Question

Which of the following is NOT true about some segments of the San Andreas fault?

A. Much of the northern San Andreas fault moved during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake.
B. Some segments of the fault creep slowly rather than storing up large amounts of energy.
C. Some segments of the fault produce moderate-sized earthquakes every couple of decades.
D. The fault has strike-slip motion, so the area west of the fault could fall into the sea.
E. One part of the fault has not moved for more than 100 years.

Answer 1

The incorrect statement regarding the San Andreas fault is that the area west of the fault could fall into the sea due to its strike-slip motion. Instead, this motion results in horizontal movement of the land.

Step-by-step explanation:

The statement that is NOT true about some segments of the San Andreas fault is D. The fault has strike-slip motion, so the area west of the fault could fall into the sea. The San Andreas Fault is a transform boundary between the Pacific and North American plates, where land on both sides of the fault moves horizontally. This sideways motion does not mean that land will fall into the sea.

To clarify further, the land west of the San Andreas Fault in southern California is moving northwest relative to land east of the fault. Cities like Los Angeles are moving but will not fall into the ocean; rather, over millions of years, they could end up off the coast of San Francisco due to the constant motion.

On the other hand, it is true that much of the northern San Andreas Fault moved during the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, some segments of the fault creep slowly, and other parts of the fault have not moved for over a century and are due for major earthquakes.