<P> The northern segment of the fault runs from Hollister, through the Santa Cruz Mountains, epicenter of the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, then up the San Francisco Peninsula, where it was first identified by Professor Lawson in 1895, then offshore at Daly City near Mussel Rock . This is the approximate location of the epicenter of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake . The fault returns onshore at Bolinas Lagoon just north of Stinson Beach in Marin County . It returns underwater through the linear trough of Tomales Bay which separates the Point Reyes Peninsula from the mainland, runs just east of the Bodega Heads through Bodega Bay and back underwater, returning onshore at Fort Ross . (In this region around the San Francisco Bay Area several significant "sister faults" run more - or-less parallel, and each of these can create significantly destructive earthquakes .) From Fort Ross, the northern segment continues overland, forming in part a linear valley through which the Gualala River flows . It goes back offshore at Point Arena . After that, it runs underwater along the coast until it nears Cape Mendocino, where it begins to bend to the west, terminating at the Mendocino Triple Junction . </P> <P> The central segment of the San Andreas Fault runs in a northwestern direction from Parkfield to Hollister . While the southern section of the fault and the parts through Parkfield experience earthquakes, the rest of the central section of the fault exhibits a phenomenon called aseismic creep, where the fault slips continuously without causing earthquakes . </P> <P> The southern segment (also known as the Mojave segment) begins near Bombay Beach, California . Box Canyon, near the Salton Sea, contains upturned strata associated with that section of the fault . The fault then runs along the southern base of the San Bernardino Mountains, crosses through the Cajon Pass and continues northwest along the northern base of the San Gabriel Mountains . These mountains are a result of movement along the San Andreas Fault and are commonly called the Transverse Range . In Palmdale, a portion of the fault is easily examined at a roadcut for the Antelope Valley Freeway . The fault continues northwest alongside the Elizabeth Lake Road to the town of Elizabeth Lake . As it passes the towns of Gorman, Tejon Pass and Frazier Park, the fault begins to bend northward, forming the "Big Bend". This restraining bend is thought to be where the fault locks up in Southern California, with an earthquake - recurrence interval of roughly 140--160 years . Northwest of Frazier Park, the fault runs through the Carrizo Plain, a long, treeless plain where much of the fault is plainly visible . The Elkhorn Scarp defines the fault trace along much of its length within the plain . </P> <P> The southern segment, which stretches from Parkfield in Monterey County all the way to the Salton Sea, is capable of an 8.1 - magnitude earthquake . At its closest, this fault passes about 35 miles (56 km) to the northeast of Los Angeles . Such a large earthquake on this southern segment would kill thousands of people in Los Angeles, San Bernardino, Riverside, and surrounding areas, and cause hundreds of billions of dollars in damage . </P>

What is the recurrence interval of major earthquakes along the san andreas fault