Seismic Surveying: Predicting Earthquake

Hazard; Finding Geothermal Energy

John N. LouieNevada Seismological Laboratory

Dept. of Geological Sciences & Engineeringwww.seismo.unr.edu

Why do I care? - Christchurch, New Zealand >200 deaths, 1/3 of city’s buildings destroyed

J. Louie, NMSLC 3/3/2011Stuff.co.nz

Photos by Marilyn Newton, Reno Gazette-Journal

Could It Happen Here? It Already Did! Wells, Nevada, Feb. 2008

How Do We Protect Nevada’s People and Economy from Earthquakes?

This is what I want to accomplish Do we stiffen building codes to strengthen

buildings everywhere? No. Would make construction too costly

We improve our understanding of earthquake shaking What areas have high hazard? Put resources

there. Don’t waste money reinforcing safer areas

ReMi Technology: Invented in

NevadaHow do I do it?Seismic Sensor Arrays

Commercialized by Optim

Facilities Downstairs in LME 207

Surveyed by UNR & Optim

with ReMi

Earthquake Parcel Map by Clark

County and City of Henderson

10,721 site measurements

Add more detailed geological knowledge

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Adding Physics

Verifiable computational results

Computer facilities sponsored by Optim

Methods also apply to geothermal exploration

Computed and plotted by interns!

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Black Hills M6.5 Scenario Results

What I’ve Learned: Damaging shaking

(yellow) bleeds into Las Vegas Valley from outside.

Parcel Map and other details essential for accurate prediction

Hazard maps developed in California don’t work in Nevada.

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Earthquake Recording Facilities This Floor in

LME 323

Seismic Explorationfor Geothermal Energy

Why do I care? Nevada could be the

“Saudi Arabia of geothermal”

Exploration risk is too high; development is too slow now.

What do I study? How to find hot brine

reservoirs- old earthquake faults!

Seismic Reduces Drilling Risk

How do we do it? Optim again!What we’ve found: Now we can see the

faults carrying hot brine.Seismic Surveying Advanced Processing-

Invented in Nevada

Facilities Downstairs in LME 207