O
WICHITA STATE'S LIFELONG
LEARNING PROGRAM.
I'M HEATHER MERCHANT.
AND THIS IS THE GEOLOGY OF
NATURAL DISASTERS.
BUT BEFORE WE GET STARTED TODAY,
I'VE BEEN ASKED TO TAKE CARE OF
A FEW HOUSEKEEPING ITEMS.
ABOUT HALFWAY THROUGH, WE'RE
GOING TO TAKE A BATHROOM BREAK,
SO THAT WILL BE ABOUT 10 MINUTES
LONG.
AND IF YOU GO OUT THESE DOORS
HERE, THE LADY'S ROOM IS TO THE
RIGHT AND THE MEN'S ROOM IS TO
THE LEFT.
SO THEY'RE VERY CLOSE.
IF YOU'RE IN THE ONLINE CLASS
AND YOU'D LIKE TO SUBMIT A
QUESTION, PLEASE DO SO BY
E-MAIL, AND THEY'LL BE PRINTED
AND GIVEN TO ME AND I CAN ANSWER
YOUR QUESTIONS.
AND ALTHOUGH IT'S WONDERFUL TO
BE AROUND PEOPLE AGAIN AND BE
HERE IN PERSON, WE NEED TO
REMEMBER THAT WICHITA STATE
UNIVERSITY HAS A POLICY FOR FACE
COVERINGS.
ALL STUDENTS, FACULTY, STAFF,
AND VISITORS MUST WEAR FACE
COVERINGS OVER THEIR MOUTHS AND
NOSES WHILE ON ALL WICHITA STATE
UNIVERSITY CAMPUSES, IN ALL
HALLWAYS, PUBLIC SPACES,
CLASSROOMS, AND OTHER COMMON
AREAS OF CAMPUS BUILDINGS.
SO JUST REMEMBER TO KEEP YOUR
MASKS ON AND WE'RE ALL GOOD.
OKAY.
SO WE'RE ALL ALREADY IN WEEK 2.
AND WE'RE GOING TO COVER
EARTHQUAKES AND TSUNAMIS.
AND ONE OF THE STUDENTS ALREADY
LET ME KNOW THAT -- WELL, WE
COVERED VOLCANOS LAST WEEK.
AND ONE OF THE STUDENTS LET ME
KNOW THAT THERE WAS A VOLCANIC
ERUPTION IN INDONESIA THAT WAS
PRETTY SIGNIFICANT THIS MORNING.
SO IF ANY OF YOU WANT TO READ
ABOUT THAT LATER, IT -- IT'S
GREAT TIMING.
AND YESTERDAY MORNING THERE WAS
AN EARTHQUAKE IN NORTH CAROLINA.
SO WE'LL TALK ABOUT THAT A
LITTLE BIT LATER AS WELL.
BUT MOTHER NATURE SEEMS TO BE IN
TUNE WITH THIS CLASS A LITTLE
BIT, SO MAYBE NEXT WEEK WE'LL
HAVE A LANDSLIDE SOMEWHERE.
NOT THAT THAT'S A GOOD THING.
BUT, YOU KNOW, WE CAN LOOK AT IT
IF IT HAPPENS.
SO WE'RE GOING TO COVER THE
CAUSES OF EARTHQUAKES, THE
SEISMIC WAVES FROM EARTHQUAKES,
HOW EARTHQUAKES ARE LOCATED AND
MEASURED, THE EFFECTS OF
EARTHQUAKES, AND A TSUNAMI CAN
BE AN EFFECT OF IT.
AS WE LEARNED LAST WEEK,
VOLCANIC ERUPTIONS CAN ALSO
START A TSUNAMI.
WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT A COUPLE
OF ACTIVE FAULT ZONES WITHIN THE
UNITED STATES.
WE'LL LOOK AT A FEW HISTORIC
EARTHQUAKES, AND WATCH LITTLE
SHORT VIDEOS SHOWING SOME ACTUAL
FOOTAGE FROM THOSE.
I REALLY HAD TO TRIM IT DOWN
BECAUSE THERE'S SO MANY
NOTEWORTHY ONES THROUGHOUT
HISTORY THAT I WANTED TO COVER,
BUT WE ONLY HAVE TWO HOURS.
SO I ONLY HAVE ABOUT FIVE IN
THERE.
THEN WE'LL LOOK AT EARTHQUAKE
PREDICTIONS AND HOW ACCURATE
THOSE ARE.
MITIGATION AND SURVIVAL TIPS FOR
LIVING WITH EARTHQUAKES.
AND THEN THE FUN PART, WE'LL
TAKE A LOOK AT SOME LOCAL
SEISMIC ACTIVITY AND MAYBE SOME
OF YOU HAVE IN THE PAST FEW
YEARS HAVE FELT SOME OF THE
EARTHQUAKES THAT WE'VE HAD HERE.
SO THERE'S ABOUT A THOUSAND
EARTHQUAKES THAT HAPPEN AROUND
THE GLOBE EVERY SINGLE DAY.
WELL, WE DON'T HEAR ABOUT MANY
OF THOSE ON THE NEWS.
IT CAN BE YEARS IN BETWEEN A
MAJOR EARTHQUAKE.
SO MOST OF THOSE ARE PRETTY
INSIGNIFICANT.
A LOT OF THEM PROBABLY PEOPLE
CAN'T AND FEEL.
BUT THE FACT THAT THERE'S A
THOUSAND EVERY DAY SHOWS US THAT
THE PLANET IS REALLY MOVING.
WE'RE HAVING A LOT OF MOVEMENT.
SO WE ALL KNOW WHAT AN ACHE ACHE
IS.
 -- WHAT AN EARTHQUAKE IS.
WE NO THAT THERE'S TREMBLING AND
THERE'S SHAKING.
AND IF YOU GO BACK TO LAST WEEK
WHEN WE STARTED AND WE COVERED
PLATE TECTONICS, THE PLATES ARE
SIMILAR TO A BROKEN EGGSHELL ON
THE SURFACE OF THE EARTH.
AND THINGS ARE MOVING APART AT
SPREADING CENTERS, THEY'RE
COMING TOGETHER AT SUBDUCTION
ZONES, THINGS ARE BEING PUSHED
AND PULLED.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF ENERGY
THERE.
AND THE PLATES AND ROCKS ARE NOT
SMOOTH AND EVEN.
THEY DON'T JUST GLIDE PAST EACH
OTHER NICELY.
IT'S VERY RUGGED AND JAGGED AND
THINGS GET STUCK AND PRESSURE
BUILDS UP.
AND IT WILL GO LIKE THAT AND IT
CAN'T MOVE AND IT CAN'T MOVE,
AND PRETTY SOON IT WILL BREAK
LOOSE.
AND WHEN WE HAVE THAT ABRUPT
MOVEMENT, THINGS GET RUPTURED,
AND THAT'S WHEN WE HAVE AN
EARTHQUAKE.
SO IF YOU REMEMBER FROM LAST
WEEK, WE HAD THREE DIFFERENT
TYPES OF PLATE BOUNDARIES THAT
WE COVERED.
SO AT THE PLATE BOUNDARY, WE
COULD BE MOVING APART, WE CAN BE
PUSHING TOGETHER, OR WE CAN BE
SLIDING PAST EACH OTHER.
SO THERE'S THREE DIFFERENT TYPES
OF FAULTS.
NOW, THE FAULTS ARE NOT
NECESSARILY AT PLATE BOUNDARIES.
THE PLATE BOUNDARIES ARE A TYPE
OF FAULT, BUT FAULTS CAN OCCUR
ELSEWHERE, AND AT DIFFERENT
SCALES.
A FAULT CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM A
VERY SMALL CRACK THAT YOU CAN
SEE IN THE ROCKS WHERE THERE'S
BEEN SOME MOVEMENT TO THE
LARGEST SCALE OF SUBDUCTION
ZONES.
SO THE THREE TYPES ARE NORMAL,
REVERSE, AND STRIKE-SLIP.
AND THESE CORRESPOND TO THE
THREE TYPES OF PLATE BOUNDARIES
THAT WE DISCUSSED PREVIOUSLY.
SO LOOKING AT NORMAL FAULTS,
THERE WE GO, OKAY, SO NORMAL
FAULTS, THINGS ARE PULLING
APART.
SO WE HAVE EXTENSION.
NOW, IF YOU LOOK AT THE IMAGE OF
THE ROCKS, THE PHOTOGRAPH, YOU
CAN SEE THAT THERE'S A DIAGONAL
LINE THROUGH IT.
THAT'S THE FAULT.
AND YOU CAN SEE THAT THE LAYERS
IN THE ROCKS, THEY DON'T MATCH
UP.
SO ON THE SECTION TO THE RIGHT,
WHICH WE CALL THE FOOTWALL, IT'S
MOVED UPWARD.
AND THE REASON WHY IT'S CALLED
THE FOOTWALL IS IF YOU GO
HUNDREDS OF YEARS AGO TO THE
FIRST MINERS, WELL, EVEN TODAY,
A LOT OF MINES ARE CREATED ALONG
FAULT ZONES BECAUSE THAT'S WHERE
WE HAVE THINGS GET HEATED UP,
FLUID CAN COME UP, WE CAN
DEPOSIT MINERALS AND THEY BECOME
VEINS.
SO THAT'S WHERE A LOT OF MAINING
WAS DONE.
WELL, THE FIRST MINERS THAT
WOULD MINE IN THESE FAULTS, THEY
WOULD BE STANDING, IF YOU DRILL
DIRECTLY WHERE THE FAULT WAS,
YOU'D BE STANDING ON ONE BLOCK,
SO THAT WOULD BE YOUR FOOTWALL.
AND FROM THE PHOTOGRAPH, YOU CAN
SEE THAT WOULD BE THE CHUNK ON
THE RIGHT.
NOW, THE OTHER ONE, THE PART ON
THE LEFT, THAT'S CALLED THE
HANGING WALL.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE THEY WOULD
HANG THEIR LANTERN UP ON THAT
BLOCK.
SO THAT'S WHERE WE GET THE
NAMES.
BUT IN A NORMAL FAULT, WE HAVE
THE FOOTWALL MOVING UP.
AND THERE'S A LITTLE ANIMATION
HERE AND IT WILL SHOW YOU THE
MOVEMENTS.
SO YOU CAN SEE THEM HAPPENING.
AND I THINK THE INTERNET IS A
LITTLE SLOW AGAIN.
THERE WE GO.
SO THE FOOTWALL IS MOVING UP AND
THE HANGING WALL IS MOVING DOWN.
AND IN THE ANIMATION, THE
FOOTWALL AND THE HANGING WALL
WERE EXACTLY OPPOSITE OF WHAT WE
WITNESS IN THE PHOTOGRAPH.
SO A REVERSE FAULT IS EXACTLY
WHAT IT SOUNDS LIKE, IT'S THE
EXACT OPPOSITE OF A NORMAL
FAULT.
SO REVERSE FAULTS OCCUR WHERE WE
HAVE COMPRESSION, WHERE THINGS
ARE COMING TOGETHER.
SO THEY -- IT COULD BE A
CONVERGENT PLATE BOUNDARY.
AND SO WE HAVE JUST THE OPPOSITE
MOVEMENT, SO NOW WE HAVE THE
FOOTWALL MOVING DOWN.
AND YOU THE SEE THAT IN THE
PHOTOGRAPH WHERE THE LAYERS
AREN'T LINING UP AND THE
FOOTWALL IS BELOW, IT LOOKS LIKE
THAT MIGHT BE LIKE A LAYER OF
CHURT, THAT BIG BANDING THERE,
BUT IT'S MOVED DOWN.
AND HERE'S AN ANIMATION OF THAT
MOTION.
YES, EVERYTHING IS GOING VERY
SLOW TODAY.
OKAY.
AND THE THIRD TYPE IS
STRIKE-SLIP.
SO THIS CORRELATES TO A
TRANSFORM PLATE BOUNDARY.
SO THERE'S NO VERTICAL MOVEMENT,
THINGS ARE JUST SLIDING PAST
EACH OTHER.
WHAT'S INTERESTING IS YOU CAN
HAVE A RIGHT LATERAL OR A LEFT
LATERAL.
THIS IS KIND OF FUN.
IT USUALLY CONFUSES FIRST-YEAR
GEOLOGY STUDENTS.
BUT IF YOU LOOK AT THE AERIAL
VIEW OF THE TRANSFORM FAULT, THE
PHOTOGRAPH, AND JUST PICK ONE
SIDE OF IT, AND PRETEND YOU'RE
STANDING ON THAT SIDE AND YOU'RE
LOOKING TOWARDS THE FAULT.
ARE THE LAND FORMS MOVING TO
YOUR LEFT?
OR TO YOUR RIGHT?
WITH THIS ONE, THEY'D BE MOVING
TO YOUR LEFT.
SO WE WOULD CALL THIS A LEFT
LATERAL.
AND THE FUN PART IS, IT DOESN'T
MATTER WHICH SIDE YOU'RE
STANDING ON, IT'S STILL MOVING
TO YOUR LEFT.
SO A RIGHT LATERAL IS JUST THE
EXACT OPPOSITE.
SO IT'S ONE OF THOSE THINGS THAT
IT'S QUITE SIMPLE, BUT STUDENTS
TEND TO OVERTHINK IT AND THEN
THEY START GETTING CONFUSED.
BUT IT'S JUST WHATEVER YOU'RE
LOOKING AT, WHETHER IT'S MOVING
TO YOUR LEFT OR TO YOUR RIGHT.
SO HERE'S A LITTLE ANIMATION,
AND THIS ANIMATION IS LEFT
LATERAL.
SO IT'S EXACTLY WHAT THE AERIAL
PHOTOGRAPH IS.
AND AS IT'S MOVING, THE STREAM
IS HAVING TO FIND A NEW PATH.
AND THAT HAPPENS QUITE OFTEN
ALONG THESE FAULTS.
