Final answer:
Seismic energy is transmitted more efficiently in the eastern U.S. compared to California. Los Angeles will take approximately 9,833,333 years to reach the same latitude as San Francisco at a constant motion of 6 cm per year.
Step-by-step explanation:
When comparing seismic energy transmission between the eastern U.S. and California, it is observed that seismic energy is transmitted more efficiently in the eastern U.S. due to the geological properties of the crust in that region.
To calculate when Los Angeles will be at the same latitude as San Francisco, given that land west of the San Andreas fault is moving 6 cm per year northwest relative to land east of the fault, we first convert the displacement from kilometers to centimeters. Therefore, 590 km is equivalent to 59,000,000 cm.
The time required can be found by dividing the total displacement by the yearly velocity:
Time = Total Displacement / Yearly Velocity = 59,000,000 cm / 6 cm/year = 9,833,333.33 years
Therefore, it will take approximately 9,833,333 years for Los Angeles to be at the same latitude as San Francisco if the motion remains constant at 6 cm/year.