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The new official seismic hazard map is now online at http://gmw.consrv.ca.gov/shmp/download/pdf/ozn_paloa.pdf
Publication of this map triggers requirements in the Seismic Hazard Mapping Act. The map shows areas of hazard for liquefaction and landslides in the Palo Alto Quadrangle. Now cities must assure that new building in mapped hazards areas is studied and any hazards mitigated. In addition, real estate agents and sellers of property must notify any prospective buyer of the hazards.
Bay City News Service story:
Maps showing regions considered high-risk if another major earthquake hits the Bay Area were officially released this week, 17 years after the Loma Prieta earthquake, California Geological Survey and U.S. Geological Survey researchers announced.
The seismic maps cover areas of the South Bay Area, including the communities of Menlo Park, Palo Alto and Redwood City.
The Seismic Hazards Mapping Act mandates that the CGS publish maps that identify regions prone to landslides and liquefaction during earthquakes, according to a news release from the USGS.
The act was implemented in 1990, following extensive research done by U.S. and California geologists after the Loma Prieta Earthquake.
Geologists compared areas where landslides and liquefaction occurred in both the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake and the Loma Prieta Earthquake and worked to map out areas where this is likely to happen again with another large earthquake.
The new maps assign areas where new developers must put into practice special precautions to protect life and property in the event of a large earthquake, according to California Geological Association senior engineering geologist Keith Knudsen.
Once official, these maps also trigger disclosure requirements that affect property owners and real estate agents.
According to Knudsen, California developers must meet certain seismic codes for new developments in identified regions based on the new maps. In addition, landowners and real estate agents must make it known that any new developments planned on land in these regions must meet the seismic code, and that landowners must notify buyers if their land falls within an area outlined in the new maps.
The USGS and CGS also announced Monday the online release of the USGS Professional Papers on the Loma Prieta Earthquake, which is a four-volume, 3,000-page report that was based on research done immediately after the 1989 quake.
Formerly available only in libraries and for sale at the USGS, the report will now be available to download for free at the USGS Web site.
The online release of the USGS Professional Papers is an important resource for local and county governments, geologic consultants and the general public to understand what happened in 1989 and why it’s relevant today, according to the USGS.
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