Hi BW. That portion of the San Andreas fault is known as the “Big Bend” The fault in this location is more comprssional then strike slip. This is because the Pacific Plate is having a hard time making it past that bend which is associated with the North American Plate.

Of course this in turn transfers a lot of the stress to other faults on either side of it. It is also in part responsible for the Eastern California Shear Zone. This is the part of California that is being pulled away from the rest of the United States. It is the area in which Owens Valley, Mammoth Lakes, and parts of Nevada are located. Of course no one should be looking for that to occur anytime soon. The last major quake to occur along the section of the fault north of the “Big Bend” was in 1857. That quake was centered near present day Parkfield. The quake was called the Fort Tejon quake because it was only well known landmark at that time.

These plates are moving horizontally past each other along the San Andreas Fault at a rate of about 3.5 centimeters/year. Thus, Los Angeles is moving north with respect to San Francisco. At the present rate--in another fifteen million years--Los Angeles and San Francisco will lie next to each other. Now here is where it gets real hairy and I’m sure there are going to be some very unhappy people. Is Los Angeles going to be a suburb of San Francisco, or will it be the other way around? I guess it depends on which side of the fault you’re on. Take Care…Don in creepy town