Wed 10/7 East Bay Science Cafe: The Next Big Earthquake in Our Backyard

When: Wednesday, October 7th 7-9 PM
What: The Next Big Earthquake in Our Backyard
Where: Cafe Valparaiso at La Pena Cultural Center, 3105 Shattuck Avenue, Berkeley, CA 94705
Who: Kevin Mayeda, Seismologist, UC Berkeley

Currently, the Hayward fault poses the largest threat to a major U.S. population center, more so than the San Andreas fault. Unlike the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, the next major Hayward fault earthquake will be in the heart of the east bay with over 2 million people living within a few miles of the fault. This presentation and open discussion will focus on why we have earthquakes in this region, why we believe we are due for a major event, lessons learned from other recent earthquakes, and what can be done to mitigate the damage.

About the Speaker
Kevin Mayeda is a Seismologist at the U.C. Berkeley Seismological Laboratory. He was born and raised in the Berkeley/Oakland region and studied Geophysics at Cal and went on to earn a Ph.D. at USC with the late professor, Kei Aki. After having worked for 14 years at LLNL on both earthquake source physics and nuclear explosion monitoring research, he has returned to his alma mater as a research seismologist focusing on seismic hazard, earthquake dynamics, and public outreach for the past 3 years. An avid golfer, runner, and cook, he also spends his weekends on soccer fields either as a referee or watching his two daughters play for the Bay Oaks.

The East Bay Science Café is a Café Scientifique style forum for discussing interesting and relevant scientific issues. The goal is to encourage public engagement with science by inviting members of the scientific community to present topics for a casual evening of conversation. The East Bay Science Café is brought to you by the University of California Berkeley Natural History Museums.