Page 254 - Faults News Today

Have evidence from past quakes, digging trenches across faults that gives us an idea on average how often quakes occur, which is typically every several hundred years. in southern california on the san andreas fall it has been 300 years since the last big quake. >> sean: you are saying california on the san andreas fault is due, just based on -- >> southern california is overdue. well on average theres a major about every 150 years and it has been 300 years since the last one. >> sean: does that...

Digging trenches across faults that gives us an idea on average how often quakes occur, which is typically every several hundred years. in southern california on the san andreas fall it has been 300 years since the last big quake. >> sean: you are saying california on the san andreas fault is due, just based on -- >> southern california is overdue. well on average theres a major about every 150 years and it has been 300 years since the last one. >> sean: does that increase the likelihood it woul...

California. every time we build a reactor in california that identifies earthquake faults close to it that can cause that reactor to be at risk. >> the notion that a nuclear power plant can be built to with stand a certain level of seismic reaction strikes me as the height of foly given that these are evaluated by man who is capable of error on all sorts of calculations. >> for example the diablo canyon nuclear plant in california original was designed with the assumption there were no faults ne...

Will escape. >> theres something like that were to take place here, its going to be very dire situation. things are not going gonna go well. unfortunately, thats reality of living here on this sand spin. >> reporter: at least ocean shores doesnt have to worry about a nuclear crisis like the one in japan. work on this nuclear power plant about 35 miles inland from here was halted, the plant abandoned because of money problems and safety concerns, but in california, two nuclear plants, san onofre ...

And it cant blow up like a bomb, but it can release vastly more radioactivity than an a bomb. thats vastly different than a crashing plane or bridge coming down. we have to come to terms with the fact that this is a technology of immense danger, maybe we the species arent capable of handling it. >> wouldnt it be obvious that nuclear plants shouldnt be located near possible earthquake zones? >> exactly. it is especially a jar with radioactivity in it. david brouwer once defined nuclear power plan...

Same faults so it will be a different type of event. we are prepared for the tsunami in the northern part of the state and the central part of the state. when the geologists predict the magnitude twoevg got basis of the science. we will go on the base soils of the science and plan accordingly. >> lets talk about the two nuclear power plants in california, el diablo nuclear plant sits near an active fault line, built to withstand a 7.5-magnitude quake, san onofre, further south, withstand 75.0. l...

You know, took the most likely and also the severity, the expected severity along those faults, the magnitude they have projected were below what the facilities were designed to withstand. they have gone above and beyond in california what the expected quake is. it is important to know that in terms of what we have done working with utility companies with he work with them routinely. there was an exercise last week at one of the face says the and exercises five or six times a year with us or the...

Complex technological device for locating earthquake faults in california. seems like every time we build a reactor in california, we identify earthquake faults close to it that can cause that reactor to be at risk. >> and the notion that nuclear power plant can be built to withstand a certain level of seismic reaction strikes me as the height of folly, given that these things are, you know, evaluated by man, who is capable of error on all sorts of these calculations. >> for example, the other n...

>> we dont have enough data to even suggest that one of these earthquakes would trigger another earthquake at such large distan distances. >> reporter: now that said, the experts warn the faults in the west, like the cascadia and the san andreas in california could rupture at any time and they warn people to be prepared for that chuck? >> all right, george lewis for us in washington state near one of those quake zones. thanks very much. as george mentioned, the japanese quake is just the lates...

Course, secretary which you who is a nuclear physicist said this koontz happen in the united states. the japanese didnt expect this kind of disaster. they have more earthquake -- they have more earthquake risk than we do, although the west coast certainly is on major faults. how safe in particular are reactors in california? >> i think japan is a useful model here for the u.s. the japanese take safety very seriously, and i firmly believe that power plants are capable of withstanding the size of ...