A common misunderstanding about earthquakes is that their impact is primarily determined by magnitude (release of energy) as measured by the Richter scale. However, the recent devastation in Central Italy this week underscores the significance of two earthquake factors that are not centered on size. http://www.nytimes.com/2016/08/25/world/europe/italy-earthquake-severity.html?_r=0
• The first is “Distance”: Distance is measured both along the surface of the earth (think distance from epicenter) as well as how deep the seismic activity is that takes place below the earth’s crust. Earthquakes can occur anywhere between the earth’s surface and approximately 450 miles beneath. An earthquake of a severe magnitude that takes place a couple hundred miles deep can result in far less impact on human populations than an earthquake of much lesser magnitude taking place closer to the earth’s surface.
• The second is “Development”: Development is arguably one of the most significant factors as it relates to earthquake impact and is centered on how well buildings and infrastructure are designed within a given community. Oftentimes those communities that experience the greatest devastation from earthquakes are either in very poor countries or very old countries. Central Italy is an example of the latter. Constructing buildings to meet earthquake standards is very expensive which is a problem for poor countries and retrofitting buildings in old or historical cities to meet earthquake building codes is a nice idea but largely impractical.
Unfortunately, both distance and development were two strong contributing factors of the devastating earthquake that our neighbors across the globe experienced this week. The 6.2 magnitude earthquake took place less than seven miles below the earth’s surface and the majority of collapsed buildings, many of which constructed hundreds of years ago, were unreinforced masonry.
While California is not completely exempt from the risk of structural collapse; particularly with our own unreinforced masonry-constructed buildings, our seismic building codes have been enforced for nearly forty years and we are, by and large, pretty safe. However, the majority of our risk comes in the form of being injured or killed during an earthquake from anything non-structurally related. This includes virtually all non-secured items within your home or workspace. UCI takes this responsibility seriously and if you identify a seismic security risk in your workspace that has not been addressed it should be reported to your supervisor or facilities personnel immediately. To learn more about what items/areas of risk you should look for and identify within your home visit Earthquake Country Alliance @ http://earthquakecountry.org/sevensteps/ and follow their recommended “seven steps to earthquake safety.”
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