Show L K f 4 i 0 t x t r WV r U WT J rf fJ i 01 7 2 r. r k 4 cc c. c tE c hi f t- t i f.- f. r f tt t tl Horizon photo Ed Lite lIle Dr Walter Arabasz speaks about earthquake potential Utah earthquake risk Ed Lile Staff Writer E rec recently n organ organized THE TH Science Engineering and Mathematics Council sponsored sponsored sponsored spon spon- an earthquake awareness awareness awareness aware aware- ness seminar on Thursday May 17 titled Quantifying Earthquake Dangers in Utah N Dr Walter J. J Arabasz director of the U ti of U Seismograph J Sta Station tion was the guest speaker Arabasz said that Utah and our man Inan made structures are vulnerable to potentially catastrophic earthquakes He presented his role in quantifying quantify quantify- ing earthquake behavior Duri During ng the past years large Jarge earthquakes magnitude magnitude magnitude mag mag- 65 to 75 have occurred occurred oc oc- the Wasatch fault faulton 7 on on the aver average ge of once every years the last occurring f north of Nephi Asked if a major earthquake is imminent Arabasz stated that the e precise time location and size of earthquakes cannot be predicted in the United States except in special study areas areas' i 1 t such as Parkfield Calif The f Q r best that earthquake zone studies can provide is long- long term forecasting The Chinese inventors of the seis seis- in AD A.D. appear to have one of the best prediction rates The first seismographs were installed in the United States in 1887 Arabasz manages the operation of a modern telemetry network of 85 seismic stations extending extending extending ex ex- ex- ex tending from Yellowstone Park to the extreme southern part of Utah This seminar was a prelude to the largest scale full-scale federal earthquake exercise ever held in the United States It will be conducted in Utah during the second week of June under the title of Response 93 It is designed to test the policies and procedures of the Federal Response Plan the Federal Emergency Management Agency Agen Agen- cy and the federal and state mechanisms in the event of a catastrophic earthquake along the Wasatch fault Based on a hypothetical earthquake of 75 on the richter richter richter rich- rich ter scale this disaster exercise will occur at 6 am a.m. on Monday Monday Monday Mon Mon- day June 7 with an epicenter in Salt lt Lake City and Salt Lake County It will simulate a significant significant significant sig sig- sig- sig ground shaking over overa a mile 50 radius emergency pro pro- team gram will be headed up by Nancy Sanchez |