Habitat information in the region on the underwater San Andreas Fault - Topic: Exploring the Undersea San Andreas Fault: Revealing the Past, Present, and Future at the Centennial of the Great 1906 Earthquake

During this exploration, the first comprehensive high-resolution multi-beam sonar and seismic reflection survey of the Northern San Andreas Fault (NSAF) was completed. When combined, data from these two complementary geophysical surveys will provide an unprecedented high-resolution 3D visualization of the fault system. In addition, digital photographs and photomosaics obtained with a hovering autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) will provide the collaborative team of geologists and biologists with direct observation of the seafloor and associated biological communities at selected sites. Mapping and imaging the NSAF at geo-referenced spatial scales from kilometers to meters will support ongoing studies and discoveries on the nature of the NSAF and contribute to the assessment of marine habitats in the California Current Ecosystem. Finally, the exploration provides a case study and outreach opportunity for conducting a green oceanographic research project.The AUV imagery data from this project is archived with the AUV group at the NWFSC. The seafloor mapping data from this project is archived at Oregon State University in the Active Tectonics and Seafloor Mapping Lab, http://activetectonics.coas.oregonstate.edu/.
Multiibeam information of bottom. Optical Information collected by the SeaBED Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV).