TYPE OF FAULTING: primarily thrust
LENGTH: 65 km from end to end, but cut by the Helendale fault; the western portion is some 35 km long, and the eastern portion is about 25 km long
NEARBY COMMUNITIES: Apple Valley, Lucerne Valley
MOST RECENT SURFACE RUPTURE: Holocene, mainly; some Late Quaternary and Quaternary
SLIP RATE: 1.0 mm/yr on the western segment;
0.5 mm/yr on the eastern segment
INTERVAL BETWEEN MAJOR RUPTURES: uncertain
PROBABLE MAGNITUDES: MW6.0 - 7.1 (?)
OTHER NOTES: This fault zone dips to the south.
The North Frontal fault zone of the San Bernardino Mountains is a zone consisting of numerous fault segments. The primary sense of slip is south-dipping thrust. This zone interacts with several other faults in a variety of intersections. It seems to be offset (right-laterally) by the Helendale fault, and forms a complex junction with the Old Woman Springs fault.
Because this zone is somewhat fragmented, many of the individual fault segments have their own, commonly-used names. Among these are the Ord Mountains fault, Ocotillo Ridge fold, Sky Hi Ranch fault, and the Black Hawk Spring fault.
REFERENCES
This fault is featured on the following maps:
MOJAVE FAULT MAP
SOUTHERN FAULT MAP