WASATCH FRONT NATURAL DISASTERS 3

Science of the Hazards

Scientists have come to learn that Earthquakes are caused by the contact of tectonic

plates. When plates come in contact, stress will build up as the force of their movement, causing

a push on each other. As this stress or amounts of energy begins to build up, the rock

underground breaks along a fault. This release of energy causes seismic waves which makes the

ground shake. Geologic information for Wasatch fault earthquakes comes mostly from trenches

excavated across fault scarps. Twenty research sites, have been investigated on the Wasatch

fault. These trenches are able to provide information on the timing and size of prehistoric

surface-faulting earthquakes to help in the predictions of future earthquakes. The intensity of a

building or structure is dependant on the distance from the earthquake, the magnitude, and the

foundation or ground. In the Richter's Scale : Measure of an Earthquake, Measure of a Man

Susan Hough talks about a tool used to measure the magnitude of an earthquake is called a

Richter Scale. The Richter Scale ranges from 1-10, 1 being the lowest and 10 being the highest.

The Richter Scale uses a logarithmic meaning so every whole number increase is 10 times more

powerful and 30 times more energy is released (Hough, 2007, p.112).

According to the (NOAA) flash floods are caused by slow-moving thunderstorms that

move repeatedly over the same area, or heavy rains from hurricanes and tropical storms. The two

key factors of a flash flood are intensity and duration. Another cause of flash floods is from levee

or dam failure, or water release from an ice jam. Landslides can be caused by many contributing

factors. Francis X. Ashland et al(2006) studied ground-water level fluctuations in Wasatch Front

landslides. Francis X Ashland et als abstract states, Ground-water-level monitoring since early

1999 in and near five Wasatch Front

WASATCH FRONT NATURAL DISASTERS 4

landslides shows that seasonal ground-water levels rise in response to snowmelt, and locally to

summertime lawn watering and extreme precipitation events. (Ashland et al, 2006). The amount

of water in the soil is a major factor in the stability of a slope. This indicates that humans are a

contributing factor to natural disasters.Water does have the ability to hold sediments such as sand

or soil together, but too much water decreases friction between the grains and cause it to fall

apart.