What is liquefaction?
Liquefaction takes place when loosely packed, water-logged sediments at or near the ground surface lose their strength in response to strong ground shaking. Liquefaction occurring beneath buildings and other structures can cause major damage during earthquakes. For example, the 1964 Niigata earthquake caused widespread liquefaction in Niigata, Japan which destroyed many buildings. Also, during the 1989 Loma Prieta, California earthquake, liquefaction of the soils and debris used to fill in a lagoon caused major subsidence, fracturing, and horizontal sliding of the ground surface in the Marina district in San Francisco.
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EarthWord–Liquefaction
Just as loose lips sink ships, loose soils can create this week’s EarthWord...
New Maps Identify Liquefaction Hazard in Santa Clara Valley
New hazard maps that describe the probability of earthquake-induced liquefaction in Northern Santa Clara Valley are now available from the U.S Geological Survey (USGS.)
New Maps Identify Bay Area Liquefaction Risk
Two new maps give first responders, land use planners, decision makers and Bay Area residents a new and more detailed look at the risk of "liquefaction" in the soils underlaying buildings and other important components of the Bay Area infrastructure, such as roads and pipelines.
USGS Researcher Introduces New Method To Assess Potential Losses From Liquefaction During Earthquakes
A new method of assessing the danger of ground failure due to soil liquefaction during an earthquake made its debut in San Francisco, Tuesday afternoon, December 17.
Formation of sand boils in liquefaction experiment
Video clip of the formation of sand boils in a blast-induced liquefaction experiment at Treasure Island, San Francisco, California.
Liquefaction and lateral spread from M6.4 earthquake in Puerto Rico
USGS scientists were deployed to assess land deformation and movement after a large M6.4 earthquake struck Puerto Rico on January 7, 2020. Here is an example of a lateral spread near a stream in Ponce, Puerto Rico.
Loma Prieta Liquefaction
Liqufaction from the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake in California. Credit: J. Tinsley, from U.S. Geological Survey.
Liquefaction
Liquefaction is a process by which water-saturated sediment temporarily loses strength and acts like a fluid... like when you wiggle your toes in the wet sand near the water at the beach. This effect can be caused by earthquake shaking.
Liquefaction Illustration
Photograph and schematic cross-section illustrating earthquake-induced liquefaction and formation of sand dikes and sand blows. The photo was taken on February 14, 2016 after the Christchurch, New Zealand earthquake. (modified from the original)
The Gold Rush and the 1906 Earthquake
The Gold Rush and the 1906 Earthquake: How they combined to create the breakthrough discovery of modern seismic science
- Accidents of Gold Rush merchant marine navigation transformed a seismic disaster into a seminal discovery and led to San Francisco's extreme liquefaction vulnerability today.
- Just about everything that we love about the Bay area is
"Sand Boil" on Bay Bridge
"Sand boil" or sand volcano measuring 2 m (6.6 ft) in length erupted in median of Interstate Highway 80 west of the Bay Bridge toll plaza when ground shaking transformed loose water-saturated deposit of subsurface sand into a sand-water slurry (liquefaction). Vented sand contains-marine shell fragments.
I saw on a map that I live in an area of "high liquefaction probability." What does that mean and can I do anything about it?
Listen to hear the answer.