Scientists Recreate Shaking from the 1906 Earthquake and Discuss What’s in Store for the Earthquake Conference April 18-22

3/27/2006, The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collaboration with scientists from four other institutions, will release the most comprehensive study to date of how hard and how long the ground shook in the 1906 earthquake. Additionally, organizers of the 100th Anniversary Earthquake Conference will preview what´s in store for conference participants.

April 18 marks the 100 year anniversary of the magnitude-7.8 earthquake in Northern California, the most damaging earthquake in U.S. history. The earth ruptured for about 300 miles along the San Andreas Fault throughout Northern California, both on land and where it extends offshore. The earthquake and fires that followed caused catastrophic damage to cities and towns throughout the region and had a dramatic impact on the culture and history of California. The event also initiated national interest in study of earthquakes and disaster prevention.

WHO:

Joint press conference of the USGS and the Earthquake Conference with scientists from Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory, Stanford University, University of California, Berkeley, and URS Corp.

WHAT:

Scientists will show maps and animations of the intensity of shaking throughout the region for the 1906 earthquake and will describe the two-year scientific effort behind these computer simulations. Organizers of the upcoming 100th Anniversary Earthquake Conference commemorating the 1906 Earthquake, April 18-22, 2006, will also highlight key conference activities and release an excerpt from their conference video entitled QuakeMotion.

WHERE:

U.S. Geological Survey
Conference Room A (2nd floor), Building 3
345 Middlefield Road
Menlo Park, California

WHEN:

10:00 a.m. PST
Tuesday, March 28, 2006



Note to Editors: The briefing will also be presented via live videostream at mms://video.wr.usgs.gov/live (requires Windows Media Player). An archive copy of this videostream broadcast will be available after the briefing at mms://video.wr.usgs.gov/ehz/20060328.wmv.

The 100th Anniversary Earthquake Conference is hosted jointly by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, Disaster Resistant California (California´s Office of Emergency Services) and the Seismological Society of America.

The USGS serves the nation by providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life.

Contact Information

Stephanie Hanna

Office of Communication

U.S. Department of the Interior, U.S. Geological Survey

Contact via E-mail