with
the more subtle fractures observed along the main rupture frace,
are too numerous to discuss in this article. Therefore. the follow-
ing descriptions win be limited fo major fault-rupture features
obselVed along the main rupture zone of the Emerson Fault
Irom Galway lake Road south to the small playa (front and
back cover photos). Localities A through J are shown on
the map.

Maximum right-lateral displacement resulting from the

Landers earthquake occurs where the main trace of the
Emerson Fault crosses Galway Lake Road (Locality A). The
fault rupture zone at this location consists of three or more
fault traces producing a cumulative right-lateral offset (of the
road) of approximately 20 feet (6 mI.

Surface rupture along the fault between Galway Lake Road

and the ridge 0.5 mile (BOO m) to the south (between localities
A and B: and back cover photo. bottom half) is characterized
by left-stepping en echelon fault scarps trending N32Q -37'W.
which form elongate compressional ridges (mole tracks) in the
younger alluvium. The main rupture zone is approximately
50 feet (IS m) wide with minor cracks extending more than
82 feet t2S m) beyond the main zone. Fault rupture does not
consistently follow older fault scarps but. in some areas. does PhOfO 3. View looking nonheast along fault scarp. Photo by B.M.
occur at the base of previously uplifted older alluvium. "Um;;le Ben" Irvine.

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993 25

compressional fealUres interpreted to be
the lateral margin and toe of the slide.

In the central and southern part of

the ridge. the main trace of fault rupture
changes orientation. trending N68°Wand
dipping 83°NE as it crosses over the ridge
toward the southeast. This fault scarp pro-
vides excellent eXl'XlSUres of fault gouge
and striations (Photos I. 2. and 3). The
main fault scarp splays into numerous
small scarps at the south end of the ridge.
These smaller scarps display the same
right·lateraL east-side-up displacement as
the main discrete fault scarp. Several arcu·
ate zones of shaking cracks occur on top
of the ridge west of the main rupture zone.

South of the ridge. the fault crosses

gently sloping hiUs made of Pliocene (?)
sandstone and siltstone and older alluvium
(between localities C and Dj. The rupture
zone consists of three or more Ieft-step-
ping. east-sk!e-up. en echelon faults.
The main fault-rupture trace becomes
less distinct farther to the south as it
crosses younger alluvium in the active
drainages (between localities D and E).
The fault-rupture zone in this area consists
of a main scarp. east side up. with many
small-scale. en echelon fractures. Older
alluvium east of the recent fault rupture
forms older. \.\leSt-facing scarps.
Between localities E and F. the main
rupture trace steps to the tight. forming
a graben (fault-bounded. down.<fropped
block) in the younger alluvium.
The main trace of surface rupture be-
comes very complex south of the graben
(between localities F and G) and is charac-
terized by severallelt-stepping en echelon
as well as anastomosing fault scarps and
numerous compressional and extensional
features along its length. The trend of the
rupture zone in this area is about N35"W.
Several prominent zones of surface rupture
splay to the northeast and southwest from BortugflO, E.J.. and Splllier. T E., compilers.
the main zone (cover pOOto. lower center).
This complex rupture zone continues
to the south. trending N35°-N40 cW.
along the east side of a ridge made of older Dlbblee. TW., Jr.. 1964. GeologiC map ot
alluvium (between localities G and H). A
narrow graben has formed near the east
base of this ridge. and stream channels
have been offset in a tight-lateral-oblique
sense along three faults. resulting in
Photo 4 Northeast-trending tault splay. The ground surlace on whrch the geologlsf is
standing. southeast o! the splay. has been uplifted 14.2 Inches (36 em). V,ew 10 the east.
Phoro by P J Irvine
5.4 I feet (1.65 m) of cumulative right- The rupture zone continues south as
lateral offset (CO'v'eT photo). The rupture a diffuse zone of cracks and left-stepping
zone becomes more diffuse as it continues en echelon fractures thai splay toward
south between the ridge and the playa the SQuth-southVJ€St into younger alluvium
(between localities I and J). There are
The playa (between localities H and 1: numerous rockfalls near the southern
and cover photo) displays many interest- end of the study area where the main
ing surface-rupture features. The main trace of surface rupture extends onlo the
rupture zone crosses the playa's eastern flank of the bedrock ridge (\ocality J and
margin. about 75 feet (23 m) west of the cover photo).
older fault scarp and consists of several
subparallel traces in a zone approximately ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
50 feet (15 m) wide. Relative movement
determined from measurements of offset The authors are indebted to DMG
dirt-bike tracks is tight-lateral·obIique. east
geologists Dinah O. Shumway and Dr.
side up. lhere is a zone of fractures dis- Allan G. Barrows. for providing data
playing compressional and extensional and observations from their field work
features VJ€St of the main rupture zone in the area and for insightful discussions
(cover photo). about geology.
REFERENCES
Hauksson. EgIII; Jones. Lucy; Heaton.
1987. GeologiC map of the San Bernar- Tom; Hutloo. Kate; Mori. Jim; Hough.
dinO quadrangle: DiVISIOn 01 Mines and Sue; Kanamofl. Hiroo: and ThlO.
Geology RegIOnal GeologiC Map 3A, Hong Kle. 1992. The landers and
scale 1:250.000 Big Bear earthquakes In eastern San
Bernardino County. June 28. 1992;
the Rodman Mountains quadrangle. Preliminary update report written at
San Bernardino County, CahtQfnla: 10:30 am 30 June 1992: Calilorma
U.S. Geological Survey Miscellaneous InstJtute of Technology and U.S
GeOlogiC InvestigatIons Map 1-430. GeologICal Survey, 5 p.
scale 1:62.500.

