Earthquake Information

Fault Name Index

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North Frontal Fault Zone of the San Bernardino Mountains

TYPE OF FAULTING: primarily thrust
LENGTH: 65 km from end to end, but cut by the Helendale fault; the western portion is some 35 km long, and the eastern portion is about 25 km long
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: Apple Valley, Lucerne Valley
MOST RECENT SURFACE RUPTURE: Holocene, mainly; some Late Quaternary and Quaternary
SLIP RATE: 1.0 mm/yr on the western segment; 0.5 mm/yr on the eastern segment
INTERVAL BETWEEN MAJOR RUPTURES: uncertain
PROBABLE MAGNITUDES: MW6.0 - 7.1 (?)
OTHER NOTES: This fault zone dips to the south.

The North Frontal fault zone of the San Bernardino Mountains is a zone consisting of numerous fault segments. The primary sense of slip is south-dipping thrust. This zone interacts with several other faults in a variety of intersections. It seems to be offset (right-laterally) by the Helendale fault, and forms a complex junction with the Old Woman Springs fault

Because this zone is somewhat fragmented, many of the individual fault segments have their own, commonly-used names. Among these are the Ord Mountains faultOcotillo Ridge foldSky Hi Ranch fault, and the Black Hawk Spring fault.

References

This fault is featured on the following maps:
Mojave Fault Map
Southern Fault Map