Which California fault produced the 1872 Owens Valley earthquake, one of the largest in state history?

The 1872 Owens Valley earthquake was produced by the Owens Valley fault system in eastern California. It is also associated with the Lone Pine Fault, a named strand of that broader fault zone.

The earthquake struck near Lone Pine on March 26, 1872, along the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada. Modern estimates generally place its magnitude around 7.4–7.9, making it one of the largest historical earthquakes in California. The rupture caused both vertical movement and right-lateral displacement, leaving dramatic fault scarps across Owens Valley.

Lone Pine suffered especially severe destruction: most of its buildings were damaged or destroyed, and 27 people were killed. Shaking was felt across much of California and Nevada. In Yosemite Valley, rockfalls awakened naturalist John Muir, who reportedly rushed outside to investigate the fresh debris.

The main naming confusion comes from the earthquake's alternative name, the Lone Pine earthquake. Some technical accounts emphasize the Lone Pine Fault, while broader references call the responsible structure the Owens Valley Fault or Owens Valley fault zone. The stored answer is the accepted broader name.