SCIENCE

Active earthquake faults around the Phoenix area under study

It’s been a decade since Valley residents felt a major shake, but that’s not even where the state’s most active fault is

An Arizona Geological Survey research team on April 2 cut a trench nine feet deep and 230 feet long in a remote area of Phoenix north of Paradise Valley to analyze and map soil samples on a geologically active fault near Carefree.

(Photo courtesy of Jeri Young Ben-Horin, Arizona Geological Survey)

Dr. Jeri Young Ben-Horin, a research scientist with the Arizona Geological Survey, who specializes in the areas of seismicity and quaternary mapping, shows their current dig on a geologically active fault near Carefree.

(Photo courtesy of Jeri Young Ben-Horin, Arizona Geological Survey)

This long earthquake fault in Yavapai County, indicated in yellow on the Arizona Geological Survey map, is considered the “highest priority fault” to be studied. “A lot of quakes occur up there,” says Dr. Jeri Young Ben-Horin with the Arizona Geological Survey.

This fault in a remote area of Phoenix north of Paradise Valley exposed where white coloration changes. The fault near Carefree is considered an infrequently active fault capable of a magnitude 6.5 or slightly greater quake.

(Image from Arizona Geological Survey map)

Southern California was rocked by a significant earthquake this past Friday, and the state continues to rumble.

Registering a magnitude of 5.2, the Friday event was one of the biggest seismic events to hit San Diego County in recent memory. Data from CalTech show there have been 79 (and counting) earthquakes in California just so far on Tuesday.

Arizona has been quiet, though that can be deceiving.

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