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THE NEXT BIG EARTHQUAKE in the Bay Area May Come Sooner Than You Think (in English)
THE NEXT BIG EARTHQUAKE in the Bay Area May Come Sooner Than You Think - in English Author:USGS The 24-page full-color book was prepared by scientists at the USGS in Menlo Park, Calif., in 1990, following the 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake of Oct.17, 1989. — "While we in the geosciences were studying the scientific causes and effects of Loma Prieta, those in the social sciences asked us how we could help them educate the public to be better pre... more »pared for future earthquakes that we told them would surely happen," recalled Peter Ward, the former USGS seismologist who served as editor-in chief and prime mover behind "The Next Big......." Ward has since retired from the USGS.
Following the Loma Prieta earthquake, Ward contacted officials in the San Francisco branch of the American Red Cross and offered to write an easy-to-read book that would explain why and how frequently earthquakes occur in the San Francisco Bay area and what people could do to better prepare themselves and their families to survive future earthquakes. The Red Cross and other disaster-relief agencies agreed to underwrite the cost of producing the book and three months later the book was ready to go to press.
The book explained why scientists believe that at least one large earthquake is likely to occur in the Bay area by 2020, and what residents can do to prepare and reduce damage. These estimates used in the book were based on the 1990 USGS report, "Probabilities of Large Earthquakes in the San Francisco Bay Region, California." An updated probabilities report, based on earthquake research conducted in the past decade will be released by the USGS on Oct. 14, 1999. "The new report will emphasize that the earthquake hazard exists throughout the entire Bay region," said USGS researcher Mary Lou Zoback, "making the preparedness message of ‘The Next Big Earthquake.......’ more vital than ever."« less