Those tasks were low priority because of the fault's location. Other faults, such as San Andreas, are constantly monitored because they are located near heavily populated areas. Hudnut said the more geologists can learn about the physics of earthquakes, the more they can do to advise planners to avoid building on active faults and keep buildings already on them safer during temblors. Wonderful Surface Rupture' Hudnut, who flew over the area with two colleagues in a helicopter to inspect the fault, said they marveled at the giant fissure that moved a dry river bed 12 feet to the side. It was exciting for us.
Most geologists study things that happened thousands of years ago.
This is something that happened yesterday. The quake also was the first major event recorded on the TriNet quake data system, a network of 200 seismographic stations that measure quake intensity and other properties. The system and stations are linked by computer. We were looking for a model to test it. This was perfect.