New research reveals hidden earthquake trouble spots
9 November 2006
A team from the University of Leicester has used a powerful laser mounted on an aircraft to uncover earthquake fault lines that are hidden by forest cover and never before seen by earth scientists.
Dr Dickson Cunningham in the Department of Geology and Dr Kevin Tansey in the Department of Geography collaborated on a NERC funded project to map the distribution of recently active earthquake-prone faults in the southeastern Alps in Slovenia.
Dr Cunningham said, "...many regions of the world have undiscovered seismically active faults hidden by dense forests, including Indonesia, India, NW North America, all Andean nations and the alpine countries of Europe. Unfortunately for people living in these regions, these faults can be ticking time bombs. For the first time, we are able to see how the faults connect at the surface and cut the landscape."
Their key research results are now published in the latest issue of Geophysical Research Letters.
The full press release can be found on the University of Leicester's web site.
Briefing note: 66/06
External links
Press links
Recent press news
- New Director for the British Antarctic Survey
- Plans to strengthen UK-Indian collaboration in Earth sciences and environmental research
- CryoSat-2 mission reveals major Arctic sea-ice loss
- UK and USA collaborate in airborne climate science projects
- New capital investments for NERC
- Innovations in soil science will grow the solutions to global food security
- New Year Honours
- Professor Seymour Laxon
- Antarctic lake mission called off
- New genetics project could help save the ash tree