Dive Brief:

• A study co-authored by a University of Washington geologist says Seattle is at risk of a lot of damage from landslides that could result from an earthquake in the hillside city.
• Seattle gets magnitude 1 and 2 earthquakes every day, but the city is on top of the Seattle Fault and had a 6.8 quake in 2001, and the fault is believed to have produced a 7.5-magnitude earthquake about 900 A.D.
• The study estimates that there are 8,000 or more buildings that could come sliding down in danger-zone neighborhoods – several above Lake Washington, more along Puget Sound in West Seattle and others up and down the city.

Dive Insight:

The study's existence means city officials should account for a large amount of building destruction and utility interruption in their disaster planning, and it raises questions about the appropriateness of new construction in the hilly areas. How much damage an earthquake could do depends in part on ground conditions at the time – wet soils transmit vibration more than dry soils do. Because the danger is from landslides, not direct shaking of the structures, quaker-resistant construction is unlikely to be much help to residents.