San Andreas Fault, Part 7: Desert Hot Springs & Coachella Valley

By DAN ROBINSON

Editor/Photographer

GALLERY: All San Andreas Fault photos in gallery format

After arriving in San Gorgonio Pass, we've made it to the last segment of our San Andreas Fault tour. In this area, the San Andreas branches from east to west into a complex network of multiple faults (or strands), all of which accommodate the plate movement to varying degrees (1). On this tour, we will be following the conventionally-mapped main strand (sometimes referred to as the Mission Creek fault) through Desert Hot Springs. The other recognized major strand of the San Andreas, known as the Banning fault, runs several miles to the south closer to I-10.

Map of Desert Hot Springs and Indio, California

Map of this segment of the tour

Desert Hot Springs, California

Our next stop is along Twentynine Palms Highway where the San Andreas crosses near the intersection with North Indian Canyon Road. This view looks west:

San Andreas Fault zone at Twentynine Palms Highway, CA

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After crossing US Highway 62, the San Andreas takes a sharp turn southeast toward downtown Desert Hot Springs. Like the trace through San Bernardino, there are countless streets and residential properties overlying the fault in this city:

San Andreas Fault zone in Desert Hot Springs, CA

The fault zone cuts right through downtown Desert Hot Springs:

San Andreas Fault zone in Desert Hot Springs, CA

Then crosses Dillon Road on the southeast side of town:

San Andreas Fault zone in Desert Hot Springs, CA

Southeast of Desert Hot Springs, the San Andreas begins to make itself known visually again in the form of linear hills, scarps and contrasting soils:

San Andreas Fault zone near Sky Valley, CA

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The fault makes another gradual turn toward the southeast before approaching Thousand Palms Canyon:

San Andreas Fault zone near Thousand Palms Canyon, CA

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The fault zone crosses Thousand Palms Canyon Road in the Coachella Valley Preserve. This view looks west at the road cut through the fault zone:

San Andreas Fault zone at Thousand Palms Canyon, CA

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And looking east:

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Indio, California

At Indio, the fault zone crosses Dillon Road once more:

San Andreas Fault zone in Indio, CA

The San Andreas then makes its final interstate highway crossing at I-10 along the Coachella Canal:

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We'll continue down past the town of Mecca to our final stop along the fault.

Mecca, California

Here at the fault's crossing of Box Canyon Road, we are only a few more miles from the northern shores of the Salton Sea and the southern terminus of the San Andreas. The eroded cliffs of "fault gouge" are the prominent feature at this location.

San Andreas Fault zone at Box Canyon, CA

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We've made it to the end of our tour! If you'd like to learn more about the San Andreas Fault, earthquakes and seismology, visit the resources page.

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Storm chaser and photographer Dan Robinson

About the Author: Dan Robinson has been a storm chaser, photographer and cameraman for 30 years. His career has involved traveling around the country covering the most extreme weather on the planet including tornadoes, hurricanes, lightning, floods and winter storms. Dan has been extensively published in newspapers, magazines, web articles and more, and has both supplied footage for and appeared in numerous television productions and newscasts. He has also been involved in the research community, providing material for published scientific journal papers on tornadoes and lightning. Dan also holds an active Remote Pilot Certificate from the FAA (Part 107) for commercial drone operation.