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Prof. Vidale Comments on California Quake project
Monday, September 26, 2011
From the Associated Press: "In the ongoing quest to better anticipate earthquakes, scientists embarked on an ambitious experiment: Identify the likeliest places where magnitude-4.9 quakes or stronger would occur in seismically active California over a five-year period. Half a dozen teams decided to give it a shot. They developed sophisticated computer models, submitted their best guesses and waited. As part of the ground rules, they could not change their forecasts, which were checked against actual quakes that hit during the study period. The goal was to see whether there was a reliable way to flag a seismic hotspot before the ground shakes. [...] So how did scientists do? "No single model takes home all the gold," said seismologist John Vidale of the University of Washington who was not part of any team." Read more about this project by clicking through. Read More -
Prof. Kate Huntington and Gina Schmalzle invited to White House event
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Prof. Kate Huntington and ESS postdoc Gina Schmalzle have been invited by First Lady Michelle Obama to attend and event to announce "New Workplace Flexibility Policies to Support America's Scientists and their Families" at the White House on Monday. They are two of only 14 scientists invited to attend the event. You can watch the event live at 4:00pm EDT (1:00pm PDT) at: http://www.whitehouse.gov/live. Read More -
Scientists Worry over 'Bizarre' Trial for Failing to Predict Earthquake
Wednesday, September 21, 2011
From livescience.com, with comments from Prof. John Vidale: "Six Italian scientists and one government official are set to go to trial today in Italy (Sept. 20) on charges of manslaughter for not warning the public aggressively enough of an impending earthquake that killed more than 300 people in 2009. While such a trial is unlikely on U.S. soil, experts say, American geologists and seismologists are watching closely, surprised at a legal system that would attempt to criminalize something as uncertain as earthquake prediction. [...] "I think that what people don't understand is just how low the risk was. These swarms of earthquakes do happen all the time," said John Vidale, a seismologist at the University of Washington. "We have swarms in my state, Washington, all the time, and I'm not sure of a single one that's ended with a large earthquake."" Read More -
"Vancouver Spared from Harm in 6.4 Earthquake"
Monday, September 12, 2011
From bloomberg.com: "A magnitude 6.4 earthquake struck 175 miles west of Vancouver, causing buildings to sway in the Pacific coast Canadian city while causing no reported damage. [...] The quake took place on a secondary fault, not the major Cascadia Subduction Zone, said John Vidale, director of the Pacific Northwest Seismic Network at the University of Washington in Seattle. There was no tsunami because the edges of the fault moved sideways, not up and down, so a major wave wasn't generated, he said. "There will be lots of aftershocks, but they're in a place that aren't likely to cause a lot of damage," he said" Read More -
"Earthquake prediction still stymies scientists"
Tuesday, September 6, 2011
From washingtontimes.com (via AP): "The East Coast earthquake left more than just residents unaccustomed to feeling the ground shake and sway in a daze. It also surprised some scientists who spend their careers trying to untangle the mysteries of sudden ground shifts. [...] They lived through the checkered history of earthquake prediction, filled with passioned debates, failed oracles and the enduring search for warning signs that may portend a powerful quake. The Earth so far has refused to give up its secrets. In recent years, however, a more hopeful camp has emerged, pushed by researchers using satellites who say it may be possible to someday predict earthquakes from space and others who think they can tease out signals in rocks. The two schools of thought swapped notes during a two-day meeting in Los Angeles weeks before a relatively mild magnitude-5.8 rattled the Eastern Seaboard." Click through to read the full article featuring Prof. John Vidale. Read More -
"At New Madrid Fault, Shaky Guesses On Next Quake"
Saturday, August 27, 2011
From NPR: "The magnitude—5.8 earthquake that rattled the eastern U.S. on Tuesday took everyone — even geologists — by surprise. But even when there are reasons to think an earthquake could be around the corner, scientists still can't make good predictions. It has now been 200 years since the last major earthquakes rocked the New Madrid Seismic Zone — a fault system that runs down the central U.S. through parts of Illinois, Missouri, Kentucky, Arkansas and Tennessee. The region has had plenty of smaller quakes since then, but there's no clear answer to the question of when the next big one is coming." Listen to the piece featuring Prof. John Vidale at the link. Read More -
"Should the East Coast Worry About a Tsunami?" - Discovery News
Thursday, August 25, 2011
Discovery News discusses tsunamis in the wake of the earthquake on the East Coast: "Among the concerns was the possibility of a tsunami. Even though yesterday's quake, for a variety of reasons, posed no threat of creating devastating waves, the question remains -- could a seismic event some day spark a tsunami on the East Coast, much like the ones that have devastated Japan, Indonesia and other parts of the world in recent years? [...] Normally, it takes a magnitude of eight or higher before offshore earthquakes start sparking tsunami warnings, said John Vidale, a geophysicist and seismologist at the University of Washington, Seattle." Read more from Discovery News and Prof. Vidale at the link below. Read More -
"Why A Quake In Virginia Isn't As Rare As It Sounds"
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
From NPR: 'The earthquake that rattled the East Coast on Tuesday afternoon — from its Virginia epicenter to Washington, D.C., and the islands off Massachusetts — was, indeed, rare, geologists say. But only because of its size; at a magnitude of 5.8, it was the largest temblor to hit Virginia since 1897, when the largest quake on record, a 5.9 quake, struck. [...] East Coast earthquakes are typically felt in a wider area than those in California. That's because the Earth's crust is more solid in the East, and it carries seismic waves better than in the more fractured West Coast crust. The Earth's crust has ancient faults in many places, "but most of them don't move very much," John Vidale, a seismologist at the University of Washington, told NPR. "The mystery is really what's pushing the faults to make it move now — and there are a lot of theories," Vidale says.' Read the entire article featuring ESS Prof. John Vidale at the link below. Read More -
Professor Robert Winglee - Chairship Renewed
Monday, August 22, 2011
Professor Robert Winglee's chairship in the Department of Earth and Space Sciences has been renewed. In an email announcement, College of the Environment Dean Lisa Graumlich had this to say: "I am very pleased to report that Professor Robert Winglee has agreed to serve for an additional five-year term as Chair of the Department of Earth and Space Sciences. "I would like to thank all of those who took the time to provide valuable feedback during the chair review process. The time and energy you put into the process is deeply appreciated. I would also like to extend a special thanks to the Review Committee, led by Dennis Hartmann (Atmospheric Sciences) and including Suzanne Hawley (Astronomy) and Bruce Nelson (Earth and Space Sciences), for conducting such a thorough and thoughtful review. "Working with Robert over the past year, I have been impressed with his energy, judiciousness, and dedication. In our recent discussions, we have reviewed the important issues facing the Department, and I am confident that Robert will continue to provide the strong leadership needed to best navigate the challenges and optimize the opportunities that lie ahead. Please join me in congratulating Robert on a job well-done, and in supporting his ongoing efforts to best position the Department of Earth and Space Sciences for future successes." Read More -
Conway B. Leovy
Wednesday, July 20, 2011
Conway B. Leovy Emeritus Professor of Atmospheric Sciences and Geophysics. July 16, 1934 - July 9, 2011 Read More