Geoarchaeology
Tectonics and Ancient Civilizations
A new study published in the current issue of Geoarchaeology claims that earthquake-prone areas along the edges of tectonic plates were far more likely to give birth to great ancient civilizations than less dynamic landscapes. The author of the paper, Eric Force, a (U of A Wildcat!) says that 13 of 15 ancient civilizations sites aren’t the product of chance. Instead, ancient people appear to have chosen to settle close to a tectonic plate boundary. The exceptions were in ancient China and Egypt. [Image Adapted from Eric R. Force, Geoarchaeology: An International Journal, 23 (2008)]
Share this:
Project Related
Project to pour water into volcano to make power
Geologic Hazards
Video: Geotechnical investigation of the March 11, 2011 Tohoku Earthquake, Japan
The NSF funded Geotechnical Extreme Events Reconnaissance (GEER) team has provided a preliminary report and some amazing photos and video of the damage to various regions of Japan affected by the moment magnitude 9.0 earthquake that struck on March 11, 2011. Read on to see some amazing photos and video of the liquefaction damage related to the Tohoku Earthquake in Japan. (Photos from Oregon State Flickr)