Wasatch Fault

<p>The Wasatch Fault is an <a href="/facts/Active_fault/h7QWBhdH">active fault</a> located primarily on the western edge of the <a href="/facts/Wasatch_Mountains/IhVBlrFg">Wasatch Mountains</a> in the U.S. states of <a href="/facts/Utah/te7zUyBX">Utah</a> and <a href="/facts/Idaho/68ELs9Um">Idaho</a>. The fault is about 240 miles (390 kilometres) long, stretching from southern Idaho, through northern Utah, before terminating in central Utah near the town of <a href="/facts/Fayette%2c_Utah/Jy04gbyY">Fayette</a>. The fault is made up of ten segments, five of which are considered active. On average the segments are approximately 25 miles (40 kilometres) long, each of which can independently produce earthquakes as powerful as local magnitude 7.5. The five active segments from north to south are called the <a href="/facts/Brigham_City%2c_Utah/zh9hAlwy">Brigham City</a> Fault Segment, the <a href="/facts/Weber_County%2c_Utah/KvPhCTDl">Weber</a> Fault Segment, the <a href="/facts/Salt_Lake_City/vDHXskTN">Salt Lake City</a> Fault Segment, the <a href="/facts/Provo%2c_Utah/nddVtWaq">Provo</a> Fault Segment and the <a href="/facts/Nephi%2c_Utah/X6a7d51c">Nephi</a> Fault Segment.
</p><p>The Wasatch Fault is a <a href="/facts/Normal_fault/0Fw2ladx">normal</a> (vertical motion) fault which forms the eastern boundary of the <a href="/facts/Basin_and_Range_Province/r8d1aXV4">Basin and Range</a> geologic province which comprises the geographic <a href="/facts/Great_Basin/w135lKBN">Great Basin</a>. The Wasatch Mountains have been uplifted and tilted to the east by movement of the fault. The average vertical displacement rate of the fault over its history is approximately 0.8–1.2 mm/yr.
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Wasatch Fault open-in-new

Wasatch Fault