Environmental Geology 103L
Team ___________________________
names ___________________________
___________________________
___________________________
Lab 2: Earthquakes and Earthquake Hazards
I. WHERE DID THAT COME FROM? LOCATING AN EARTHQUAKE.
Complete Exercise 16.4 Steps 2 & 3 in the lab manual on page 415. You should do Step 1 for practice before you
move on to Step 2.
Seismic arrival times
Arrival times and delays between seismic waves
Seattle
Boston
Los Angeles
P-Wave
S-Wave
Love Wave
Raleigh Wave
Delays between seismic waves
S-P
Love-S
Raleigh-Love
Using each distance ONLY ONCE, Choose from the following distances: 3000km, 2000km, 2500km
1. Distance to epicenter from Seattle:_____________km Boston____________km Los
Angeles___________km
Complete step 4 using the website below to triangulate the location of the epicenter.
http://www.freemaptools.com/radius-around-point.htm
2. Scroll down past the map to the Radius box.
3. Enter your radius in kilometers. (The radius should be the distance away from the city that the earthquake
occurred)
4. Input each city name to determine the radius.
a. Seattle lat: 47.5998° N long: 122.3346° W
b. Boston lat: 42.3645° N long: 71.0580° W
c. Los Angeles lat: 34.0547°N long:118.2415° W
5. Click on Draw Radius.
6. Repeat for the other 2 cities.
7. Describe the location of the epicenter of this earthquake:
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II. HOW DOES THE TYPE OF EARTH MATERIALS AFFECT EARTHQUAKE DAMAGE?
In this section of the lab exercises, you and your teammates will explore how various types of earth foundation
materials can dramatically affect the type of damages that can occur to buildings on the surface during an
earthquake.
You will first explore several interactive scenarios to learn how different types of building construction and ground
materials behave under different magnitude earthquakes. Use the following weblink to access the Earthquake
simulator:
http://www.cosmeo.com/braingames/makeaquake/index.cfm?title=Make%20a%20Quake
Explore to determine detailed scenarios for building in earthquake prone areas. Try varying the Ground Type and
Prevention Mechanism to determine which has the most impact on how destructive the earthquake is. Make sure
to read the text after the simulation and don’t just describe the picture. The text has vital information about each
scenario. Fill out the table below.
Ground Type
Magnitude
Prevention
Mechanism
Coastal
Superquake
Reinforced masonry
Coastal
Superquake
Result
Superquake
1. What style of building construction would be the safest for the scenario Coastal, Superquake?
2. For the Scenario Superquake and using the best building style from above, what type of earth foundation
materials would be the safest during a superquake?
3. Out of all the types of earthquakes, building prevention mechanisms, types of foundations, which
scenarios would generate the MOST DEVASTASTION?
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III. Earth materials underneath MUSC and the College of Charleston
Below is a diagram showing the stratigraphy (the layers of rock and sediment) that are found beneath MUSC near
the edges of the peninsula and the College of Charleston near the interior.
Artificial Fill
Modern
Beach
Deposits
Ancient
Beach
Deposits
Ancient
Beach
Deposits
Wando
Formation
Wando
Formation
Examine the core models for each of these locations, along with the containers of materials that make up each
individual layer (artificial fill, modern beach deposits, ancient beach deposits, and Wando formation). Write a short
description of each layer in the chart below.
CORE LOCATION
ARTIFICIAL FILL
A- MUSC
MODERN BEACH
DEPOSITS
B -COFC
NOT APPLICABLE
NOT APPLICABLE
ANCIENT BEACH
DEPOSITS
WANDO
FORMATION
1. Out of each layer, which do you predict would be the most stable during an earthquake?
Artificial Fill
Modern Beach Deposit
Ancient Beach Deposits
Wando Formation
2. Why?
Now take the container of artificial fill. Place several pennies vertically about halfway in the material, imitating the
vertical walls of buildings or structures constructed on this ground material. Simulate an earthquake by gently
tapping the container on the table. Observe what happens to the “buildings”. Repeat with each of the ground
types.
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3. Which ground material was the most stable and why?
4. Which ground material was the least stable and why?
5. What happened to the buildings in this material during your simulated earthquake?
6. Which ground materials are most likely to experience liquefaction and why?
7. Which cores are more stable during earthquakes – MUSC or COFC and why?
8. If you had to build on the outer edge of the peninsula like MUSC is, how could you design a building to mitigate
the effects of the unstable upper layers of ground materials? (Hint: think back to the simulation in Part III that
allowed you to try out different types of buildings).
Part IV. EARTHQUAKE HAZARDS IN CHARLESTON
If you are not native to Charleston, you may be wondering why we are looking at earthquake hazards of
Charleston. Earthquakes don’t happen on the east coast, right? Charleston is, in fact, at risk for earthquakes. The
last major earthquake to hit Charleston was in 1886. Watch the video “It Could Happen Tomorrow” and use the
following websites to help you answer the questions below about the 1886 earthquake, and Charleston’s risk for
future quakes.
http://scearthquakes.cofc.edu/pdf/EQGuide2012.pdf
http://earthquake.usgs.gov/regional/states/events/1886_09_01.php : This page includes a good summary of the
events in 1886. Take a look at the historic photos also.
1. Is Charleston located on a current plate boundary?
a. If not, please describe why there are earthquakes here.
2. What was the magnitude of the 1886 earthquake in Charleston?
3. What is the name of the fault zone along which this earthquake occurred?
4.
Look at the historic maps of the Charleston Peninsula posted on OAKS. How is the peninsula different today
than it was in the 1700’s?
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Creating an Earthquake Hazard Map for Charleston
Examine the geologic map of Charleston. This map shows what rock and/or sediment layers that you looked at in
Part III can be found at the surface. The areas on the map that are made of artificial fill were once marshland that
was filled in order to provide new land for building. Based on you results from Part III, determine which areas are
at highest risk for damage when the next earthquake hits Charleston, and which areas are at lowest risk.
Now, using the Charleston Topographic Map on the next page as your base map, create an Earthquake Hazards
map of the Charleston peninsula, shading in areas of HIGH and LOW earthquake damage risk. Also
highlight/indicate infrastructure that will be important in the aftermath of an earthquake, such a fire stations,
hospitals, and evacuation routes (including bridges). Make sure to include a key on your map and a title.
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5. Which areas of the peninsula are most likely to experience liquefaction?
6. If an earthquake of the same magnitude as that which occurred in 1886, MM 7.3, happened today in
Charleston, how would the devastation differ from what happened in 1886? Would it be worse or less? Why? Use
the SCEEP website and consider the locations of the important infrastructure that you identified on your hazard
map in your answer.
Earthquake damage in downtown Charleston
1. Walk to the Cistern and examine Randolf Hall. Built in 1829, this is one of the oldest buildings on campus. It
was severely damaged in the 1886 earthquake. Identify at least 3 damage features visible on Randolph hall from
1886 earthquake? Use the handout on the following page to help you, and the photo of Randolph Hall taken after
the earthquake below.
Extra Credit/Homework (your instructor will let you know which)
Walk around downtown Charleston. Identify 3 other buildings/locations that show earthquake damage. Give
location, type of damage. Bonus: Include photos. S on King st is a good way to go.
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