We here at Weinstein Construction Corporation want to give our readers a brief rundown of what’s going on in the world of earthquakes. Just in case you may have missed them, the New Yorker’s most recent article, ‘The Really Big One’, and Tuesday’s reddit AMA (“ask me anything”) session with a variety of earthquake experts from the Pacific Northwest, have been the talk of the town. For those of you living in earthquake country (that is, Southern California), read on to get the entire seismological scoop!
Here are some fast facts gathered from the New Yorker and reddit’s AMA:
- The San Andreas Fault is probably the most well known in the entire United States – especially thanks to The Rock’s latest smash at the box office.
- This fault has a limit of about an 8.2 magnitude in terms of how big of an earthquake it could release, which is only 6% as strong as than the 9.0 that rocked Japan in 2011.
- Although this fault is the best known, there is another, more powerful fault line that intersects with it.
- This fault is called the Cascadia Subduction Zone (“CSZ”).
- The CSZ runs for nearly 700 miles, stretching from Northern Vancouver Island to Northern California.
- If only part of the CSZ were to give way, it would cause an earthquake of around an 8.0-8.6 magnitude; if the entirety of the CSZ were to give way, it could cause a quake in the range of 8.7-9.2 magnitudes.
- The Pacific Northwest rests inside of what is known as the Ring of Fire, which is an area in the Pacific Ocean where many earthquake and volcanic eruptions take place.
- In January of 1700, the Pacific Northwest was hit by a 9.0 magnitude quake.
- Years later, researchers were able to conclude that this earthquake originated from the CSZ.
- A similarly strong earthquake generated by the CSZ would bring about great destruction in terms of building collapse, landslides, tsunamis, and fires, among other hazards.
- While no one can accurately predict, the “big one” there are a variety of
ways to prepare for the inevitable:
- Earthquake early warning systems are currently being tested In the Pacific Northwest.
- Preparing and maintaining an emergency kit for yourself and your family is a great way to prepare on an individual scale.
- Retrofitting and upgrading older buildings will help to maintain their structural integrity in the event of a large-scale earthquake.
The bottom line to all of this information is that preparedness is key, especially when you live in an area prone to earthquake activity. Preparing today will mean a safer future for you and your home tomorrow.
Sources:
http://www.newyorker.com/magazine/2015/07/20/the-really-big-one
https://www.reddit.com/r/IAmA/comments/3da1mh/we_are_earthquake_experts_ask_us_anything_about/