Images

Scientists from USGS & CGS and Navy escort, and a UCLA engineer from the GEER team, inspect ~12 +/- 3 foot high fault scarp with from 3 to 5 feet of right-lateral motion near the expected maximum slip locality along the primary tectonic rupture associated with the M 7.1 event.

Railroad tracks offset right-laterally by about 3 feet; southeast of Hwy. 178.

USGS scientists and partners review objectives and group assignments  at fault scarp site. The team will deploy seismic instruments to better observe aftershock activity from close in, and to document surface faulting.

USGS Seismologists Alan Yong and Elizabeth Cohcran conduct field work near the main rupture between Trona and Ridgecrest California.

Highway 178 SW of Trona. Taken earlier in the morning July 6, 2019 after the M7.1 earthquake which struck eastern California, southwest of Searles Valley, near Ridgecrest, CA.

Fault scarp close to the epicenter. In this location the fault has a main strand where much of the slip occurred, as well as distributed fractures.

Team discussion among CGS and USGS earthquake scientists at the location of the primary surface fault rupture where is has disrupted and offset an access road at the NAWS China Lake. The fault runs NW to SE across the road, which runs from west to east. The east side of the road is uplifted relative to the west side.

Right-lateral slip across fractures on a hillside, with shattered ground along the surface fault rupture near Ridgecrest, CA.

CGS and USGS geologists and geophysicists with National Guard and Navy personnel plan next phase of helicopter-supported field investigations on Sat., July 6, 2019 at China Lake NAWS.

USGS scientist pointing to the fault scarp that shows the fault moved horizontally, as well as laterally.

Measurement of fault offset being done by USGS scientist Ken Hudnut, using the offset of a painted road stripe. This measurement was conducted following the Magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck Searles Valley on July 4, 2019.

Measuring a fault offset on California State Route 178. This measurement was conducted following the Magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck Searles Valley on July 4, 2019.

Janis Hernandez (California Geological Survey) measures 18 centimeters of offset across one strand of the fault rupture zone. This measurement was conducted following the Magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck Searles Valley on July 4, 2019.

Measurement of fault offset being done by USGS scientist Ken Hudnut, using the offset of a painted road stripe on California State Route 178. This measurement was conducted following the Magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck Searles Valley on July 4, 2019.

A fault offset on California State Route 178 with a pen for scale. This measurement was conducted following the Magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck Searles Valley on July 4, 2019.

California State Route 178, showing cracks due to fault offsets following the Magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck Searles Valley on July 4, 2019.

On July 4, 2019, a Magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Searles Valley, CA. This photo provides likely evidence that the fault that hosted the earthquake ruptured to the ground surface.

A fault offset on California State Route 178 following the Magnitude 6.4 earthquake that struck Searles Valley on July 4, 2019.

On July 4, 2019, a Magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck Searles Valley, CA. This photo provides likely evidence that the fault that hosted the earthquake ruptured to the ground surface.

These four images show the change in the area and level of water at the bottom of Halema‘uma‘u spanning August 9 to 13. Rocks in the center of the pond and near the shoreline help show the change in the waterline.

Moletrack crossing China Lake dry lake bed after Ridgecrest earthquake in July of 2019.