Hi Manda. The Santa Monica fault is the closest fault to the areas you mentioned. The Santa Monica fault is thought to be able to have a quake of 6.0 to 7.0. The slip rate of this fault is between 0.27 and 0.39 mm/yr. The most recent surface rupture occurred in the late Quaternary period (700,000 years to present time.) The interval between major ruptures is unknown.

The fault is a left reverse with a length of 24Km and is a north-dipping fault. Its slip rate may be greatest at it western end. The proximity of Beverly Hills and Santa Monica means that this fault could rock both towns pretty hard.

However there are many faults in the same general area that could produce a quake of the same magnitude or larger. Some of these faults are not even seen at the surface and have not had a major quake in recorded history. That is not to say they haven’t had a major quake it’s just that no one was around to record it.

It’s good that you are concerned about the area you live and the nearby faults, but don’t forget that there are other faults just a little further away that could do as much if not more damage to the area you live in then a nearby fault might.

I live 27 miles from the epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta quake and San Francisco is about 60 miles. There was less damage here in Hollister then there was in San Francisco. The reason for is that the energy from the quake was directed towards San Francisco and way from Hollister. The town of Morgan Hill is only 7 miles east from the quake and it had less damage then the rest of the area.

There are many various reasons why damage from a quake can be more in one location and less in another, but this for the most part is not discovered until after the quake.

The best thing that you can do is and this applies to all of us is to prepare for the major quake that is sure to occur, but then again may not occur in your lifetime.

I hope I haven’t scared you, as that was not my intentions. I just wanted to make you aware of the fact that there are many faults to contend with and not just the ones in your immediate area. Take Care…Don in creepy town