Christchurch earthquake is another wake up call

A collapsed building lies over parked cars in the aftermath of a 6.3 magnitude earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand on February 22, 2011.

Tuesday’s destructive earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand was yet another wake-up call for cities in earthquake prone regions around the world. The death toll from the New Zealand quake stands at 75, but that figure is sure to rise as rescue workers sort through the rubble searching for 300 people currently reported missing. Most surprising to geologists was the fact that many newer buildings built to modern codes in order to withstand earthquakes were seriously damaged. Another haunting aspect of this 6.3-magnitude earthquake is that the building codes used by engineers in Christchurch are very similar to current building codes in another earthquake-prone area -- Los Angeles. How prepared can cities be for earthquakes? Is the Christchurch quake a harbinger of things to come for Southern California?

Tuesday’s destructive earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand was yet another wake-up call for cities in earthquake prone regions around the world. The death toll from the New Zealand quake stands at 75, but that figure is sure to rise as rescue workers sort through the rubble searching for 300 people currently reported missing. Most surprising to geologists was the fact that many newer buildings built to modern codes in order to withstand earthquakes were seriously damaged. Another haunting aspect of this 6.3-magnitude earthquake is that the building codes used by engineers in Christchurch are very similar to current building codes in another earthquake-prone area -- Los Angeles. How prepared can cities be for earthquakes? Is the Christchurch quake a harbinger of things to come for Southern California?

Guest:

Thomas Jordan, director of the Southern California Earthquake Center at USC