Liquefaction & you

BY: BRYANT GARCIA

PICTURES TAKEN BY IPHONE 5S

What is liquefaction?

A conversion of a solid or gas into a liquid (Wolfram Alpha).

Naturally, water fills the

spaces between sediment
grains, but the grains touch
and friction hold the
sediment together.

Liquefaction increases the

water-filled spaces between
grain, allowing sediment to
flow like a liquid

Breaking it down.

Soils, sediment and rocks react

differently to seismic activity generated

by earthquakes.

Soft sediments can go through

liquefaction when shaking is strong.

This phenomenon occurs when seismic

waves are amplified by wet sediments.

This causes sediments to shake intensely.

Liquefaction can occur in water saturated soils, for example those that are
found on river flood plains where recent soft sediment are saturated by
the high water table or in areas underlain by unconsolidated materials.

Damage due to liquefaction

During an earthquake, heavy damage can come about due to instability of

the soil in the area by internal seismic waves.

The soil response depends on the depth of the water table, soil layers and the
duration plus the strength of the ground shaking.

If the soils are loose granular materials, it may be compacted by ground

vibrations, resulting in different settlements on the ground surface.

Liquefaction then could cause damages to building, structures and anything

that is right above or in seismic reach.

Damage due to liquefaction

(pictures)
The Showa Bridge
super structure
collapsed due to
liquefaction.
Niigata
Earthquake, 1964
Photo Credit:
National
Information
Service For
Earthquake
Engineering,
University of
California, Berkey,
2015.)

Due to soil liquefaction,

displacement & tilting of houses
occurred. This took in the area of
Anchorage, Turnagain Heights
during the 1964 Alaskan
Earthquake. (Photo Credit:
National Information Service For
Earthquake Engineering,
University of California, Berkley.)

Lets take a stroll around my town

I was motivated to take the following pictures because I never

realized how much liquefaction affected my surrounding.

When I use to skateboard to school, I

would always go down 8000 west and
3100 south.
I always noticed this uneven sidewalk
and would be forced to avoid it due to
the fear of tripping and breaking my
neck.
Thanks to Geography 1700, I now
understand the liquefaction process
and the dangerous that come with it.
The sidewalk till this day is still the
same.

Bike trail Magna park.

It is mid February and snow along with
rain continue to pass through the state
of Utah.
This is a big deal because liquefaction
has appeared on a bike trail located on
3100 south and 8560 west.
Best of luck to the bikers,
skateboarders, joggers, and
pedestrians who use this trail on a daily
basis and fail to notice the small sink
holes because of snow fall.

Tilted stop sign.

On my way home from school I ran
through a busy intersection without
stopping, luckily no cars were present
at the time.
This stop sign, located at 3100 south
and Collie dr., has been tilted by
natural causes, or liquefaction.
This is a serious problem because kids
could be crossing the road, a pet could
be wondering aimlessly, or two cars
could collide.

Why it matters

Liquefaction if left unchecked could worsen and expand.

If we wait around for someone else to take charge, the problem

could be damaged beyond repaid and could affect citizens
financially and environmentally.

The ground could rip and slip to the point where drastic measures
need to be taken.

Liquefaction could happen during an earthquake or over a long

period of time.

Just because we as humans do not feel shaking, the ground is

constantly moving.

Citation page

Isiardham, Vivian. "Damage Due to Liquafaction." National

Information Service for Earchquake Engineering. Web. 27 Feb.
2015.
<http://nisee.berkeley.edu/bertero/html/damage_due_to_liquefac
tion.html>.

Napier, Ryan. "Earthquake Awareness." <i>Alabama Emergency

Managment Agency</i>. J.P. Waterman. Web. 25 Feb. 2015.
&lt;http://ema.alabama.gov/earthquakebook/Earthquake_2.htm&
gt;.

Washington, Victor. "Explanation." <i>Soil Liquafaction.</i> Jorgen

Johnson. Web. 20 Feb. 2015.
&lt;http://ema.alabama.gov/earthquakebook/Earthquake_2.htm&
gt;.