oA / NEWS / TUESDAY, MARCH 23, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
GEOLOGY
Kansas, Missouri faults in no danger of quakes
BY SAMANTHA FOSTER sfoster@kansan.com
With two high magnitude earthquake in the news already this year, it's hard not to wonder whether earthquakes are increasing in frequency and intensity. But that doesn't mean students are worried about any immediate threats in Kansas.
Although media coverage of quakes has been substantial, the number of earthquakes so far this year isn't abnormal.
"It would be bad if it did, but I don't think it'll happen," said Nick Mott, a junior from Overland Park.
About 18 earthquakes of a magnitude 7 or higher occur around the world each year, according to the U.S. Geological Survey. Four have occurred so far this year, including the Jan. 12 earthquake in Haiti and Feb. 27 earthquake in Chile. These quakes have generated a lot of news coverage and an outpouring of relief aid to Haiti, but they aren't cause for increased worry about earthquakes in general.
Don Steeples, senior vice provost and Mckee distinguished professor of geophysics, said the earthquake in Haiti wasn't unusual because it
was a magnitude 7. He said the unusual thing about it was the number of people who were killed.
"It happened to hit in a very populated area with bad construction practices." Steeples said.
Steeples said an earthquake of the same magnitude occurring in Los Angeles or San Francisco, where
there is better infrastructure than in Haiti. would kill 60 to 70 people instead of the 230,000 killed in Haiti.
Infrastructure is an important factor in determining how much damage will occur from earthquake. The Chilean earth-
infrastructure minimized the amount of damage caused by the quake.
"Because of the history of earthquake in Chile, they have a pretty good handle on earthquake resistant building design." Steeples said.
Although earthquakes can be expected in certain locations —
"It might topple a few chimneys, knock dishes off and scare everybody, but in terms of large-scale casualties—not going to happen."
DON STEEPLES Geophysics professor
quake had a magnitude of 8.8, which Steeple said was "a big earthquake by any measure", but the number of deaths was about 500. He said it was the fifth-largest earthquake recorded since seismographs were invented around 1900. The largest recorded quake occurred in Chile in 1960 and had a magnitude of 9.5.
Steeples said the quality of Chile's
most occur around the Pacific Rim where continental plates shift — they can't be predicted. Steeples said prediction requires a time frame within weeks or months instead of decades. He said characteristic earthquakes occur in the same areas over certain periods of time
File Photo by Adam Buhler/KANSAN
Steeple said every once in a while someone will stir up a scare about
Weak infrastructure in Port-au-Prince, Haiti, resulted in the collapse of the city. The magnitude 7 earthquake killed 230,000 people. Poor construction of buildings was a main factor in the death toll. However, if a quake were to happen at the fault in New Madrid, Mo., or Manhattan, Lawrence would barely feel the effects. Don Steeples, professor of geophysics, said a few chimneys might fall from a roof or dishes from a shelf, but there wouldn't be any casualties.
Kansans tend to focus more on tornadoes than earthquake, but the state has had earthquakes in the past. Kansas has also felt shocks from earthquake in surrounding areas such as Missouri. Steeples said every time.
the New Madrid fault in southeastern Missouri. In 1811 and 1812 there was a violent series of quakes along the fault that the U.S. Geological Survey's website, www.usgs.gov, said were the largest in U.S. history. He said the fault has a shift range of about 400 years, so there won't be another New Madrid quake for about 200 years. Steeples said researchers knew the damage pattern from the 1811 and 1812 quakes east of the fault line to the Mississippi River, so they could assume symmetry to predict what the quake would feel like in Kansas
City or Lawrence. He said there was no need to lose sleep over it.
"It might topple a few chimneys, knock dishes off and scare everybody, but in terms of large-scale casualties — not going to happen." Steeples said.
Steeples said the closest active fault to Lawrence is in the Manhattan and Wamego area. The last quake along this fault was a magnitude 5.1 quake in 1867, and Steeples said the shaking in Lawrence and Kansas City was similar to what would happen in a New Madrid-type quake. The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
is retrofitting the Tuttle Creek dam near Manhattan to make it earthquake resistant in response to concerns about the fault.
Becky Coonrod, a freshman from Manhattan, said she didn't know much about the fault line near Manhattan although she had heard about the dam's retrofitting project.
"It's not something that I think about, so I'm not too worried about it," Coonrod said.
— Edited by Kristen Liszewski
EARTHQUAKES MAGNITUDE 7.0 AND GREATER DURING 2009 AND 2010 Each black dot represents an earthquake with a magnitude of 7.0 or greater during 2009-2010.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Soldiers repair an earthquake damaged railway near Constitution, Chile, Sunday. March 21. An 8.8-m magnitude earthquake hit central Chile on Feb. 27, causing widespread damage.
Source: The United States Geological Survey's website
HEALTH CARE
Kansas advances health amendment
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TOPEKA, Kan. — A proposal designed to allow Kansas residents avoid new federal health insurance requirements advanced Monday in the state House, the day after Congress approved sweeping health care reform legislation.
The Kansas measure, which received first-round approval on a 76-44 vote, would amend the state constitution to prohibit Kansas from requiring any individual or business to buy health insurance or from imposing fines if they don't. Kansas would be in conflict with the new federal law's mandate for most Americans to purchase coverage.
Supporters of the bill still face significant hurdles. Their proposed constitutional change must receive a two-thirds majority, or 84 of 125 votes, to
GOP legislators argued that forcing Americans to buy health insurance violates their basic liberties. Sponsors have labeled the Kansas proposal the "Health Care Freedom Amendment."
"I never thought I would see the day when this country would take us down the path of socialism," said Rep. Brenda Landwehr, a Wichita Republican and the measure's chief sponsor. "This is about our freedoms, our choices, our rights, our civil liberties."
Critics of the proposal didn't bother defending the federal legislation. Instead, they questioned whether rewriting the Kansas
"So far, so good — more work to do," said Chuck Henderson, a Manhattan engineer and a member of the Flint Hills Tea Party, who watched the vote from the House gallery.
pass on final action, scheduled for Tuesday.
The House's 2 1/2-hour debate on the proposal at least gave Republicans a chance to air their complaints about the federal health care overhaul as tea party movement members watched.
BRENDA LANDWEHR
Republican Representative, Wichita
"I never thought I would see the day when this country would take us down the path of socialism."
Constitution would make any difference if the conflict ended up in the federal courts.
If the House adopts the proposal on final action, it will go to the Senate. If senators also pass it with a two-thirds majority, it would go on the Nov. 2 general election ballot, where approval by a simple majority of voters would add it to the constitution.
Legislators have heard conflicting opinions from law professors on that issue.
er this constitutional amendment will protect us from federal intrusion," said Rep. Ed Trimmer, a Winfield Democrat. "This amendment will not help you."
"This debate is about wheth-
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