SAN BERNARDINO COUNTY MUSEUM

 

Date: September 27, 2012

Contact: Jennifer Reynolds, Media Specialist • (909) 307-2669 ext. 278 • jreynolds@sbcm.sbcounty.gov

                Kathleen Springer, senior curator • (909) 307-2669 ext. 242 • kspringer@sbcm.sbcounty.gov

For release:     Immediately

Event date: Sunday, September 30, 2012

 

The Science Behind the ShakeOut

Kathleen Springer, the senior curator of geological sciences at the San Bernardino County Museum, will give a lecture, “The Science Behind the Shakeout,” at the museum on Sunday, September 30, at 2:00 p.m. The lecture is included with paid museum admission.

 

“I will illustrate in my lecture that our region straddles the mother of all faults, the mighty San Andreas fault,” said Springer. “This giant gash that slices through California is the boundary between two of the largest tectonic plates on the planet, which in turn makes our area one of the most geologically active regions in North America!” A magnitude 7.8 earthquake and associated 180-mile long rupture on the San Andreas fault is the science-based earthquake scenario used in the Great California ShakeOut. Springer’s lecture will focus on the science that went into creating this hypothetical earthquake as well as the ramification of such a disaster, when (not if) it occurs in southern California.

 

The Great California ShakeOut, a statewide and now annual drill, will occur at 10:18 a.m. on October 18, 2012. The ShakeOut scenario, a hypothetical earthquake designed by scientists to show what will happen when a major earthquake strikes southern California, is intended to raise earthquake awareness and to motivate preparedness as well as participation in the “Drop, Cover and Hold On” drill.

 

“The SBCM is the hub of the ‘EPIcenter’ collaborative,” said Springer. “These Earthquake Education and Public Information Centers include other southland museums, parks, and informal science education venues that are committed to promoting earthquake preparedness information.” In addition to the September 30, lecture, this fall Springer is leading two field trips along the San Andreas Fault along with organizing a free public event that will include visitors participating in the ShakeOut drill and Earthquake Safety Fair at the county museum on October 18.

 

The San Bernardino County Museum is at the California Street exit from Interstate 10 in Redlands. The museum is open Tuesdays through Sundays from 9 am to 5pm. General admission is $8 (adult), $6 (military or senior), $5 (student), and $4 (child aged 5 to 12). Children under five and Museum Association members are admitted free. Parking is free. For more information, visit www.sbcountymuseum.org. The museum is accessible to persons with disabilities. If assistive listening devices or other auxiliary aids are needed in order to participate in museum exhibits or programs, requests should be made through Museum Visitor Services at least three business days prior to your visit. Visitor Services’ telephone number is 909-307-2669 ext. 229 or (TDD) 909-792-1462.

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