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Tawni Mortensen
Mac & Cheese
CGP report English 2010
Effects of the Wasatch Fault Quake:
Where will we be?
Abstract
Are Utahns ready for catastrophic possibilities of hazardous waste polluting our
airs and ruining our beautiful natural scenic landscapes? Damage to refineries along the
fault area can be fatal to humans but also devastating to wild life. The Great Salt Lake
and smaller bodies of water can cause flooding if flow is disturbed by ground shake.
Access to clean water, electricity, and medical care will become scarce. I provide our
future possibilities and what Utahns should anticipate and how to best prepare.
Introduction
We are all waiting for the “Big One” along our Wasatch Front fault line that has
been predicted for years. Preparations often include; food and water storage, and first aid
kits. Some even store a range of weapons for protection in what most assume to be a
vision of Mad Max times in the aftermath of the earthquake. These preparations address
physical survival effectively but rarely address financial issues.
Consequences:
The predicted scale for the Wasatch quake is around 7.0-7.5 (“putting down” 7). There
are about 1.6 million people who live along the fault line and will experience the brunt of
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the predicted quake. Those individuals closest to the fault line will experience building
collapses, flooding, land slides, and liquefaction of the earth. An example of this is the
earthquake that shook St. George in 1992. Damage was caused initially by the quake but
the majority of damage to homes and structures was caused by land slides, started by
after shakes. That quake was registered at a 5.9 which is considerably less then what is
predicted for the Wasatch quake (“Earthquakes”15).
Environmental Damage:
One source of potential damage resulting from the Wasatch Fault quake could be
from hazardous material at the Deseret Chemical Depot in Tooele County. It is one of six
locations in the U.S. where chemical weapons are kept. According to CSEPP, Congress
directed the U.S. department of Defense to start destroying the stockpile of weapons; this
process started in 1993 and should be completed by the end of 2012 (Natural hazards).
There are also many refineries that pose a risk to the environment because they sit so
close to the Wasatch Fault line. They could release toxic fumes into the air making it unbreathable as well as fuel, constant fires and explosions that would damage surrounding
areas. There are many other damaging out comes of this predicted 7.5 quake like the
possibility of flooding of the great salt lake and other smaller bodies of water. In this
picture you can see where the danger of flooding could occur
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Tips on what to do if
flooding does occur:
Google Images, Fox News
Flood Risk:
Flooding is not only high risk from the Great Salt Lake and the
smaller bodies of water close to the fault line but also by failing
dam structures. It is reported by Unified Fire Authority that there
are over two hundred dams in the Salt Lake County area, and
over 27 pose a high risk of failure. Their failure could cause
devastating property damage and could even be life threating if
1. FEMA manages the National Flood
Insurance Program (NFIP) which produces
Flood Insurance Rate Maps (FIRMs)
showing areas where flooding is most
likely to occur.

When possible, avoid building
in these floodplains.

Most homeowners’ insurance
policies do not cover flood
losses. Consider purchasing
flood insurance if you own a
structure located in a floodplain.

Learn about protective
measures to strengthen existing
structures against flooding.
2. Water is extremely powerful!

Water may be deeper than you
realize.

do not attempt to walk through
moving water. As little as six
inches of moving water can
cause you to fall.
Do not drive into flooded areas. Six
inches of water can cause loss of control or
stalling.
One foot of water will float many vehicles.
Two feet of water can sweep away most
vehicles including trucks and sport utility
vehicles (SUVs).
3. If your community is being threatened
by a flood, listen to the radio for
information. You may be advised to
evacuate. If there is any possibility of a
they fail in the shake of the quake. (“Natural Hazards”)
flash flood, move immediately to higher
ground.
4. Avoid contact with floodwaters. They
How Can We Prepare For Flooding?
There are multiple avenues that we can take to help
may be contaminated by oil, gasoline, or
sewage. Water may also be electrically
charged from underground or downed
protect property from flooding risks. You can follow the
recommendations listed to the right, or you can seek other
power lines.
5. Use caution when returning to areas that
have been flooded. Floods may weaken
avenues.
buildings or roadways. (Natural Hazards,
tab: flooding)
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Damage to infrastructure:
1(Photo by USG, “putting down”)
This picture shows a collapsed California freeway after an earthquake. Due to after shake
it is possible to see a lot our freeways ending up like this. In Utah our buildings or
structures are not always as strong in the case of a large earthquake compared to other
places that see them more often like California or Japan, so they are weaker in the case of
violent shaking (“putting down”).
Surface fault rupture:
(Photo from U.S. forest
services Miscellaneous
pulication 907, “putting
down”, PDF)
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This picture shows a surface fault rupture. In cases of a large quake it is possible
to see something like this. This type of shift is also the cause of many of our mountain
range slopes. This type of destruction can damage homes and buildings, leaving many
homeless and/or out of a job, which can cause the financial down fall of our economy.
Liquefaction of the Soil:
Liquefaction is when the soil acts like quick sand. There are two conditions that
must be present in order for liquification to occur: (1) loose, water-saturated or sandy soil
types; and (2) ground shaking must be strong enough to cause these soil types to liquefy.
This can cause structure damage but also possible loss of lives. (“Liquefaction”).
Economic Damage:
Aside from physical damage there is also financial consequences to the economy.
It is stated that if such a quake were to hit, the financial impact would be due to damage
to buildings and equipment of businesses. Some business’s would have to shut down, and
those that could stay open would be unable to receive supplies due to possible road
damage. Shake damage, which is covered by an earthquake insurance policy, there may
be additional property damages covered by other insurance policy’s. These types of
catastrophic loss could cripple insurers, and potentially result in a market failure (“The
Economic”6).
Conclusion
Possiblilities of enviornmental, financial and economic down fall will be
devastating to our economy like, financial stability, utility failure, landslides,
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liquefacation of soil, and flooding. It is safe to say that individuals will need to have an
emergancy fund program in place to keep themselve’s going financially through the
tough time as people may not be able to go back to their jobs, and the prices of everyday
necessaties will increase. Not only will food and water become scarce but also we will be
without phone and power, for how long that is unknown. Now days we all rely on the
internet or cell phones to communicate to one another and without such comforts we will
not be able to reach family members or emergency contacts like 911 with out possible
land lines or satilite phone capabilities. This will be quite the struggle for many especially
the very young and elderly who depend on others for care. It is always a good idea to
follow emergency guide lines. So with the knowledge of what has been provided Utahns
may want to consider where they will be when the quake hits and if they will be prepared
to survive.
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Works Cited
“Natural hazards”. Salt Lake County Emergency Management. UFA. 2011. Web. 11 Feb
2012.
“Putting Down Roots in Earthquake Country your handbook for earthquakes in Utah”,
USSC.UTAH.GOV. 2008. Web.11 Feb 2012.
.
“Earthquakes, what you should know when living in Utah” N.D. Web. 10 Feb 2012.
Pg. 15-18, picture printed on page 15.
"Liquefaction." Utah Geology Survey. N.p., n.d. Web. 10 Feb 2012.
“The Economic Consequences of a Catastrophic Earthquake” Commission on
Engineering and Technical Systems. The National Academies Press. 1992. Web. 11
Feb 2012.
Fox News, Google images. N.D. Web. 10 Feb 2012.