Low Altitude Aerial Color Digital Photographic Survey of the San Andreas Fault in the Carrizo Plain

David K. Lynch (USGS),   Kenneth W. Hudnut (USGS),  David S.P. Dearborn (LLNL)



SRL paper    Flight Path (.kml)    Flight Path (.jpg)    Navigator/Descriptions    JPG Photographs

On September 24, 2009 we did an oblique helicopter survey of the SAF from the southern end of the Carrizo Plain to Choice Valley and back at an altitude of 500 ft AGL nominal. On the northbound leg we shot SW and on the southbound leg we shot NE. Simultaneous video of the SAF was also obtained. In all 1454 color digital pictures were taken, each containing GPS information in the EXIF. Aircraft rental cost $2146. Long axis of the images was along track, i.e., parallel with the SAF.

Clickable sample picture above: DSC_0358. Fault section length ~150 m.


Easily-browsed but slightly lower resolution pictures and Google Earth maps can be found at:

Images 0005 - 0496    (Part 1)

Images 0497 - 0993    (Part 2)

Images 0994 - 1458    (Part 3)

All 1454 JPG Photographs in this survey are public domain and carry no copyright. Photographs may be freely downloaded by anyone and used for any purpose. We ask that people using the data include the acknowledgment "USGS photograph by David K. Lynch, Kenneth W. Hudnut and David S. P. Dearborn (2009)" and cite the SRL paper (above).

This work sponsored in part by the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC) under Research Award 09084.