26 CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY JANUARVFE8RUARV 1993

 DMG Clearinghouse for the June 28, 1992 Landers and Big Bear Earthquakes
TOUSSON A. TOPPQZADA, RICK I. WILSON, and CLAUDIA L HALLSTROM
Division of Mines and Geology

W BigithinBear earthquakes.
24 hoursof Landers and
the
Division
the
of Mines and Geology (DMG) established
an earthquake infolTllalian clearinghouse
(CH). The CH was established near the
epkentral area on Twentynine Palms
Highway in Yucca VaDey. 5 miles (8 km)
south of Lmders 1he CH: 1) coordi
nate:! DMG field aetMIJeS; 2) collected
information from geosdentislS in public
and priVate sectors; 3) prclI.ided a location
for discussion and coordination among
scientists concerning the dai}I; field work;
and 4) disseIlllnated infonnation to scien·
tific inYeStigators, government agencies.
and the public.
The CH. with the support of the
Office of Emergency Services (DES).
arranged for a National Guard heliCOpter
to transport four geologists on a recon·
naissance flight of the extensive area of
faulung. The helicopter made several
Landings enabling the geoklgists to check
features on variolts fauhs. This recoonais·
saoce helped identify which of the 1UTIef'
ous faults were irl\.oOh.oed In the complex
faulttng process. and helped plan and
focus the fiekl mapping during the follow-
ing weeks.
The CH was In operation from June
291oJu/y 15. It was staffed from 8 a.m.
to 6 p.rn to receive and record data,
relay messages between field personnel
and DMG heaciqudrters in Sacramento.
and discuss find~ With SCientific mvesti-
gators. ~ re.ponse groups. and
the pub6c. The CH staff kept the public
apprised of aftershocks arv:l other U1for-
mation usmg FAX updates from the Cab-
fomia Institute of TechncMogy (ern. com-
pilations of fault-ruptures and ground
failures from field geologists. and detailed
aerial photographs taken several days
after the earthquakes by commercial
operators and U.S, Air Force U-2 recon·
naissance aircraft Infonnalion from local
newspapers was later used to supplement
National Earthquake Information Center
( Elq ~maires in compiling the
isoseismal map of geographical distribu·
tion of ground shaking of varying intetlSl·
ties from the earthquake (see Toppozada.
this issue),
Every night. the CH was the meeting
place for DMG scientists. the U.s. Ge0-
logical Survey (USGS). universities' staff.
and consulting filTT'ls, These meetings
provided an atmosphere of scientific
discussion and debate and were effective
in coordinating INOI'k plans among the
different groups
Many resdents \l.no had sustained
earthquake damage 10 their homes vbited
the CH and wanled to speak With geosci-
entists about the earthquakes and the
faults. Il"qliries from the pubtic and the
media often diverted the scientific staffs
attention from coordinating field activities
and updating and disseminating earth-
quake and fault lnfonnation. On July 10.
Ed Heidig. Director of the Department of
Conservation and Jim Davis. State Ge0lo-
gist held a press conference al the CH
TIle clearinghouse was successful
thanks 10 the enthusiasllC support of San
Bernardino County officials ~ gener-
ously provided the Environmental Health
ServX:e Office, support staff. and commu-
nications facililie!.

