EPS C20 Midterm 1 Study Guide

1906 San Francisco Earthquake

M 7.8

This event marked the birth of seismology. It also reinforces the notion that modern

cities can be destroyed by EQs. Note some of the following info:

- 315 known deaths in SF (700 in area), new estimates are higher

- We can predict that a similar EQ will happen in the future (no date, year, or even

decade though)

- Prototype of what might happen today

- Building codes in area strengthened b/c of this

1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake

M 6.9

Also occurred along the San Andreas Fault.

- 63 people died

- Two major breakages were Bay Bridge span and Cypress Viaduct in Oakland

- Epicenter in Santa Cruz

- Not the big one that we expected

Liquefaction

When soil and sand turns to liquid state.

- Many regions around the margins of the Bay Area are susceptible to this.
P Waves

- Fastest of the body waves within rock

- Able to travel through solid rock and liquid

- Reason why we can hear EQs (fraction of them heard on surface)

- Compression motion

S Waves

- Slower than P waves

- Can only travel through solid rock

- Motion is wave-like, up and down

Surface Waves

Travel more slowly than body waves (P+S).

1. Love waves = same motion as S, no vertical displacement (only affect sides of bodies

of water)

2. Rayleigh waves = like rolling ocean waves, can affect bodies of water

Wave Speed Dependence

For P and S waves, the actual speed of these two waves depends on the density and

elastic properties of the rocks and soil

Overdue for an Earthquake

*5 years overdue.

Look at sequence over last 10K years. Average of a big earthquake is 140 years. Last

major EQ was in 1868 (on Hayward Fault), 145 years ago.

Length of Shaking

1906 = could have lasted up to two minutes

M7s = 10's of seconds

Dangerous Types of Buildings

1. Masonry buildings = brick buildings with no flexibility

2. Soft story buildings = one level that is weaker than others (e.g. garage floor)

Note tags on structures after EQ, green, yellow, and red.

Aftershocks

Rough outline: M7 --> 1 M6 aftershock ---> 10 M5 aftershocks ---> 100 M4 aftershocks

Smaller magnitudes are caused by slip or movement that is still releasing energy.

Freeways

- Many bridges, overpasses, and other structures will collapse

- 6M vehicles in Bay Area, 1M estimated to be on roads

- Traffic will be stuck for days in EQ event

BART Early Warning System

- Issues an alert once the EQ starts (stops carts outside of tunnels and speeds up ones

inside)

- Warning ranges from 0 seconds to a full minute

- Started to retrofit tunnels

Ground Shaking
- Measured from a scale of 0 to 1.

- g is the unit (gravity)

- More than 1 means literally thrown up in the air

- Most of motion is usually from side to side

Power and Gas Services

- Extended damage of gas and electric in event of huge EQ

- All power back in 1 week = prediction (no way this would ever happen according to

Allen, more like 9 weeks)

Fire

Fire is the real hazard after an EQ. Broken pipes means no water; fire department will

be strapped (will need to pump water out from the bay).

The Delta

This is a huge risk for both northern and southern CA.

- Built levees to stop farm land from being flooded

- As a result, farm land no longer gets sediment deposit, so elevation lower and lower

(below sea level now)

- Mix of fresh and salt water if levees break during EQ (ruin water supply for SoCal)

Probability of Huge Earthquake

62% probability that we have a M 6.7 or greater between 2003 and 2032

- 27% on Hayward Fault and 21% on San Andreas (rest broken up among other faults)
Active Fault

Def. = has ruptured in the last 11,000 years (implication for building permits, can't build

on active fault)

Faults

Def. = a fracture in rock, with movement

Fault Zone

Def. = within 50 ft. of mapped fault

3 Types of Faults

1. Normal fault = plates pulling apart

2. Reverse (or Thrust) fault = plates being pushed together

3. Strike-slip fault = right and left lateral

4. Oblique slip = both strike-slip and dip-slip

Aseismic

Def. = no EQ activity

Fault Gouge

Def. = resultant material of clays and sandy silts that is formed from differential

movement along the fault breaks

Several Layers to Major Fault Zones

1. Surface = weak, plastic gouge for several km down

2. Deeper = stronger, crystalline rock in welded contact across the fault surfaces (15 to

20 km down)

3. Softer core = temp in Earth softens the rock past 20 km

Memorial Stadium

Fault runs from goal post to goal post; completely rebuilt the stadium b/c of this; creep

existed and was slowly destroying the old stadium

Earthquake cycle/Elastic rebound theory

1. Stress builds up on tectonic plates

2. Friction along the fault prevents slip, elastic deformation instead

3. Stress exceeds rupture strength, and fault slips ---> EQ

Elastic rebound theory detailed in Lawson Report (1906 SF EQ report).

Hayward Fault Case

- Right-lateral strike slip fault (known b/c of the creeks)

- Rate of slip for Strawberry Creek = 10mm/yr (accounts for 20% of movement along

Pacific plate)

- Last major EQ on this fault = 1868

- Curb shift of about 2.5 mm/yr

How to calculate rate of slip

- Discover the age of the creek (by looking at when the last one stopped, carbon dating)

- rate of slip = total movement/age

- gives a velocity or rate of slip

Creep equation

Long term buildup - steady slip = amount left for EQ

Creeping green fault

aseismic, blocks constantly moving, free slipping

Locked red fault

seismic, earthquake, stick-slip (pressure building up)

Measuring deformation

Long term = look at geology and geomorphology (carbon date beheaded creeks, etc.)

Short term = by using GPS (very high accuracy receivers in set locations)

Magnitude

Def. = objective, based on measurements from instruments; on a logarithmic scale from

0 to 10

Important to note that with each number you go up, the shaking becomes 10 times more

intense, and the energy released is roughly 30 times higher.

Intensity

Def. = subjective measure (look to MMI scale for this) based on location (think of "Did

you feel it?" survey)

Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale

Def. = developed to quantify an earthquake's shaking by what was felt and by its effects

on structures and the landscape

- Somewhat limited to interpretation by citizens

- Related to peak ground acceleration experienced at a certain point

Intensity and Acceleration

These are correlated b/c humans are more sensitive to acceleration. Damage to

structures also increases w/increased acceleration