SEQUIM — Scientists and Pacific Northwest residents alike are concerned about the possibility of a massive earthquake and the resulting damage.
The next Sequim Science Café, “Preparing for ‘The Big One’ — Understanding Cascadia’s Next Great Earthquake” with Erin Wirth, will examine the topic.
The Science Café is set for 6:30 p.m. Tuesday at Paradise Restaurant, 703 N. Sequim Ave. Attendees are encouraged to arrive at 6 p.m. if they plan to have a meal.
The Pacific Northwest is vulnerable to three types of earthquakes: shallow crustal earthquakes, deep earthquakes (e.g., the 2001 Nisqually earthquake), and large earthquakes on the Cascadia Subduction Zone fault.
The last great Cascadia megathrust earthquake occurred in January 1700, before seismic instruments were around to record the event — so little is known about the ground shaking and damage that occurred.
The U.S. Geological Survey estimates a 10 percent to 14 percent chance of a magnitude 9 Cascadia earthquake in the next 50 years.
Researchers at the University of Washington are using the results of magnitude 9 earthquake computer simulations to evaluate the effects on buildings, the potential for liquefaction and landslides, and to better understand how the Pacific Northwest should prepare for such an event.
The M9 Project is a collaboration between the University of Washington and U.S. Geological Survey to reduce the catastrophic potential of such a quake in the Pacific Northwest. Wirth will show the results of computer simulations that demonstrate 50 different ways a magnitude 9 earthquake could unfold.
Wirth has a bachelor’s degree in physics from New York University, plus a master’s and a doctorate in geology and geophysics from Yale University. She works as a research geophysicist for the U.S. Geological Survey in Seattle.
The Science Café is a community service of the Sequim Education Foundation. Programs present expert speakers for adult and young adult audiences interested in current developments in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
Science Café events are held the second Tuesday of the month at the Paradise Restaurant. Admission is free and food and beverages are available for purchase. See www.sequimeducationfoundation.org.
