Oaklander Andrew Alden, who oversees About.com’s geology guide, recently blogged about the Hayward Fault in Montclair. Apparently, we live near a wide zone rather than a nice, neat fault line.

Let’s first take a look at the Hayward Fault map through the Village:

In particular, Montclair Park is one place where the fault widens. Alden explains that “where two strands overlap, a block of ground between them may slump in tension or rise in compression.” This slump is quite familiar to all, as the pond!

Another tidbit to share: the Hayward Fault has not ruptured here yet. When the big Hayward earthquake took place 150 years ago, it traveled south from San Leandro to Fremont. This doesn’t translate to more risk when the next one hits, right…right?