California Earthquake Faults

Soon after the first tremor, seismologists began trying to map out the newly revealed fault to determine how it is connected to other fissures in the region. To complete this task, the locations of hundreds of aftershocks will have to be tracked, which is a lengthy and tedious process. At first it was thought that the quake might have resulted from a previously unmapped extension of the Oak Ridge Fault, which angles past the city of Ventura and into the Pacific Ocean. However, as researchers explored the San Fernando Valley--the area hit hardest by the quake--other theories emerged, including the possibility that the fault was not connected to any known system. Individually, the faults that are not connected to the San Andreas are smaller and give rise to earthquakes that are less

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from Newport Beach to Beverly Hills, poses a much greater threat than does the San Andreas Fault (Brownlee and Watson 38). A recent study predicted a Newport-Inglewood quake of magnitude seven. This quake would occur in an area that has a population of nine million people. When this quake will occur cannot be predicted. Experts have now studied the worst-case scenario: the damage sustained if an eight magnitude should hit Los Angeles. All four of the acute-care hospitals that lie within the fault zone would likely become nonfunctional, putting 1,900 beds out of service (Brownlee and Watson 38). Hospitals as far as 25 miles away would also be vulnerable, with a total of 34 percent of the area's 14,500 beds put out of service. More than 130 miles of highway and 350 bridges lie near enough to the Newport-Inglewood fault zone to be severely damaged. Four of the five principal public airports in Los Angeles and Orange counties, which together serve 60 million passengers a year, could suffer damaged runways and buildings, although all but John Wayne Airport, in Orange county, would probably continue to function. The Los Angeles-Long Beach Harbor would have fires from leaking oil facilities. Ships would suffer damage from sma
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Some common words found in the essay are:
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Approximate Word count = 1973
Approximate Pages = 8 (250 words per page)

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