GeologISts tram DMG. USGS. and other organlZa\lOflS met at the cleannghouse each everwng to dISCUSS observa\lOfls
and to coordinate fault ruplure mapping and other hekt aet'VllJe$, Photo by Claudla Hallstrom,

CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY JANUARY 'FEBRUARY 1993

"

Teacher
Feature
FAR WESTER SECTlON
NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF
GEOLOGY TEACHERS (FWS.NAGl)
Guidebook Publications
Geology. Gold Deposits. and Mining
Ilislory of the Southern Mother Lode. By
AH Barabus.1991 123p. $1000
Redding to Lassen Park Road Log In
GcokJgy. By Dave Bell and Martin
Peterson. 1981 16p ,$400
Suspect Terrane Exercises 19
71 p. $6,00; and Suspect Terrane. 36
slides of di.agrams in exercises. By Ann
Bykerk-Kauffman. 19 $20.00
Geok>gtc Exa.O"sions in the Greater
Los I\ngele> ,",,,, By t.aw.eoce CoDiru;.
1989; FJekI Guide to St Franci!. Dam
Area By H Adams; Field Guide to San
Gabriel Mts. By A. Barth. P Ehlig. and
P Weigand. Field Guide to Submarine
Fans in Santa Monica MIS Yorba Linda
Area & San Clemente State Beach By
P Ascher. D. Schwartz. D. I Colburn.
and V Cherven. 85 p .... $8.00
Earthquake Country - FIeld Guide for
Teacher's Workshop. Nonn Segment of
San Andreas Fault By W. Colony. WH
Wright III. and D Thrift 1978.
44 p .$500
Okt Dad-Kelso Mts. Resource Survey.
Brandon Cuny, editor 1983.477 p, plus
SIX maps $20.00
Sonoma Comty Held Trips 11 PI..
Reyes./San Andreas Fauh. 2) The Geys.ers
Geothermal Area. 3) Cazadero and Ward
Creek Blueschist Areas. By Rolfe
Elick$on. 1992 100 p $800 .
~
Selected FJeld Trips, and 1983 Eanh- ..
quake ""'"""'" By EJ F",,«e> 1983 -
97 p $600 _
28 CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY
Geologic: ExcursKlns III the Eastern
M~ve Desen.lStratllJraphy. Structure.
MlI"leralizaliOn at Calico. ClITIa Volcanics.
and Lake Marux). Lori GaskIn. compiler
19 137 p $8.00
Guidebook 10 !he Recenl Quaternary.
Pbo-Pleistocene and Franciscan Geology
of Western Humboldt County. CA
Pauick Greene. editor 1982.
65 p $600
Road Log and Geology and Geother-
mal Energy of the Salton Trough, Larry
Herber. compiler, 1985. 171 p .... $5.00
The Black Diamond Mines Regional
Preserve. and the Hayward Fault in
Hayward and San Leandro. CA Sue
Ellen Hirschfeld. editor 1987
83p $7,00
Oceanographic Fteld Trip. San Fran-
cisco Bay Area By J. HoIJeman and
E 5puaIu, 1974 31 P $4 00
Vstor's Guide 10 !he Geology of
Mount Diabk>. By Betty HlIl"IlIlleI1. 1977,
39 P $4 00
Geologic Adventures in Northern
Baja. CA Gary Jacobson. editOf. 1991
50 p 10.00
Geology of Northeast California _By
Terrance Kato. David MIlIer.0nn Bykerk-
