Exposing the Wasatch Fault – A Source of Large Earthquakes along the Wasatch Front

Video highlighting a recent trench investigation of the Wasatch fault

The Wasatch fault is Utah’s longest and most active fault, extending along the Wasatch Front from southern Idaho to central Utah. Although no large earthquakes have ruptured the fault historically, abundant geologic evidence indicates that the fault is capable of generating earthquakes as large as magnitude 6.5–7.5.

This video takes you along the trace of the Wasatch fault, showing its proximity to cities and towns in the Wasatch Front region, and also highlighting the history of past large earthquakes on the central, most active segments of the fault. The video also includes footage from a recent trench investigation at the North Creek site on the Nephi segment of the fault, and describes how geologists interpret evidence of large, prehistoric earthquakes.