News, announcements, policy updates, spotlighted websites, software updates and other info that may be of interest to practicing geotechnical engineers, engineering geologists, geophysicists, hydrogeologists and related professions.
Springer, publisher of a number of geo-related journals and books is having a promotion offering free online access to their Natural Hazards journal. The access is good for 30 days from October 22 so go check it out now. (Image copyright Springer).
October 17 was the 18th anniversary of the 6.9 magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake that struck the Bay area. But a recent story by the Bay Area’s local ABC affiliate, ABC7, chose to focus on another earthquake, a 1868 earthquake of about the same magnitude that occurred on the Hayward Fault. According to the USGS, the Hayward Fault has a return period of about 140-years and "It’s the most heavily urbanized fault in the U.S. and it’s just waiting to go off…" Next year will be the 140-th anniversary of the last earthquake on the Hayward Fault. At some point it has the potential to be a very bad earthquake there. More after the break. (Photo by sanbeiji)
Lake Malawi is an African rift lake, formed as the earth’s crust is slowly spreading apart. This lake is one of the deepest in the world and one of the lead geologists, Dr. Andy Cohen of the University of Arizona (go Cats!) says that the lake "acts like a rain gauge" and through their drilling expedition they have determined that the lake at one time dropped nearly 2,000 ft between 135,000 and 90,000 years ago. This drought in what is now a lush tropical part of Africa may explain why Man’s early ancestors migrated from that continent. More after the break.
Strata Systems, Inc., based in Cumming, GA, USA is very pleased to announce the full acquisition of Advanced Hardscape Solutions LLC, developer and owner of the Sleeve-Itâ„¢ System. [Editor] Photo copyright Strata Systems, Inc. [/Editor]
Thank you to my old colleague at URS Corporation, Andy Messer for sending me a link to these videos. The are from an Austrian company, Trumer Schutzbauten, that provides products and research related to rockfall fences. The first video is presumably to show the hazards of camping next to hazardous rock slopes…good fun! Click through for the videos.
A call for volunteers has been made on behalf of Governor Schwarzenegger by way of the California Department of Consumer Affairs website as reported by AEG. They are looking for professionals registered by the California Boards of Geology and Engineers and Professional Land Surveyors as well as a number of other boards. Read on for the full announcement.
According to ENR, the U.K. government has approved the 7-year, $32-billion London Crossrail Project which will reportedly be Europe’s biggest civil engineering project. It will include 41.5-km of tunnels 6-m in diameter laid out in pairs. The tunnels will pass underneath London and connect surface networks on either side of the city. Link after the break. (Photo by tkosaka)
Indonesia is planning to build what will be the World’s longest suspension bridge to link up its two main islands of Java and Sumatra. The total length will over 30-km with a (max?) height of 70-m so ships can pass underneath. The catch is that the bridge will be located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the boundary between the Asian and Australian tectonic plates and one of the most seismically and volcanically active areas in the world. There have been several recent earthquakes greater than magnitude 7, not to mention the earthquake that caused the 2004 tsunami. The bridge will be built to withstand a magnitude 9 earthquake. Oh, and in case the seismic concerns weren’t great enough, the bridge will pass within 50-km of the volcano Krakatoa. The estimated cost of the bridge is $12 billion ($AU?). Credit to Geology.com for the story.
A new publication has been released on the Transportation Research Board website. It is National Highway Cooperative Research Program (NCHRP) publication Number 583, Effects of Subsurface Drainage on Pavement Performance. From the foreword of the document:
"This report evaluates the effects of subsurface drainage features on pavement performancethrough a program of inspection and testing of the subsurface drainage features present in the Long-Term Pavement Performance (LTPP) SPS-1 and SPS-2 field sections. The report will be of particular interest to engineers in the public and private sectors with responsibility for the design, construction, and rehabilitation of highway pavements."
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