How Earthquakes Happen

From the BBC, Link

An informative, animated guide depicting the forces that both create and emanate from an earthquake.

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Two quakes rattle Berkeley on ShakeOut Day

From the Hercules Patch,  Link

On a day that over 8 million Californians were practicing “Drop, Cover and Hold On”, residents in the east bay barely had time to consider what to do when 2 brief quakes, centered in Berkeley,  struck about 6 hours apart.

The quakes were centered on the Hayward Fault, the very fault that the USGS says has the highest probability of rupturing. It has been 143 years since the last great quake on the Hayward, and it’s long overdue to let off some steam.

Please see “Whose Fault is it?”, my 9/27/2010 post on the Hayward fault here.

And here, is today’s article on the two Berkeley quakes, from the Hercules Patch.

Two Shakers Rattle East Bay on “ShakeOut” Day

Two earthquakes centered in Berkeley — a 4.0 magnitude and a 3.8 — gave sharp jolts to the East Bay this afternoon and tonight, Thursday, which happened to be the “California ShakeOut” quake drill day.

The U.S. Geological Survey reported the East Bay was shaken by two earthquakes centered in Berkeley and the Hayward Fault this afternoon and tonight, Thursday, coinciding with a statewide quake-drill day known as the Great California ShakeOut.

The first tremor, centered at College Avenue and Webster Street in the city’s Elmwood district, struck at 2:41 p.m. and registered 4.0 magnitude, the USGS reported. Several people reported to USGS that the quake was felt as far away as Sacramento, and one person said it was felt 239 miles away in Lompoc.

The second hit at 8:16 p.m. and was centered next to the International House and the UC Berkeley Boalt School of Law at Piedmont Avenue and Bancroft Way. It registered 3.8 magnitude, according to the USGS.

One family in the Berkeley Hills reported their TV fell off its perch in tonight’s quake but did not break. It was reported to have been felt as far away at Santa Cruz.

The two quakes were near the epicenter of a 3.3-magnitude tremor that struck next to Cal’s Clark Kerr campus on July 16.

All three locations are close to the Hayward Fault. This evening’s 4.0 quake was about 400 feet west of the fault’s main trace which runs through the middle of the nearby Cal stadium.

Many seismologists believe the fault most likely to cause the next big devastating quake is the Hayward.

Today’s two shakers follow three others of similar size that struck near the Oakland Zoo, also very near the Hayward Fault, in August and September.

The Great California ShakeOut today featured a wide variety of exercises. Many schools practiced drills, and in the Bay Area, BART halted trains for a minute at 10:21 a.m. to observe the drill, and then experienced 15-minute systemwide delays following of the two quakes.

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2011: A year of nature’s extremes for the U.S.

From the Boston Globe online:  Link

Excerpts:

Unprecedented triple-digit heat and devastating drought. Deadly tornadoes leveling towns. Massive rivers overflowing. A billion-dollar blizzard. And now, unusual hurricane-triggered flooding in Vermont.

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Virginia Earthquake Links

I’ll be adding to these view-worthy links: (Updated)

USGS report   Link

Politico report on nuclear reactor shutdowns,  Link

International Business Times report with graphics, Link

Discover Magazine’s  seismic wave animation  Link

Richmond, Virginia Times Dispatch – a local view , Link

NPR, Link

CBS News,  Link

The Guardian, “What the east coast earthquake means to US Nuclear Plants”,  Link

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Whose Fault Is It?

Returned home moments ago to many phone messages and hundreds of blog hits an hour.  Until I can provide any new insight about the Virginia quake that struck at 1:51 EST today, I’m republishing a post from September 27, 2010 to remind fellow San Francisco Bay Area denizens of our unique earthquake risks and what can be done to protect our homes and loved ones.

Posted: September 27, 2010 at 3:32 pm by Roz Potter in Earthquake Preparedness, General Preparedness and Response, Infrastructure Failure, Preparedness Tips and Resources, Supply Chain Disruptions, Vulnerable Populations

More people live and work on or near the Hayward Fault in the San Francisco Bay Area than any other fault in the United States. As of 2008, 2.4 million people lived close by. More than 1.5 million people “work at sites that would experience strong or very strong levels of shaking” from the next powerful quake on the Hayward Fault.

This is earthquake country. California has a 99% chance of having at least one magnitude 6.7 or greater quake anytime in the next 30 years. For the S.F. Bay Area, the risk is 63%. And of all the faults in the S. F. Bay Area, the risk is highest for the Hayward/Rodgers Creek Faults.

