The Hayward Fault— Is it due for a repeat of the powerful 1868 earthquake?

Thomas M. Brocher; Jack Boatwright; James J. Lienkaemper; Carol S. Prentice; David P. Schwartz; Howard Bundock

doi:10.3133/fs20083019

Home/Archive/USGS

USGS · fs20083019

The Hayward Fault— Is it due for a repeat of the powerful 1868 earthquake?

Thomas M. Brocher·Jack Boatwright·James J. Lienkaemper·Carol S. Prentice·David P. Schwartz·Howard Bundock

View original source ↗Read source document ↗Export metadata ↓

Abstract

On October 21, 1868, a magnitude 6.8 earthquake struck the San Francisco Bay region. Although the region was then sparsely populated, this quake on the Hayward Fault was one of the most destructive in California's history. Recent studies show that such powerful Hayward Fault quakes have repeatedly jolted the region in the past. U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) scientists describe this fault as a tectonic time bomb, due anytime for another magnitude 6.8 to 7.0 earthquake. Because such a quake could cause hundreds of deaths, leave thousands homeless, and devastate the region's economy, the USGS and other organizations are working together with new urgency to help prepare Bay Area communities for this certain future quake.

Explore related subjects

Fact Sheet Report

Source-reported bounding extent: 37.5° to 38° latitude; -122.4333° to -121.9167° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeX RIS

Thomas M. Brocher, Jack Boatwright, James J. Lienkaemper, Carol S. Prentice, David P. Schwartz, Howard Bundock. 2008. The Hayward Fault— Is it due for a repeat of the powerful 1868 earthquake?. https://doi.org/10.3133/fs20083019

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

USGS2026

U.S. Geological Survey science supports a thriving Chesapeake Bay watershed economy

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) science supports the Chesapeake Bay watershed economy by linking natural resources to key economic sectors. The roles of USGS monitoring, data, and analysis inform land-use and resource-management decisions for Department of Interior leadership and other stakeholders.

Chesapeake Bay watershed↗

USGS2026

Assessment of undiscovered conventional oil and gas resources in the Niger Delta Province of Nigeria and Cameroon, 2026

Using a geology-based assessment methodology, the U.S. Geological Survey estimated undiscovered, technically recoverable mean conventional resources of 11.4 billion barrels of oil and 88.2 trillion cubic feet of gas in the Niger Delta Province of Nigeria and Cameroon.

Niger Delta Province↗

USGS2026

Divisions of geologic time—Major chronostratigraphic and geochronologic units

Introduction The reports and maps of our Nation’s geological surveys inform and benefit the public, private industry, government officials, and scientists. The use of clear and consistent nomenclature and classifications can improve communication of data and interpretations. Since 1899, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geologic Names Committee (GNC) has been responsible for defining standards that promote uniform geologic nomenclature and classifications among geoscientists. The GNC periodically publishes a geologic time scale, the “Divisions of Geologic Time,” that serves as the national standard for USGS publications (for example, refer to Orndorff and others, 2023). Authors may use other published geologic time scales, such as those of the Geological Society of America (GSA) or the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), provided that they are clearly specified and referenced. Access to the USGS, GSA, and ICS geologic time scales is also available from the U.S. Geologic Names Lexicon (Geolex) website https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Geolex/stratres/timescales. The geologic time scale serves a dual purpose by enabling authors to distinguish earth material units by position (chronostratigraphic) and time (geochronologic), as outlined in order of decreasing rank.

Fact Sheet↗