Kauffman. Howard Stensnii. and VICtor
Asher 1990.56 p L.. ,$8,00
JANUARY FE8RUARY 1993
Quarternary Strcmgraphy. Soil Ge0-
morphology. QlI'Of"ICl6ogy and TectonICS
of the Ventura. O)ai. and Sarlla Paula
areas. Western Transverse Ranges. Cab·
fornia E.A KeIer. editor 1981
159p $SOO
The San Andreas Faull Sysr:em
Where East Meets West A Teachmg
Module By A R Ko<po<al. C. Sta<bn.
and P Lee 1976 38 p $4 00
Three Field Trips in Soulhern Califor·
nia San Andreas - San Jacinto Faults by
Bernard P King; Pegmatite Minerals by
William B ROUIIey. and Ecology of a
Coastal Community. by Martin Unk
R !...et:K:lu.r. editor, 1975.32 P $500
FIeld Guide to Anacapa Island.
Ventura County. CA By HR Level,
1982 9 p $4 00
Geologic 'tes in Ventura County
A Teacher's Guide. By H. Level. 0
Goforth. and W Rameni 1974
47p $400
Held Trip to Areas of Active FauilUlg
and ShaBow Subsidence in !he Southern
San Joaquin Valley. By John C. Mannll'l9
1973 22 p 300
Field Guide: Santa Catalina Islarxl By
5. ROlNklnd. 5 Sorenson. C. Savrda. OJ
Bolljer. and 0 Gorsline; Geoklgy of
Santa Catalina Island and Nearby BaSIns.
By B W Pipkin and R. Lebow; Geology
of San Pedro Basin. L.A. Harbor to Santa
Catalina - A Deep-Sea Field Trip. By R
Givens: Nearshore Marine Biota. 5 C.
Island, Pipkin. B W.. compiler 1984
76p $900
Geology and Landslides of the Pam
Verdes Hills. Cabfornia By B W Pipkin.
ME. Bryant. and E.J, Baldu.in 1986
77 p $600
 Robert Wallace Webb Memorial Sym-
posium: Quaternary Slip Rates and Earth-
quake Hazards; Accretion Along Coastal
Oregon and Washington; Borehole
Remote Sensing and Microcomputer
CORRECTIONS:

SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER
--
Software; Arc Magmatism; Seismic Haz- TIle subheading on
ard Analysis; and Strelched Pebble Con- p. 141 should be "Assault
glomerates in the Caledonian Paradox. of January 17. 1873."
Dorothy L. Steller, coordinator. 1985.
51 p $4.00
NOVEMBER/DECEMBER
Some Geologic Hazards and Environ-
The names of the
mental Impact of Developments in the
Lesley Ann and Oro BeUe
San Diego Area By R.L. Threet. 1972.
pits were inadvertently
45p $4.00
omined from the map on
page 182, The corrected
Road Long and Geology of the
map is shovm at right.
Central San Bernardino Mts.. Southern
California. By D.O. Trent. 1990.
68p $6.00

T \NO Field Trips: 1) Environmental I------------------------~----

Geology of the Sacramento-Auburn Area. CAUFORNlA GEOLOGY
B.A Amundson; 2) Environmental Geol- Subscription and Change of Address Fonn
ogyand Mining in the Mother Lode. NAME (please print Ol' type) _
Southeast of Sacramento. G.R. Whe€ler.
1984.8Ip .. $7.00 STREET