SOMETIMES WHEN THERE'S A
STRIKE-SLIP FAULT AND LIKE A
FARMER'S FIELD OR SOMETHING AND
THEY HAVE A FENCE ACROSS IT,
AFTER IT MOVES THE FENCE IS
BROKEN AND IT'S IN TWO DIFFERENT
LOCATIONS.
OKAY, SO THOSE ARE THE TYPE OF
MOVEMENTS WE CAN HAVE.
BUT WHERE'S THE ACTUAL -- WHY
ARE WE ACTUALLY SHAKING?
IN 1906, HAROLD F. REID WAS
STUDYING THE AFTERMATH OF THE
SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE.
AND HE WANTED TO FIND THE
MECHANISM FOR THE SHAKING.
THEY DIDN'T KNOW THAT MUCH ABOUT
EARTHQUAKES BACK THEN, PLATE
TECTONICS WAS NOT A THING.
NOBODY REALLY KNEW HOW PLATES
MOVED OR, YOU KNOW, WHERE
EARTHQUAKES OR VOLCANOS CAME
FROM.
BUT HE DID DO SOME RESEARCH ON
SHAKING AND HOW THINGS BREAK AND
MOVE.
AND THIS IS MUCH LIKE A RUBBER
BAND.
SO AS THINGS ARE BEING PULLED
AND MOVED, AS YOU CAN SEE IN THE
SECOND STRAIGHT DOWN, PRESSURE
BEGINS TO BUILD UP IN THEM.
SO IT'S STRAINED ENERGY AND IT'S
BUILDING UP AND IT'S BUILDING
UP.
SO WHEN IT RUPTURES, THIS ENERGY
IS RELEASED.
AND THE ENERGY IS RELEASED IN
360 DEGREES ALL THE WAY AROUND,
AND THAT ENERGY IS THE WAVES,
THE SEISMIC WAVES, AND THAT'S
WHAT WE FEEL, THAT'S THE
SHAKING.
SO HE CAME UP WITH A THEORY OF
ELASTIC REBOUND THEORY.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT A RUBBER
BAND, WHEN YOU PULL IT, WHEN YOU
PULL IT SO TIGHT THAT IT FINALLY
BREAKS, IT DOESN'T JUST BREAK
NICELY AND JUST CALMLY HANG
DOWN.
IT WILL SNAP AND MOVE.
AND THAT'S BASICALLY WHAT HIS
THEORY IS.
AND THEN AFTER AWHILE, IT STOPS
MOVING AND WE HAVE THE THIRD
STREET AT THE BOTTOM, AND THINGS
ARE NO LONGER IN THE SAME PLACE
WHERE THEY WERE BEFORE.
SO THAT BRINGS US UP TO THE
SEISMIC WAVES.
SO ONCE YOU HAVE THAT BREAK AND
THAT ENERGY IS RELEASED, THE
ENERGY IS THE SEISMIC WAVES.
SO BEFORE WE LOOK AT THE ACTUAL
WAVES, WE NEED TO KNOW THE
DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE FOCUS AND
THE EPICENTER.
NOW, WE'VE ALL HEARD ABOUT THE
EPICENTER, WE'VE ALL HEARD THAT
TERM.
THAT'S ALWAYS ON THE NEWS
ANYTIME THERE'S AN EARTHQUAKE,
THEY ALWAYS TELL YOU WHERE THE
EPICENTER WAS.
THE ONLY DIFFERENCE BETWEEN THE
TWO IS LOCATION.
SO THE FOCUS IS WHERE THE ACTUAL
BREAK OCCURS ALONG THE FAULT.
SO THAT'S DEEP WITHIN THE EARTH.
THE EPICENTER IS THAT SPOT JUST
PULLED UP TO THE SURFACE.
SO IT'S THE SPOT ON THE SURFACE
THAT'S DIRECTLY ABOVE THE FOCUS.
AND ALTHOUGH WE CAN PINPOINT THE
EPICENTER PRETTY ACCURATELY,
IT'S MUCH MORE DIFFICULT TO KNOW
EXACTLY WHERE THE FOCUS IS,
AS YOU CAN IMAGINE.
YOU CAN ESTIMATE THE DEPTH, BUT
IT'S HARD TO KNOW EXACTLY WHERE.
SO WITH SEISMIC WAVES, WE HAVE
TWO DIFFERENT KINDS.
WE HAVE BODY WAVES AND WE HAVE
SURFACE WAVES.
AND THEIR NAMES ARE PRETTY
DESCRIPTIVE.
BODY WAVES RADIATE OUT AND GO
THROUGH THE EARTH AND COME TO
THE SURFACE.
SURFACE WAVES TRAVEL ALONG THE
SURFACE OF THE EARTH.
SO THEY'LL GO AROUND THE GLOBE.
P WAVES ARE CALLED P WAVES FOR
PRIMARY.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST WAVE THAT'S
GOING TO ARRIVE AT A CERTAIN
LOCATION.
AND S WAVES ARE SECONDARY WAVES,
SO THEY'RE THE SECOND THAT ARE
GOING TO ARRIVE.
AND THEY HAVE DIFFERENT
MOVEMENTS, AND THEY DO DIFFERENT
THINGS.
SO THE PRIMARY WAVES CAN PASS
THROUGH SOLIDS, GASES, FLUIDS,
BUT THE S WAVES CAN'T MOVE
THROUGH ANY LIQUIDS.
SO IF YOU'RE ON THE OCEAN ON A
LIKE, ON A BOAT, EVEN IN A
SWIMMING POOL AND AN EARTHQUAKE
OCCURS, YOU'RE GOING TO FEEL THE
PRIMARY WAVES, BUT YOU'RE NOT
GOING TO FEEL ANY SECONDARY
WAVES.
BECAUSE ONCE THAT WAVE HITS THE
WATER, IT BOUNCES OFF, IT CAN'T
GO THROUGH THE WATER.
PRIMARY WAVES MOVE
LONGITUDINALLY.
SO IF -- IMAGINE A SLINKY OR A
SPRING, AND WE'RE MOVING THAT
DIRECTION, BUT WE'RE COMPRESSING
AND GOING THIS WAY.
SO WE'RE MOVING HORIZONTALLY,
WE'RE NOT MOVING UP AND DOWN.
S WAVES ARE JUST THE OPPOSITE.
THEY ARE GOING TO GO -- IF
YOU -- WELL, IMAGINE YOU HAVE
LIKE A ROPE AND YOU KIND OF DO
THAT ACTION WITH THE ROPE, AND
THE ROPE IS TIED TO SOMETHING AT
THE OTHER END.
SO WE'RE TRAVELING THAT WAY, BUT
WE'RE GOING TO GO UP AND DOWN
WHILE WE TRAVEL.
SO THOSE ARE SECONDARY WAVES.
AND THEY BOTH ARE DESTRUCTIVE,
BUT SECONDARY WAVES ARE MUCH
MORE DESTRUCTIVE, USE IMAGINE.
WHEN YOU'RE MOVING THINGS UP AND
DOWN AS OPPOSED TO THIS, IT'S
MUCH MORE DAMAGING ESPECIALLY TO
BUILDINGS, INFRASTRUCTURE.
SO HERE'S A DIAGRAM OF THE WAVE
MOTIONS.
SO THE PARTICLES IN P WAVES ARE
MOVING BACK AND FORTH, AND
THE -- AND THE S WAVES ARE
MOVING UP AND DOWN.
SO HERE'S A LITTLE ANIMATION OF
S WAVE MOVEMENT.
SO WE'VE ALL EXPERIENCED THAT
MOVEMENT AT SOME POINT PROBABLY
AT LEAST IN OUR CHILDHOOD WHERE
YOU'RE, YOU KNOW, SWINGING THE
HOSE OR A ROPE OR SOMETHING AND
WE'VE SEEN THAT MOVEMENT.
AND THERE'S TWO KINDS OF SURFACE
WAVES.
SO WE HAVE LOVE WAVES, A VERY
NICE NAME.
THEY DON'T HAVE ANY VERTICAL
DISPLACEMENT EITHER.
SO THEY'RE MOVING SIDE-TO-SIDE
ON THE GROUND, SORT OF LIKE A
SNAKE.
VERY SINEWY, SORT OF
SIDE-TO-SIDE AS THEY'RE GOING.
AGAIN, THEY CAN'T TRAVEL THROUGH
LIQUIDS.
SO IF YOU'RE ON THE WATER,
YOU'RE NOT GOING TO FEEL THESE.
BUT AS YOU CAN IMAGINE, THEY'RE
PRETTY DESTRUCTIVE.
IF YOU TAKE THE GROUND AND GO
BACK AND FORTH UNDER A BUILDING,
YOU'RE REALLY GOING TO SHAKE IT,
YOU'RE GOING TO CAUSE SOME MAJOR
DAMAGE.
AND THEN THERE'S RAYLEIGH WAVES.
THEY ACT LIKE ROLLING OCEAN
WAVES.
SO THE PARTICLE WOULD ACTUALLY
BE ROLLING ALONG.
SO THEY'RE AN ELLIPTICAL
MOVEMENT, AND THEY MOVE OPPOSITE
TO THE DIRECTION OF THE WAVE,
AND AGAIN, THESE ARE VERY
DESTRUCTIVE TO BUILDINGS.
AND IN THE NEXT SLIDE I'VE GOT
LITTLE ANIMATIONS OF THEM
AS WELL.
IF WE GET TO THE NEXT SLIDE.
THERE.
SO THIS IS THE LOVE WAVE.
WE'LL WATCH THAT ONE FIRST.
MAYBE WE'LL WATCH IT.
IT WON'T PLAY.
WELL, I'M SORRY IT WON'T PLAY.
BUT YOU CAN SEE FROM -- OKAY.
NOW IT'S GOING TO PLAY.
SO YOU CAN SEE HOW THAT WOULD BE
VERY DESTRUCTIVE.
THERE'S A LOT OF MOVEMENT AND A
LOT OF MOTION GOING ON WITH THAT
ONE.
AND THIS IS THE RAYLEIGH WAVE,
AND IT ROLLS LIKE THE OCEAN.
SO SORT OF A COMPRESSION UP AND
DOWN TYPE OF MOVEMENT.
VERY ROLLING MOVEMENT.
AND, AGAIN, THAT CAN BE VERY
DESTRUCTIVE AS WELL.
OKAY, LOCATING AND MEASURING THE
EARTHQUAKES.
SO USUALLY WITHIN LIKE MINUTES
OF AN EARTHQUAKE OCCURRING ON
THE NEWS THEY'LL ALREADY KNOW
WHERE THAT -- WHERE THE
EPICENTER OF THAT EARTHQUAKE
WAS.
AND I WILL SHOW YOU HOW THEY GET
THAT.
OKAY.
SO WE'VE ALL HEARD THE TERM
SEISMOGRAPH, AND THESE
ORIGINALLY THESE WERE VERY
SIMPLE DEVICES THAT WERE
INVENTED, JUST LIKE A PEBS L
HANGING -- PENCIL HANGING AND
AS THE EARTHQUAKE SHAKES IT
WOULD PUT THE LINES ON THE
PAPER, AND THE PAPER WAS PULLED
THROUGH.
NOW THEY'RE MUCH MORE
COMPLICATED AND ELECTRONIC.
BUT THEY RECORD THE SAME THING.
AND THE PAPER THAT THEY'RE
RECORDED ON WAS CALLED THE
SEISMOGRAM.
NOW THOSE ARE ELECTRONIC, THEY
STILL CALLED THE SEISMOGRAM.
SO IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT THIS
ONE, IT DEMONSTRATES WHERE THE P
WAVE IS, THE S WAVE, AND THE
SURFACE WAVES THE THEY WERE
ALWAYS COME IN THAT ORDER --
THEY ALWAYS COME IN THAT ORDER.
AND YOU CAN SEE BY LOOKING AT
IT, YOU CAN TELL WHERE EACH ONE
OF THEM STARTS AND STOPS PRETTY
EASILY.
BASED ON THE CURVES THAT YOU'RE
LOOKING AT.
SO THE P WAVES AND THE S WAVES,
THEY RADIATE OUT FROM THE FOCUS
AT THE SAME TIME, AS SOON
AS THAT BREAK OCCURS THEY START
RADIATING OUT.
HOWEVER, THEY MOVE AT DIFFERENT
SPEEDS AND ONE OF THEM BENDS AND
THE OTHER ONE DOESN'T.
AND THAT'S BECAUSE ONE OF THEM
DOESN'T GO THROUGH LIQUID.
AND IF YOU REMEMBER FROM LAST
WEEK, WE LEARNED THAT THE INNER
CORE IS SOLID, BUT THE OUTER
CORE IS LIQUID, AND SO IT
BOUNCES OFF THAT.
SO BECAUSE THEY TRAVEL AT
DIFFERENT SPEEDS, WE CAN RECORD
THE TIME AT ANY GIVEN POINT ON
EARTH -- WE RECORD THE TIME WHEN
THE FIRST P WAVE ARRIVES AND
THEN THE TIME WHEN THE FIRST S
WAVE ARRIVES.
AND IF YOU TAKE THE TIME
INTERVAL IN BETWEEN THOSE TWO
ARRIVALS, AND YOU LOOK IT UP ON
A CHART, IT WILL GIVE YOU A
DISTANCE.
SO AS YOU CAN SEE FROM THIS ONE
HERE, WE'VE GOT FROM WHEN THE
FIRST P WAVE ARRIVED TO THE S
WAVE, WE HAVE THREE BARS AND THE
BARS ARE ONE MINUTE EACH.
SO IN THIS SITUATION, IT TOOK
THREE MINUTES IN BETWEEN THEM.
SO WE WOULD GET OUR CHART OF THE
INTERVALS AND WE WOULD LOOK UP
WHAT DISTANCE CORRELATES TO
THREE MINUTES IN BETWEEN THAT P
AND S WAVE.
SO WE WOULD NEED TO DO THAT FOR
THREE OR MORE LOCATIONS.
THEN WHAT WE DO IS DRAW A CIRCLE
AROUND THAT POINT WHERE WE TOOK
THE RECORDINGS.
