A year later, lessons from Ridgecrest – Times-Standard

One year came and went with a small wave of interest. I was expecting some coverage, but outside the regional media, interest was scant. The July 5 M7.1 Ridgecrest earthquake was the largest to shook the state in more than 20 years, but caused relatively little damage and only one death, unfortunately a man was working under his car at the time. social communication. The Earthquake Engineering Research Institute (EERI) on Monday released a huge report on survey studies conducted in the first few months after the earthquake.

The study of a sudden event such as an earthquake presents obstacles. There is no way to predict in advance where, when and how large it will be, and to coordinate the overall response requires advance planning. In the early days of my studies of earthquakes and tsunamis, the response was customized. The field was relatively young and a round of phone calls could usually bring together most of the researchers experienced in the field. Much of the critical evidence for both geological phenomena and structural damage is ephemeral and needs to be studied quickly. Transportation of equipment and personnel to an area often takes several days to commence studies.

In April 1992, my colleagues and I used our personal networks to contact other researchers to study the Cape Mendocino earthquake. This was before the internet and it took time to coordinate logistics to bring scientists and equipment to the area. A top priority is to deploy seismographs to detect aftershocks to clarify fault rupture details. Equipment needed to ascend from the Bay Area and we lost the most energetic part of the aftershocks sequence. We have done better with geological influences. HSU’s Department of Geology had world-class field geologists who were quickly able to mobilize students for survey studies. The only thing that fell from the cracks was the tsunami. By the time we were aware of the tsunami, it was too late to undertake a comprehensive study. We could have done a better job.

EERI created the first prototype clearinghouse after the 1971 San Fernando earthquake, bringing together seismologists, geologists, and seismologists and creating a physical base so that research teams could interact with each other and share results. It was so effective that then Governor Reagan set up the Post-Earthquake Information Sharing Center in California. It became a model for response to subsequent devastating earthquakes. But when the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred in 1989, the offices of several coordination agencies (EERI, USGS, and OES) were severely affected and an actual space was not created.

In 2009, a formal operating plan for the California Earthquake Information Exchange was implemented, identifying lead agencies, responsibilities, and framework for operations. It has become a proactive structure using scenarios and forecasts of potential focal areas for future earthquakes in the state to fully plan in advance of the expertise and equipment to be deployed. Exercises have been conducted to test a variety of potential earthquake events, including one on how to respond to the North Coast earthquake and tsunami.

The July Ridgecrest sequence was the first opportunity to fully test the new clearinghouse frame. EERI and California Geological Survey were the leading agencies and after 6.4 on July 4 they quickly established an actual space. Most of the site researchers were attending the first evening briefing on July 5 when M7.1, the largest earthquake in the sequence, occurred.

Complications arose immediately. The epicenter of the 6.4 earthquake on July 4 was inside the China Lake Naval Air Force Station and it was completely off-limits to personnel without a permit. The 7.1 mainshock was also centered within the Naval Air Station and access was required to look for surface rupture and other surface crack features. The station was also damaged and most of its personnel were evacuated. An arrangement has been made between the USGS and the facility to allow limited access to the central area by a select number of USGS scientists accompanied by security personnel, to study the geological features.

I don’t have space for a comprehensive summary of what the EERI Report contains (see link below), but it is worth highlighting two points. Earthquakes were followed by a powerful and sophisticated aftershock that continues to this day. Unlike most San Andreas ruptures, fault slip occurred in many separate parts with different directions. The induced seismic activity occurred over a much larger area than a direct dependent region north of Lake Tahoe.

The shaking of the ground caused relatively little damage to structures due to the magnitude of the earthquake produced by this earthquake. Most of the structures in the Ridgecrest area were built in the last 30 years and are of a light wooden structure and perform well during vigorous shaking. The exception was manufactured homes, especially older homes with poor restraint systems. This is a problem that has been seen in California earthquakes in the past several decades and will occur again in future earthquakes unless more flexible mobile home restraint systems are adopted.

The EERI report documents the work initiated by the clearinghouse activities. Many of these studies are underway and become the framework for new studies. I have many friends and colleagues who were either part of the organizational structure or were associate scientists, and my anecdotal assessment is the Ridgecrest Clearinghouse that works well. He succeeded thanks to the efforts and resources the state put into the clearinghouse structure. It’s been more than 20 years since the nation’s last clearinghouse was activated. Fortunately, the framework has been regularly tested and supported and was able to respond quickly when needed. This is the most important lesson. Don’t be lax about event planning ahead. Once it’s gone it’s very difficult to put it back together.

Note: Virtual Sharing Room with Pictures and Data Maps is located at http://learningfromearthquakes.org/2019-07-04-searles-valley/ and includes a link to the full survey report. State University, an expert in tsunami and earthquake hazards.

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