Homes, mass transit corridors, major freeways and roadways intersect the Hayward at many locations. It is crossed by many critical water and gas pipelines, and electrical transmission lines. It begins near San Jose and winds its way northward through Santa Clara,  Alameda and part of Contra Costa County to San Pablo Bay.

The Hayward Fault has not ruptured since 1868, 142 years ago, in case you’re counting, and if you live in the Bay Area, you should be. The average period between the last 5 major quakes on the Hayward Fault  is 138 years.

Pressures in the Hayward Fault have been building unabated, since 1868. Similar pressures in the San Andreas Fault were at least partially relieved by the 1906 San Francisco quake, and to a small extent by the 1989 Loma Prieta. There has been no relief for the Hayward.

The 1868 quake was felt as far away as Nevada. There was major damage in Hayward, San Leandro and Fremont, and lesser but significant damage in San Jose, Oakland, Santa Rosa, and San Francisco. Even Napa, yes, that Napa suffered substantial damage from the 1868 quake.

So, residents of Santa Clara, Contra Costa, Alameda, Napa, Marin, Sonoma and other counties, the Hayward is your Fault too.  Your counties suffered damage in the 1868 quake,  you rely on services that traverse the Hayward Fault, or you live, work or commute on or near the Hayward Fault.

Residents of any area could find themselves in double- or triple-trouble. Some regions, like Marin and Sonoma counties have several large fault systems, in these cases the San Andreas and the Rodgers Creek Faults. Many have unknown faults, like the one that ruptured in Napa County, CA in 2000. In many cases, seismic waves from one fault rupture transfers to another, extending damage over a wider area than expected.

Oh yes, the United States Geological Survey (USGA) wants everyone to know that the 6.7 magnitude 1994 Northridge California earthquake occured on an unknown fault. The Northridge caused extreme damage to roadways, overpasses, buildings and other structures. 33 people were killed.  Over 7000 were injured. (this is a correction to the original post).

12,000 homes, schools, hospitals and other buildings were structurally damaged. The USGS says the world has many unknown faults. We cannot use our knowledge of existing faults to predict future earthquakes. Future quakes are as likely to occur on unknown as they are on known faults.

Missouri, Kentucky, Tennessee, Washington D.C., Alaska, Washington, and many other parts of the U.S. and the World, you have your faults too. The Earth is full of them. Take heed. Mother Nature gives no warning. You’ll be on your own when she strikes.

Ready? If not, here are some tips. More will be coming in future posts:

1. Your family may not be together when an earthquake strikes. They may not be able to get home

Complete a communication plan for emergencies and disasters and keep copies at home, work  and in your car. Have wallet size versions with the most essential information for each family member. The plan should include emergency contacts, both local and out of state. When family members call the contact they should advise their exact location, whether injured or in need of help or not , and where they are going.

Teach each family member to text. Text messages get transmitted more readily than voice transmissions.

Telephones with transformers require electricity to work. This includes cordless phones and many business or advanced feature phones. Have at least one old-fashioned, no bells or whistles, plug in telephone at home, work, and hopefully, schools.

2. Essential services (water, electricity, trash service, sewage treatment plants, transportation and some roadways) may be inoperable for days to weeks. If transportation is disrupted, store shelves cannot be stocked. If electricity is out, ATMs, gas pumps, cash registers, and water pumps won’t work.

This will be more than an inconvenience for those who rely on oxygen concentrators, insulin and other drugs that require refrigeration, or those who don’t store extra water, baby formula or other essentials.

Store cash, water, food, medicines, baby formula, a solar or battery powered radio and extra batteries, first-aid and medical supplies and alternative light and heat sources in sufficient quantities to supply essentials to household members. Supplies must include at least 1 gallon of water per day for each person and pet – a 3 day supply is minimal, a two week supply may not be enough. If possible, store extra supplies to help out neighbors, friends and family who will be caught unprepared.

3. Expert help (police, fire, medical, nursing, pharmacies, utilities, ambulance) could be delayed, inaccessible, or unavailable for hours, days or weeks.

Stock  first aid supplies and a manual (available at the Red Cross, Amazon and bookstores) in your home. Take a CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) course, available in most communities, and a First Aid class. Reach out to people in your neighborhood with special needs; the frail elderly, those with sight or hearing loss, in wheelchairs, with language barriers, or other needs who will require extra help in an emergency or disaster.