AND YOU NEED TO DO THAT WITH
THREE LOCATIONS, AND THE RADIUS
OF EACH CIRCLE IS EQUAL TO THAT
DISTANCE THAT YOU LOOKED UP.
AND THEN ONCE YOU DO THAT, THEY
WILL MEET AT A PARTICULAR POINT.
THAT POINT WHERE THEY ALL CROSS,
WHERE ALL THE CIRCLES CROSS,
THAT'S THE EPICENTER.
SO IT ONLY TAKES A FEW MINUTES
AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE AND THEY
KNOW WHERE THE EPICENTER IS.
SO THIS IS SOMETHING THAT'S --
THAT HASN'T CHANGED IN MANY
YEARS, IT'S SOMETHING YOU CAN --
I LIKE IT BECAUSE IT'S SOMETHING
THAT YOU CAN STILL DO ON PAPER
WITH A PENCIL, YOU KNOW, YOU CAN
DO IT YOURSELF IF YOU'RE SO
INCLINED.
YOU CAN LOOK UP ANY PARTICULAR
EARTHQUAKE AND THE S AND P
INTERVAL FOR DIFFERENT CITIES OR
COUNTRIES, AND YOU CAN GET
YOURSELF A MAP AND DRAW THE
LITTLE CIRCLES AND IT'S JUST A
FUN LITTLE THING TO DO.
SO THERE'S SEVERAL DIFFERENT
WAYS THAT EARTHQUAKE INTENSITIES
AND MAGNITUDES ARE MEASURED.
WE'RE ALL PROBABLY FAMILIAR WITH
THE RICHTER SCALE.
IT'S THE OLDEST, IT USED TO BE
THE MOST WIDELY USED.
YOU KNOW, I'M SURE WE'VE ALL
EVEN HEARD THE SAYING, YOU KNOW,
THAT WHEN SOMETHING IS REALLY
EXCITING IT WAS OFF THE RICHTER
SCALE, THINGS OF THAT.
SO IT GOES ALL THE WAY BACK TO
1935.
IT MEASURES THE MAGNITUDE OF
EARTHQUAKES.
IT'S ALSO A LOGARITHMIC SCALE,
JUST LIKE THE VOLCANIC
EXPLOSIVITY INDEX THAT WE
LEARNED ABOUT LAST WEEK.
SO WHAT THAT MEANS IS IF WE HAVE
AN EARTHQUAKE THAT IS A
MAGNITUDE OF 2 ON THE RICHTER
SCALE, AND THEN WE HAVE AN
EARTHQUAKE THAT'S A MAGNITUDE OF
3 ON THE RICHTER SCALE, IT'S NOT
SIMPLY ONE TIME -- ONE MORE TIME
AS GREAT.
IT'S TEN TIMES GREATER.
SO EVERY NUMBER THAT WE GO UP,
WE'RE GOING UP TEN-FOLD IN THE
MAGNITUDE, OR HOW BAD THE
EARTHQUAKE WAS.
AND IT'S ALSO AN OPEN-ENDED
SCALE.
THERE'S NO TOP NUMBER ON IT.
SO THEORETICALLY YOU COULD GO UP
TO 10 TO A MILLION, OF COURSE
THE PLANET PROBABLY WOULDN'T BE
HERE ANYMORE.
BUT IN RECORDED HISTORY, WE'VE
NEVER HAD ANYTHING GREATER THAN
AN 8.9.
EARTHQUAKES ARE RARELY MEASURED
IN THE RICHTER SCALE ANYMORE.
WHEN YOU LOOK UP EARTHQUAKES OR
THEY'RE REPORTED ON THE NEWS AND
THEY TELL YOU THE MAGNITUDE AND
GIVE YOU A NUMBER, IT'S MOST
LIKELY GOING TO BE THE MOMENT
MAGNITUDE.
SO IT'S CONSIDERED TO BE A
LITTLE BETTER THAN THE RICHTER
SCALE.
IT'S MORE OBJECTIVE.
IT TAKES INTO CONSIDERATION MORE
ASPECTS OF THE EARTHQUAKE.
SO IT'S A LITTLE BETTER FOR
COMPARING ONE EARTHQUAKE TO THE
OTHER.
SO IT CONSIDERS THE STRENGTH OF
THE ROCK.
SO LET'S, FOR INSTANCE, SAY YOU
HAVE AN EARTHQUAKE THAT OCCURRED
IN SOME GRANITIC ROCK, SO SOME
GRANITE, WHICH IS VERY HEAVY,
VERY STRONG, VERY DENSE, AND
THEN YOU HAVE AN EARTHQUAKE THAT
OCCURRED WITH SOME LIMESTONE.
THAT'S VERY WEAK, VERY BRITTLE,
POROUS, SO IT'S OBVIOUSLY GOING
TO TAKE MORE ENERGY AND STRENGTH
TO BREAK THAT GRANITE THAN IT
DOES THE LIMESTONE.
SO THAT'S THE FIRST THING, THEY
TAKE INTO CONSIDERATION WHAT
TYPE OF ROCK THIS IS OCCURRING
IN.
AND THEN THEY LOOK AT THE
SURFACE AREA OF THE RUPTURE.
THE RUPTURE ITSELF.
HOW BIG WAS IT, YOU KNOW, HOW
MANY SQUARE FEET.
OR SQUARE MILES.
AND THEN THE AMOUNT OF
DISPLACEMENT.
SO HOW FAR DID THOSE ROCKS MOVE?
AND THAT'S VERTICALLY AND
HORIZONTALLY, YOU KNOW, HOW MANY
INCHES OR FEET ARE THEY -- HAVE
THEY BEEN MOVED?
SO THIS ONE REALLY TRIES TO
MEASURE THE AMOUNT OF ENERGY
THAT WAS RELEASED WITH THAT
EARTHQUAKE.
AND IN THE IMAGE, WE CAN SEE THE
MAGNITUDE SCALE.
SO, AGAIN, IT GOES JUST 0 TO 10
USUALLY.
AND IT'S GOT SOME OF THE MORE
WELL-KNOWN EARTHQUAKES LISTED ON
THIS IMAGE.
AND THE THIRD WAY THAT
EARTHQUAKES ARE MEASURED IS WITH
THE MERCALE SCALE, AND THIS
DOESN'T NECESSARILY MEASURE THE
EARTHQUAKE ITSELF.
IT MEASURES THE INTENSITY OF
THAT EARTHQUAKE, HOW BADLY DID
IT AFFECT PEOPLE AND BUILDINGS?
SO IF YOU HAD AN EARTHQUAKE THAT
HAPPENED IN AN AREA, LET'S JUST
THEORETICALLY SAY THAT WE HAD
THIS HUGE, REALLY BIG, INTENSE
EARTHQUAKE, BUT IT OCCURRED IN
AN AREA WHERE THERE WAS NO
CIVILIZATION, NO BUILDINGS, NO
PEOPLE FELT IT, ON THIS SCALE IT
WOULD PROBABLY BE A 0.
BUT IF THAT SAME EARTHQUAKE HAD
HAPPENED IN A CITY, IT COULD
HAVE BEEN A 12.
SO THIS IS REALLY LOOKING AT THE
EARTHQUAKE FROM OUR OWN HUMAN
PERSPECTIVE, HOW BADLY IT
AFFECTS US.
SO IF YOU HAVE AN EARTHQUAKE
THAT'S A 1, YOU'RE NOT GOING TO
FEEL ANYTHING AT ALL.
IT'S JUST GOING TO BE RECORDED
ON VERY SENSITIVE INSTRUMENTS.
BUT IF YOU HAVE A 12, IT'S GOING
TO BE INCREDIBLY DESTRUCTIVE,
KILL A LOT OF PEOPLE, YOU'RE
ACTUALLY GOING TO BE ABLE TO
WITNESS THE SHAKING LIKE WHEN
YOU'RE LOOKING ACROSS, YOU
CAN -- YOUR VISION IS BLURRED,
YOU CAN SEE THINGS MOVING.
SO THAT'S -- THAT'S THE MODIFIED
MERCALLI SCALE.
NOW, YOU RARELY HEAR ABOUT THIS
ONE ON THE NEWS OR IF YOU'RE
READING ABOUT AN EARTHQUAKE.
IF YOU'RE LOOKING AT A WEBSITE
OR AN ARTICLE THAT'S LOOKING AT
THE EARTHQUAKE SCIENTIFICALLY,
THEY'LL PROBABLY HAVE THIS ONE
ON THERE.
SO EFFECTS OF EARTHQUAKES.
SO WE ALL KNOW ABOUT THE GROUND
MOTION, HOW IT AFFECTS US.
IT CAUSES THINGS TO SHAKE.
WE CAN HAVE DAMAGE TO OUR HOMES.
IT CAN BE ANYWHERE FROM SMALL,
LITTLE CRACKS IN THE WALLS, ALL
THE WAY UP TO GIANT SKY SCRAPERS
TUMBLING DOWN.
HIGHWAYS COMING OFF, YOU KNOW,
JUST CRUMBLING AND FALLING.
AND IT'S VERY DANGEROUS AS WELL.
PEOPLE CAN BE HIT BY THINGS
FALLING, PEOPLE HAVE BEEN BURIED
BY RUBBLE AND DIED.
SO JUST -- JUST THE MOVEMENT
ALONE IS VERY DANGEROUS, AND
CAUSES A LOT OF DAMAGE.
BUT EARTHQUAKES CAUSE A LOT OF
OTHER EFFECTS AND DAMAGE THAT WE
DON'T NATURALLY ASSOCIATE WITH
THEM WHEN WE THINK ABOUT IT.
IT JUST DOESN'T COME TO MIND.
WHAT COMES TO MIND ALWAYS IS THE
GROUND MOTION AND THE SHAKING
WHEN WE THINK OF AN EARTHQUAKE.
SO FIRE.
FIRE IS A BIG EFFECT OF
EARTHQUAKES.
AND IN THE 1906 SAN FRANCISCO
EARTHQUAKE, THE EARTHQUAKE WAS
HORRIBLE.
IT WAS A HUGE EARTHQUAKE TO
BEGIN WITH, BUT WHAT CAUSED MORE
DESTRUCTION THAN THE EARTHQUAKE
ITSELF WAS FIRE.
SO HOW DO WE GET FIRE FROM AN
EARTHQUAKE?
WELL, BROKEN GAS LINES, FALLEN
ELECTRIC LINES, YOU KNOW,
ELECTRIC AND GAS DON'T GO
TOGETHER TOO WELL.
WE HAVE WATER MAINS THAT BREAK.
YOU CAN EXPERIENCE EXPLOSIONS,
THINGS OF THAT SORT.
SO FIRE IS ALWAYS A DANGER AND A
RISK, ESPECIALLY WHEN AN
EARTHQUAKE HITS A LARGE
METROPOLITAN AREA.
AND LANDSLIDES.
SO WE DON'T WANT TO GO INTO
LANDSLIDES TOO MUCH BECAUSE WE
WANT TO SAVE THAT FUN FOR NEXT
WEEK.
BUT THEY CAN BE TRIGGERED BY
EARTHQUAKES.
SO WHEN THE SHAKING STARTS, ANY
LAND, SOIL, DEBRIS, ANYTHING
THAT'S NOT THOROUGHLY LITHIFUED
AND HARD AND REALLY STUCK
TOGETHER GOOD YOU START SHAKING
IT AND IT'S GOING TO COME DOWN.
SO IN 1959, THERE WAS A HUGE
EARTHQUAKE IN MONTANA.
AND IT CAUSED ONE OF THE
GREATEST LANDSLIDES IN THE U.S.
85 MILLION TONS CAME OFF A
MOUNTAIN AND ROLLED DOWN AND IT
COVERED THE HIGHWAY, THE CAMP
SITES.
SO IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE
ABOUT LANDSLIDES NEXT WEEK,
SO...
LIQUEFACTION.
THIS IS A FUN ONE, AND A LOT OF
PEOPLE HAVE NEVER HEARD OF IT.
BUT IT CAUSES A LOT OF PROBLEMS
WITH A LOT OF EARTHQUAKES.
SO IF YOU THINK ABOUT THE
GROUND, AND IF IT'S NOT UNDER
LAIN BY BEDROCK, YOU COULD HAVE
LAYERS OF SAND UNDER THERE.
IF ANY OF YOU HAVE EVER GONE TO
THE BEACH OR PLAYED WITH A KID
WITH SAND AND YOU PUT IT IN A
BUCKET AND YOU ADD SOME WATER TO
IT, YOU KNOW WHAT THE WATER
DOES, IT GOES DOWN TO THE BOTTOM
AND IT FILLS IN ALL THOSE VOIDS,
ALL THAT POROSITY.
BUT THE WATER GOES DOWN TO THE
BOTTOM.
AND YOU CAN PUSH DOWN ON THE TOP
OF THE SAND, AND IT SEEMS PRETTY
FIRM AND IT SEEMS FAIRLY DRY.
SO YOU DON'T KNOW THAT THAT
WATER IS LURKING DOWN THERE
UNDERNEATH IT.
IT SEEMS OKAY.
AND THIS HAPPENS IN CITIES WHERE
PEOPLE ARE BUILDING SKYSCRAPERS.
THIS IS A HUGE PROBLEM IN
LOS ANGELES.
AND AFTER THE 1989 LOMA TREAT
THAT EARTHQUAKE THERE, -- LOMA
PRIETA EARTHQUAKE THERE,
LIQUEFACTION OCCURRED AND THAT
CAUSED MOST OF THE DAMAGE.
WHAT HAPPENED WITH THESE WATER
SATURATED SANDS AND SOILS IS YOU
START SHAKING THEM UP AND THAT
WATER STARTS TO MOVE AROUND AND
PRETTY SOON THE WATER STARTS
COMING UP, AND ALL OF A SUDDEN
YOUR SOIL AND YOUR ROCKS AND
YOUR SEDIMENT STARTS FLOWING
LIKE A LIQUID.
WELL, ANYBODY KNOWS THAT'S NOT
GOOD UNDER A BUILDING.
YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE GOING TO
MOVE WITH IT.
