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May 6, 2009
For Immediate Release
For an Interview:
Daniel Horns
(801) 863-8582
Utah Valley University’s Department of Earth Science, in conjunction with the geology program at Provo High School and the Utah Geological Survey, will be looking for signs of prehistoric earthquakes in the heavily populated Wasatch Front urban corridor of Utah County in a study beginning later this month.
On May 19, the group will dig a trench six feet wide, five feet deep and 150 feet long through the Wasatch fault just south of Spring Lake in southern Utah County with the purpose of exposing possible evidence of the sizes and times of prehistoric earthquakes.
Daniel Horns, chair of UVU’s Department of Earth Science, and Provo High geology teacher Ty Robinson are bringing students together for this unique venture.
"This will be a tremendous opportunity to have my students do some on-site research with a university professor - especially one that is so energetic, knowledgeable and excited about his research," said Robinson, who received a $1,000 grant from the Department of Public Safety to help get his students involved in earthquake research.
The Wasatch fault runs from Malad City, Idaho, southward to near Fayette, Utah. The fault appears to be divided into eleven segments, and each segment is thought to be capable of producing earthquakes with magnitudes as high as 7.0 to 7.5.
The two segments closest to Orem/Provo area are the Provo segment, which runs along the western foot of the Wasatch Range from Traverse Ridge south to Payson Canyon, and the Nephi segment, which runs from just west of Payson to just south of Nephi.
Horns said there have been five recent studies of the Nephi segment and the results of those studies indicate that some of the earthquakes may not rupture the entire segment, while other earthquakes may involve both the Provo and Nephi segments.
"We are undertaking this study to better constrain the history of earthquakes on the Nephi segment," Horns said. "This will allow us to better anticipate the types of earthquakes to expect in the future."
After excavation, students will examine soils exposed in the wall of the trench. Horns said they will know almost immediately if there is evidence of prehistoric earthquakes. However, it may take months to find out the ages of the quakes with continuing analysis.
"Students will apply knowledge they learned in class to address the real-world issue of earthquake hazards," Horns said. "The methods we will use are the same methods used by consulting geologist, so students will gain marketable skills and experience."
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