Agenda - City of Santa Monica

esponse to a seismic event. The intensity of the ground shaking and the resultant
damages are determined by the magnitude of the earthquake, distance from the
epicenter, and characteristics of surface geology. This hazard is the primary cause of
the collapse of buildings and other structures.
It is generally understood that an earthquake does not in itself present a seismic hazard,
but that it becomes a hazard when it occurs in a highly urbanized area. Therefore, the
significance of an earthquake's ground shaking action is directly related to the density
and type of buildings and number of people exposed to its effect.
Earthquake Induced Landslides
Earthquake induced landslides are secondary earthquake hazards that occur from
ground shaking. They can destroy the roads, buildings, utilities, and other critical
facilities necessary to respond and recover from an earthquake. The City of Santa
Monica has a high likelihood of encountering such risks, especially in areas with steep
slopes.
Liquefaction
Liquefaction of soil may occur in the beach area. Structures, including the Santa
Monica Pier, which are otherwise sound, may collapse if built on sandy water-saturated
ground. Liquefaction is a phenomenon involving the loss of shear strength of a soil. The
shear strength loss results from the increase of poor water pressure caused by the
rearrangement of soil particles induced by shaking or vibration. Liquefaction has been
observed in many earthquakes, usually in soft, poorly graded granular materials (i.e.,
loose sands), with high water tables. Liquefaction usually occurs in the soil during or
shortly after a large earthquake. In effect, the liquefaction soil strata behave as a heavy
fluid. Buried tanks may float to the surface and objects above the liquefaction strata
may sink. Pipelines passing through liquefaction materials typically sustain a relatively
large number of breaks in an earthquake.
Damage to Vital Public Services, Systems and Facilities
Bed Loss in Hospitals
Santa Monica has two major hospitals with a total capacity of 532 beds. Public service
agencies and volunteer personnel would be used to assist in the care of the injured.
Santa Monica UCLA
The Santa Monica-UCLA Medical Center is staffed by more than 900 employees,
whose efforts are complemented by over 300 volunteers and 200 care extenders. The
medical staff consists of 750 physicians representing virtually all medical and surgical
specialties.
260