ABSTRACT
California's vulnerability to earthquake hazards is high because of a combination of a higher recurrence rate for earthquakes and the high population densities in areas likely to experience earthquakes. To identify the areas where future earthquakes are likely to take place, it is necessary to identify the plate boundaries or fault zones and the historic record of earthquakes. The variability of the earthquake risk by site has been dramatically illustrated by the landslides in the 1971 San Fernando earthquake and the liquefaction in the Marina district of San Francisco during both the 1906 San Francisco earthquake and the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. Earthquake insurance is not part of the customary fire and extended coverage policy included in the homeowner's insurance package generally required by mortgage lenders. Earthquake insurance is one of several possible measures that individuals and households can adopt to mitigate some of the financial losses associated with earthquakes.
