7 p.m. to 9 p.m. on Thursday, Aug. 6 in Room 156 of Straub Hall, 1451 Onyx St., just southeast of the Erb Memorial Union. Admission is free.

The recent New Yorker magazine article “The Really Big One” about the possibility of a magnitude 9.0 earthquake in the Pacific Northwest has sparked intense public interest in earthquake science and emergency preparedness. University of Oregon geologists Rebecca Dorsey and Douglas Toomey will host a public forum to explain the science behind earthquake preparedness, answer common questions and detail the potential risks to residents of the region.

The forum will feature short presentations from the following panelists:

•    Doug Toomey, PhD (University of Oregon)
•    Amanda Thomas, PhD (University of Oregon)
•    Ray Weldon, PhD (University of Oregon)
•    Chris Goldfinger, PhD (Oregon State University)
•    Josh Bruce, MCRP (Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience)

Panelists will discuss the types of earthquakes that occur in the Pacific Northwest, and the history of the Cascadia subduction zone, as well as recent advances toward regional preparedness and efforts to expand a West Coast Earthquake Early Warning System. Additionally, it will provide:

•    Likely scenarios for a major regional earthquake
•    An examination of how scientists study earthquakes and develop probability models
•    Tips on preparedness

The event is being streamed live on the Internet via the UO Channel.

For more information, go to http://earthquake.uoregon.edu

Follow the discussion on Twitter at #TheReallyBigOne

Contact: Jim Barlow, (541) 346-3481, jebarlow@uoregon.edu; or Lewis Taylor, (541) 346-2816, lewist@uoregon.edu. 

Sponsored by the following University of Oregon departments: Department of Geological Sciences, College of Arts and Sciences, Office of the Vice President for Research & Innovation, Government & Community Relations, Oregon Partnership for Disaster Resilience.