Before a disaster strikes, know how your community will respond. Where will emergency treatment locations be set up?  Is there a local emergency warning system? Are there experts in your neighborhood that would be willing to help? What is your EAS (Emergency Alert Station) for your area? For the San Francisco Bay Area counties, it is KCBS, 740 on the AM dial.

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Natural disasters in 2010: A year of living dangerously

From the Avian Flu Diary blog Link ,  a review of a 94 page report from the Brookings Institution, Link, Excerpt:

Almost 300 million people were affected by natural disasters in 2010. The large disasters provided
constant headlines throughout the year, beginning with the devastating earthquake in Haiti followed
one month later by the even more severe—but far less deadly—earthquake in Chile.

In the spring, ash spewing from volcano Eyjafjallajökull in Iceland paralyzed flights for weeks in the northern
hemisphere. Early summer witnessed the worst Russian wildfires in history while a few months
later, the steadily rising floodwaters in Pakistan covered 20 percent of the country. In sum, it was a
terrible year in terms of natural disasters causing havoc and destruction around the globe. However,
many of the largest disasters barely made headlines in the Western press.

Most notably, over 130 million Chinese were affected by the worst flooding in recent history—this
is more than five times the number of people affected by the earthquake in Haiti and the Pakistani
floods combined—but the Chinese floods received far less international attention than either Pakistan
or Haiti.

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The “triangle of life” earthquake protection myth

Updated post.

My inbox has received more than 8 forwarded messages urging the use of Doug Copp’s  “Triangle of Life” method to protect lives during earthquakes.  Mr. Copp appears to be a credible source for such counsel. But as is so often the case, appearances can be deceiving. And in this case, following this seemingly sound advice could have serious consequences.

The “Triangle of Life” has been dubbed an urban myth by snopes.com. It has been discredited by the Red Cross, FEMA, the USGS, and the Earthquake Country Alliance.  The links follow, after which you’ll find an explanation, and then FEMA and USGS recommendations.

Sources

USGS Link

American Red Cross Link

Earthquake Country Alliance page

Wikipedia entry

Snopes.com article here

article from Dr. Margo Petal, from the Earthquake Country Alliance website  

Discussion:

The examples Mr. Copp uses are from Mexico, Turkey and China. The Triangle of Life is NOT recommended in developed countries with good building codes such as the U.S, where the vast majority of buildings don’t collapse in earthquakes.  In the U.S., Most injuries occur from falling objects and some from flying and breaking objects, NOT from being crushed.

People who don’t drop and cover can be knocked down, sustaining injuries.  So in the US and other advanced countries, suggesting that people stay uncovered where falling, flying and breaking objects will injure them, is wrongheaded.

People can be crushed by concrete buildings and overpasses that collapse, but relatively few people in the US are in such settings when earthquakes strike, and most structures don’t collapse in any case.  The majority are in wood frame buildings which tend to do well in quakes.

The Cypress Freeway collapse in Oakland killed 37 people when one deck pancaked upon the other during the 1989 Loma Prieta quake, but this is the exception, not the rule. The collapsed sections were built on fill soil which liquefied.  The freeway sections not built on fill, did not collapse. There were few deaths outside of this freeway collapse during Loma Prieta, but there were over 7,000 thousand injuries from the falling, flying and breaking objects referred to above.

In S.F, the Marina district, also built on fill soil, suffered a good deal of damage from Loma Prieta; structures were severely damaged and broken gas mains fed fires in the quake’s aftermath. Most of the collapsed buildings were older multistory structures with garages occupying the entire first floor. This is known as “soft story” construction.

In soft story construction, the upper floors of the building are entirely supported by the exterior walls of the first floor garages. There are no partition walls to separate rooms, as there are no rooms – just one vast open space from the front of the building to the back. Due to the lack of supporting walls on the first floor, a “soft story” building is much more vulnerable in an earthquake, especially if it’s built on fill soil.

Fill and other soft soils such as sand, greatly amplify shaking.  For proof of that one need to look no further, than the Cypress Freeway collapse. As noted above, it was only the sections of the Cypress Freeway built on fill soil that collapsed. All others were intact.

In Japan, buildings did not collapse, they were swept away in the tsunami. Japan’s stringent building standards worked – there was scant damage from the great quake, providing more evidence that Copp’s “theory” is incorrect.   In the February M 6.3 Christchurch, New Zealand quake, some buildings did collapse. Christchurch is built on soft sandy soil which liquified in the February quake. This very same area had sustained damage in a 7.0 quake just 5 months before.  Good building codes could not protect buildings weakened by two strong quakes in the exact same area in such a short time, particularly when sandy and other soft soils liquified.

