earth science

San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth

San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth is a earth science topic covered in the lgStudy science library. This page brings together a partial reference excerpt, illustrations, worked examples, real-world applications and a short study plan, so you can understand San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth rather than just read about it. In short: The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) was a research project that began in 2002 aimed at collecting geological data about the San Andreas Fault for the purpose of predicting and analyzing future earthquakes. The site consists of a 2.2 km (1.4 miles) pilot hole and a 3.2 km (2 miles) main hole.

Key takeaways

San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth belongs to earth science; place it in that map before memorising details.
Learn the definition first, then one example that makes the definition concrete.
Connect San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth to a quantity you can measure, compute or draw — that is where exam questions come from.
Reproduce the core statement of San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth from memory before moving on to harder problems.

Reference excerpt

The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) was a research project that began in 2002 aimed at collecting geological data about the San Andreas Fault for the purpose of predicting and analyzing future earthquakes. The site consists of a 2.2 km (1.4 miles) pilot hole and a 3.2 km (2 miles) main hole. Drilling operations ceased in 2007. Located near the town of Parkfield, California, the project installed geophone sensors and GPS clocks in a borehole that cut directly through the fault. This data, along with samples collected during drilling, helped shed new light on geochemical and mechanical properties around the fault zone. SAFOD was part of Earthscope, an Earth science program using geological and geophysical techniques to explore the structure of the North American continent and to understand the origin of earthquakes and volcanoes. Earthscope was funded by the National Science Foundation in conjunction with the U.S. Geological Survey and NASA. Data collected at SAFOD are available from The Northern California Earthquake Data Center at U.C. Berkeley and from NSF SAGE Facility Data Services operated by EarthScope Consortium, formerly known as the IRIS DMC.

See also Chikyū Hakken, deep oceanic drilling program Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Kola Borehole (1970–2005, 12,262 m or 40,230 feet) KTB Borehole (1987–1995, 9,101 m or 29,859 feet) Mohorovičić discontinuity Project Mohole

References

Further reading Ellsworth, W. L.; S. H. Hickman; M. D. Zoback (January 1, 2000). "Seismology in the Source: The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth". Seismol. Res. Lett. 71. Ellsworth, W.; S. Hickman; M. Zoback; E. Davis; L. Gee; R. Huggins; R. Krug; C. Lippus; P. Malin; D. Neuhauser (2005). "Observing the San Andreas Fault at depth". Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union. 86: 52. Bibcode:2005AGUFM.T24B..04E. Zoback, M. D (1998). Scientific drilling into the San Andreas fault and site characterization research: Planning and coordination efforts. Final technical report. Zoback, M.D.; S.H. Hickman; W. Ellsworth (2002). The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD): testing fundamental theories of earthquake mechanics. 2002 Denver Annual Meeting. Zoback, M. (2003). Scientific Drilling into the San Andreas Fault: The SAFOD Experiment. AAPG Annual Meeting 2003. Zoback, M.D.; S. Hickman; W. Ellsworth (2005). "Overview of SAFOD Phases 1 and 2: Drilling, sampling and measurements in the San Andreas Fault zone at seismogenic depth". Eos, Transactions, American Geophysical Union. 86 (5): 52. Bibcode:2005EOSTr..86...52H. doi:10.1029/2005EO050006. Zoback, M.D.; S.H. Hickman; W. Ellsworth; D. Kirschner; N.B. Pennell; J. Chery; S. Sobolev (2007). Preliminary Results from SAFOD Phase 3: Implications for the state of stress and shear localization in and near the San Andreas Fault at depth in central California. American Geophysical Union, Fall Meeting 2007, abstract# T13G-03. Zoback, Mark D.; Hans-Peter Harjes (1997). "Injection-induced earthquakes and crustal stress at 9 km depth at the KTB deep drilling site, Germany". Journal of Geophysical Research. 102 (B8): 18477–18491. Bibcode:1997JGR...10218477Z. doi:10.1029/96JB02814. Retrieved March 28, 2009. EarthScope (2008). "EarthScope: SAFOD Observatory". EarthScope. Retrieved March 28, 2009. Emmermann, Rolf; Rischmüller, Heinrich (October 31, 2006). "ICDP – International Continental Scientific Drilling Program". German Continental Scientific Deep Drilling Program. GFZ German Research Centre for Geosciences, Telegrafenberg, D-14473 Potsdam, Germany. Archived from the original on July 29, 2007. Retrieved March 28, 2009. "KTB Deep Crustal Laboratory of GFZ". 2006. Retrieved March 28, 2009.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: deprecated archival service (link) National Science Foundation. "San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth". United States Geological Survey. Archived from the original on February 12, 2008. Retrieved March 28, 2009.

External links Earthscope SAFOD at ICDP-Online.org

Illustrations

Worked examples

Example 1 — a first encounter with San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth

Start with the simplest possible case. Write down what San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth claims or describes in one sentence, then invent the smallest concrete situation in which that sentence is true. In earth science, the smallest case is usually a single object, a single equation or a single measurement. Check that every symbol or term in your sentence has a meaning in that case.

Example 2 — changing one variable

Take the situation from Example 1 and change exactly one quantity: double it, halve it, or set it to zero. Predict what should happen to San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth before you calculate. Comparing your prediction with the result is the fastest way to find out whether you understand the idea or only the words.

Example 3 — an exam-style question

Typical questions about San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth ask you to (a) state it precisely, (b) apply it to given data, and (c) explain a limitation. Practise writing all three answers in under five minutes; the third part is what separates a full-mark answer from an average one.

Applications of San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth

In research: San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth appears in earth science research whenever the underlying quantities have to be modelled precisely. Papers usually cite it as a starting assumption and then explore where it breaks down.
In technology and industry: Engineering practice reuses San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth in design rules, simulations and safety margins. Knowing the idea lets you read a specification sheet and understand why the numbers look the way they do.
In the classroom: San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth is common in secondary-school and first-year university syllabi. It links to neighbouring topics Deepest boreholes, Geology of California, Seismological observatories, organisations and projects, so understanding it makes those chapters shorter.
In everyday life: Look for San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth outside the textbook — in sport, cooking, traffic, electronics or the sky above you. An example you found yourself is remembered far longer than one you were given.

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How to study San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth in 20 minutes

Read the reference excerpt below once, without taking notes.
Close the page and write down what San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth means in your own words.
Compare your version with the excerpt and mark what you missed.
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Frequently asked questions

What is San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth in simple terms?

Why does San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth matter?

Because it connects several earth science ideas at once: it gives you a definition you can apply, a quantity you can calculate, and a way to check whether a result is plausible.

How should I study San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth?

Read the excerpt, restate it from memory, then work through the examples and applications listed on this page. The five-step study plan above takes about twenty minutes.

What does this page cover?

It gives you a compact reference excerpt plus original lgStudy explanations, examples, applications and study material on San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth.