Search Results for Geology

It's been twenty years since the Loma Prieta Earthquake ravaged downtown Santa Cruz and damaged San Francisco's Marina District and the Bay Bridge. QUEST looks at the dramatic improvements in earthquake prediction technology since 1989. But what can be done with ten seconds of warning?

Play this Radio Report Air Date: Oct 12, 2009

Is California at risk? In 2004 a massive tsunami struck the Indian Ocean. More than 225,000 people were killed. Bay Area researchers raced to the scene to learn everything they could about these deadly forces of nature. The information they gained provides a 'Rosetta stone' for helping to understand the geologic history of tsunamis and when and where they may strike again.

Play this TV Story Air Date: Jul 28, 2009

Solar and wind power may get the headlines when it comes to renewable energy. But another type of clean power is heating up in the hills just north of Sonoma wine country. The Geysers, the world's largest power-producing geothermal field, has been providing electricity for roughly 850,000 Northern California households, and is set to expand even further.

Play this TV Story Air Date: Nov 18, 2008

Imagine a vast grassy plain covered with massive herds of elephants, bison and camels stretching as far as the eye can see. Lions, tigers, wolves and later, humans, hunt the herds on their summer migration. Where is this? This was the Bay Area during the close of the last Ice Age. Take a trip to a time when the San Francisco Bay was just a riverbed, 20,000 to 10,000 years ago.

Play this TV Story Air Date: Nov 12, 2008

19 years ago the 6.9 Loma Prieta earthquake was a stark reminder that we live in earthquake country. Even though we generally are aloof to the possibility of a major temblor, the reality is we are surrounded by active faults and one East Bay faultline has geologists particularly worried.

Play this Radio Report Air Date: Oct 13, 2008

October 21st 2008 marked the 140th Anniversary of the 1868 Hayward Earthquake. Geologists say that's important because major earthquakes happen on the Hayward fault every 140 years on average. With much of the East Bay on or near the fault, geologists and community members are working to prepare for what may be the next big one.

Play this TV Story Air Date: Sep 30, 2008

When it comes to alternative energy, most people think of solar or wind. But the hills just north of Sonoma wine country are a world leader in another kind of clean power, and under an ambitious new project, they are about to produce even more.

Play this Radio Report Air Date: Oct 11, 2007

Using sound and laser technology, researchers have begun to reveal the secrets of the ocean floor from the Sonoma Coast to Monterey Bay. By creating complex 3-D maps, they're hoping to learn more about waves and achieve ambitious conservation goals.

Play this TV Story Air Date: Sep 18, 2007