EARTHQUAKE SCIENCE IN PUBLIC SERVICE: WORKING TO KEEP EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS FROM BECOMING EARTHQUAKE DISASTERS

California is known world-wide for its beautiful coastline, rugged mountains, and sweeping vistas, but the geologic processes that created these phenomenal landscapes can also endanger the lives and livelihoods of the nearly 40 million people who reside in the state.

To help delineate and mitigate the risk from earthquake hazards, the California Geological Survey (CGS) runs two earthquake related programs. The Seismic Hazards Program maps areas that are at risk from earthquake-related ground failure including soil liquefaction, earthquake-induced landslides, surface fault rupture, and tsunami inundation. These maps are publicly available and are distributed to cities, counties, and the public to help identify where these threats exist and where mitigation may be necessary for safe development. The Strong Motion Instrumentation Program obtains vital earthquake data for the engineering and scientific communities through a statewide network of strong motion instruments. This data is used to develop recommended changes to seismic provisions of building codes, to assist local governments in their general planning process, and to aid emergency response personnel after an earthquake.

In this talk we will discuss seismic hazards in California, the earthquakes that led to seismic hazards related legislation, and how to find and use CGS’s seismic hazards resources. Seismic hazards are part of life in California. Fortunately, once these hazards are identified and mapped, they can be mitigated by site-specific geologic investigations and engineering approaches, protecting lives and property.