Crack left by Southern California earthquakes becomes local attraction

Ridgecrest residents take photos at a recent fault rupture following two large earthquakes in the area on July 7, 2019 near Ridgecrest, California. A 6.4 magnitude 'foreshock' on July 4 was followed by a 7.1 magnitude earthquake the next day. The 7.1 magnitude temblor was the largest in Southern California in twenty years. less Ridgecrest residents take photos at a recent fault rupture following two large earthquakes in the area on July 7, 2019 near Ridgecrest, California. A 6.4 magnitude 'foreshock' on July 4 was followed by a 7.1 ... more Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images Photo: Mario Tama/Getty Images Image 1 of / 45 Caption Close Crack left by Southern California earthquakes becomes local attraction 1 / 45 Back to Gallery

The holiday weekend proved itself to be a destructive one after magnitude 7.1 and 6.4 earthquakes rocked Southern California. One was the largest to hit the area in 20 years.

The massive quakes were followed by dozens of smaller tremors; in all 28 quakes of at least 4.5 magnitude were recorded over the span of five days.

The tremors even caused a sizable crack in the earth's surface that stretched through the Mojave Desert and across a highway, initially measuring about two inches wide and becoming deeper and more visible as it branched out.

It was even visible by satellite images which revealed a lacerated topography near the epicenter.

On Friday, bewildered Ridgecrest residents and curious out-of-towners traveled nearly nine miles to see it for themselves. Some even took selfies next to the fault rupture and stepped inside to see how deep it was.

"Ridgecrest has its faults," read the shirt of local resident Steve Ault as he posed for a photo seated atop the surface rupture.

"Most of it's already been patched but not this part," KPCC environment reporter Emily Guerin wrote on Twitter, referring to several other cracks along Highway 178 that had already been repaired by Caltrans.

Guerin herself reached into the unknown expanse of the crack, which could fit her entire arm.

I (of course) stuck my arm in it and it reached all the way up to my shoulder. pic.twitter.com/Yxs4sZHZJx — Emily Guerin (@guerinemily) July 5, 2019

Following the quake, Ridgecrest resident Paul Mayberry said he and his wife wandered along the street, talking to their neighbors. They reported they could still feel a strange sensation coming from the earth beneath them.

"It's not just a little rattle," Mayberry described to LAist. "The earth is living underneath you. It's moving. You can feel it right through your shoes and you can hear it. It's a deep deep rumble and it keeps coming at you like a freight train from a distance away."

Caltech seismologist Egill Hauksson speculates the aftershocks could last for months, if not years. USGS and California Geological Survey scientists are currently conducting field work and mapping impacted areas to determine their causes. Their findings will be made available to the public in the coming weeks.

Amanda Bartlett is an SFGate editorial assistant. Email: amanda.bartlett@sfchronicle.com