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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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jaostrander
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The film provides direct footage of what goes on in the waiting room. It follows the triage nurse, several patients who come in through the waiting room, and several patients who come in from the ambulance. The film also has segments with doctors and social workers. This film does not present with scientific information but more of a real life account for the viewer to observe. The emotional appeal of the film is driven by the connection the viewer develops with some of the patients and ties to any personal experiences the viewer may have with emergency rooms. 

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jaostrander
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Knowles supports this argument through his investigation and presentation of three historical disasters that occurred in the United States. The disasters he chose included a structural integrity factor and a general malfunction or misuse  of safety equipment. Knowles also discussed policy that resulted because of these disasters. The argument is also supported through his discussion of the events that occurred post 9/11 and the public out cry from that event as well. Knowles discusses the investigation after theses events occurred and how often times there is a lot of opinions and findings as to what the cause of the disaster or equipment failure was. 

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jaostrander
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"These studies can help us understand what factors are associated with different courses of mental illness, which can help us identify the most vulnerable populations and inform tailored interventions"

"Exposure to potentially traumatic events is disaster-specific and often measured differently between studies, making it difficult to compare experiences and mental health consequences or to generalize findings to all disaster-affected populations (22). Additionally, most instruments that assess symptoms of mental disorder have been developed and validated in the United States (23, 48) and may lack cultural relevance and validity in areas impacted by disasters worldwide"

"Persons who live in a community where a disaster has occured may differ in their degree of exposure in the event. They may be affected directly, being present at the disaster site, or indirectly, having loved ones present at the disaster site or seeing images of the disaster in the media."