A good way to get prepared and to learn how earthquake research has evolved since that fateful day is to attend "Learning from the Past, Planning for the Future." This is a free event for the public in commemoration of the 10th anniversary of the Northridge earthquake and will be held on Saturday, January 17, from 9 a.m. to 3:30 p.m. in Beckman Auditorium, 332 South Michigan Avenue, at the California Institute of Technology in Pasadena.
Sponsored by Caltech and the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the event will showcase innovations in the fields of earthquake research, technology, engineering, and safety since the Northridge earthquake.
There will be nine speakers, including Dr. Lucy Jones, scientist-in-charge of the USGS in Pasadena who will discuss "Can We Predict Earthquakes Yet?"; Dr. Tom Heaton, professor of engineering seismology at Caltech, who will discuss "Will High-Rise Buildings Collapse?"; and Dr. Kerry Sieh, Sharp Professor of Geology, whose talk will be "Where and What Are the Faults in Southern California?"
There will be exhibits highlighting ongoing earthquake research and technology, along with displays from the Red Cross, the Seismic Safety Commission, the Southern California Earthquake Center, and the Office of Emergency Services.
There will be hands-on activities for children and information for adults about earthquakes and how to make your environment safe.
Special dignitaries attending the event include Chip Groat, USGS director, state Senator Jack Scott, Assemblywoman Carol Liu, and Jeff Griffin, regional director of the Federal Emergency Management Agency.
On January 17, 1994, at 4:30 a.m. the Los Angeles area was shaken awake by the largest earthquake to occur under an urban area in the U.S. since 1933. The Northridge earthquake severely tested building codes, earthquake-resistant construction, and emergency response and procedures. Economic loss was high, but fortunately loss of life was minimal. In the 10 years since the Northridge earthquake, Caltech and USGS scientists have been working tirelessly to establish new seismic networks and monitoring systems, better engineering practices, and faster response time. They have also been on the forefront of the information age, using and developing innovative technology to help study and understand earthquakes and earthquake risk.
For more information see http://pasadena.wr.usgs.gov/info/nr10/ or call (626) 583-6801 or (626) 395-6318.
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NOTE TO EDITORS: This event is a public event on the actual anniversary of the Northridge earthquake. It is different from the "Earthquakes 101" event January 7 at Caltech, which is strictly for the news media as a professional development workshop on how earthquakes occur and how the media can gather information after an earthquake, and it is also an opportunity to get one-on-one interviews with seismologists as you prepare Northridge anniversary packages. If you did not receive an invitation to that event, please call (626) 395-3227 and we can send you one. (The January 17 event is also open to the media and would be an excellent opportunity to get public reaction to the 10th anniversary of Northridge.)
MEDIA CONTACT: Jill Perry, Media Relations Director (626) 395-3226 [email protected]
Visit the Caltech media relations website: http://pr.caltech.edu/media
