September 23, 2021, 12:00-1:00 PT 

The EERI Northern California Regional Chapter and the EERI Learning from Earthquakes Program held a FREE webinar on the M8.2 earthquake that struck on July 28, 2021 (local date) offshore Alaska. The very strong quake was one of the largest to strike Alaska in recent history. It was located about 70 miles east southeast of Perryville, Alaska (about 500 miles southwest of Anchorage). The quake was a result of thrust faulting at a depth of 22 miles on the subduction zone between the Pacific plate and North American plate where the Pacific plate begins diving under Alaska. Fortunately, Alaska was mostly unscathed, thanks to the remote location and depth of the epicenter. Tsunami alerts were issued shortly after the earthquake and several coastal communities were evacuated. Only small tsunami waves measuring under a foot above tide level were observed initially, and tsunami alerts were called off under two hours after the quake. Final maximum wave amplitudes observed were between 1 and 2 feet above the tide, and the tsunami was detected down the U.S. West Coast as well as in Hawaii.

The Quick Quake Briefing featured two speakers from Alaska:

• Dr. Michael West, State Seismologist, Fairbanks, Alaska. He presented on the seismological mechanism of the earthquake, its relation to other recent earthquakes, and how it influences our thinking about future quakes.
• Dr. Summer Ohlendorf, Science Officer, NOAA/NWS/ National Tsunami Warning Center, Palmer, Alaska. She presented on the tsunami warning process following this quake, and the evolution of our understanding about the tsunami that was generated.

Join EERI for a series of free public webinars featuring Dr. Craig Davis and building on the themes of his 2021 EERI Distinguished Lecture! Additional webinars in the series will be hosted by EERI Regional Chapters this fall.

Register here for free!

Operationalizing Lifeline Infrastructure System Resilience to Earthquakes
September 1, 2021, 1:00-2:00 PM PT

To launch this fall’s Distinguished Lecture Webinar Series, EERI is rebroadcasting Dr. Craig Davis’s Distinguished Lecture from the 2021 Annual Meeting. The lecture explores how lifeline infrastructure system resilience is intimately linked to and supports community resilience through the services they provide. Lifelines are interdependent socio-technical systems vital in the day-to-day operations of our communities, and their basic services essential for community recovery after earthquakes. They include water, wastewater, stormwater control, electric power, gas and liquid fuel, telecommunication, solid waste, and multi-modal transportation systems. This lecture identifies features making lifeline systems resilient and provides examples on putting resilience into practice.

Seismic Resilient Lifeline Networks
September 8, 2021, 1:00-2:30 PM PT

This live webinar, hosted by EERI's Southern California chapter, will focus on the concepts of resilience and functional recovery as they apply to critical lifelines. True resilience against the earthquake threat must incorporate all functioning systems of the community. We must not only design buildings to withstand a large event, but also design the complex systems that support those buildings with resilience in mind. Experts in infrastructure for water, power, natural gas, and sanitation will detail recent gains and future strategies made by those utilities in enhancing the resilience of their lifeline systems. The webinar will begin with a brief presentation by Craig Davis, who will then be joined by John Shamma of the Metropolitan Water District, Jennifer Pearce of Southern California Edison, Mehrshad Ketabdar of SoCal Gas, and Donald Cutler of Orange County Sanitation, who will present and discuss the concepts of functional recovery and resilience within their respective lifeline systems, followed by an open floor for audience questions and discussion.

About Dr. Craig Davis

In his three-decade-long career at the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power, Dr. Davis worked as the Departmental Chief Resilience Officer, Seismic Manager, and Geotechnical Engineering Manager, and developed a comprehensive L.A. Water System resilience program. He has served on professional committees, including the Building Seismic Safety Council, the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Advisory Committee on Earthquake Hazards Reduction, and ASCE Infrastructure Resilience Division. Dr. Davis has published more than 150 technical papers and investigated numerous earthquakes.

Davis has been honored with the ASCE 2016 Le Val Lund Award for Practicing Lifeline Risk Reduction, the 2020 Charles Martin Duke Lifeline Earthquake Engineering Award, and the EERI Distinguished Lecture Award. The annual Distinguished Lecture Award is awarded to EERI members to recognize and encourage communication of outstanding professional contributions of major importance for earthquake hazard mitigation.

Tuesday, 24 August 2021

The EERI Northern California Regional Chapter and the EERI Learning from Earthquakes Program are co-hosting a FREE webinar on the Samos-Izmir M7.0 earthquake that struck on October 30, 2020 in the Aegean Sea between Turkey and Greece.

The quake caused significant damage and left many dead in Turkey from collapsed buildings. The worst effects were in western Turkey, particularly in the city of Izmir, where over 4 million people live some 40 miles from the epicenter. The earthquake also triggered a tsunami that flooded coastal areas in Turkey and Samos Island. The epicenter was located at the sea border between Turkey and Greece, and faults in that area were not well explored. In the aftermath of the earthquake, leaders of both countries expressed the need for future cooperation—”whatever our differences, these are times when our people need to stand together.” The briefing will also discuss joint Greece/Turkey research.

Thursday, 8 July 2021

The EERI Northern California Regional Chapter and the EERI Learning from Earthquakes Program hosted a FREE webinar on two earthquakes that struck offshore Japan. The earthquakes are especially noteworthy because they are aftershocks occurring 10 years after the great 2011 Tōhoku earthquake. The February 13, 2021 Fukushima-ken Oki earthquake (M7.1) was a powerful and deadly quake that struck offshore west of Japan. The earthquake left one person dead, and at least 186 injured. It also inflicted modest damage across the Tōhoku and Kanto regions. The March 20, 2021 Miyagi quake (M7.0) also struck offshore. Power outages and some damage occurred in Miyagi prefecture. Sendai, the capital of Miyagi prefecture, suffered extensive damage from the great 2011 Tōhoku earthquake and tsunami. The Quick Quake Briefing featured two speakers from the Building Research Institute, National Research and Development Agency, Japan.

Friday, 28 May 2021 | Part 3 - Soil-Structure Interaction

The Third Kenji Ishihara Colloquium Series on Earthquake Engineering included a series of three webinars on the topics of Base Isolation, Damping Systems and Soil-Structure Interaction. Three distinguished panelists will be invited to each webinar for a 20-minute presentation each and will be followed by a discussion with questions and answers under the lead of a moderator. This series of webinars targeted structural and geotechnical engineers, architects, students, researchers and building officials. The Kenji Ishihara Colloquium Series on Earthquake Engineering is hosted by the EERI San Diego Regional Chapter. Part 3 speakers included Bret Lizundia, Rutherford+Chekene; Sissy Nikolaou, NIST; and Jonathan Stewart, UCLA.