New earthquake Hazard MAPS FOR western Oregon communities

Portland, Oregon: On Wednesday, January 26th, the 300th anniversary of the great Cascadia subduction zone earthquake, the Department of Geology and Mineral Industries (DOGAMI) will release 28 relative earthquake hazard maps for selected communities in western Oregon. These maps combine the effects of ground shaking amplification, liquefaction and earthquake-induced landsliding to show the earthquake hazards relative to the local geologic conditions. These new maps will cover 48 communities, from Columbia City to Ashland.

In October, 1999, DOGAMI released the first set of maps in this series for 9 coastal Oregon communities. The press conference and release of maps is scheduled for 11:00am at the State Capitol in Salem, Hearing Room D. Many regional emergency managers and planners, geologists and other local officials will be on hand for interviews and questions.

Relative earthquake hazard maps will be released for the following cities:

IMS-9 - Ashland, Cottage Grove, Grants Pass, Sutherlin-Oakland and Roseburg.

All maps can be purchased at DOGAMI Field Offices or through:

Nature of the Northwest
800 NE Oregon St. #5,
Portland, OR 97232

info@naturenw.org or www.naturenw.org
(503) 872-2750

Additionally, all maps can be purchased at DOGAMI field offices including 1831 First Street, Baker City, (541) 523-3133 and 5375 Monument Drive, Grants Pass, (541) 476-2496. The earthquake hazard maps will be available to the public for $20 for each set, but will not be available until January 26th.

Dr. John Beaulieu, Oregon State Geologist and Director of DOGAMI, notes the importance of these new maps. "The earthquake threat in Oregon is real, but we do have a number of tools to help mitigate damages from these events. When these maps are used in conjunction with a bedrock shaking map (GMS-100) and a risk assessment (Special Paper 29), they give communities the best estimate of risk we now have. Additionally, our department is committed to helping local communities in any way we can. For example, we are planning to hold workshops in the future throughout the state to help communities use this information more effectively," said Beaulieu.

Individual maps for ground shaking amplification, liquefaction and earthquake-induced landsliding for each community will be available on CD-Rom. All maps and CD-Roms will be available for purchase through Nature of the Northwest and DOGAMI field offices.

Data was collected and analysis was conducted over a two and a half year period by Ian P. Madin and Zhenming Wang with cartography by Paul Staub. The maps were produced by DOGAMI with funding by the State of Oregon and the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior (USGS).

The Oregon Department of Geology and Mineral Industries is headquartered in Portland and is an independent agency of the State. It has a broad responsibility in developing a geologic and engineering understanding of natural hazards, then applying this information to help mitigate the risks of earthquakes, landslides, floods, and tsunamis. The Department is also the lead state regulatory and reclamation agency for mining, oil, natural gas and geothermal exploration and production.