NHK video on the danger of (hidden) active faults

October 7, 2013

Danger of Hidden Faults

http://www3.nhk.or.jp/nhkworld/newsline/201310072014.html

Some researchers have discovered that almost all active faults are underground and cannot be seen from the surface.

Pr. Shinji Toda,  a seismologist (Tokohu University), has been studying all the  quakes over 6.5 that have occurred in Japan over the last 90 years.

He found that in as much as 80% of all powerful quakes, the active fault was not identified beforehand.

AND sometimes even after the quake, there was very little sign of disturbance on the surface.

He is using a laser-based aerial method to try and identify active faults but this won’t be sufficient.

New survey methods have to be invented.

He concludes : “We know now that we can’t say places without active faults are safe.”