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Seismic St. Louis

Emily Sekine
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I'm interested in better understanding the ongoing geological processes that shape St. Louis and the Mississippi Valley region. So far, I've been looking into the history of seismicity in the region, focusing on the fascinating but little known history of the New Madrid earthquakes of 1811 and 1812 -- the most devastating earthquakes to have hit the US east of the Rockies. I've also been exploring how St. Louis and surrounding areas are dealing with the possibility of another earthquake occurring in the future. According to one article I read, one of the biggest uncertainties is what would happen to the heavily engineered Mississippi River in the case of another major tremblor. The shaking could break the levees, flooding wide areas along the river and creating cascading effects. The flow of the river might also reverse completely, as occurred during the New Madrid earthquakes.

On these possibilities and the lack of scientific consensus surrounding intraplate seismicity in this zone, see this article in The Atlantic.

On current efforts to create earthquake hazard maps in St. Louis, see this overview on the US Geological Survey site.

For a deeper dive into the history of the New Madrid earthquakes, see this book by historian of science Conevery Bolton Valencius. 

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michael.lee
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2002 RAND Corporation Report, The Global Threat of New and Reemerging Infectious Disease

2007 World Health Report, A Safer Future: Global Public Health Security in the 21st Century

"Pandemic and All-Hazards Preparedness Act (PAHPA)," Public Law No. 109-417

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michael.lee
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  • "It’s the abuse and violence at Rikers that have received the most attention. But there’s another dimension to the ongoing disaster there: the dangerous environmental conditions. Rikers is built on a landfill. The ground underneath the facilities is unstable and the decomposing garbage emits poisonous methane gas. In addition to extreme heat and poor air quality, flooding and crumbling infrastructure pose a serious threat, especially when superstorms like Hurricane Sandy strike. As the violence and human rights violations worsen, so do the environmental circumstances surrounding Rikers."
  • "It’s true that the damage to Rikers wasn’t extensive. However, Sandy’s impact brings up a major question: How will the island fare in future natural disasters? When bigger, stronger hurricanes and snowstorms strike? A year earlier, during Hurricane Irene, The New York Times revealed that the Department of Correction did not have a full evacuation plan for Rikers Island—or even a plan to evacuate the population in buildings prone to flooding."
  • "'We’re pouring money into an archaic structure, when we should be asking how we can reduce the population in order to close it,' says Johnny Perez of Urban Justice Center. 'The problem with Rikers Island is Rikers Island. … [The conditions] really border on cruel and unusual punishment.' In the meantime, the next heatwave, hurricane, or big snowstorm could spell disaster."

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michael.lee
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A professor of anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, Dr. Adriana Petryna holds a doctorate degree in Anthropology from UC Berkeley and a masters degree in Anthropology as well as a bachelor of science degree in Architecture from the University of Michigan. She has conducted her research on medical anthropology and social sciences, as well as on nuclear science.

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michael.lee
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In 2013, Figure 1 launched with $2 million (CDN) in seed money invested by Rho Canada Ventures and Version One Ventures. In 2015, the company added $5 million (USD) to its Series A financing round, which was invested by Union Square Ventures, bringing the total investment round to $9 million (USD).