SO HERE'S A LITTLE VIDEO, AND
THIS GUY GOES OUT TO AN AREA
WHERE THE SOIL APPEARS TO BE
REALLY HARD AND FIRM.
AND HE WORKS ON IT, HE MAKES HIS
OWN LITTLE EARTHQUAKE, AND
PRETTY SOON IT'S LIQUID.
SO IT TAKES A COUPLE OF MINUTES,
BUT IT'S A FUN WATCH.
IT'S SIMILAR TO QUICKSAND
ALMOST.
[ WIND NOISE ]
[ TAPPING SOUND ]
>> Heather: SEE HOW IT'S
REALLY NOT WET YET, BUT IT'S
MOVING AS THOUGH IT WERE A
FLUID.
[ LAUGHS ]
>> Heather: LOOKS LIKE HE'S
HAVING FUN, BUT THAT CAN
ACTUALLY BE VERY DANGEROUS.
I HOPE HE WASN'T OUT THERE BY
HIMSELF.
IT CAN ACT JUST LIKE QUICKSAND
AND YOU CAN GET STUCK IN IT
PRETTY EASILY.
BUT YOU CAN IMAGINE IF A
BUILDING WAS BUILT ON A SURFACE
LIKE THAT, THAT THEY THOUGHT WAS
HARD AND FIRM, AND THEN SUDDENLY
YOU HAVE AN EARTHQUAKE AND IT
STARTS TO MOVE LIKE THAT.
A BUILDING CAN TOPPLE PRETTY
EASILY WITH THAT.
AND WITH A LOT OF EARTHQUAKE,
MOST OF THE DAMAGE IS CAUSED BY
THE LIQUEFACTION.
SO IT'S REALLY IMPORTANT TO KNOW
THE BEDROCK AND KNOW WHERE
YOU'RE BUILDING, AND THIS IS ONE
OF THE THINGS THAT COMES UP IN
EARTHQUAKE MITIGATION NOW.
WE HAVE BETTER WAYS OF KNOWING
WHERE WE'RE BUILDING AND HOW TO
BUILD.
AFTER THE '9 EARTHQUAKE IN
CALIFORNIA -- AFTER THE '89
EARTHQUAKE IN CALIFORNIA, THEY
ENACTED SEVERAL NEW BUILDING
CODES AND WHERE IT WAS SAFE TO
BUILD AND NOT.
OKAY.
DISPLACEMENT OF LAND.
SO WE KNOW WE'RE MOVING.
THINGS DON'T ALWAYS GO BACK TO
WHERE THEY WERE.
THIS IMAGE IS FROM RIGHT OUTSIDE
FORT RICHARDSON IN ALASKA FROM
THE 1964 EARTHQUAKE.
MY PARENTS ACTUALLY MOVED THERE,
DAD WAS RESIGNED TO FORT
RICHARDSON JUST A FEW MONTHS
AFTER THIS OCCURRED, AND I
REMEMBER MOM TELLING ME THAT IT
LOOKED LIKE A BOMB WENT OFF
STILL, IT LOOKED LIKE A WAR ZONE
AFTER THAT EARTHQUAKE.
SO WITH DISPLACEMENT OF LAND,
THE LAND ITSELF CAN OPEN UP, IT
CAN SWALLOW BUILDINGS, IT CAN
BREAK ROADS LIKE THIS.
YOU CAN CREATE -- IT CAN CREATE
LARGE AREAS WHERE YOU CAN'T GET
THROUGH ANYMORE, WHERE YOU USED
TO BE ABLE TO DRIVE AND NOW
SUDDENLY YOU'VE GOT THIS HUGE
OPEN HOLE AND YOU CAN'T GET TO
THE OTHER SIDE.
IT CAN CAUSE A LOT OF -- A LOT
OF PROBLEMS, A LOT OF
DIFFICULTIES.
USUALLY THE DISPLACEMENT IS ONLY
GOING TO BE A FEW INCHES.
BUT IT CAN ACTUALLY GET UP TO
8 METERS OF MOVEMENT.
IT CAN TEAR APART BUILDINGS AND
ROADS AND PIPELINES, AND THE
OTHER THING IS, IF YOU'RE NEAR
THE OCEAN, THIS DISPLACEMENT AND
MOVEMENT, IF YOU HAVE ANYTHING
RAISING UP UNDERNEATH THE OCEAN,
YOU'RE GOING TO DISPLACE ALL
THAT WATER, YOU'RE GOING TO
FLOOD LAND.
OR IF THE LAND THAT'S NEAR THE
BEACH, IF THAT SINKS, YOU'RE
STILL GOING TO HAVE MASSIVE
FLOODING.
SO THAT CAN CAUSE FLOODING TO
BECOME A MAJOR EFFECT OF
EARTHQUAKES AS WELL.
AFTERSHOCKS.
THEY'RE PRETTY MILD COMPARED TO
THE MAIN EARTHQUAKE.
HOWEVER, WHEN WE GET TO THE
POINT WHERE WE'RE FEELING THE
AFTERSHOCKS, WE'VE ALREADY HAD
THOSE MAIN STRONG, DESTRUCTIVE
SEISMIC WAVES.
SO THEY'VE WEAKENED
INFRASTRUCTURE.
THEY'VE WEAKENED BUILDINGS,
MAYBE THEY PUT SOME CRACKS IN A
BUILDING.
AND NOW YOU HIT IT WITH THE
AFTERSHOCKS, SO THE AFTERSHOCK
ISN'T AS STRONG, BUT YOU'RE
HITTING A DAMAGED, WEAKENED
OBJECT.
SO WHETHER IT'S A ROAD, A
BUILDING, YOU KNOW, THEY CAN
CAUSE A LOT OF DAMAGE JUST
BECAUSE THEY'RE AFFECTING
SOMETHING THAT'S PREVIOUSLY
DAMAGED.
AND AFTERSHOCKS CAN GO ON FOR
DAYS AFTERWARDS.
SO WHAT'S HAPPENING IS, THEY CAN
BE LITTLE TINY EARTHQUAKES AND
MOVEMENTS, SO YOU'VE HAD THAT
BIG RUPTURE.
BUT NOW THINGS AREN'T REALLY
HAPPY WHERE THEY'RE AT, SO
THEY'RE STILL LIKE -- THEY'RE
STILL SETTLING IN.
AND THAT MOVEMENT IS PUTTING OUT
THESE LITTLE AFTERSHOCKS.
SO NOW WE COME UP TO SNAPPIES.
SO WE -- SCHNAPPYS.
WE TOUCHED ON THOSE A LITTLE BIT
LAST WEEK, HOW THEY CAN BE
CAUSED THROUGH UNDERWATER JOHN
VOLCANIC ACTIVITY.
SO ANYTIME YOU HAVE SOMETHING
COMING UP, IT'S GOING TO
DISPLACE THAT WATER.
SO THINK IF YOU TOOK -- LET'S
SAY YOU TOOK A TRASH BAG.
THAT HAS TO BE A STRONG TRASH
BAG, BUT YOU FILL IT WITH WATER
AND NOW YOU TAKE YOUR FIST AND
EYE PUSH UP UNDERNEATH IT.
WHERE IS THAT WATER GOING TO GO?
IT'S GOING TO COME OUT, RIGHT.
WELL, IF YOU PUSHED IT WITH
ENOUGH FORCE, INSTEAD OF JUST
GENT BY ROLLING OVER, IT WOULD
GO -- GENTLY ROLLING OVER IT
WOULD GO STRAIGHT UP BEFORE IT
FELL OUT.
SO YOU CAN THINK OF IT SORT OF
THAT WAY.
IF YOU'RE PUSHING UP THE LAND AT
ALL IN THE BATESEN OF THE
OCEAN -- BASIN OF THE OCEAN,
YOU'RE GOING TO PUSH THE WATER
UP.
THAT'S PRETTY MUCH WHAT A
TSUNAMIS.
IN JAPANESE IT MEANS GREAT KNOW
WE'VE HARBOR.
AND A -- GREAT WAVE IN HARBOR.
A LOT OF PEOPLE THINK IT'S LIKE
THIS GIANT TIDAL WAVE, BUT
TSUNAMIS ARE NOT WAVES AT ALL.
BECAUSE THEY'RE CAUSED BY
DISPLACEMENT OF THE WATER.
AND WAVES ARE EITHER CAUSED BY
WIND OR TIDES ARE CAUSED BY THE
PUSH AND PULL OF THE MOON AND
THE SUN ON THE PLANET AND WHERE
WE GET BULGES.
SO THEY'RE NOT CAUSED BY THE
SAME THING, AND THE TSUNAMI IS
NOT A WAVE OR A TIDE.
AND THIS IS ABOUT A 3.5 MINUTE
LITTLE VIDEO.
BUT IT SUMS UP TSUNAMIS PRETTY
WELL.
- ENTIRE DEPTH OF THE WATER, BUT
WHEN IT REACHES --
>> Heather: IT'S STARTING IN
THE MIDDLE.
I THINK THE INTERNET GOT STUCK
AGAIN.
WHY IS IT...
[ MUSIC ]
- IN 479 B.C. WHEN PERSIAN
SOLDIERS BESIEGED THE GREEK
CITY...
>> Heather: SO NOW WE'RE GOING
TO LOOK AT A COUPLE OF ACTIVE
FAULT ZONES IN THE UNITED STATES
WHERE EARTHQUAKES CAN EMANATE
FROM.
BEFORE WE GET TO THOSE, I WANT
TO SHOW YOU THIS WEBSITE.
I'LL COME BACK TO IT SO YOU CAN
WRITE IT DOWN IF YOU'D LIKE.
BUT LET'S LOOK AT IT FIRST.
IT HAS A LIST OF ALL THE ACTIVE
FAULT ZONES IN THE WORLD.
AND -- THERE WE GO.
SO IT TELLS YOU THE FAULT, THE
SIZE, THE LOCATION, THE TYPE OF
MOVEMENT, IF IT'S ACTIVE OR NOT
AND WHAT KIND OF HISTORIC
EARTHQUAKES HAVE OCCURRED THERE.
SO IT'S A COMPLETE LIST.
AND ALMOST -- YEAH, I THINK ALL
OF THEM YOU CAN CLICK ON AND IT
WILL GIVE YOU FULL INFORMATION
ABOUT THAT FAULT ZONE.
SO IF YOU WANT TO LOOK UP ANY
MORE INFORMATION ABOUT ANY OF
THE ONES THAT WE TALK ABOUT
TODAY OR ANY OF THE OTHERS, THIS
IS A GREAT RESOURCE.
SO I'LL GIVE YOU A MOMENT IF
ANYBODY WANTS TO WRITE THAT
DOWN.
OKAY, WELL, WE'RE AT A GOOD TIME
TO TAKE A BREAK, TOO.
SO I'LL JUST LEAVE IT UP THERE
DURING THE BREAK.
>> Heather: OKAY, WELCOME
BACK.
NOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK AT A
COUPLE OF THOSE ACTIVE FAULT
ZONES.
PROBABLY THE MOST FAMOUS AND THE
ONE THAT WE HEAR THE MOST ABOUT
IS THE IS AN ANDREAS FAULT IN
CALIFORNIA.
 -- THE SAN ANDREAS FAULT IN
CALIFORNIA.
IT'S A TRANSFORM FAULT BETWEEN
THE NORTH AMERICAN PLATE AND THE
PACIFIC PLATE.
SO AS WE -- AS I MENTIONED LAST
WEEK, BECAUSE OF THE MOVEMENT --
WELL, A LITTLE TINY PIECE OF
CALIFORNIA IS NOT ON THE NORTH
AMERICAN PLATE.
IT'S ON THE PACIFIC PLATE.
SO EVENTUALLY AT SOME POINT,
NONE OF US WILL BE AROUND, BUT
LOS ANGELES AND SAN FRANCISCO
WILL WIND UP BEING RIGHT NEXT TO
EACH OTHER AND ESSENTIALLY THE
SAME CITY.
AND IT'S A RIGHT LATERAL FAULT.
SO YOU CAN SEE FROM THE RIDGE
HERE, IF YOU WERE STANDING ON
THAT RIDGE AND LOOKING ACROSS
THE FAULT, YOU CAN SEE THAT THE
RIDGE ON THE OTHER SIDE WOULD BE
MOVING SLIGHTLY TO YOUR RIGHT.
IT'S ABOUT 750 MILES LONG.
AND IN AN AVERAGE YEAR, WITHOUT
ANY MAJOR MOVEMENT OR
EARTHQUAKES, IT MOVES SOMEWHERE
AROUND AN INCH.
SO EVERY YEAR THAT GOES BY, IF
YOU WERE LIVING IN SAN FRANCISCO
OR LOS ANGELES, YOU'D BE AN INCH
IN EITHER DIRECTION.
AND IT'S HAD SOME PRETTY
NOTEWORTHY EARTHQUAKES COMING
OUT OF THAT FAULT.
IN 1857, THEY HAD A 7.9
MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE, AND THAT'S
MOMENT MAGNITUDE.
IT ACTUALLY MOVED -- THIS ONE
EVENT, IT MOVED 29 FEET.
SO THAT'S A HUGE AMOUNT OF
MOVEMENT.
AND THEN OF COURSE IN 1906 WE
HAD THE FAMOUS SAN FRANCISCO
EARTHQUAKE, WHICH WAS AN 8.3 ON
THE RICHTER SCALE.
AND THEN WE HAD ANOTHER
EARTHQUAKE IN 1957, WHICH WAS A
5.7.
AND 1989, THE LOMA PRIETA
EARTHQUAKE, WHICH WAS A 6.9.
AND THE LATEST ONE WAS IN 2004,
IT WAS QUITE A BIT SMALLER, IT
WAS ONLY A 6.
SO THE NEW MADRID FAULT ZONE, IS
MAINLY IN MISSOURI.
SO IT'S NOT THAT FAR AWAY FROM
US.
IT'S ABOUT 150 MAILS LONG
AS WELL.
 -- MILES LONG AS WELL AND IT
GOES ALL THE WAY FROM ILLINOIS
DOWN TO ARKANSAS.
