This archive report was first published on 8 July 2019.
Earthquakes: A Maritime Perspective ¶
On July 4, 2019, a 6.4-magnitude earthquake struck outside Ridgecrest, California, leaving a lasting impression on those who experienced it. The ground beneath our feet, once thought solid and dependable, was revealed to be a dynamic and unpredictable force.
As I sat at the breakfast table with my wife, the effects of the earthquake hit us like a wave. The back wall of our dining room seemed to lean away, and our tabletop pushed closer toward me. It was as if the space around us had begun to bulge and pulsate. Only when I noticed the lights mounted above our table swaying back and forth did I realize what was happening.
Dr. Lucy Jones, a seismologist, has a unique perspective on earthquakes. In an interview, she explained that she studies waves, not rocks. This remark suggests that the ground itself is a kind of ocean in waiting. California, with its complex geology, can be seen as a marine landscape, not a terrestrial one. The ground beneath our feet is not solid, but rather a dynamic and unpredictable force, like the ocean.
Earthquakes force us to question what we mean by 'land' and how we define architecture when the ground it stands on moves like the sea. They remind us that our myths and legends of seafaring journeys are still with us. The sea is here, too, if only we wait long enough to experience it.
As the Ridgecrest earthquakes and their aftershocks continue, we are reminded of the Walker Lane, a region known for its seismic activity. A group of geologists, including James Faulds, Tanya Atwater, and Amos Nur, have been arguing for decades that the Walker Lane is a future super fault, a deep line of interruption in the landscape that will someday replace the San Andreas. This hypothesis offers us a new lens through which to understand life in earthquake country.
Geoff Manaugh, a freelance writer, covered the Walker Lane for the May 2019 issue of Wired. His article offers a unique perspective on the seismic imagination and the potential for the Walker Lane to become a future Pacific coastline.
