Ready for the ShakeOut?

More than 110,000 Arizonans will once again participate in the Great ShakeOut, the world’s largest earthquake preparedness drill, scheduled for 10:17 a.m., Oct. 17. There will be a free public presentation by Arizona State University geoscientists from 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Oct. 16.

Although not traditionally thought of as a frequent epicenter for earthquakes, Arizona is not free from earthquake hazard. The USArray component of EarthScope, an earth science program that researches the structure and evolution of the North American continent, detected over 1,000 earthquakes in Arizona during its deployment. Additionally, faults in California and Mexico are close enough to cause significant shaking.

The EarthScope National Office (ESNO), currently based at ASU, will participate in the ShakeOut again this year to encourage hazard awareness. The ShakeOut began in 2008 in California as a way to educate the public about earthquake preparedness. Since then it has grown into an international event, with numbers expected to exceed last year’s global participation of 19.5 million.

In addition to the drill itself, the EarthScope National Office will be hosting free public presentations by ASU geoscientists 6:30 to 9:30 p.m., Oct. 16, in addition to participating in the drill the next morning. The scientists will speak on the science of earthquakes, the history of earthquakes in Arizona, ways to prepare for the next earthquake and other exciting geological topics. The lecture is set to take place on ASU's Tempe campus, in the Marston Theater on the first floor of the Interdisciplinary Science and Technology Building IV (map).

Taking a few minutes to think about what to do in the event of an earthquake can be of great assistance. When you’re panicked, it’s harder to think clearly, so it’s important to plan ahead and pay attention to what looks strong and what could fall on top of you.

On the day of the drill, the EarthScope National Office will be “dropping, covering and holding on” to simulate what they would do in the event of an earthquake. Join us!

For more information, visit earthscope.org/shakeout.