it seemed like any other morning but on February 28 2001 at 10:54 a.m. a tremor
February 28 2001 at 10:54 a.m. a tremor
February 28 2001 at 10:54 a.m. a tremor began to shake Seattle
fortunately when it was over there was
fortunately when it was over there was just one death indirectly attributed to
just one death indirectly attributed to
just one death indirectly attributed to the quake only a few were seriously
the quake only a few were seriously
the quake only a few were seriously injured the city itself escaped major
injured the city itself escaped major
injured the city itself escaped major destruction scientists know that the
destruction scientists know that the
destruction scientists know that the 2001 earthquake was caused by a rupture
2001 earthquake was caused by a rupture
2001 earthquake was caused by a rupture in the Earth’s crust but there’s another
in the Earth’s crust but there’s another
in the Earth’s crust but there’s another more dangerous fault line running right
more dangerous fault line running right
more dangerous fault line running right beneath the city streets we have a big
beneath the city streets we have a big
beneath the city streets we have a big fault that runs right underneath
fault that runs right underneath
fault that runs right underneath downtown Seattle
downtown Seattle
downtown Seattle and we know it’s there and we know it’s
and we know it’s there and we know it’s
and we know it’s there and we know it’s active
active
active the giant masses of rock that needed the
the giant masses of rock that needed the
the giant masses of rock that needed the fault are unstable they’re prone to
fault are unstable they’re prone to
fault are unstable they’re prone to sudden and violent shifts that cause
sudden and violent shifts that cause
sudden and violent shifts that cause earthquakes to help the city prepare for
earthquakes to help the city prepare for
earthquakes to help the city prepare for the inevitable scientists want to know
the inevitable scientists want to know
the inevitable scientists want to know more so in 1998 they began an ambitious
more so in 1998 they began an ambitious
more so in 1998 they began an ambitious project to literally test the ground
project to literally test the ground
project to literally test the ground underneath the city and estimate how it
underneath the city and estimate how it
underneath the city and estimate how it would shake in a real earthquake we
would shake in a real earthquake we
would shake in a real earthquake we towed behind the RV Thompson our
towed behind the RV Thompson our
towed behind the RV Thompson our research vessel at the University of
research vessel at the University of
research vessel at the University of Washington an array of what we call air
Washington an array of what we call air
Washington an array of what we call air guns sending out a sound source pinging
guns sending out a sound source pinging
guns sending out a sound source pinging letting it bounce down and come back up
letting it bounce down and come back up
letting it bounce down and come back up the scientists shot off strong sound
the scientists shot off strong sound
the scientists shot off strong sound waves into the waters of the Puget Sound
waves into the waters of the Puget Sound
waves into the waters of the Puget Sound adjoining Seattle using ground motion
adjoining Seattle using ground motion
adjoining Seattle using ground motion detectors called seismometers to gauge
detectors called seismometers to gauge
detectors called seismometers to gauge the effects by measuring how the waves
the effects by measuring how the waves
the effects by measuring how the waves move through Seattle’s earth the
move through Seattle’s earth the
move through Seattle’s earth the scientists developed a picture of what
scientists developed a picture of what
scientists developed a picture of what Seattle looks like below ground so as
Seattle looks like below ground so as
Seattle looks like below ground so as the sound waves go down and it hits a
the sound waves go down and it hits a
the sound waves go down and it hits a different density of rock we can kind of
different density of rock we can kind of
different density of rock we can kind of model what the rocks are like beneath
model what the rocks are like beneath
model what the rocks are like beneath the surface Seattle is sitting on top of
the surface Seattle is sitting on top of
the surface Seattle is sitting on top of a bowl of loose sediment the type of
a bowl of loose sediment the type of
a bowl of loose sediment the type of ground that would actually amplify
ground that would actually amplify
ground that would actually amplify earthquakes the scenario itself is
earthquakes the scenario itself is
earthquakes the scenario itself is pretty grim if if you were to have a
pretty grim if if you were to have a
pretty grim if if you were to have a large earthquake on the Seattle fault
large earthquake on the Seattle fault
large earthquake on the Seattle fault for example the first thing would be
for example the first thing would be
for example the first thing would be probably widespread destruction just
probably widespread destruction just
probably widespread destruction just from the earthquake itself and because
from the earthquake itself and because
from the earthquake itself and because the fault runs below the Puget Sound it
the fault runs below the Puget Sound it
the fault runs below the Puget Sound it could also create the large destructive
could also create the large destructive
could also create the large destructive tidal waves known as tsunamis I know
tidal waves known as tsunamis I know
tidal waves known as tsunamis I know that an earthquake in a tsunami is going
that an earthquake in a tsunami is going
that an earthquake in a tsunami is going to happen here in Puget Sound it could
to happen here in Puget Sound it could
to happen here in Puget Sound it could happen tomorrow it may not happen for a
happen tomorrow it may not happen for a
happen tomorrow it may not happen for a thousand years
thousand years
thousand years given that I add up the risks of living
given that I add up the risks of living
given that I add up the risks of living here versus the benefits of living here
here versus the benefits of living here
here versus the benefits of living here and I like living here a lot so I make a
and I like living here a lot so I make a
and I like living here a lot so I make a decision to continue living here despite
decision to continue living here despite
decision to continue living here despite their best efforts scientists can’t
their best efforts scientists can’t
their best efforts scientists can’t offer a firm prediction when the next
offer a firm prediction when the next
offer a firm prediction when the next earthquake will happen only the
earthquake will happen only the
earthquake will happen only the certainty that it will
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