IT'S NOT A STRAIGHT LINE, AS YOU
CAN SEE, IT ZIGZAGS A LITTLE
BIT.
IT'S A NORMAL FAULT.
NOW, IT'S INTERESTING ABOUT THIS
ONE, IT'S NOT AT A PLATE
BOUNDARY.
SO IT'S ON THE INTERIOR OF A
PLATE.
SO WHAT HAPPENS THERE IS
THROUGHOUT THE PALEOLITHIC
HISTORY, THE CONTINENT AT SOME
POINT HAD TO HAVE BEEN STRETCHED
OR MAYBE SUTURED TOGETHER,
PLATES ARE NOT STATIC, WE DON'T
ALWAYS HAVE THE SAME TECTONIC
PLATES.
THEY CAN BREAK INTO SMALLER
PLATES.
PLATES CAN BE SUTURED TOGETHER
AS WELL, THEY CAN BE KIND OF
SMUSHED UP AND YOU CAN HAVE SOME
MELTING AND THEY CAN KIND OF,
YOU KNOW, COMPACT AND TWO
SMALLER PLATES CAN BECOME A
LARGER PLATE.
SO WHEN WE SEE FAULTING OF THIS
MAGNITUDE AND A LOT OF ACTIVITY,
ON THEs THIS OF A PLATE, -- ON
THE INSIDE OF A PLATE, WE
GENERALLY START TO THINK THAT
THAT'S AN AREA THAT AT SOME
POINT IN GEOLOGIC HISTORY WAS
EITHER STRETCHED OR USED TO BE A
RIFTING AREA OR SUTURED
TOGETHER, BUT IT HAD SOME KIND
OF A PLATE BOUNDARY OR SOME
MAJOR ACTIVITY GOING ON THERE AT
SOME POINT.
SO IN THIS AREA, THERE WAS A
SERIES OF MASSIVE EARTHQUAKES
BETWEEN 1811 AND 1812.
ONE OF THEM WAS SO INTENSE THAT
IT DISPLACED THE LAND UNDERNEATH
THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER AND IN ONE
LOCATION IT TEMPORARILY REVERSED
THE FLOW OF THE MISSISSIPPI.
IT ALSO COMPLETELY DESTROYED THE
TOWN OF NEW MADRID, MISSOURI.
WHICH IS WHERE THE FAULT GETS
ITS NAME.
SO IT'S POTENTIALLY, IT COULD
POTENTIALLY BE A VERY DAMAGING
EARTHQUAKE IF WE HAVE ANOTHER
BIG ONE THERE, YOU KNOW.
ST. LOUIS IS NOT THAT FAR FROM
IT.
IN THIS FAULT LINE, WE'VE HAD
FOUR OF THE LARGEST EARTHQUAKES
IN U.S. HISTORY.
SO IT CAN PRODUCE SOME PRETTY
POWERFUL EARTHQUAKES.
THE LAST COUPLE TIMES IT'S HAD
ANY ACTIVITY WAS 1968, IT
PRODUCED A 5.4 OUT OF DALE,
ILLINOIS.
AND THEN IN TWO THOUSAND EIGHT
ANOTHER 5.4 IN WEST SALEM,
ILLINOIS.
SO ENOUGH THAT YOU COULD FEEL
IT, MAYBE CAUSE A LITTLE BIT OF
DAMAGE, BUT NOTHING -- NOTHING
TOO GREAT.
AND HERE'S AN INTERESTING STORY
ABOUT THIS FAULT ZONE.
IN 1989 -- WELL, MY DAD WAS IN
THE ARMY, SO WE MOVED CONSTANTLY
WHEN I GREW UP EVERY FEW YEARS.
AND I WAS IN MIDDLE SCHOOL WHEN
WE LIVED IN ST. LOUIS.
SO THIS WAS 1989, 1990.
THERE WAS A SELF-PROCLAIMED
CLIMATOLOGIST, SCIENTIST WHO
CLAIMED THE ENTIRE WORLD THAT
ALL OF THESE MORE RECENT NATURAL
DISASTERS, HE HAD PREDICTED
EVERY SINGLE ONE OF THEM WITHIN
DAYS OR MINUTES OF THEM
OCCURRING, AND THAT HE DID SO BY
WATCHING THE PLANETS AND HOW
THEY ALIGNED.
AND HE WAS EXTREMELY SERIOUS
ABOUT THIS.
AND HE KNEW THAT THE NEW MADRID
FAULT WAS GOING TO PRODUCE AN
EARTHQUAKE, AND HE EVEN KNEW THE
EXACT MAGNITUDE, THE DAY IT WAS
GOING TO OCCUR, AND HE WENT TO
THE MEDIA WITH IT.
SO BEING IN ST. LOUIS AND BEING
CLOSE TO THAT FAULT ZONE, IT WAS
ALL WE HEARD ON THE NEWS.
SO BETWEEN DECEMBER 1st AND
DECEMBER 5th IT WAS SUPPOSED
TO -- WE WERE SUPPOSED TO HAVE
AN EARTHQUAKE THAT WAS LIKE AN
8. SOMETHING, I DON'T REMEMBER
EXACTLY HOW BIG HE SAID IT WAS,
BUT IT WAS GOING TO BE ONE OF
THE LARGEST EARTHQUAKES EVER.
SO I REMEMBER BEING IN SCHOOL
AND FOR MONTHS WE WERE HAVING
EARTHQUAKE DRILLS.
THEY WERE TEACHING US HOW TO
HIDE UNDER OUR DESKS, HOW TO GO
INTO DOORWAYS, WE WERE PREPARED.
SO, YOU KNOW, BEING A KID, I WAS
KIND OF EXCITED, I WAS THINKING,
OKAY, THIS IS GOING TO BE FUN,
YOU KNOW, WE'RE GOING TO HAVE A
BIG EARTHQUAKE.
AND OF COURSE DECEMBER 1-5 CAME
AND WENT, AND THERE WAS NO
EARTHQUAKE.
BEING A KID AND NOT FULLY
UNDERSTANDING HOW BAD THINGS
ARE, YOU KNOW, OF COURSE I WAS A
LITTLE DISAPPOINTED THAT WE
DIDN'T GET THAT GIGANTIC
EARTHQUAKE.
I WANTED TO FEEL THE RUMBLING,
IT SOUNDED FUN.
BUT ANYWAYS, YEAH, SO APPARENTLY
WATCHING THE PLANETS DIDN'T WORK
OUT FOR HIM AND THEN AFTER THAT,
NOBODY EVER HEARD FROM HIM
AGAIN.
SO THAT'S MY INTERESTING NEW
MADRID FAULT STORY.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO TAKE A
LOOK AT A FEW HISTORIC
EARTHQUAKES AND TSUNAMIS.
SO A LOT OF THE WORST
EARTHQUAKES THROUGHOUT HISTORY
HAVE ALSO TRIGGERED TSUNAMIS.
SO USUALLY TIED TOGETHER.
AND ALTHOUGH THERE'S OTHER
THINGS THAT CAUSE SNAPPIES, --
TSUNAMIS THEY'RE ALMOST ALWAYS
CAUSED BY EARTHQUAKES.
SO IN 1906 WE HAD THE
SAN FRANCISCO, THE GREAT
SAN FRANCISCO EARTHQUAKE, ALONG
THE SAN ANDREAS FAULT LINE.
SO LOOKING BACK, THEY ESTIMATE
THAT IT WAS ABOUT AN 11 ON THAT
MERCALLI SCALE FOR DESTRUCTION.
THE MOMENT MAGNITUDE IS 7.9, AND
THE RICHTER MAGNITUDE WOULD HAVE
BEEN 8.3.
SO A VERY, VERY MAJOR
EARTHQUAKE.
AND A COUPLE YEARS AGO, I THINK
IT WAS IN 2018, SOMEBODY
DISCOVERED THIS ACTUAL FOOTAGE
FROM 1906 THAT FILMED THE
EARTHQUAKE AS IT WAS HAPPENING,
AND I WASN'T ABLE TO FIND A
LITTLE, SHORT VIDEO OF JUST THAT
TO SHOW YOU, BUT I DID FIND THIS
NEWS PIECE FROM A SAN FRANCISCO
LOCAL NEWS STATION.
AND THEY TALK ABOUT THE FINDING
OF THE FOOTAGE, BUT THEY ALSO
SHOW SOME OF THE FOOTAGE.
SO THIS TAKES A COUPLE MINUTES.
>> LOST PIECE OF BAY AREA
HISTORY UNEARTHED AT A FLEA
MARKET AND SHOWN FOR THE VERY
FIRST TIME TONIGHT.
>> THE RARE FATTAGE OF
SAN FRANCISCO FOLLOWING THE 1906
EARTHQUAKE WILL END UP IN THE
LIBRARY OF CONGRESS.
ABC'S NEWS REPORTER SHOWS IT TO
YOU FIRST.
- I KNEW THIS WAS GOING TO BE
SPECIAL.
>> DAVID KEAN THREADS THE
PROJECTOR.
- THIS IS THE WAY THEY'VE DONE
IT SINCE THE 1890s REALLY.
- AND HE RESTORED THE FILMS.
THE EDISON THEATER IN NILES IS A
HISTORIC GEM IN AND OF ITSELF,
BUILT IN 1913, CHARLIE CHAP LYNN
USED TO WATCH MOVIES HERE.
THIS PREMIERE IS OF A FILM
NEARLY LOST TO HISTORY.
- THIS IS THE MISSING NILES
BROTHERS FILM.
IT'S BEEN MISSING FOR OVER A
HUNDRED YEARS.
WE KNOW ABOUT ITS EXISTENCE BUT
UNTIL NOW WE'VE NOT KNOWN WHERE
IT IS.
>> THE MILES BROTHERS SHOT TRIP
DOWN MARKET STRAIGHT IN THE DAYS
BEFORE THE 1906 SAN FRANCISCO
EARTHQUAKE AND FIRE.
>> THEY SHOT ALMOST TWO HOURS OF
FILM AFTER THE EARTHQUAKE AND
VERY LITTLE OF IT SURVIVES.
I THINK THIS IS ONE OF THE
LONGEST SURVIVING PIECES.
- THE LOST FOOTAGE WAS
DISCOVERED LAST YEAR AT THE FLEA
MARKET AND IN FRAGILE CONDITION.
>> I JUST SET UP A DIGITAL
CAMERA THAT WOULD TAKE A SINGLE
FRAME FOR EACH FRAME OF THE
FILM.
AND SO 8,655 FRAMES OF FILM
LATER, I WAS ABLE TO PUT IT ON
THE COMPUTER.
>> DESCENDENTS OF THE MYLES
BROTHERS ARE SEEING ITS PUBLIC
DEBUT.
>> IT'S JUST BLOWINGTHY MY MIND,
THIS WHOLE PART OF MY FAMILY
HISTORY THAT I GREW UP NOT
KNOWING ABOUT.
>> IT'S LIKE A BOOK END TO THE
MAR SET STREET.
>> IT BE CONVERTED TO FILM SO IT
WILL LAST ANOTHER HUNDRED YEARS.
>> IT'S JUST SCARY TO THINK
THERE'S SOMETHING LIKE THAT OUT
THERE THAT WE ALMOST MISSED.
MAKES YOU WONDER WHAT ELSE IS
OUT THERE.
>> AFTER BEING SHOWN IN JUNE AT
THE SF SILENT FILM FESTIVAL IT
WILL BE POSTED ONLINE.
>> IT REALLY IS PRICELESS --
>> FOR EVERYONE TO SEE.
>> Heather: IN 1960 IN CHILE,
THERE WAS THE MOST POWERFUL
EARTHQUAKE THAT WAS EVER
RECORDED.
NOW, CHILE GETS A LOT OF ACTION
GEOLOGICALLY SPEAKING.
THERE'S A LOT OF VOLCANOS,
THERE'S A LOT OF EARTHQUAKES,
AND THE REASON WHY IS THEY'RE
SITTING ON THE WEST COAST OF
SOUTH AMERICA RIGHT AT A MAJOR
SUBDUCTION ZONE.
A VERY ACTIVE SUBDUCTION ZONE.
SO THERE'S A LOT OF MOVEMENT,
AND IT'S COMING FROM DEEP WITHIN
THE EARTH.
SO IT'S PROBABLY NOT THE BEST
PLACE TO LIVE.
BUT, YEAH, IN 1960 THEY HAD --
IT WAS THE WORST ONE EVER
RECORDED.
IT WAS A MEGATHRUST, SO THAT'S
AT A SUBDUCTION ZONE.
SO THEY'RE VERY INTENSE.
SO AS IT'S SUBDUCTING DOWN, IT
GETS STUCK, AND PRETTY SOON LIKE
THAT.
SO YOU GET A LOT OF DESTRUCTION
FROM THESE TYPES.
IT CAUSED A TSUNAMI OF COURSE.
AND THE TSUNAMI WAS SO GREAT
THAT IT TRAVELED ALL THE WAY
ACROSS THE PACIFIC OCEAN AND HIT
JAPAN.
ON THE MOMENT MAGNITUDE SCALE IT
WAS A 9.5.
AND FOR INTENSITY, IT WAS A 12.
SO THE DESTRUCTION OF CITIES AND
HUMAN LIFE, IT WAS AS HIGH
AS YOU CAN GO ON THAT PARTICULAR
SCALE.
IT KILLED 5,700 PEOPLE, AND
58,000 HOMES WERE DESTROYED.
AND I FOUND THIS LITTLE PIECE.
IT'S A BRITISH NEWS PIECE, BUT
IT'S ACTUAL FOOTAGE FROM 1960.
>> CHILE PAYS THE TERRIBLE HUMAN
PRICE IT COSTS FOR THE EARTH
ITSELF TO CHANGE ITS FORM
SUDDENLY, RENT BY A SERIES OF
SHATTERING EARTHQUAKES THE LAND
AND ITS DWELLINGS ARE CRUMBLED
AND CRACKED AS SANCTUARY REMAINS
WHERE A HOUSE OF WORSHIP WAS
PARTIALLY SPARED AND A WOMAN
PRAYS FOR LOST FAMILY AND
TRENDS.
