soft soil seismic waves Marina district Loma Prieta

Soft soil can worsen shaking far from an epicenter

An earthquake’s magnitude measures its overall size, but local geology also affects shaking. Soft soil can amplify seismic waves, helping explain why San Francisco’s Marina district suffered heavy damage during the 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake, nearly 100 km from the epicenter.

How strong pain feels and how unpleasant it feels are not the same thing

Pain has more than one part. A sensation can feel physically strong while its unpleasantness changes separately. Excitement may reduce both, while suggestion or a placebo may reduce how unpleasant pain feels without changing its physical strength as much.

The seafloor records Earth’s magnetic flips like a barcode

New rock forming on the ocean floor records the direction of Earth’s magnetic field. As the field flips and new seafloor moves outward, matching magnetic stripes form on both sides. These stripes became strong evidence that the seafloor is spreading.

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soft soil seismic waves Marina district Loma Prieta

Soft soil can worsen shaking far from an epicenter

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