EARTH Magazine: Faking quakes at full scale

Giant shake tables simulate earthquakes to make buildings safer

2014-04-23

(Press-News.org) Alexandria, Va. – On a muggy day in mid-July 2009, a lone seven-story condominium complex northwest of Kobe, Japan, was violently shaken by an earthquake. Onlookers watched the 23-unit, wood-frame tower sway and bounce while, inside the building, furniture toppled and plates clattered to the floor. No one was hurt during the highly localized event and there was only minimal damage, in part because the building's wooden skeleton had been augmented to better resist earthquake shaking, but also because the whole event — from the seismicity to the partially furnished building — was just a test.

It was the largest seismic experiment ever conducted on a full-size building, and it was carried out on the world's biggest earthquake-simulating shake table. Several other research facilities also have their own large shake tables, on which engineers are constructing and shaking full-size buildings to learn how to make them safer during earthquakes.

Learn more about the massive shake tables that make full-scale seismic testing a reality in the May issue of EARTH Magazine: http://bit.ly/1rkA8cX.

For more stories about the science of our planet, check out EARTH Magazine online or subscribe at http://www.earthmagazine.org. The May issue, now available on the digital newsstand, features stories on how GPS has revolutionized seismic research, how mercury pollution in the Arctic is linked to spring sea-ice cycles, and how much methane scientists have found occurring naturally in New York groundwater, plus much, much more.

INFORMATION: Keep up to date with the latest happenings in Earth, energy and environment news with EARTH magazine online at: http://www.earthmagazine.org/. Published by the American Geosciences Institute, EARTH is your source for the science behind the headlines.

The American Geosciences Institute is a nonprofit federation of 50 geoscientific and professional associations that represents more than 250,000 geologists, geophysicists and other earth scientists. Founded in 1948, AGI provides information services to geoscientists, serves as a voice of shared interests in the profession, plays a major role in strengthening geoscience education, and strives to increase public awareness of the vital role the geosciences play in society's use of resources, resiliency to natural hazards, and interaction with the environment.

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Some astronauts at risk for cognitive impairment, animal studies suggest

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Johns Hopkins scientists report that rats exposed to high-energy particles, simulating conditions astronauts would face on a long-term deep space mission, show lapses in attention and slower reaction times, even when the radiation exposure is in extremely low dose ranges. The cognitive impairments — which affected a large subset, but far from all, of the animals — appear to be linked to protein changes in the brain, the scientists say. The findings, if found to hold true in humans, suggest it may be possible to develop a biological marker to predict sensitivity to radiation's ...

Gold nanoparticles help target, quantify breast cancer segments in a living cell

2014-04-23

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Study identifies enzymes that help fix cancer-causing DNA defects

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A key to enjoying massive online photo files may be giving up some control

2014-04-23

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AGU: Odds of storm waters overflowing Manhattan seawall up 20-fold, new study shows

2014-04-23

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- Maximum water levels in New York harbor during major storms have risen by nearly two and a half feet since the mid-1800s, making the chances of water overtopping the Manhattan seawall now at least 20 times greater than they were 170 years ago, according to a new study. Whereas sea-level rise, which is occurring globally, has raised water levels along New York harbor by nearly a foot and a half since the mid-19th century, the research shows that the maximum height of the city's "once-in-10-years" storm tide has grown additionally by almost a foot in that ...

Study finds long-term survival of human neural stem cells transplanted into primate brain

2014-04-23

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Scientists identify source of mysterious sound in the Southern Ocean

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Autologous stem cell therapy improves motor function in chronic stroke victims

2014-04-23

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Too many chefs: Smaller groups exhibit more accurate decision-making

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Community-based weight loss program aids diabetes management

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EARTH Magazine: Faking quakes at full scale

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