NEARLY 5,000 DEAD OR MISSING IN
THE DISASTER.
SAFE DRINKING WATER BECOMES A
PRECIOUS COMMODITY FOR THE
SURVIVORS.
THE DANGERS OF INFECTION, OF
HUNGER, AND COLD ARE CRITICAL
FOR THOSE LEFT ALIVE IN THE
HARDEST-HIT CITIES.
FOREIGN COUNTRIES HELP THE
CHILEAN GOVERNMENT WITH
EMERGENCY SUPPLIES.
THE UNITED STATES SENT MEDICINE,
FOOD AND CLOTHING, IN ADDITION
TO DOCTORS, NURSES AND TWO FULLY
EQUIPPED ARMY FIELD HOSPITALS.
[ DRAW MATTING I MUSIC ]
[ DRAMATIC MUSIC ]
THE MERCY OPERATION HELPED MEET
THE IMMEDIATE CRISIS.
STILL TO BE FACED ARE MONTH,
EVEN YEARS OF HARDSHIP BEFORE
CHILE CAN EXPECT TO BE WELL ON
THE WAY TO FULL RECOVERY.
>> Heather: AND IF YOU'RE
INTERESTED IN WATCHING MORE
ABOUT THAT PARTICULAR
EARTHQUAKE, IF YOU GO TO
YOUTUBE, AND JUST SEARCH FOR
1960 CHILE, THERE'S A TON OF
VIDEOS THAT COME UP WITH A LOT
OF FOOTAGE, A LOT OF INFORMATION
AND SOME OF THEM GO INTO THE
GEOLOGY OF WHAT HAPPENED
AS WELL.
THE 1964 ALASKA EARTHQUAKE WAS
ANOTHER MEGATHRUST.
ALASKA SITS ON ANOTHER SUB
DESTRUCTION ZONE, IT'S NOT QUITE
AS ACTIVE AS THE ONE IN CHILE.
IT DOESN'T SEEM TO CAUSE AS MANY
VOLCANOS OR EARTHQUAKES OR TO
THE EXTENT THAT YOU SEE IN
CHILE.
BUT IT IS STILL QUITE ACTIVE.
AND THAT PARTICULAR EARTHQUAKE
WAS THE MOST POWERFUL EARTHQUAKE
THAT WAS EVER RECORDED IN U.S.
HISTORY.
AND IT'S THE SECOND-MOST
POWERFUL RECORDED IN WORLD
HISTORY.
SO THE ONLY ONE GREATER THAN
THAT WAS THE 1960 WALK QUAKE IN
CHILE.
 -- 1960 EARTHQUAKE IN CHILE.
SO ITS MOMENT MAGNITUDE WAS 9.2
AND ON THE RICHTER IT WAS 8.5.
SO THAT'S A VERY, VERY STRONG
EARTHQUAKE.
AND THE MAX INTENSITY WAS AN 11.
SO IT'S ONLY ONE LOWER THAN THE
EARTHQUAKE IN CHILE.
SO IT CAUSED MASSIVE
DESTRUCTION.
131 PEOPLE WERE KILLED.
AND ONCE AGAIN, IT CREATED A
TSUNAMI AS WELL.
AND IT STARTED IN SHOUP BAY IN
ALASKA AND IT WAS ABOUT 220 FEET
HIGH.
BUT THE TSUNAMI ACTUALLY WENT
ALL ACROSS THE OCEAN AND IT HIT
20 SEPARATE COUNTRIES.
NOW, THIS LITTLE VIDEO IS FROM
THE USGS, SO IT GIVES SOME
REALLY GOOD GEOLOGICAL
INFORMATION ABOUT THIS
PARTICULAR EARTHQUAKE.
>> EVERYTHING WAS IN CHAOS.
>> Heather: AND AS WE
MENTIONED IN THE VIDEO, THAT WAS
BEFORE THE THEORY OF PLATE
TECTONICS WAS FULLY ACCEPTED,
AND AS YOU REMEMBER FROM LAST
WEEK, IT WAS HARRY HESS DURING
WORLD WAR II THAT STARTED TO PUT
THIS THEORY TOGETHER.
AND ALTHOUGH THE THEORY EXISTED
IN THE '06s, IT WASN'T -- IN
THE '60s IT WASN'T WIDELY
ACCEPTED.
IT WASN'T UNIVERSE HILL ACCEPTED
UNTIL THE VERY LATE '60s.
SO WHEN I WAS GETTING MY
BACHELOR'S DEGREE IN GEOLOGY, I
ACTUALLY HAD A FEW PROFESSORS
WHO WERE WORKING GEOLOGISTS IN
THE '60s BEFORE PLATE
TECTONICS, SO IT WAS REALLY
INTERESTING TO GET TO TALK TO
THEM AND FIND OUT THE THEORIES
AND THE BELIEFS BEFORE PLATE
TECTONICS.
SO THAT EARTHQUAKE OCCURRED AT A
VERY, VERY INTERESTING TIME, AND
ALTHOUGH IT WAS DEVASTATING, IT
ACTUALLY HELPED SCIENCE AND THE
FIELD OF GEOLOGY QUITE A BIT.
IN 2001 IN GUJARAT, INDIA, THERE
WAS A MAJOR EARTHQUAKE.
IT WAS A REVERSE FAULT.
AND IT'S ANOTHER INTERESTING ONE
BECAUSE IT'S NOT ON A PLATE
BOUNDARY, IT'S ANOTHER ONE
THAT'S INLAND, INSIDE THE PLATE
BOUNDARY.
SO U.S. SCIENTISTS ARE VERY
INTERESTED IN STUDYING THIS ONE.
IT COULD HELP -- IT COULD HELP
WITH SOME INFORMATION, SOME
KNOWLEDGE ABOUT SOME OF THE
FAULT ZONES THAT WE HAVE IN THE
U.S. THAT ARE ON THE INTERIOR.
SO IT WAS A MOMENT MAGNITUDE OF
7.7.
AND IT WAS A 10 ON THE MERCALLU
SCALE FOR INTENSITY AND
DESTRUCTION.
IT KILLED A LOT OF PEOPLE,
THOUGH, 20,000 WERE KILLED, AND
166,000 WERE INJURED.
ONE OF THE REASONS WHY THE DEATH
TOLL AND THE INJURIES WERE SO
HIGH WITH THIS EARTHQUAKE WAS
THE FACT THAT IN INDIA THEY
WEREN'T AT THAT TIME THEY
WEREN'T BUILDING THEIR BUILDINGS
AND THEIR SKYSCRAPERS TO
EARTHQUAKE SPECIFICATIONS.
NOT QUITE THE SAME STANDARDS
AS OTHER COUNTRIES THAT WERE
PRONE TO EARTHQUAKES LIKE IN THE
U.S., LIKE IN CALIFORNIA.
SO THE BUILDINGS WEREN'T BUILT
AS WELL.
 FOR AN EARTHQUAKE-PRONE
AREA.
SO THERE WAS A LOT OF
DESTRUCTION, A LOT OF DAMAGE TO
THESE BUILDINGS.
WHICH LED TO A LOT OF PEOPLE
DEAD.
[ OFF MIC ]
>> Heather: OH.
[ OFF MIC ]
>> Heather: YEAH, SHE
MENTIONED THAT IT HAPPENED AT
NIGHTTIME AND THAT -- THAT DOES
REALLY AFFECT IT AS WELL BECAUSE
PEOPLE ARE SLEEPING WHEN YOU
START SHAKING, AND IT TAKES YOU
AWHILE TO FIGURE OUT WHAT IS
GOING ON.
THE COUPLE OF TIMES THAT I'VE
EXPERIENCED AN EARTHQUAKE, THEY
WERE VERY MILD, BUT -- AND THAT
WAS DURING THE DAY WHEN I'M
AWARE OF THINGS.
BUT IT TAKES YOU A MINUTE TO
REALLY COMPREHEND, YOU KNOW,
WHAT'S GOING ON.
YOU KIND OF LIKE, WHAT'S THAT.
AND THEN, YOU KNOW, EARTHQUAKES,
MAJOR ONES CAN HAPPEN SO FAST,
BY THE TIME YOU REALIZE WHAT'S
GOING ON, YOU KNOW, THINGS ARE
FALLING.
AND THEN A MORE RECENT ONE IS
THE 2004 EARTHQUAKE IN SUMATRA
IN INDONESIA.
IT WAS THE THIRD DEADLIEST
EARTHQUAKE EVER RECORDED.
AND, AGAIN, THIS IS A THRUST
FAULT, IT WAS BETWEEN THE INDIA
PLATE AND THE BURMA MICROPLATE.
SO WHAT A MICROPLATE IS, IS IT'S
WHEN A LITTLE PIECE BREAKS OFF
OF A BIG -- A NORMAL PLATE.
SO IT ACTS LIKE A PLATE ITSELF,
BUT IT'S A MUCH SMALLER VERSION
OF A PLATE.
SO THIS OCCURRED BETWEEN THE
INDIA PLATE AND THE BURMA PLATE.
AND A THRUST FAULT IS -- IT'S
JUST LIKE A REVERSE FAULT EXCEPT
THE ANGLE IS MUCH SMALLER.
SO INSTEAD OF BEING LIKE MAYBE
LIKE THAT, YOU'LL BE ALMOST FLAT
TO 45 DEGREES.
SO THAT'S WHY IT'S CALLED A
THRUST FAULT, BECAUSE BASICALLY
IT LOOKS MORE LIKE ONE -- ONE
CRUST IS BEING THRUST UP ON TOP
OF THE OTHER.
SO IT'S MOMENT MAGNITUDE WAS
9.3.
AND THE MAXIMUM INTENSITY WAS A
9.
SO SOME OF THE OTHER ONES WERE A
LOT GREATER IN THEIR
DESTRUCTION, BUT THIS WAS STILL
A REALLY BAD ONE.
AND IT KILLED 230,000.
IT WAS -- AND THE REASON WHY THE
DEATH TOLL IS SO HIGH IS BECAUSE
IT CREATED A TSUNAMI THAT WAS
THE DEADLIEST TSUNAMI IN
HISTORY.
IT REACHED AFRICA, SRI LANKA,
MYANMAR, THAILAND.
AND I DIDN'T INCLUDE IT, BUT IF
YOU WANT TO SEE ANY ACTUAL
FOOTAGE OF THE TSUNAMI, YOU CAN
FIND IT ON YouTube.
A LOT OF PEOPLE ESPECIALLY A LOT
OF TOURISTS WHO WERE THERE AT
THE TIME IN THESE COUNTRIES WERE
FILMING THE TSUNAMIS COMING IN,
AND I DIDN'T INCLUDE ANY ON
PURPOSE BECAUSE IT DOES SHOW
PEOPLE GETTING KILLED BY THE
TSUNAMI, MOST OF THEM.
SO IT CAN BE A LITTLE
DEPRESSING, SO I THOUGHT, YOU
KNOW, I'LL LEAVE THAT PART OUT.
BUT IF YOU'D LIKE TO SEE IT, IT
IS PRETTY INTERESTING TO SEE.
HOW THE WATER RETREATS AND THEN
COMES IN AND HOW FAST AND HOW
POWERFUL IT COMES IN.
FOR MOST PEOPLE, THERE WAS
JUST -- IF YOU DON'T REALIZE
THAT IT'S GOING TO OCCUR, YOU
CAN'T GET AWAY FROM IT.
THE INTERESTING THING ABOUT THIS
PARTICULAR EARTHQUAKE IS THAT IT
AFFECTED AND REACHED EVERY PART
OF THE GLOBE.
EVEN IF YOU DIDN'T ACTUALLY HAVE
A TSUNAMI WHERE YOU WERE AND YOU
DIDN'T ACTUALLY FEEL ANY
SHAKING, IT STILL -- IT STILL
REACHED THERE.
RIGHT HERE IN WICHITA, IT
REACHED.
WE MAY NOT HAVE FELT IT, BUT IT
ACTUALLY REACHED HERE.
AND OUR STATE ACTUALLY ROSE AND
FELL A CENTIMETER, SO IT'S NOT
MUCH, BUT IT ROSE AND FELL A
CENTIMETER OVER THE COURSE OF
ABOUT AN HOUR, AND THIS HAPPENED
FOR MONTHS.
IT JUST KEPT GOING ON WITH THE
AFTERSHOCKS.
SO IF YOU'RE ONLY MOVING A
CENTIMETER IN ABOUT AN HOUR,
IT'S PROBABLY PRETTY IMPOSSIBLE
TO RECOGNIZE OR FEEL ANY OF
THAT.
BUT WITH INSTRUMENTS, IT WAS
RECORDED.
NOW, THE AFTERSHOCKS, THEY
ACTUALLY WERE FELT IN ALASKA.
SO TO GO ALL THE WAY FROM
INDONESIA TO ALASKA, THAT'S A
PRETTY STRONG EARTHQUAKE.
SO HERE'S A VIDEO THAT WAS TAKEN
IN SUMATRA THAT SHOWS WHEN THE
EARTHQUAKE ACTUALLY HIT AND
THINGS THAT ARE SHAKING AND
FALLING.
SO IT DOESN'T COVER THE TSUNAMI,
IT'S JUST GOING TO SHOW THE
EARTHQUAKE.
[ SCREAMS ]
[ NON-ENGLISH SPEAKING ]
>> Heather: AND, AGAIN,
THERE'S A LOT OF VIDEOS ON THE
INTERNET THAT SHOW THE
AFTERMATH.
IT'S A LITTLE MORE DIFFICULT TO
FIND VIDEOS THAT ACTUALLY SHOW
THE EARTHQUAKES AND THE TSUNAMIS
ACTUALLY OCCURRING.
OKAY, SO EARTHQUAKE PREDICTION.
SO HOW GOOD ARE WE AT PREDICTING
EARTHQUAKES?
WELL, WE'VE GOTTEN A LOT BETTER,
ESPECIALLY WITH TECHNOLOGY.