CITY STATE ZiP _

Geology of Red Rock Canyon and
the Southern E1 Paso Mountains. Mojave 1 yr. $8.00 2 yrs. $15.50 3 yrs, $23.00
Desert. California. By David P, Whistler. D (6 issues) D (12 Issues) D (18 issues)
1987.16 p $5.00
D NEW SUBSCRIPTION: Allow 60 days for delivery of first Issue.
Three Geology Road Logs and Tex!.
1) Eastern Puente Hills; 2) Coastal
D RENEWAL: To receive your magazine Without interruption, send in renewal
60 days before the expiration date on the address label. (Example:
Orange County; 3) Coyote Hills, and EXP9406 means that the SUbscription expires on receipt of May,June
Chevron's Research and Production 1994 Issue) Please attach an address label from a recent issue
Facilities. M.S. Woyski. editor. 1981. Without an address label, subscripllon renewal will take 3to 4 months
to process.
103 P $6.00
D GIFT' RECIPIENT NAME
Tax is included in the price. Add STREET
$1.00 postage and handling cnarge for C'TY STATE ZIP
each $10.00 of your order. Make checks GIFT CARD FROM _
payable to FWS-NAGT and mail order to:
AMOUNT ENCLOSED (Includes POSlage and sales lax) $, _
I
Larry Herber
Geological Science Department
I
California State Polytechnic UniverSity I
ATTACH LABEL
3801 West Temple Avenue I
Pomona, CA 91768 I
I
Guidebook sales help fund t\AIO annual
geology scholarships sponsored by the
I D ADDRESS CHANGE; Send a recent address label and your new address
Allow 60 days to reflect address change.
Far Western Section National Association
of Geology Teachers.
I A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER MUST ACCOMPANY THIS ORDER. All flQn·U S orders mUS1 be paod
I or draft payable In U.S dollars and made out to DIVISION OF MINES
WIth an International money Older
AND GEOLOGV Send all orders andlor address change 10
I DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY

