Earthquake hazards

 Ground Rupture

Alaskan pipe after the

Denali quake ruptured
through

Ground rupture from the M8.1

2001 Tibet earthquake
Earthquake hazards (cont.)

 Shaking
 Wave
amplitude
 Wave
frequency
 Duration
of shaking
Earthquake hazards (cont)

 Liquefaction
1964
 Saturated sand Nigata
loses strength Japan
upon shaking
 Tsunami
 Wave 2004
wavelength Sumatra
earthquake
ocean waves
that can travel
vast distances
Sumatra Earthquake tsunami

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Seismic Hazard of MA
 Cape Ann Earthquake 1755

Woodcut illustration depicting damage in Boston from the earthquake

Hazard vs risk
 1989 Macquarie Ridge, New Zealand
 M 8.3
 No losses
 1960 Agadir, Morocco
 M 5.5
 12,000 deaths
Earthquake Risk
 Risk = hazard x vulnerability
 The amount of damage and numbers of
earthquake related deaths do not correlate
to magnitude of the earthquake.
Products of hazard
assessment
 Active fault map
 Historical seismicity
 Earthquake likelihood
3D models assess seismic
hazard in Los Angeles, CA
SCEC Community Fault Model
Acceptable Risk
 Level of acceptable
risk depends on the
structure
 Cannot design for
maximum
earthquake with low
probability
 Social question
How would you mitigate
damages from….

 Ground Rupture
 Liquefaction
 Ground Shaking
 Tsunami
Ground Rupture
 Avoid construction
 Relocate sensitive facilities
 Implement low use facilities
 Playing fields
 Green space
Portola Valley California
Liquefaction
 Recognize liquefaction potential
 In-situ remediation
 Avoid construction in liquefaction prone
areas
Tsunami mitigation
 Early warning system
 Broadcast signal to beaches after a major
earthquake anywhere in the ocean basin
 Saftey guidelines
 Go to high ground
 Climb a tree
Ground Shaking
 Recognize the degree of probable ground
shaking in the area
 Improve construction methods to
accommodate shaking without collapse