earthquake

EARTH Magazine: The Bay Area's Next ''Big One'' Could Strike as a Series of Quakes

Most people are familiar with the Great 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and are aware of the earthquake risk posed to the Bay Area — and much of California — by the San Andreas Fault. Most people are not aware, however, that a cluster of large earthquakes struck the San Andreas and quite a few nearby faults in the 17th and 18th centuries. That cluster, according to new research, released about the same amount of energy throughout the Bay Area as the 1906 quake. Thus, it appears that the accumulated stress on the region’s faults could be released in a series of moderate to large quakes on satellite faults, rather than a single great event on the San Andreas. But how this information might change the hazard forecast for the Bay Area is uncertain, scientists say.

Map of earthquake probabilities across the United States

Ground shaking is the most powerful predictor of damage from an earthquake. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) National Seismic Hazard Map shows the strength of ground shaking that has a 1 in 50 chance of being exceeded in a particular place in the lower 48 states over a period of 50 years. These maps are used in determining building seismic codes, insurance rates, and other public decisions.

Dark Horse Comics does Geoscience! - HECK YES!

WITHOUT WARNING! (EARTHQUAKE SAFETY AND INFORMATION)
I was scrolling through twitter today when I saw that Dark Horse Comics (they're kind of a big deal) had teamed up with the Oregon Office of Emergency Managment (they're also big deal) to release the free comic book "Without Warning!" a comic book aimed at teaching earthquake preparedness. It's not every day that the geosciences get a comic book from such an esteemed publisher! The book follows the story Angie, a teen in coastal Oregon, who experiences a large magnitude earthquake and tsunami. She navigates through a day in a disaster zone, and takes some of the information she's absorbed over the years, as well as an emergency preparedness kit (initially intended for use in a zombie apocalypse).

EARTH Magazine: Are slow-slip earthquakes under Tokyo stressing faults?

New research examining plate movements under Tokyo has found that since the massive magnitude-9 Tohoku earthquake and tsunami in March 2011, recurrence intervals for nondamaging slow-slip quakes beneath Japan’s capital have shortened. That has left seismologists wondering if this aseismic creep could be signaling a countdown to Tokyo’s next “big one.” Read more about scientists’ estimations of Tokyo’s seismic risk in the August issue of EARTH Magazine.

Earth's Dynamic Geosphere: Earthquakes Activity 6 - Designing "Earthquake-Proof" Structures

Here you will find resources to help educators and their students to assign earthquake intensity based on observed effects; describe the effects of passing earthquake waves; recognize the secondary effects of earthquakes; relate variations in intensity to the nature of the underlying geologic material; identify places in your community with high and low risk from earthquakes; outline steps to increase personal safety during an earthquake.

Earth's Dynamic Geosphere: Earthquakes Activity 5 - Lessening Earthquake Damage

Here you will find resources to help educators and their students assign earthquake intensity based on observed effects; describe the effects of passing earthquake waves; recognize the secondary effects of earthquakes; relate variations in intensity to the nature of the underlying geologic material; identify places in your community with high and low risk from earthquakes; outline steps to increase personal safety during an earthquake.

Earth's Dynamic Geosphere: Earthquakes Activity 4 - Earthquake History of Your Community

Here you will find resources to help educators and their students recognize patterns in the global distribution of earthquakes; interpret maps and research written information to determine the earthquake history of the community and region; examine correlations between faults and earthquakes on a regional and community scale; assess the likelihood of future earthquakes in the community; interpret graphical data to examine long-term trends in the number of earthquakes in the U.S.

Earth's Dynamic Geosphere: Earthquakes Activity 3 - How Big Was It?

Here you will find resources to help educators and their students rank the effects of earthquakes; map the intensity of earthquakes; interpret a map of earthquake intensity to infer the general location of the epicenter; identify geologic materials that pose special problems during earthquakes; explain how the magnitude of an earthquake is determined.

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