when his chair started rocking
in Montana Hall in 1999.
"It was very definitely an earthquake," Fedock said of the Aug.
20 quake that brought back all the instincts he'd honed during
his California years. (Don't bolt from a building while it's
shaking, for example).
Admittedly, Montana's 5.3 earthquake that year caused none of the
devastation of this year's earthquakes in India and El Salvador.
It didn't attract the national media like Wednesday's (Feb. 28)
earthquake in Seattle. But Montana's quake did draw attention to
what Fedock and MSU researchers have been saying all along --
that California isn't the only state that gets the shakes.
Montana, in fact, is the forth most seismically active state in
the nation.
"All of the western United States is earthquake country," said
David Lageson, professor of structural geology. "It's just one
seismic belt after another."
Recent earthquakes have also spotlighted the seismic research and
public outreach that's coming out of MSU these days. The earth
sciences and civil engineering departments each have researchers
addressing questions related to earthquakes. They and Fedock are
also trying to convince Montanans that earthquakes can really
happen here.
"I'm kind of amazed at the lack of understanding or even just
acceptance of the fact that this is earthquake country,"
commented Lageson, a kind of prophet in his own land. "Most
Montanans just don't consider this to be a seismically active
region. That always amazes me."
Lageson recently set up a station on campus so anyone walking by
211 Traphagen Hall can see the size and location of the latest
earthquakes. On one recent morning, the MSU Seismograph
Webicorder showed readings from Barton Gulch near Virginia City
and Old Faithful in Yellowstone National Park. Squiggly lines
revealed several areas that felt the 6.1 earthquake that occurred
the night before in Japan.
"We don't have to have these old rotating mechanical drums any
more," Lageson said. "Now we can display hundreds of instruments
around the world digitally on one simple monitor."
Lageson plans to expand the system this spring. In the meantime,
he continues trying to understand the development of the Rocky
Mountains and the western United States. His research is
currently focused on southwest Montana, especially the Paradise
Valley south of Livingston and the Centennial Mountains on the
Idaho border. He is studying the Bridger Range, as well.
Jerry Stephens, associate professor of civil engineering, is
trying to prevent damage from earthquakes, specifically to
bridges. Looking for simple ways to strengthen the structures, he
conducts experiments in the laboratory and uses computer
simulations and analytical modeling.
Stephens and Fedock are both concerned with emergency building
inspections after earthquakes.
"Even in Bozeman, Montana, a building could look very heavily
damaged and be pretty darn safe or may not look damaged at all
and be on the verge of collapse," Stephens said. "So how do you,
in the immediate post-earthquake period, assess whether people
can occupy them?"
The ideal would be to bring in an already-assembled team of
engineers to inspect the joints and other vulnerable areas of a
building, Stephens said. But most cities don't have the
resources. Instead, they use local emergency personnel who do
quick "sidewalk surveys."
Fedock said, "California has pretty elaborate procedures and a
fairly extensive system of people with experience, particularly
in the construction field, identified as being able to lead a
post-earthquake team to help identify that Yes, you can go back
and occupy that house' or No, you can't.'"
Montana needs such a system, especially because its weather is so
severe, continued Fedock who has collaborated with faculty
researchers on campus and emergency personnel around the state.
Unlike southern Californians, Montanans can't live outdoors while
they wait to find out when they can return home.
Montana has many other earthquake issues it needs to address, as
well, Fedock added.
"Even though I'm clearly in an administrative role, I obviously
want to keep my interest (in earthquakes) to whatever degree I
can," Fedock said.
--Evelyn Boswell
