Write a two- (to three-) page paper on the earthquake hazards at a particular location of importance to
you (your home, apartment, dorm, or workplace in the San Francisco Bay Area). The location must
include land with a building on it. Consider two scenario earthquakes:
(1) A repeat of the 1906 MW 7.8 rupture on the San Andreas Fault
AND
(2a) A repeat of the 1868 MW 6.8 rupture on the southern segment of the Hayward Fault.
OR
(2b) If you do not live in or near San José, use the earthquake scenario for your closest major
SFBA fault.
Start working from the earthquake site of the Association of Bay Area Governments (ABAG):
http://resilience.abag.ca.gov/earthquakes/ . For most of the hazards, ABAG has interactive GIS
(Geographic Information System) maps on which you can click and zoom in and out. Be patient with
the site navigation. (***If you can’t use the ABAG maps for any reason, check the California
Geological Survey (CGS) seismic hazards site, seismic hazards on your county’s site, and the USGS
earthquake hazards site.***)
The natural earthquake hazards (earthquake effects) you will investigate and write about are:
1. Shaking—Interactive earthquake scenario maps for shaking hazard. Choose your county, (SANTA CLARA COUNTY)
then zoom in to your home/workplace. Finally, choose your scenario earthquake from the list
of shaking scenarios in the menu on the left side. Be sure to view the legend (to interpret the
colors on the map) and then use the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale (see next page) to find
your likely damage.
2. Liquefaction and other ground effects—Use the interactive Liquefaction Susceptibility Map
on the ABAG site. It’s in the menu under “Other Earthquake”. How susceptible to
liquefaction is your site? Consider the possible effects of liquefaction on your building and on
highways, streets and in-ground pipes and sewers near your location.

3. Fault rupture—Use the interactive Alquist-Priolo Earthquake Fault Zone map. It’s in the
menu under “Faults”. Zoom way in to see whether your site is really in one of the black fault
zones (Alquist-Priolo rupture zones).
4. Landslide—This interactive Earthquake-Induced Landslide Hazard map is similar to the
liquefaction map. It’s in the menu under “Other Earthquake”. Are you at risk for earthquakeinduced
landslide? Maybe your location hasn’t been evaluated yet and mapping is still in
progress.
5. Tsunami—The interactive Tsunami Inundation map is a map of tsunami evacuation areas.
What is your risk for inundation by a tsunami?
Carefully read the ABAG information for each of the hazards and then evaluate the hazards for your
location. Don’t just look at the maps—they are interactive! Zoom in to find your exact location, then
click on the legends to see how the color coding works; it’s different for each map.
You’ll need to print out a copy of the ABAG Modified Mercalli Intensity scale to help describe the
likely damage from shaking at your location. ABAG has two versions of the MMI scale:
1. http://resilience.abag.ca.gov/shaking/mmipopup/ for damage descriptions for specific building
type and colors that correspond to those on the shaking hazard map
1. http://resilience.abag.ca.gov/shaking/mmi/ for damage descriptions that are not specific to
building type.
First work on the shaking hazards for the two scenario earthquakes (1906 and 1868/other),
comparing them, and then analyze your susceptibility to fault rupture, landslide, liquefaction,
and tsunami. How significant will the disruption to the infrastructure in your area be (e.g., roads,
utilities, stores, communications)? Some hazards will be more important for your location than others.

The text of this paper should be two pages long and double-spaced with 1” margins.
Include a list of all references used, including the ABAG web site. You do not need to cite the
ABAG site in the text, but do cite any other sources you use.
Please include supporting materials, such as the Modified Mercalli Intensity scale you printed,
printed maps or descriptive material from the ABAG site or other websites.