You might have heard the saying, “Earthquakes don’t kill people, buildings do.”
Some of the oldest buildings in Oregon, including Deady and Villard halls, which were constructed in the late 19th century, raise questions as to whether the University of Oregon could withstand a large-scale earthquake.
March 11 is the four-year anniversary of the record 9.0 earthquake that shook the country of Japan. With recent earthquake activity here in the Pacific Northwest—are we overdue for a big one?
Oregon is part of a large tectonic plate called the North American Plate that extends across the United States and part of the Atlantic Ocean. Earthquake activity occurs more often near the Pacific coast due to the series of plates that are pushed under our larger plate, otherwise known as subduction. The plates’ movements create contact and pressure under the larger North American Plate, thereby causing earthquakes.
The largest earthquakes recently in Oregon was a magnitude 6.3 off the coast of Coos Bay seven years ago and a 6.0 that occurred 21 years ago in Klamath Falls. The quakes caused landslides, but more notably led to structural damages totaling over $10 million.
Krista Dillon, the Assistant Director for the University of Oregon Emergency Management and Continuity, is one of the spearheads on campus for emergency situations, including earthquakes.
“There are a number of great seismic retrofit projects that have been completed on campus including Anstett Hall, Gilbert Hall, Fenton Hall, Allen Hall, Straub Hall, and the EMU expansion,” said Dillon.
According to her, even with the technology that exists today, it’s not yet possible to accurately determine how big an earthquake will be or when it will happen.
Dylan Colon is a graduate student studying geological sciences and is a GTF for a Volcanoes and Earthquakes class.
When asked about the concern over recent earthquake activity and the relationship to the possibility of a large-scale earthquake, Colon said, “Recent earthquake activity has very little to no bearing on the likelihood of a large mag. 9.0 event in the next several years…another event cannot be considered to be overdue, but is certainly possible.”
The EMC website is a great place to find updated procedures, as well as emergency alerts to keep you informed about what is happening on campus.
“Preparedness for an earthquake is a shared responsibility. There are things we are doing that will prepare all of campus. There are things departments can do to prepare, and there are things individuals can do to prepare themselves,” said Dillon.