Random Walk
Earthshaking News
In the wake of the magnitude 9.0 Tohoku earthquake off the northeastern coast of Japan, reporters sought the expertise of Caltech’s seismologists. Representatives from approximately 50 different media outlets—television, radio, newspapers, and online publications—descended on the Seismo Lab, where Caltech and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) staff were on call for around-the-clock interviews. (The Pasadena USGS office is, not coincidentally, just across Wilson Avenue from the Seismo Lab.) In the weeks following the disaster, Caltech experts were a consistent source of reliable data and judicious opinions. Jean-Philippe Avouac, professor of geology and director of the Tectonics Observatory, disseminated the latest data from the quake; Hiroo Kanamori, the Smits Professor of Geophysics, Emeritus, who had been in Tokyo at the time, offered firsthand accounts of his experiences; and Mark Simons, professor of geophysics, penned an op-ed for the Wall Street Journal on the importance of federal funding for advanced early-warning and response technologies. Caltech faculty and staff were quoted in over 250 articles and broadcast reports. —KN
At a press conference held on March 11, just over 12 hours after the quake and resulting tsunami, USGS and Caltech seismologists fielded questions from a throng of reporters. From left: Ken Hudnut, a USGS visiting associate in geophysics; Tom Heaton (PhD ’78), professor of engineering seismology; Lucy Jones, also a USGS visiting associate in geophysics; and seismologist Kate Hutton, a member of the professional staff.