L J<: _~men;0.~a~;~581:.29~ _

CAUFORNIA GEOLOGV JANUARVIFEBRUARV 1993

"
 29th FORUM ON THE GEOLOGY OF INDUSTRIAl. MINERAl.S
Sponsored by
AEGBOOK
THE CALIFORNIA DEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION SAlE
DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGV AND THE U.S. BUREAU Of MINES
April 25-30. 1993
Sheraton Long Beach Hotel- Long Beach. California
AS5CX:IATlON OF
For 28 years. the annual Forum on the Geology of Industrial Minerals has been hosted ENGINEERING GEOLOGISTS
by state and provincial geologtcal agencies throughout North America. 1be Forum SOlJTl-lERN CAUFORNIA SEcnON
provides the opportunity to learn more about the nature and distribution of industrial
mineral deposits and advances in research. exploration. mine development, procklC-
lion. and marketing. The 29th FOl\lJlllAlill emphasize industrial mineral deposits of the Sieh. K.E. and J.C. Matti. October
southern California region and will include 2 days of technical sessions and 3 days of 3-4. 1992. Earthquake Geology San
field trips. Anticipated registratkm fee is $125.00: field trips are additional Andreas Fault System Palm Springs to
Palmdale. 35th Annual Meeting - Gu;de·
For more information. contact:
book and Reprint Volume $25.00
Ralph Loyd
29th Forum on the Geology of Industrial Minerals
801 K Sireet. MS 08·38 Ehlig. P.L. and EA Steiner. editors.
Sacramento. CA 95814-3531 October 2-9. 1992. Engineering Geol·
1t (916) 322·9207 FAX (916) 327-1853 ogy Field Trips: Orange County. Santa
Monica Mountains and Malibu. 35th
---~------------------------I Annual Meeting. $25.00. Optional
map and cross section of Big Rock
DIVISION OF MINES AND GEOLOGY I Mesa $15.00
Publications Request Fonn I
Number 01 COplfIS
SPECIAL REPORTS I Bulletin of the Association of Engi-
I neering Geology Volume XX. Number 1.
_ _ SR52 Index to geologIC maps of California to December 31.1956. 1958 .. $5.00
Conlains MGeo\ogy of Long Beach.
SA52A
SR52B
Index to geologIC maps of California 1957·1960. 1962.
Index to geologIC maps of Cahtornl8 1961-1964. 1968 ..
$500 I California. ~ Umited supply $5.00
.$5.00
SR102 Index to geologIC maps of California 1965-1968. 1972 $500 I
SR106 GeologIC features 01 Death Valley Iln~o and San Bernardino Ebersold, D.B.. editor, October 10.
counties]. Cahlorfll8. 1976 . . . ,.... $5.00 1992. Landers Earthquake of June 28.
SPECIAL PUBLICATIONS 1992, San Bernardino County,
_ _ SP57 Proposed earthquake safely programs and aetlYllJeS of the California Field Trip Guide. Umiled
Department 01 Conservation, fiscal years 1982 through 1986. 1980 $500 supply ,$8.00
SPGO Earthquake planning scenario fOf a magnitude 83 earthquake
on the San Andreas Fault in soolhem California. 1982 ._ _. $12,00
5Pl08 An analySIS of the seismic hazard informatiQn needs of the Insurance
Slout. M.L.. editor. 1992. Associ-
IndUstry, local gov8!'nment, and property owners in Ca!l1ornl3 1990 _$7.00 ation of Engineering Geologists. Pro-
REGIONAL GEOLOGIC MAP SERIES (scale: 1:250.000)
ceedings for the 35th Annual Meeting.
_ _ RGM1A GeologiC map 0' the SacramenlO quadrangle
October 2-9. 1992. Los Angeles,
(set at 'our sheets). 1982 , .... $9.00 California $40.00
0'
_ _ RGM2A Geologic map the Santa Rosa quadrangle
(set ot 'ive sheets). 1982 .....•..... ,.$16.00 Shuirman, G. and James SIosson.
RGM3A GeologIC map 01 the San BernardlOO quadrangle 1992. Forensic Engineering. Envi-
(set of love sheels). 1987 . , ... $16.00
RGM4A GeologiC map at the Weed quadrangle (set a! loor sheets). 1988 ... $16.00
ronmental Case Histories for Civil
RGM5A GeologiC map at the San Francisco-San Jose quadrangle Engineers and Geologists. Academic
(set of tive sheets). 1991 . ..$18,00 Press, Inc $49.95
RGM7A GeologIC map altha Chico quadrangle (sal at 'ive sheets) 1992 $2200
OTHER Make checks payable to AEG South-
List ot AvaIlable PublicatIons ..... FI86 ern California Section. Add 8.25 percent
AMOUNT ENCLOSED (PrlC8II'1C1ud&s postaoe and sales tax) $ sales lax and $2.50 for the first book and
A CHECK OR MONEY ORDER MUST ACCOMPANY THIS ORDER. AU non·U.S. alders musl be paid 50 cents for each additional book for
.....Itt an lItternallOl'lal money order or drall payable in U.S dollars and made oulIO: DIVISION Of MINES postage and handling. Send 10:
AND GEOlOGY. Send order to DIVISION OF MINES AND GEQlOOY. POBox 2980, Sao'amento,
CalilOrnJI95812-2980.
NAME _ Joe Cota, Publications Chairman
AEG Southern Callfomia sectIon
COMPANY _
cia GeoSolls, Inc.
STREET ---, ~_
6634 Valjean Avenue.
CITY STATE ZIP _ Van Nuys, CA 91406
----------------------------~
'ft (818) 785·2158

