earthquakes
Final dispatch on tsunami in ‘Japan Reconnaissance’
May 27, 2011
Category: News & Notes
Tags: earthquakes, geology, Humboldt State, tsunami
“The most important lesson is that underestimating the hazard has tragic consequences.”
That’s the kernel to remember, reports Lori Dengler, a geology professor at Humboldt State University, as she concludes her “Japan Reconnaissance” series of posts about her recent journey through tsunami-ravaged landscapes. Read more »
From tsunami wreckage in Japan, sobering lessons for California
May 20, 2011
Category: A Closer Look
Tags: earthquakes, geology, Humboldt State, research, tsunami
CSU geologist shares ‘recon’ in blog, photos
For the fourth time in less than two years, Lori Dengler has crossed the Pacific or the equator – or both – to explore in the wake of a devastating tsunami. She goes in search of scientific data and anecdotal evidence that will improve community preparedness for the next tsunami – whenever, wherever it hits.
Dengler, a Humboldt State geology professor oft-honored for tsunami awareness and earthquake-safety, just returned from a 10-day reconnaissance trip to Japan. As part of a contingent sponsored by the Earthquake Engineering Research Institute, she visited several cities that had been hit hard March 11 by the Tohoku-oki earthquake (or Great East Japan earthquake in its English translation), and by the fast-rising waters that quickly followed.
(She was among several CSU faculty who provided expertise – in the form of aid, advice and analysis – to benefit both Japan and California. Read the news story here. Click here for other tsunami posts in Science & the CSU. Mouse over photos for Dengler’s captions; click to enlarge them. For a gallery with 93 of Dengler’s reconnaissance photos from the trip to Japan, click here. )
Dengler describes her trip in a series of blog posts at the Redwood Coast Tsunami Work Group’s site: http://www.humboldt.edu/rctwg/blog. A “wrap-up” post will come soon. (Update: Click here for a report on her “Japan Reconnaissance” wrap-up.) Chronological excerpts follow below. First, from Day 7, this one explains why she goes there: Read more »
Tsunami – 10 surges in 4 hours at Morro Bay
March 17, 2011
Category: News & Notes
Tags: Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, COAST, earthquakes, oceans, tsunami
‘Had it been a few hours later…’
About 10 hours after the Honshu earthquake initiated a tsunami in Japan March 11, the first surges began to reach California’s coastline, including Morro Bay at 8 a.m.
Oceanographers at the San Luis Obispo Science and Ecosystem Alliance (SLOSEA) took heed and measurements. This report comes from its executive director, Dean Wendt, who is a biology professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo, which coordinates SLOSEA from its Center for Coastal Marine Sciences. Read more »
Tsunamis – from north to south, some CSU insights
March 11, 2011
Category: News & Notes
Tags: COAST, CSU Fullerton, earthquakes, geology, Humboldt State, San Francisco State, tsunami
When a great earthquake struck Japan earlier today, it triggered a tsunami that devastated many areas along Japan’s coast. Meanwhile, across the ocean, residents along more than 500 miles of coastal California began to prepare for the prospect of a tsunami arriving about 10 hours later.
The news also generated this reminder for coastal Californians: If you are at the beach and a major earthquake strikes, do not wait for an official warning: Move to higher ground or inland as soon as possible.
According to Humboldt State geology professor and tsunami expert Lori Dengler, California’s north coast is the most tsunami-prone area of the continental United States. Thanks to efforts by Dengler, her colleagues and students, the region’s residents have developed heightened levels of awareness, preparedness and response. Read more »
