Virtual OMSI Science Pub: Earthquakes in the PNW | Free, w/ Valerie Sahakian, PhD, University of Oregon Assistant Professor

Virtual OMSI Science Pub: Earthquakes in the PNW
May 12, 2020
6:30-8:30p | All Ages
More info: Facebook

How likely are we to feel earthquake ground shaking, at any given time – and how strong will it be? We turn to seismic hazard to answer this question. To assess a region’s seismic hazard, we determine where earthquakes occur, how big they have been and how frequently they have happened in the past, and how much shaking the have caused where we live. This is the underpinning of many of our efforts to mitigate risk. Estimates of seismic hazard drive our building codes, insurance rates, and levels of public awareness and preparedness.

While we do not feel earthquakes frequently in Oregon, they are still a real phenomenon that pose a large hazard where we live. In this talk, Dr. Sahakian will discuss how seismologists and engineers actually compute seismic hazard and how it relates to risk, with a focus on estimating shaking from earthquakes. She will also discuss what we know (and don’t know) about seismic hazard in Cascadia.