AEG meeting–Thursday May 17, 2012–RSVP by 5:00 PM today (Tuesday)

Craig dePolo to lead discussion on earthquake hazards

MEETING ANNOUNCEMENT
Thursday, May 17th, 2012
SPEAKER:  Craig dePolo, PhD, Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology

LOCATION:
Reno Ramada – Skyline Room
1000 E. Sixth Street, Reno, Nevada
Link to Map

SOCIAL HOUR: 5:30 PM
DINNER: 6:00PM
PRESENTATION: 6:30PM

RSVP BY TUESDAY MAY 15 (5:00 PM) TO JESSE RUZICKA, 775-331-2375 OR JESSE.RUZICKA@AMEC.COM 

Cost:  Members: $25.00; non-members: $29.00; Students: $15.00 
(Note that the first 3 students that RSVP will receive a free dinner!)
www.aegweb.org 

“Fault Setbacks as Mitigation for Rupture Hazard in Nevada”

ABSTRACT
Craig dePolo would like to engage in a discussion of fault set-backs as a mitigation strategy for surface faulting hazard.  The Nevada Earthquake Safety Council is currently reviewing the recommended set-back strategies for surface rupture hazard from faults in Nevada.  After a presentation on the current ideas in play, we’ll collectively talk about what approaches make the most sense for Nevada and why.  As a society, we need to reduce the losses from earthquake events because it can be exceedingly difficult and take a long time to recover from an event.  But societal solutions commonly conflict with individual liberties and desires.  So what should we do, what can we do?  Can we build close to a fault with proper exploration techniques?  If so, what are those techniques and how effectively can they be implemented?  Can a geologist call the displacement on a fault during the next earthquake with confidence so buildings can be constructed across faults safely?  There are advocates of this.  What is the liability for geologists if they underestimate displacement?  Can an uncertainty statement handle this? Please bring your observations and suggestions.

BIOGRAPHY
Craig dePolo is a research geologist with the Nevada Bureau of Mines and Geology.  He is a masters and PhD graduate of the Mackay School of Mines.  He focuses on earthquake hazards, Quaternary faults, and historical earthquakes in Nevada.  He is the Northern Nevada Geoscience Representative to the Nevada Earthquake Safety Council.