3/10/15: TSUNAMI RISK

The most vulnerable states for tsunami risk are: Hawaii, Alaska, Washington, Oregon, and California (and the U.S. Caribbean islands). The 1964 Alaska tsunami led to 110 deaths, some as far away as Crescent City, California. A tsunami that originated along the Washington, Oregon, and California coasts in 1700 overran Native American fishing camps and caused damage in Japan.

As always in geology, learning from the past will tell us what might happen in the future. A map of tsunami events from the year 900 to 1964 (USGS image) tells the tale. These events were caused by earthquakes ranging in magnitudes 9.2 to 7.3. These are areas that could be hit again.

What do we do?

Well, as the figure shows, in case of ‘earthqake’, run to higher ground immediately and go to Finland…(:

Also, there are several institutions with great resources/warning systems we should monitor. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's website has updated information on tsunami watches, warnings or advisories for the US. NOAA also has a tsunami strategic plan describing their recommendations/vision for 2012-2020 and how to make US more resilient and prepared for tsunamis.

Closer to home, the Department of Conservation in California has downloadable tsunami inundation maps that show the areas at risk (in pink, different from the flooding risk maps that are blue). The map near Marina, where the MPC Education Center is located and I teach sometimes, shows the area near the Salinas river as a completely inundated area. 

Good to know..

3/5/15: VIRTUAL REALITY SAND

This should go viral...check the link below..you will not be able to stop!
VR Topography-Sand
(https://www.facebook.com/video.php?v=790094334403539&fref=nf)

3/3/15: VOLCANIC USGS ALERT CODES

After watching this morning in the news the eruption of the Chilean Villarica Volcano…ring of fire anyone?... and the evacuation of thousands of people, I thought this week’s Geol9 theme would be on target. We are exploring the volcanic hazards in different countries and their warning systems. There are several ways we minimize the danger of volcanic activity (apart from the obvious of ‘getting out of the way’…(:

·      Forecasting (earthquakes as early warnings (although in 2014 a Japanese volcano erupted without any previous seismicity (livescience article), land swelling before eruption, gas emissions, etc.)

·       Volcanic Alert Codes (USGS): the levels of alert and the aviation code levels commonly change at the same time (chart on right). A non-erupting volcano will have a green icon, and a red one indicates an imminent eruption (see USGS Alert Codes).

As this morning, the US hazards map shows (see map below):

• Kilauea in warning (orange) alert: from USGS website: ‘a major eruption is imminent, underway, or suspected but it poses limited hazards to aviation because of no or minor volcanic-ash emissions (e.g., an eruption with only substantial lava flows)’.

• Shishaldin in watch (orange) alert: from USGS website: ‘the volcano is exhibiting heightened or escalating unrest with increased potential of eruption, timeframe uncertain OR an eruption is underway that poses limited hazards including no or minor volcanic-ash emissions’.

• There is also advisories (yellow) for Cleveland and Pagan volcanoes.

Looking forward to what my students find out this week!

All for now-