The Wilshire fault is a potentially seismogenic, blind thrust fault in
ferred to underlie and cause the Wilshire arch, a Quaternary fold in t
he Hollywood area, just west of downtown Los Angeles, California. Two
inverse models, based on the Wilshire arch, allow us to estimate the l
ocation and slip rate of the Wilshire fault, which may be illuminated
by a zone of microearthquakes. A fault-bend fold model indicates a rev
erse-slip rate of 1.5-1.9 mm/yr, whereas a three-dimensional elastic-d
islocation model indicates a right-reverse slip rate of 2.6-3.2 mm/yr.
The Wilshire fault is a previously unrecognized seismic hazard direct
ly beneath Hollywood and Beverly Hills, distinct from the faults under
the nearby Santa Monica Mountains.