Living in California, it can often seem like the next earthquake is just around the corner. When one occurs, many wonder if another earthquake is soon to follow.
Dr. Matt Herman, an assistant professor of geology at California State University, Bakersfield, is returning to the Buena Vista Museum of Natural History & Science for a virtual “Meet the Expert” lecture to share his earthquake expertise on Thursday, Feb. 17 at 5:30 p.m.
“I will be talking about whether one earthquake – or other events like human activities – can cause (or ‘trigger’) another earthquake to occur,” Dr. Herman said. “The talk will be aimed at a non-specialized audience, so anyone and everyone (including kids!) can come and learn.”
This will mark the second time Dr. Herman has led a talk for the local museum’s monthly “Meet the Expert” series. For his first lecture, held last September, Dr. Herman spoke about the size of earthquakes and why California, though infamous for potentially large and damaging earthquakes, actually pales in comparison to much bigger seismic events that have occurred recently in Japan, Indonesia and Chile.
“I really enjoyed my first experience and was happy to come back when asked,” Dr. Herman said. “The audience was dynamic and asked great questions, which is always inspiring to a scientist! This time, I wanted to come back to the museum to talk about another aspect of earthquakes that is very near and dear to me; after all, one of my specific areas of research is earthquake triggering!”
Dr. Herman studies lithospheric geodynamics and the physical properties of tectonic plates. Understanding the way those plates interact can give scientists like himself a better chance of anticipating and preparing for future earthquakes.
The lecture is free to attend and should be of great interest to members of the community, who likely have plenty of their own experience with local earthquakes. Dr. Herman noted that the concept of earthquake triggering was first developed in Southern California after the Landers earthquake in 1992, so it’s especially relevant to the region from both a risk reduction and scientific perspective.
“People may remember the Fourth of July Ridgecrest earthquake in 2019, which was followed by an even larger earthquake the next day,” Dr. Herman said. “Did the first earthquake trigger the next, or was it totally chance that these events occurred at a similar place and time? Answering this question can have huge consequences for saving lives!”
To register for the lecture, visit buenavistamuseum.org/events.
.jpeg?auto=webp)
.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)
/1x.jpeg?auto=webp)