BUT IT'S OBVIOUSLY NOT PERFECT,
OTHERWISE THERE WOULD NEVER BE
EARTHQUAKES THAT KILL PEOPLE.
THERE MIGHT BE -- I MEAN THE
EARTHQUAKES WOULD STILL OCCUR,
IT MIGHT DAMAGE THE CITY, BUT
WE'D BE EVACUATED LONG BEFORE IT
EVER OCCURRED.
IF PREDICTION WAS ACCURATE.
SO THERE'S SEVERAL WAYS THAT
SCIENTISTS TRY TO PREDICT
EARTHQUAKES.
ONE WAY THAT WAS THOUGHT TO HAVE
A LOT OF PROMISE WAS LOOKING
INTO THE PRECURSORS, OR THE
GEOLOGIC ACTIVITIES THAT OCCUR
BEFORE AN EARTHQUAKE HITS.
SO THEY WERE LOOK AT SMALL
CRACKS AND LITTLE TREMORS THAT
OCCUR, AND THE PROBLEM WITH
TRYING TO PREDICT A LARGE
EARTHQUAKE OFF LITTLE TREMORS
IS, REMEMBER THE EARTHQUAKE IS
THE RELEASE OF ALL THAT ENERGY.
SO IF YOU'RE HAVING THESE LITTLE
EARTHQUAKES CONSTANTLY, I MEAN
INTUITIVELY YOU WOULD THINK, OH,
THAT MEANS, YOU KNOW, THE BIG
EARTHQUAKE IS COMING.
BUT IT ACTUALLY MEANS THE
OPPOSITE.
THAT PROBABLY IT'S NOT BECAUSE
THE LITTLE ONES, EVERY TIME YOU
HAVE A LITTLE ONE, YOU'RE
RELEASING SOME OF THAT ENERGY.
SO IT DOESN'T -- WHEN AN
EARTHQUAKE, A LARGER EARTHQUAKE
OCCURS, IT DOESN'T HAVE AS MUCH
BUILT-UP ENERGY.
SO YOU'RE NOT GOING TO GET THE
BIG ONE IF YOU'RE HAVING LITTLE
ONES THAT COME BEFORE IT.
NOW, THAT'S NOT TO SAY IT
COULDN'T BE DAMAGING, IT
COULDN'T BE A LARGER EARTHQUAKE.
BUT IF YOU'RE HAVING SMALLER
ONES BEFORE IT, IT'S NOT GOING
TO BE AS LARGE AS IF YOU WEREN'T
HAVING THEM.
THEY ALSO CAN LOOK AT CHANGES IN
THE PROPERTIES OF THE ROCK, EVEN
THE MAGNETISM AND DIFFERENT
THINGS THAT ARE HAPPENING IN THE
ROCK.
THEY THOUGHT, WELL, YOU KNOW,
THEY WERE TRYING TO LINK THAT TO
WHEN EARTHQUAKES OCCUR.
INCREASED POROSITY OR WATER
LEVEL THIS WELLS OR IN THE
ROCKS.
WHEN ROCKS THAT HAVE POROSITY,
THEY HAVE A CERTAIN AMOUNT OF
PERMEABILITY IN THEM.
IN OTHER WORDS, HOW THE LITTLE
HOLES ARE CONNECTED, HOW THE
WATER CAN MOVE THROUGH THE
ROCKS.
IF YOU HAVE A HOLE HERE AND YOU
HAVE ONE HERE BUT THEY'RE
ENTIRELY SURROUNDED BY ROCK,
THAT WATER'S TRAPPED.
IT'S NOT GOING TO FLOW OUT.
SO IF YOU'RE -- IF YOU'RE HAVING
LITTLE EARTHQUAKES AND YOU'RE
SORT OF CRACKING THAT, THEN THE
WATER IS GOING TO HAVE A WAY TO
COME OUT, OR EVEN TO RISE UP
INTO THE ROCK AS WELL FROM DOWN
BELOW.
SO ANY CHANGES IN THE WATER
LEVEL, IN WELLS OR IN THESE
ROCKS, THEY WERE LOOKING AT
THAT.
THEY WERE ALSO LOOKING AT THE
RELEASE OF RADON GAS BECAUSE
AS YOU CRACK THESE ROCKS, A LOT
OF THEM ARE RADON-OBTAINING AND
THEY WOULD START RELEASING --
RADON-CONTAINING AND THEY WOULD
START RELEASING MORE GAS.
THEY WERE LOOKING AT HOW IN
CERTAIN AREAS THE SURFACE OF THE
EARTH IS TILTING OR CHANGING.
SO IF YOU GOT THINGS MOVING
AROUND, YOU KNOW, ANGLES ARE
GOING TO CHANGE HOW THINGS ARE
TILTED, ELEVATION, THINGS ARE
GOING TO BE MOVING A LITTLE BIT
UP AND DOWN.
AND THEN AN INTERESTING ONE, AND
THIS WASN'T IS MUCH U.S.
GEOLOGISTS, BUT CHINESE
GEOLOGISTS WERE LOOKING INTO
ANIMAL BEHAVIOR AS A PREDICTION
WHEN SNAKES START TO LEAVE THEIR
HOLES OR ANIMALS START ACTING
AGITATED OR THEY START LEAVING
THE AREA.
ALSO A LOT OF NATIVE PEOPLE
WATCH THE ANIMALS, AND THEY CAN
TELL BEFORE A TSUNAMI HITS
AS WELL.
SO IT'S A GOOD INDICATOR, BUT
IT'S NOT SOMETHING THAT YOU CAN
ACTUALLY MAKE A GOOD PREDICTION
OFF OF.
SO THESE METHODS, THEY WERE
THOUGHT TO BE VERY PROMISING,
THEY WERE LOOKED INTO, AND
NOTHING GREAT REALLY CAME FROM
ANY OF THEM.
THEY WEREN'T MUCH HELP.
SO, OH, AND IN THE IMAGE, THAT
IS IN LAS VEGAS, AND THAT LITTLE
THING, IT RECORDS LIKE THE
VIBRATIONS, AND WHAT THEY'RE
HOPING TO DO WITH THAT IS IF
THINGS START TO VIBRATE, IT'S
LIKE AN EARLY DETECTION SYSTEM
AND THEY COULD EVACUATE
LAS VEGAS.
SO WHETHER THAT WOULD WORK THAT
WAY OR NOT IS YET TO BE SEEN.
SO THERE'S NO REALLY, REALLY
GOOD WAY OF PREDICTING
EARTHQUAKES YET, ALTHOUGH WE ARE
GETTING A LITTLE BIT BETTER.
SO PALEOSEISMOLOGY.
THIS HAS BEEN THE MOST PROMISING
SO FAR.
SO WHAT PALEOSEISMOLOGISTS ARE
DOING, SO THESE ARE GEOLOGISTS
STUDYING EARTHQUAKES THAT
OCCURRED FAR IN THE GEOLOGIC
PAST OF EARTH.
SO THEY LOOK AT A FAULT LINE
THAT'S ACTIVE AND THEY DIG DOWN
AND THEY RECORD DATA AND THEY
LOOK FOR SIGNS OF WHEN OTHER
EARTHQUAKES OCCURRED A LONG THAT
FAULT LINE.
AND THEY ALMEASURE SOME OF THE
TECTONIC -- THEY ALSO MEASURE
SOME OF THE TECTONIC STRESS
THAT'S BUILDING UP IN SOME OF
THE ROCK.
AND THESE WAYS ARE THE MOST
PROMISING SO FAR.
AND THIS IS A LITTLE VIDEO OF A
PALEOSEISMOLOGIST WORKING ALONG
THE NEW MADRID FAULT ZONE.
AND YOU CAN SEE HOW SHE'S TAKING
SOME DATA RECORDINGS AND WHAT
SHE'S LOOKING FOR.
>> SCIENTISTS ARE INVESTIGATING
THE PAST IN THE HOPE OF GIVING
PEOPLE SOME WARNING BEFORE THE
IMMINENT MEGA DIASTER.
SCATTERED ACROSS THE NEW MADRID
ZONE THERE ARE SCARS OF PAST
SEISMIC ERUPTIONS, SAND BLOWS
THAT FORMED DURING THE 1811-1812
QUAKE STILL DOT THE LANDSCAPE
AND MAKE IT DIFFICULT TO GROW A
SOLID FIELD OF COTTON.
>> THE SAND BLOWS ARE VERY
COMMON ESPECIALLY IN THE HEART
OF THE NEW MADRID SEISMIC ZONE
CLOSE TO THE NEW MADRID FAULTS.
>> PALEOSEISMOLOGISTS MORTITICIA
TUTTLE DIGS INTO SAND BLOWS
SEARCHING FOR CLUES AS TO THE
FREQUENCY OF THE PAST QUAKES.
>> I STARTED WORKING IN THE NEW
MADRID SEISMIC ZONE IN 1991, AND
AT THE TIME THE CONVENTIONAL
WISDOM WAS THAT NO PRIOR NEW
MADRID EVENTS HAD OCCURRED FOR
10,000 YEARS.
>> TODAY, PROFESSOR TUTTLE JOINS
ARCHEOLOGIST MARIAN HAYNES TO
EXCAVATE A TRENCH IN THE MIDDLE
OF A COTTON FIELD.
DIGGING INTO THE SOIL THEY
UNCOVER A VERY LARGE SAND BLOW.
- FOUND IT!
THE SAND BLOW STARTS HERE!
IT'S THIN!
IT'S GETTING THICKER.
THE BURIED SOIL IS ABOUT 4 FEET
DEEP.
HERE'S ANOTHER BEAUTIFUL VENT
AREA.
THE SAND BLOW'S THINNING AND IT
ENDS ABOUT THERE.
- THIS SAND BLOW IS MORE THAN 6.
>> THE EXACT MAGNITUDE OF THE
1811-1812 EVENTS IS DEBATABLE,
BUT THE EFFECTS THAT IT HAD IN
THE NEW MADRID SEISMIC ZONE ARE
IRREFUTABLE AND COME TO THE
FIELD AND SEE THE GROUND FAILURE
THAT OCCURRED, THE SAND BLOWS
THAT FORMED, AND YOU'LL SEE THAT
THESE WERE NO SMALL EVENTS.
THIS WOULD BE THE PLOW ZONE.
AND THAT'S AN AGRICULTURAL
HORIZON RESULTING FROM PLOWING
OF THE FIELDS.
THIS SAND BLOW FORMED IN
1811-1812 BECAUSE THERE'S
ESSENTIALLY NO SOIL LEFT ABOVE
IT.
THE PLOWING OF THE FIELDS HAS
DESTROYED WHAT LITTLE SOIL HAD
DEVELOPED.
AND IT TAKES TIME TO DEVELOP A
SOIL.
- PROFESSOR TUTTLE SUSPECTS
THERE MAY BE DEEPER PREHISTORIC
SAND BLOWS THAT MAY HOLD
EVIDENCE OF EARLIER QUAKES.
TO LOCATE OLDER SITES, SHE
BRINGS IN A GROUND PENETRATING
RADAR SPECIALIST.
AFTER ROPING OFF A GRID, JAMIE
DRAGS THE RADAR ANTENNA OVER THE
GROUND.
THE RADAR MEASURES SOIL
RESISTANCE AND PRODUCES THIS
IMAGE OF THE SUBTERRANEAN WORLD.
PROFESSOR TUTTLE SUSPECTS THESE
WHITE AREAS ARE SAND BLOWS.
EXCAVATING AT THIS SITE, SHE
FIND AT VERY UNUSUAL PATTERN IN
THIS SAND BLOW, SOIL WITH NATIVE
AMERICAN ARTIFACTS, A LAYER
KNOWN AS AN OCCUPATION HORIZON.
>> Heather: SO AS YOU CAN SEE,
THERE'S A GREAT MANY YEARS TO GO
ON STUDYING THESE, AND WHO
KNOWS.
I DON'T KNOW THAT WE'LL EVER BE
ABLE TO PREDICT NATURAL
DISASTERS ENTIRELY.
SO SOME MITIGATION AND SURVIVAL
TIPS.
SO THE BEST MITIGATION SO FAR
HAS BEEN IMPROVED BUILDING
CODES, STRONGER ROOFS, BUILD ON
STABLE BEDROCK.
BUT THERE'S ALSO BASE ISOLATION,
WHICH IS BASICALLY BUILDING
BUILDINGS ON SHOCK ABSORBERS.
AND THIS IS FREQUENTLY DONE NOW
IN ACTIVE AREAS.
AND IT'S NOT JUST FOR NEW
BUILDINGS.
OLD HISTORIC BUILDINGS, THEY'RE
GOING DOWN AND PUTTING THEM
UNDERNEATH, AND THIS IS A STAFF
OF SALT LAKE CITY AND COUNTY
BUILDING, AND THEY WENT DOWN.
AS YOU THE SEE, IT'S A VERY
BEAUTIFUL BUILDING, THEY
WOULDN'T WANT DAMAGED.
AND THEY WENT UNDERNEATH IT AND
THEY STABILIZED IT WITH THESE
BLOCKS THAT ABSORB THE SHOCK
WHEN AN EARTHQUAKE HITS.
SO THERE'S WAYS TO BUILD THINGS
BETTER AND HELP PREVENT SOME OF
THE DAMAGE THAT OCCURS.
NOW, IF YOU'RE EVER IN AN
EARTHQUAKE, ESPECIALLY A BAD
ONE, AND IT'S A POSSIBILITY IN
THIS AREA, IF YOU'RE INDOORS YOU
WANT TO MAKE SURE THAT YOU GET
UNDER A DESK, A TABLE, A BED, A
DOORWAY, YOU WANT SOME KIND OF
STRUCTURE OVER THE TOP OF YOU TO
PROTECT YOURSELF FROM THINGS
FALLING.
AND YOU DO NOT WANT TO USE AN
ELEVATOR.
IF YOU'RE OUTDOORS, OF COURSE
YOU WANT TO STAY AWAY FROM
ANYTHING THAT CAN FALL ON YOU,
AND THIS MAY NOT AND BE
POSSIBLE.