CAUFQflNIA GEOLOGY JANUARY/FEBRUARY 1993


LANDSUDES AND Oll-lER GEOLOGIC
FEATURES IN ll-IESANTA CRUZ
MOUNTAINS. CAUFORNIA. RESULT-
ING FROM THE LOMA PRIETA EARTH
QUAKE OF OCTOBER 17. 1989 DMG
OFR 91-5 Compiled by MW Manson.
OK Keefer. and Mary Anne McKittrick
1991. 45p.. 16 plates. map scale
148.000. $1200
Tris set of maps depicts nearly 500
runbem:llocabties where earthquake-
IfdJced landslides or other mace effects
of the October 17. 1989 Lorna Ptieta
earthquake were obser.oed by geologists.
building inspectOl'1, and other conlributors
For each kxality. ean~ke-lriggered
geologic features such 8S rockfalls.
rockslides. soils/ides. slumps or bIocksiides
(in natural or fill materials). liquefaction
effects (lateral spreadIng. settiemerll. sand
boils). ground cracks or fissures. broken
trees. and damaged bridges are described.
The maps dc:Jtwnen1 the ephemeral
geomorphic features produced by the
earthquake rather than a rigorous 5derniflC
study of the earttx:,.Jake·s effects. These
maps are conststerlt WIth the tradition.
which began following the great 1906
San Francisco eanhquake. of recording as
completely as possible the effects of such
8 ma;or event. DMG OFR 91-5 makes
comparisons with effects generated by
other earthquakes It is important to know
if Specific areas are subject to damaging
SlJrlace effects more than once.
Many of the localities are described by
l'wO or more people who were on different
nen
- missions- .... they made their observa-
nons. Immediately folowJng the earth·
qJake. Santa Cruz Comly vdmteers
lNere tryWlg 10 determine the regional
extent of the damage As adciIionaI ge0lo-
gists became available. they were al»e to
spend more lime at each Site gathering
more-detailed infonnation. They included
14 geologists from DMG. 13 geologists
from the U.S. Geological Survey. ten
geologists and inspeclOl"S from Santa Cruz
County. and 15 geoIogisl·voIunteers from
consulting Firms
DMG OFR 91-5 also includes a btbli-
ography of 196 references on geoIogK:.
CAUFOANIA GEOlOGY
seismoIoglc. and Lorna Pneta earthq.Jake-
related topics pertauung 10 San Mateo.
Santa Cruz. and Santa Clara counlleS
RECENll..Y ACfIVE TRACES OF mE
R(){X;ERS CREEK FAULT. SONOMA
COUNTY. CAUFORNIA DMG OFR
92-7 ByE.W Hart 1992.$8.00.
DMG OFR 92-7 identifies recently
active traces of the Rodgers Creek Fault.
an actiVe member of the San Andreas
Fault system The lraces are shc:lI.l.n on
an annotated map (scale: 1:24.000 or
1 mile - 2.000 feet)......hich documents
the evidence for recency. 1he report con·
tains a brief lext. Iisl of references. and a
3-page tab..dation of dala based on logs
and observations of exploratory trenches
excavated by consultants.
DMG OFR 92-7 is an updated version
of the unpublished 1982 report prepared
to evaluate the Rodgers Creek Fault and
to make recommendations for zoning
under the A1quist·Priolo Special Studies
Zones (APSSl) Act Based on this 1982
r1?JX)l1. Special Studies Zones lNere estab-
lished by DMG. The purpose ollhe APSSZ
Act Is 10 regulate deYdopment near active
faults to redac:e the hazard of mace faull-
ing 10 stJuctures for tunan occupancy.
DMG OFR 92-7 also idenllfles as5Od.
aled 1andsIide and Iaterakpread fean.-es
lhal may be actJVatoo cbing a ma)Ol' earth-
quake. The report shoUd be of interest 10
both geosdentlSls and planners.
RECONNAISSANCE GEOLOGIC MAP
OF THE SHINN MOUNTAIN 15-MINUTE
