Venue/Location: Bagdad Theater, 3702 Southeast Hawthorne Blvd, Phone: (503) 467-7521
Date: Wednesday, April 13, 2011 - 7:00 PM
OMSI Science Pub
Mega Quake: What Lies in Wait for the Pacific Northwest.
The news from Japan is devastating: whole towns destroyed in the recent earthquake and tsunami, thousands missing, the country in chaos. It may not seem like it, but the entire Pacific Northwest sits on the edge of a fault that, when it goes, could cause the same level of damage, or more. Yes, that’s WHEN it goes, not IF. The Cascadia Subduction Zone lies right off the coast of Oregon, Washington, and Canada, and when it slips, ...the entire PNW will likely suffer damage and the coastal communities could have as few as 20 minutes before a tsunami rushes ashore.
Yet it’s not all doom and gloom. Scientists and engineers are working to prepare our communities and infrastructure to withstand such devastation.
At this special Science Pub, watch clips from a National Geographic feature called Mega Quake which features Yumei Wang, geotechnical engineer, Geohazards Team Leader from the Oregon Dept of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) and Allison Pyrch, senior engineer from Shannon & Wilson Geotechnical and Environmental Consultants. After the screening, join Yumei and Allison for Q&A on what is in store for the Pacific Northwest and how you can prepare.