IN SOME OF THE VIDEOS WE SAW,
PEOPLE JUST SCRAMBLE EVERYWHERE
BECAUSE IT'S NOT POSSIBLE.
AND THEN YOU DEFINITELY DO NOT
WANT TO DRIVE.
DON'T DRIVE ANYWHERE.
AFTER AN EARTHQUAKE, IF YOU'RE
IN YOUR HOME, YOU WANT TO MAKE
SURE THAT YOU GO AND YOU TURN
YOUR GAS OFF.
ONLY USE PORTABLE RADIOS.
YOU DON'T WANT TO USE YOUR
ELECTRIC FOR A LITTLE WHILE
UNTIL YOU KNOW IT'S SAFE.
SAME THING WITH YOUR WATER
SUPPLY.
AND AFTERWARDS, WHEN YOU KNOW
EVERYTHING IS SAFE, YOU WANT TO
CHECK YOUR HOME FOR DAMAGE OR
HAVE A PROFESSIONAL DO THAT.
OKAY, SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO LOOK
AT A LITTLE BIT OF LOCAL SEISMIC
ACTIVITY.
SO KANSAS EARTHQUAKES.
SO THE LAST -- NOW, THESE ARE
NOT EARTHQUAKES THAT WERE FELT
IN KANSAS, BUT THESE ARE
EARTHQUAKES THAT ACTUALLY THE
EPICENTER, THE FOCUS WAS IN
KANSAS.
SO THEY WERE TRUE KANSAS
EARTHQUAKES.
SO THE LAST MAJOR EARTHQUAKE
THAT WAS IN KANSAS WAS
APRIL 24th, 1867, NEAR
MANHATTAN, KANSAS.
SO IT WAS DUE TO THE HUMBOLDT
FAULT ZONE, WHICH IS AN ACTIVE
FAULT ZONE IN KANSAS.
IT RUNS ALL THE WAY FROM OMAHA
DOWN TO OKLAHOMA CITY.
IT'S RIGHT UP AGAINST AN ANCIENT
PRE-CAMBRIAN ANTICLINE OF
GRANITE, WHICH IS IN OUR
BEDROCK, AN AN ANTICLINE
BASICALLY IS WHEN YOU'VE HAD
SOME PRESSURE AT SOME POINT AND
THE ROCKS ARE SORT OF SQUISHED
AND THEY COME UP INTO LIKE AN
A-SHAPE.
AND THE FAULT RUNS RIGHT NEXT TO
THAT.
SO AT SOME POINT IN OUR TECTONIC
HISTORY, WE WERE VERY ACTIVE
THERE.
IT POSSIBLY COULD HAVE BEEN SOME
KIND OF A PLATE BOUNDARY AT ONE
TIME.
BUT THIS 1 1867 EARTHQUAKE WAS A
MOMENT MAGNITUDE OF 5.1.
SO IT WAS A GOOD SIZE, BUT NOT
TOO BAD.
MAXIMUM INTENSITY WAS A 7.
SO IT WAS VERY STRONG, BUT IT
WASN'T EXTREME LIKE SOME OF THE
OTHERS.
THERE WERE SEVERAL PEOPLE
INJURED.
THERE WERE NO DEATHS FROM IT
THAT WERE RECORDED.
BUT IT WAS FELT OVER
200,000 MILES.
SO IT PRODUCED SOME PRETTY GOOD
SIZED MCWAVES.
NOW, EVEN THOUGH THAT'S A LARGE
FAULT AND IT'S ACTIVE, THERE'S
ONLY A 1% OR LOWER RISK FOR A
MAJOR EARTHQUAKE ALONG THAT
FAULT ZONE.
 TO OCCUR.
BUT SCIENTISTS STILL SAY THAT
THERE'S A POSSIBILITY THAT IT
COULD PRODUCE AN EARTHQUAKE OF
7.0.
SO THAT'S A PRETTY GOOD SIZE.
SO THE POSSIBILITY IS THERE.
IT JUST IS VERY LOW AND THAT
EARTHQUAKE, THAT WAS THE ONLY
TIME IN RECORDED HISTORY THAT
THERE WAS EVER A MAJOR
EARTHQUAKEO SAYSUATED WITH IT
THE.
 -- EARTHQUAKE ASSOCIATED WITH
IT.
NOW, NOT FAR FROM THERE IS THE
TUTTLE CREEK RESERVOIR.
SO IF WE WERE TO HAVE ONE NOW,
IT WOULD PROBABLY BREAK THE DAM
AND THERE WOULD BE A LOT OF
FLOODING.
AND ONCE WE'RE ABLE TO TRAVEL
AGAIN, IF ANY OF YOU WANT LIKE A
QUICK LITTLE EXCURSION, GOING TO
THE TUTTLE CREEK RESERVOIR IS A
REALLY FUN EXPERIENCE ESPECIALLY
ONCE YOU'VE LEARNED A LITTLE BIT
ABOUT EARTHQUAKES AND FAULTS.
THERE IS AN OVERLOOK THAT YOU
CAN GO TO THERE THAT YOU MIGHT
WANT TO BRING BINOCULARS BECAUSE
IS IT A LITTLE WAYS AWAY BUT YOU
CAN LOOK OUT AND SEE THIS
ANCIENT FAULT LAIN ALL THE WAY
THROUGH THIS MASSIVE BED OF
ROCK.
SO IT'S VERY INTERESTING.
IT'S A FUN LITTLE EXCURSION TO
GO AND DO.
AND THEY'VE GOT SIGNS UP
EXPLAINING THE WHOLE --
EVERYTHING THAT YOU'RE LOOKING
AT, SO...
OKAY.
THESE ARE THE LATEST KANSAS
EARTHQUAKES.
SO EVEN THOUGH WE DON'T HEAR
ABOUT IT AND WE REALLY DON'T
FEEL IT, WE STILL HAVE
EARTHQUAKES OCCURRING ALMOST
EVERY DAY.
THE LAST FEW WERE AUGUST 3,
WHICH WAS A MAGNITUDE 2.4 IN
SMITH COUNTY, AND THE LIST GOES
BACK EVERY FEW DAYS.
SO VERY, VERY SMALL, UNEVENTFUL
EARTHQUAKES, PROBABLY NOBODY
FELT THEM BUT THEY DID OCCUR.
AND THIS IS A MAP FROM THE KGS,
THE KANSAS GEOLOGICAL SURVEY,
WHERE THEY KEEP TRACK OF ALL THE
EARTHQUAKES THAT OCCUR.
AND THEY HAVE AN INTERACTIVE
MAP.
WE'RE A LITTLE SHORT ON TIME, SO
I WON'T GO THERE.
BUT IF YOU JUST GOOGLE KANSAS
GEOLOGICAL SURVEY, OR IF YOU GET
THE SLIDES YOU CAN JUST CLICK ON
IT, THERE IS AN INTERACTIVE
EARTHQUAKE MAP, SO YOU CAN ENTER
ANY DATE, ANY LOCATION IN THE
STATE AND IT WILL SHOW YOU WHAT
EARTHQUAKES AND WHAT INTENSITIES
THEY WERE THAT OCCURRED ON THAT
DAY OR THAT TIME FRAME, YOU CAN
PUT THAT YOU WANT TO SEE
MAGNITUDE 4 OR GREATER
EARTHQUAKES FROM THIS DATE TO
THAT DATE.
AND IT WILL SHOW YOU WHERE THEY
WERE.
SO IT'S A FUN THING.
OKAY, SO THIS IS THE MORE
CONTROVERSIAL PART, AND PEOPLE
ASK THE QUESTION ANYTIME I'M ON
THE SUBJECT OF EARTHQUAKES AND
IT'S THE BIG QUESTION OF DOES
FRACKING CAUSE EARTHQUAKES?
SO THE ANSWER REALLY DEPENDS ON
WHO YOU ASK.
IT'S STILL DEBATED.
IT'S VERY CONTROVERSIAL STILL.
BUT THE CONSENSUS OF OPINION IS
THAT THE ACTUAL HORIZONTAL
DRILLING AND THE FRACTURING OF
THE ROCKS TO GET THE OIL OUT IS
NOT WHAT'S ACTUALLY CAUSING
EARTHQUAKES.
THE DEBATABLE PART COMES IN IN
THE INJECTING OF THE WASTE
FLUIDS INTO THESE DEEP WELLS.
SO ACCORDING TO THE KGS, A BUNCH
OF GEOLOGISTS THERE PUBLISHED A
PAPER IN 2015 AFTER STUDYING
THIS, AND THEY STATE THAT IT'S
STILL DEBATABLE.
IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THAT CAN
TRIGGER EARTHQUAKES, AND THERE
WERE TWO RECORDED INSTANCES OF
THAT IN THE 1960 HAS ARE STILL
BEING STUDIED.
THAT WAS AT THE ROCKY MOUNTAIN
ARSENAL AND RANGELY OIL FIELDS
IN COLORADO.
SO IT DID OCCUR THEN.
HOWEVER, THERE IS FLUID INJECTED
INTO HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF
THESE WELLS EVERY YEAR, AND
THERE'S ONLY A COUPLE OF THEM
THAT HAVE INCREASED SEISMIC
ACTIVITY.
SO IT NEEDS TO BE STUDIED
LONGER.
SO IT'S STILL DEBATABLE.
LIKE I SAID, IT DEPENDS ON WHO
YOU ASK.
YOU KNOW, IF YOU ASK AN OIL
GEOLOGIST, PETROLEUM GEOLOGIST,
YOU'RE GOING TO GET "ABSOLUTELY
NO."
IF YOU ASK AN ENVIRONMENTAL
SCIENTIST OR AN EARTH SCIENTIST,
YOU'RE GOING TO GET "ABSOLUTELY
YES."
SO BUT REALLY IT HASN'T BEEN
PROVED EITHER WAY.
SO IT'S A GOOD THING TO STAY A
LITTLE BIT OPEN-MINDED ABOUT AND
WAIT UNTIL IT'S STUDIED A LITTLE
MORE.
AND THEN THIS MAP HERE IS FROM
THE USGS AND IT SHOWS THE ENTIRE
COUNTRY AND WHAT KIND OF RISK
EACH AREA IS AT FOR HAVING A
MAJOR EARTHQUAKE.
SO WE ARE IN THE BLUE.
SO WE'RE ONLY ONE UP FROM THE
LOWEST, WHICH IS GRAY.
SO WE'RE PRETTY LOW.
I MEAN ALTHOUGH WE DO FEEL THEM
EVERY ONCE IN AWHILE.
BUT WE'RE AT A PRETTY LOW, LOW
RISK.
AND BEFORE WE GET INTO
QUESTIONS, YESTERDAY MORNING
THERE WAS AN EARTHQUAKE IN NORTH
CAROLINA.
AND IT WAS A PRETTY GOOD SIZED
ONE.
IT WAS A 5.4.
AND AS YOU REALIZE, IT WAS NOT
ALONG A PLATE BOUNDARY, SO IT'S
VERY SIMILAR TO SOME OF THE ONES
THAT WE WOULD HAVE AROUND HERE.
SO YOU CAN LOOK THAT UP.
THAT'S PRETTY INTERESTING AND IT
WAS GOOD TIMING.
NEXT WEEK WE'RE GOING TO COVER
LANDSLIDES AND FLOODS.
SO NOW WE'RE GOING TO BE OPEN TO
QUESTIONS.
BUT WE ASK THAT FOR QUESTIONS,
THAT THERE'S A MICROPHONE RIGHT
OVER HERE.
SO YOU CAN COME UP AND ASK YOUR
QUESTION AT THE MICROPHONE IF
YOU HAVE ANY.
YES.
IT'S A LITTLE BIT OF A WALK.
YOU GET YOUR EXERCISE BEFORE
YOUR QUESTION.
>> I HAVE TWO THINGS.
FIRST OFF, IN ALASKA THEY
ACTUALLY HAVE A MUSEUM IN
ANCHORAGE ON THAT EARTHQUAKE IN
'64.
AND THEY SHOW SOMEBODY THAT WAS
FILMING A SHIP IN A PORT AND IT
ALL -- AND THEN IT HITS AND IT'S
ALL GONE.
IT'S VERY -- IT'S VERY DRAMATIC
FOOTAGE OF THAT.
BUT THEY HAVE A WHOLE KIND OF
LITTLE MUSEUM ON IT.
>> Heather: OH, I DIDN'T KNOW
THAT.
I'VE NEVER BEEN TO ALASKA BUT I
HOPE TO AT SOME POINT.
>> SO YEAH, IT'S VERY, VERY
INTERESTING.
IT'S WORTHWHILE.
THE OTHER THING IS THE
PERMAFROST UP THERE, WE WERE
LIKE IN FAIRBANKS, IN THAT AREA,
AND WE KEPT GETTING LITTLE --
LITTLE EARTHQUAKES, AND I HAD A
FRIEND THAT HAD LIVED UP THERE
AND SHE SIDES, EVEN WHEN YOU
BUILD YOUR HOUSES, THAT THAT
PERVES TO PROMOVES AROUND.
 -- PERMA FROST MOVES AROUND.
AND YOU DIDN'T MENTION THAT AT
ALL AND I JUST WONDERED IS THAT
PART OF EARTHQUAKES, IS IT JUST
MOVING, WHAT'S IT DOING?
>> Heather: PERMAFROST AND
GLACIAL MOVEMENT IS ENTIRELY
DIFFERENT FROM EARTHQUAKES.
BUT IT DOES -- IT IS MOVEMENT,
AND IF YOU BUILD ON IT, IT'S
DEFINITELY -- DEFERLY A CONCERN.
 -- DEFINITELY A CONCERN.
SO THOSE WERE BOTH VERY GOOD
QUESTIONS.
THANK YOU.
IF I EVER MAKE IT THERE, I'LL
DEFINITELY CHECK OUT THE MUSEUM.
ANY OTHER QUESTIONS?
ARE THERE ANY E-MAILED
QUESTIONS?
NOPE.
OKAY.
WELL, THANK YOU GUYS SO MUCH.
AND NEXT WEEK WILL BE LANDSLIDES
AND FLOODS.
