|
Predicted shaking intensity in the SF
Bay Area for a Magnitude 6.9 earthquake on the southern
Hayward fault. |
Intense ground shaking during large earthquakes can damage
or even cause failure of engineered structures such as buildings,
bridges, highways, and dams. Sustained strong shaking can
also trigger ground failures, such as rock falls, landslides,
earth flows and liquefaction. Strong motion seismology uses
special sensors, called accelerometers, to record these large-amplitude
ground motions and the response of engineered structures to
these motions. This information is used to upgrade building
codes, to design earthquake-resistant structures, and to predict
the patterns of strong shaking from future large earthquakes.
Rapid reporting of shaking levels also helps to focus emergency
response efforts in areas where damage is likely to be the
greatest. Recordings of large-amplitude seismic waves near
the earthquake source can be used to investigate the fault
motions that produced the earthquake.
|