For those of us who spend countless hours working to protect the public, it’s very distressing to have so many people take Copp’s advice to heart. Many needless serious injuries to adults and children can result. Copp doesn’t qualify his advice, he makes it applicable to all situations and that makes it dangerous. And, according to Snopes, he may be a fraud with respect to his 911 injury claim.

USGS and FEMA recommendations for safety during an earthquake:

Stay as safe as possible during an earthquake. Be aware that some earthquakes are actually foreshocks and a larger earthquake might occur. Minimize your movements to a few steps to a nearby safe place and if you are indoors, stay there until the shaking has stopped and you are sure exiting is safe. If indoors

• DROP to the ground; take COVER by getting under a sturdy table or other piece of furniture; and HOLD ON until the shaking stops. If there isn’t a table or desk near you, cover your face and head with your arms and crouch in an inside corner of the building.
• Stay away from glass, windows, outside doors and walls, and anything that could fall, such as lighting fixtures or furniture.
• Stay in bed if you are there when the earthquake strikes. Hold on and protect your head with a pillow, unless you are under a heavy light fixture that could fall. In that case, move to the nearest safe place.
• Use a doorway for shelter only if it is in close proximity to you and if you know it is a strongly supported, load-bearing doorway.
• Stay inside until the shaking stops and it is safe to go outside. Research has shown that most injuries occur when people inside buildings attempt to move to a different location inside the building or try to leave.
• Be aware that the electricity may go out or the sprinkler systems or fire alarms may turn on.
• DO NOT use the elevators.

If outdoors

• Stay there.
• Move away from buildings, streetlights, and utility wires.
• Once in the open, stay there until the shaking stops. The greatest danger exists directly outside buildings, at exits and alongside exterior walls. Many of the 120 fatalities from the 1933 Long Beach earthquake occurred when people ran outside of buildings only to be killed by falling debris from collapsing walls. Ground movement during an earthquake is seldom the direct cause of death or injury. Most earthquake-related casualties result from collapsing walls, flying glass, and falling objects.

If in a moving vehicle

• Stop as quickly as safety permits and stay in the vehicle. Avoid stopping near or under buildings, trees, overpasses, and utility wires.
• Proceed cautiously once the earthquake has stopped. Avoid roads, bridges, or ramps that might have been damaged by the earthquake.

If trapped under debris

• Do not light a match.
• Do not move about or kick up dust.
• Cover your mouth with a handkerchief or clothing.
• Tap on a pipe or wall so rescuers can locate you. Use a whistle if one is available. Shout only as a last resort. Shouting can cause you to inhale dangerous amounts of dust

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New explosion at Fukushima – this time at reactor #3

Via Nikkei.com Link

Excerpt:

TOKYO (Kyodo)–A hydrogen explosion occurred Monday morning at the quake-hit Fukushima No. 1 nuclear power plant’s troubled No. 3 reactor, the government’s nuclear safety agency said.

The 11:01 a.m. incident came after a hydrogen explosion hit the No. 1 reactor at the same plant Saturday, and prompted the Nuclear and Industrial Safety Agency to urge residents within a 20-kilometer radius to take shelter inside buildings.

It also followed a report by Tokyo Electric Power Co., the plant’s operator, to the government earlier in the day that the radiation level at the plant had again exceeded the legal limit and pressure in the container of the No. 3 reactor had increased.

Millions are without power, water, food, sanitation or adequate shelter.  The latter is what is needed most in a release of radioactive particles.

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Union of Concerned Scientists Sunday Update on Japan Nuclear Threat

This group of scientists is more concerned than other sources posted earlier today.

Excerpt:

Officials from Tokyo Electric reported that after multiple cooling system failures, the water level in the Unit 3 reactor vessel dropped 3 meters (nearly 10 feet), uncovering approximately 90 percent of the fuel in the reactor core. Authorities were able to inject cooling water with a fire pump after reducing the containment pressure by a controlled venting of radioactive gas. As they did with Unit 1, they began pumping sea water into Unit 3, which is highly corrosive and may preclude any future use of the reactor even if a crisis is averted.

However, Tokyo Electric has reported that the water level in the Unit 3 reactor still remains more than 2 meters (6 feet) below the top of the fuel, exposing about half the fuel to air, and they believe that water may be leaking from the reactor vessel. When the fuel is exposed to air it eventually overheats and suffers damage. It is likely that the fuel has experienced significant damage at this point, and the authorities have said they are proceeding on this assumption.

