3 . Which scenario should someone in San Diego be more concerned about, a magnit
ID: 292757 • Letter: 3
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3 . Which scenario should someone in San Diego be more concerned about, a magnitude 8.1 on the stretch of the San Andreas Fault from the Salton Sea to San Bernardino, Wrightwood and Palmdale, or a magnitude 7.1 on the offshore portion of the Rose Canyon / Newport- Inglewood Fault (Dana Point to LaTolla)? Explain your answer b What steps should you take to lessen the effects of an earthquake to you and your loved ones? Remember, you will be responsible for taking care of yourself for three days with no power, no cell service and streets impassible. Think about your furniture, your food and water supplies, medications, etc. c. Just for fun, think about the worst place(s) to be when a big earthquake strikes (I know that after the Northridge quake in 1994. I neither wanted to be on top of.. an overpass nor stopped under onel)Explanation / Answer
a. Someone in San Diego be more concentrated about--- the earthquake (magnitude 7.1) on the off-shore portion of the Rose Canyon/Newport-Inglewood Fault than the earthquake (magnitude 8.1) of the San Andreas Fault from Salton sea to San Bernardino,wrightwood & Palmdale. Because --- The Newport-Inglewood fault has long been considered one of Southern California's top seismic danger zones because it runs under some of the region's most densely populated areas, from the Westside of Los Angeles to the Orange County coast.But new research shows that the fault may be even more dangerous than experts had believed, capable of producing more frequent destructive temblors than previously suggested by scientists.A new study has uncovered evidence that major earthquakes on the fault centuries ago were so violent that they caused a section of Seal Beach near the Orange County coast to fall 1½ to 3 feet in a matter of seconds.It's not just a gradual sinking. This is boom — it would drop. It's very rapid sinking.The study of the Newport-Inglewood fault focused on the wetlands of Seal Beach. But the area of sudden dropping could extend to other regions in the same geologic area of the Seal Beach wetlands, which includes the U.S. Naval Weapons Station and the Huntington Harbour neighborhood of Huntington Beach.A team of scientists at Cal State Fullerton had been searching the Seal Beach wetlands for evidence of ancient tsunami. Instead, they found buried organic deposits that they determined to be the prehistoric remains of marsh surfaces, which they say were abruptly dropped by large earthquakes that occurred on the Newport-Inglewood fault.Those earthquakes, roughly dated in 50 BC, AD 200 and the year 1450 — give or take a century or two — were all more powerful than the magnitude 6.4 Long Beach earthquake of 1933, which did not cause a sudden drop in the land.As a result, the observations for the first time suggest that earthquakes as large as magnitudes 6.8 to 7.5 have struck the Newport-Inglewood/Rose Canyon fault system, which stretches from the border of Beverly Hills and Los Angeles through Long Beach and the Orange County coast to downtown San Diego.The newly discovered earthquakes suggest that the Newport-Inglewood fault is more active than previously thought. Scientists had believed the Newport-Inglewood fault ruptured in a major earthquake once every 2,300 years on average; The latest results show that a major earthquake could come once every 700 years on average.It's possible the earthquakes can come more frequently than the average, and data suggest they have arrived as little as 300 years apart from one another.The idea that the Newport-Inglewood fault could produce more powerful earthquakes than what happened in 1933 has been growing over the decades. Scientists have come to the consensus that the Newport-Inglewood fault could link up with the San Diego County coast's Rose Canyon fault, producing a theoretical 7.5 earthquake based on the length of the combined fault system.Scientists generally say that the chances of a major quake on the San Andreas fault are higher in our lifetime because that fault is moving so much faster than the Newport-Inglewood, at a rate of more than 1 inch a year compared with a rate of one-twenty-fifth of an inch a year.(So,the chance of a major temblor in our lifetime on the Newport-Inglewood/Rose Canyon fault is less than a temblor on the southern San Andreas fault, which runs further inland through mountains, valleys and desert.That's because the land on either side of the southern San Andreas is moving fast, pushing against the other at a rate of more than 1 inch a year. The fault is accumulating energy that will be suddenly released in a major earthquake some day.In contrast, the Newport-Inglewood/Rose Canyon fault is moving far more slowly. At its north end, the fault is moving one-hundredth of an inch annually.)But it's possible a big earthquake on the Newport-Inglewood fault could happen in our lifetime.An earthquake of magnitude 7 on the Newport-Inglewood fault would hit areas of Los Angeles west of downtown particularly hard. A 7 on the Newport-Inglewood is going to do a lot more damage than an 8 on the San Andreas, especially for Los Angeles.The reasons are- i) It caused sudden drops in land. ii) the existence of a gap — known as the Sunset Gap — in the Newport-Inglewood fault.The gap is oriented in a way that, if a major earthquake strikes, land could suddenly drop. Sudden dropping of land could cause damage to infrastructure.
b. The steps that I should take to lesser the effects of an earthquake -
• Have an earthquake readiness plan.
• Consult a professional to learn how to make our home sturdier, such as bolting bookcases to wall studs, installing strong latches on cupboards, and strapping the water heater to wall studs.
• Locate a place in each room of the house that we can go to in case of an earthquake. It should be a spot where nothing is likely to fall on us, like a doorframe.
• Keep a supply of canned food, an up-to-date first aid kit, 3 gallons (11.4 liters) of water per person, dust masks and goggles, and a working battery-operated radio and flashlights in an accessible place.
• Know how to turn off our gas and water mains.
IF SHAKING BEGINS :-
• Drop down; take cover under a desk or table and hold on.
• Stay indoors until the shaking stops and we are sure it's safe to exit.
• Stay away from bookcases or furniture that can fall on us.
• Stay away from windows. In a high-rise building, expect the fire alarms and sprinklers to go off during a quake.
• If we are in bed, hold on and stay there, protecting our head with a pillow.
• If we are outdoors, find a clear spot away from buildings, trees, and power lines. Drop to the ground.
• If we are in a car, slow down and drive to a clear place. Stay in the car until the shaking stops.
c.The worst places to be whan earthquake strikes ---
i)near or at the epicentre .ii)reclaimed land (as reclaimed land tends to lose its internal cohesion and water is forced to the surface, then infrastructure above is damaged, including water pipes, which makes everything worse. The earth turns jelly-like) iii)being near a chemical plant or any industry that includes flammable or noxious materials. iv)being inside or near an old building which is top heavy v) in an Elevator vi)in a subway vii)On a roller coaster viii)On a bridge ix)Beneath a glass tower x)On a train etc.
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