Evaluating the Impact of the 6.8 Nisqually Earthquake
Hugh Shipman, Coastal Geologist with the Washington Department of Ecology, has requested help in evaluating the impact of the February 28th Nisqually earthquake. In particular, he is interested in (1) assessing coastal damage and (2) understanding geologic effects of the earthquake along the Puget Sound shoreline - even where no damages resulted.
Responses to Hugh (see full contact information below) can be brief, since he can always follow up with you later. Right now he's just trying to get a sense of the extent and nature of activity.
Hugh suggests that the kinds of things we might hear about (and that he would like to hear about) include:
- Landslides and earth movement. It's been dry, so the number of slides has apparently been limited. On the other hand, he has seen both shallow slides and at least one deep-seated failure (Hwy 302 in Victor - Mason County). He's particularly interested if there are signs of movement on other big landslides in the region.
- Liquefaction. On 3/1/01 Hugh observed a beach dotted with small sand boils. They almost look like biological activity, but aren't. These were little domes of extremely soft sand about one foot in diameter, located fairly high on a gravel beach.
- Damages to shoreline structures - bulkheads, homes, docks.
- Waves, sloshing, or unusual water level changes.
- Changes in beach or marsh elevation.
- Other accounts (including anecdotal) of strange, interesting, or otherwise unusual events along the shoreline
Hugh can be contacted as follows:
Hugh Shipman
Coastal Geologist
WA Department of Ecology
3190 - 160th Avenue SE
Bellevue WA 98008-5452
E-Mail: hshi461@ecy.wa.gov
VOX 425.649.7095
FAX 425.649.7098
This page was created on March 8, 2001