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Go for a walk on the San Andreas Fault.
California is famous for its earthquakes, and chances are good a student
will experience a tiny (or not-so-tiny) temblor at least once during
four years on campus. But why stop there? Go see the granddaddy of
earthquake fault lines—the world-famous San Andreas Fault.
 This 800-mile-long break in the Earth’s crust is responsible for the
state’s most devastating earthquakes, including the 1906 San Francisco
quake that killed about 3,000 people and, with the subsequent fire,
nearly leveled the city. The San Andreas Fault is formed by the
intersection of two crustal plates—the Pacific Plate and the North
American Plate. The Pacific Plate has been moving northwest in relation
to the North American Plate for more than 30 million years. Movement
along the fault causes several thousand earthquakes each year, although
most are too small to be noticed, and has created some striking
geological formations.
Would-be fault-finders can sign on for a tour of the fault by automobile
or aircraft in Palm Springs, about 80 miles from Claremont. The fault
can be subtle, and most first-time visitors would benefit from a guide,
but those who prefer to strike out on their own might want to hike into
the Mecca Hills in the eastern Coachella Valley near Indio. There,
movement along the fault has created numerous multihued cliffs, colorful
rock surfaces and vivid patterns in hues of rose, pink, red, purple and
green, making it one of the most unusual geological sites of its kind in
the world.
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