Image, via wikipedia

Scientists have re-mapped the Seattle area recently to figure out just how bad things will be when the next earthquake happens [P-I]. The last map, done in the 60’s with incomplete data from the 50’s, only seems to have painted part of the picture. As it turns out, there’s a lot more unstable soil in places like West Seattle and Beacon Hill than they thought, and that soil is likely to liquefy and slide in the event of a quake.

Now, this might come from the fact that I grew up somewhere were earthquakes are incredibly unlikely (Florida’s two black dots are on the other side of the admittedly thin state), but isn’t it sort of a given that earthquakes are dangerous, and that when parts of the ground move other parts of it are bound to follow? I mean, I guess it’s nice to know where things are likely to go very wrong so that you’ll know where not to be, but it doesn’t seem like anyone knows how to make those places safer.

In any case, the northwest quadrant of the new map is now available, and the rest of it will be coming soon. The new map will also highlight the Seattle Fault Zone (which would make a great name for a dance club) that runs right through downtown and is likely to cause a real bad earthquake and a potential accompanying tsunami. It’s a little depressing and scary to look at, but I guess that’s why they call it a hazard map and not a map of puppies and sunshine.

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