One particular concern with Unit 3 is the presence of mixed-oxide (MOX) fuel in the core.  MOX is a mixture of plutonium and uranium oxides. In September 2010, 32 fuel assemblies containing MOX fuel were loaded into this reactor. This is about 6% of the core.

To read the full article Link

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Japan nuclear reactor meltdowns: One, two or more? What consequences?

There is consensus that at least one nuclear reactor has had a “meltdown”, without explanation as to the extent. There are conflicting reports on the number of reactors involved.  Those within the affected area in Japan are urged to stay indoors, place a  wet cloth over the mouth and nose, and close doors and windows.

If a core meltdown were to occur in the U.S.,  additional precautions would be advisable. These include: changing clothes and showering/shampooing or wiping down immediately upon coming indoors; turning off any heating or air conditioning systems; sealing vents to exhaust systems, bringing all pets indoors, avoiding activities that raise dust such as vaccuming; not consuming food that has been exposed in fields including animals and the milk of exposed animals, or water from open storage containers. An iodine preparation is often prescribed to prevent thyroid cancer but there are many other health effects from radiation.  More on this topic later.

According to an NYT article, meltdowns have occurred at two nuclear reactors, and three more are at risk. Link

Japan’s top government official, Yukio Edano, said Sunday that one meltdown had occurred Unit 1 at Fukushima) and another ( unit 3 at Fukushima) is possible. Link

For a critical look at the nuclear industry in Japan, see the Guardian’s story here

Greenpeace weighs in on the nuclear disaster and states that there will be health impacts, “more or less long term”. Link

For before and after scenes of Japanese communities hit by the earthquake and tsunami, see the astonishing before and after photo gallery provided by the NY Times here . Use your cursor to move the center vertical bar to the right or left to view the entire scene.

Please give what you can to help those affected by this triple disaster. It’s most important that each of us takes this opportunity to add significantly to our own preparedness efforts.

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Quake upgraded to M 9.0. Partial meltdown at 1 reactor – 5 more remain uncooled and in danger

As Japan’s latest earthquake was upgraded to a magnitude 9.0, one of the largest ever recorded on earth, there is more devastation brewing at 6  nuclear reactors that have lost cooling functions due to lack of power.

The core of one reactor has partially melted down. As temperatures rose in the core, increasing energy had to be released as steam, carrying radioactive elements such as cesium, strontium, iodine and uranium into the air.  The evacuation area around the plants has been increased to 12 miles from six, but many people are without shelter and some roads are impassible.

This is a very serious situation.  The fallout area is always very difficult to determine as it depends on wind currents near the ground as well as higher atmospheric conditions.  Those closest to the fallout area will be most affected. Iodine is being distributed to people  in the immediate  path of radiation to help prevent thyroid cancer later on.

California’s nuclear reactors do not have backup power in the event of a massive power outage. Japan’s reactors have this fail safe feature, but as we now know, the backup systems failed.  How many of the 5 other reactors that cannot be cooled will melt down?

Words will not help those suffering in Japan. Please contribute any way you can,  as soon as possible.  Temperatures are near freezing. One million people do not have electricity. Many are without food, water, medications, and shelter.  There are few supplies.  There is massive contamination. Many will soon be susceptible to disease due to lack of sanitation and floodwaters.

And for Pete’s sake, start getting your own disaster supplies and plans into place.

Read more….

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States of Emergency declared at 5 nuclear reactors of 2 power plants in Japan

A six mile evacuation zone was created around the Fukushima Dalichi nuclear power plant unit 1 after authorities detected 8 times normal radiation levels outside the plant and 1,000 times normal levels in the control room.  Steam is being released to reduce pressure. The diesel generators that would normally keep cooling systems running have been disabled by last night’s 8.9 magnitude earthquake. According to Leonard S. Spector, director of the Washington office of the James Martin Center for Nonproliferation Studies, “a loss of coolant is the most serious type of accident at a nuclear power plant.

The nuclear core of the reactor must be cooled down to prevent it from reaching temperatures that at worst, could melt the core. The Chernobyl disaster in Russia resulting in a complete core meltdown. At three mile island in the U.S., a partial core meltdown occurred,

Japan relies on nuclear power for 30% of its electricity. Of Japan’s 54 reactors, 10 were shut down following the quake.

Read more…

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