Cal OES brings shake simulator to Berkeley for earthquake preparedness month
If you've never experienced earthquake shaking, try out the simulator at Lawrence Hall of Science on April 8
April 5, 2022
MEDIA ADVISORY
ATTENTION: Reporters covering earthquakes, emergency preparedness, education
WHAT: As part of Earthquake Preparedness Month, the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES) will offer the public a chance to experience the mild-to-severe shaking of an earthquake in a portable earthquake simulator parked at the Lawrence Hall of Science at the University of California, Berkeley.
The shaking opportunity is part of a week-long series of events by Cal OES — its Earthquake Safe Spring Break tour — to educate the public about earthquake preparedness, the state’s Earthquake Early Warning system and the MyShake app, which can deliver earthquake early warnings to your mobile phone. The app, which gives individuals seconds of advanced warning before the ground starts shaking, was designed and tested primarily by UC Berkeley seismologists in the Berkeley Seismological Laboratory (BSL) before being rolled out to the general public in 2019.
In conjunction with the quake simulator, the Lawrence Hall of Science (The Lawrence) offers educational exhibits on geology, earthquake faults and earthquake preparedness. The Lawrence and UC Berkeley’s Science at Cal program will join Cal OES to offer interactive and engaging activities about earthquake science and preparedness. Those activities and the shaking experience are free, but The Lawrence charges an entrance fee.
WHEN: This Friday, April 8, 10 a.m. to 2 p.m.
WHERE: Lawrence Hall of Science, 1 Centennial Drive, Berkeley. The simulator will be parked in The Lawrence’s circular driveway and drop-off zone.
WHO: In addition to the earthquake simulator, quake experts will be on hand to speak with the public and media:
- Jose Lara, Alistair Hayden and Jeffrey Braverman, Cal OES
- Richard Allen, seismologist, BSL director and UC Berkeley professor of earth and planetary science
- Jennifer Strauss, MyShake app manager, BSL
- Angela Lux, project scientist, BSL
- Mariah Jenkins, ShakeAlert research and operations team, U.S Geological Survey (USGS)
DETAILS: In advance of the April 18 anniversary of the 7.9 magnitude earthquake that devastated San Francisco in 1906, Cal OES is rolling out its earthquake simulator to five cities, including Berkeley. The simulator, mounted on a trailer, can fit four people for a 3-minute shake experience, a vivid preview of what people would feel in a quake of up to a magnitude 7 and similar to shaking that could result from a rupture on the Hayward Fault.
Quake experts from Cal OES and its partners — the USGS and BSL — also will be on hand to talk about how to prepare your home and family for a quake and what to do during one (drop, cover and hold on), and to suggest online resources.
The earthquake simulator rolled into Los Angeles yesterday (April 4), is in San Diego today (April 5), and will make stops in Sacramento on April 7 and Salinas on April 9.
Contacts for media:
Robert Sanders, UC Berkeley Media Relations: [email protected], (510) 915-3097
Tim Ereneta, Lawrence Hall of Science: [email protected], (510) 643-0406
Claudia Coons, California EOS: [email protected], [email protected]