QUADRANGLE. lASSEN COUNTY.
CAUFORNIA DMG OFR 91-24 By 0 L
WagneranclG.J Saucedo. 1991 $5.00
DMG OFR 91-24 makes exiSl1l'l9
geologic dala for the Shinn MCUltain
15-lTUI'IUIe quadrangle available to the pub-
lic. Prior 10 its release. only unpublished
reconnalSsaJlCe geologic maps werE: avail·
abAe for this area This report was produced
by DMG"s RegtonaI Geologic Mapping
PTojecI as part of its basic function -to
gather. analyze. and disseminate infonna-
tion about California' s regional geologic
SCllmg. FIeld IoVOl'k YJaS supported in part
by lhe U.s. Geological Survey CooperaTive
GeoIogk Mapping Program.
The map area is ....,thin the Modoc
Plateau geomorphtc ~ of northeast-
ern CalifOl'TUa and COIJef'S approximately
JANUAAY'FE8RUARY 199]
230 S<fJare miles (600 kJn2) of east-eentral
Lassen Comty.
DMG OFR 91-24 COOSISIS of a geologic
map plate contaimng descnptions of the
geologic units. map symbols. references.
and schematic cross sections TIle geologiC
map is drafted on 8 topographic base at
a scale of 1:62.500 (I inch equals about
I mile)
This map portrays the general geology
of the area and provides basic geoIogK:
information on the age. dtsuibution. and
description of the various rock types. Dca-
lion of faults and other- gedogJc stru:tures
The area IS ooderlam plimanly by Neogene
volcanic rocks Basement Is not exposed
WIthin the map area bI..a likely oonsisls of
Cretaceous and pre-Cretaceous grarutic
and metamorphic rocks
The bulk of the rock units IoIIithin the
map area are Miocene to Pliocene volcanic
rocks of andcsl!k to basaltic composition
1hese rocks occur primarily as f\oo.vs but
include pyroclastic deposits. breccias. and
\lent facies that originated from kxaI moun-
lain peaks as weB as from sources outside
the map area The inlC1W!1ing IcM.4ying
areas are underlain by younger basalt fIo....'S
or aIUJial. fuviaI. and lacustrine deposits
A northwesltrending zone of faultmg
occurs in the northeast comer of the map
exp:JSing a distinctive mafic andesite WIth
a pronounced trachytic lexture. This l6lit
appears 10 be the oIde:st rock exposed in
the q.Jadrang1e.
Reference copies of DMG OFRs 91·5.
92-7. and 91-24 are available at all three
DMG offices. They may be purchased at
the Sacramento and San Francisco offices
In addition. the Sacramento office offen
prepaid mall order sales.
Sacramento GeologIC InlonnalJon
and PublicatJons Office
801 K Street, MS 14·33
Sacramento. CA 95814-3532
(916) 445-5716
Bay Area RegIOnal Office
1145 Market Street. 3rd Floor
San FranciSCO, CA 94103-1513
(415) 557·1500
Southern California Regional Office
107 South Broadway, Room 1065
Los Angeles, CA 90012-4402
(213)620-3560
"
 STATE OF CALIFORNIA SECOND CLASS POSTAGE
THE RESOURCES AGENCY PAID AT SACAMENTO, CALIFORNIA
OEPARTMENT OF CONSERVATION
CALIFORNIA GEOLOGY
OIVISION OF
MINES AND GEOLOGY
PO, BOX 2980
SACRAMENTO CALIfORNIA 95812-2980
USPS 350 840
ADDRESS CORRECTION REOUESTED

Sunace rupture along Emerson Fault south 01 unpaved Galway lake Road Galway lake playa IS vIsible near the upper left corner altha
photo Zone 01 sunace rupture is the dark ~ne extending trom the lower left corner to the upper fight corner. The IranI cover photo showS
the area around the small playa in the upper nght quadranl View 10 sootheast Photo courtesy 0' I.K CurtiS ServICeS. Inc.. July 3. t992

32 CALIFORNIA GEOlOGY JANUARY FEBRUARY '993