Berkeley Seismology Lab
@berkeleyseismo.bsky.social
Monitoring Northern California seismicity. Conducting fundamental research. Training the next generation of earth scientists. Sound science, serving society.
So what SHOULD you do?
→ DROP to your hands and knees
→ COVER your head and neck under sturdy furniture
→ HOLD ON until shaking stops
Stay safe and follow us for more Earthquake Fact vs. Fiction! 🌎⚡️
→ DROP to your hands and knees
→ COVER your head and neck under sturdy furniture
→ HOLD ON until shaking stops
Stay safe and follow us for more Earthquake Fact vs. Fiction! 🌎⚡️
December 1, 2025 at 11:00 PM
So what SHOULD you do?
→ DROP to your hands and knees
→ COVER your head and neck under sturdy furniture
→ HOLD ON until shaking stops
Stay safe and follow us for more Earthquake Fact vs. Fiction! 🌎⚡️
→ DROP to your hands and knees
→ COVER your head and neck under sturdy furniture
→ HOLD ON until shaking stops
Stay safe and follow us for more Earthquake Fact vs. Fiction! 🌎⚡️
FACT!
🚫 Doorways are NOT safe
• Modern doorways aren’t stronger than other parts of the building.
• Doors can swing violently.
• You’re left totally exposed to falling objects; the #1 cause of injuries.
🚫 Doorways are NOT safe
• Modern doorways aren’t stronger than other parts of the building.
• Doors can swing violently.
• You’re left totally exposed to falling objects; the #1 cause of injuries.
December 1, 2025 at 11:00 PM
FACT!
🚫 Doorways are NOT safe
• Modern doorways aren’t stronger than other parts of the building.
• Doors can swing violently.
• You’re left totally exposed to falling objects; the #1 cause of injuries.
🚫 Doorways are NOT safe
• Modern doorways aren’t stronger than other parts of the building.
• Doors can swing violently.
• You’re left totally exposed to falling objects; the #1 cause of injuries.
FACT!
🚫 Running outside is dangerous
In the U.S., most quake injuries come from falling objects or people falling, not building collapse, thanks to seismic-safe building codes.
Running equals a higher chance of being hit by glass, bricks, or debris.
🚫 Running outside is dangerous
In the U.S., most quake injuries come from falling objects or people falling, not building collapse, thanks to seismic-safe building codes.
Running equals a higher chance of being hit by glass, bricks, or debris.
December 1, 2025 at 11:00 PM
FACT!
🚫 Running outside is dangerous
In the U.S., most quake injuries come from falling objects or people falling, not building collapse, thanks to seismic-safe building codes.
Running equals a higher chance of being hit by glass, bricks, or debris.
🚫 Running outside is dangerous
In the U.S., most quake injuries come from falling objects or people falling, not building collapse, thanks to seismic-safe building codes.
Running equals a higher chance of being hit by glass, bricks, or debris.
San Andreas is dramatic, but it gets one message right: prepared people stay safer.
Have a plan, download the MyShake Earthquake Early Warning app, and sign up for local tsunamis warnings where you live.
More Pop Culture Fridays coming soon from @berkeleyseismo 🌍📽️
Have a plan, download the MyShake Earthquake Early Warning app, and sign up for local tsunamis warnings where you live.
More Pop Culture Fridays coming soon from @berkeleyseismo 🌍📽️
November 21, 2025 at 11:00 PM
San Andreas is dramatic, but it gets one message right: prepared people stay safer.
Have a plan, download the MyShake Earthquake Early Warning app, and sign up for local tsunamis warnings where you live.
More Pop Culture Fridays coming soon from @berkeleyseismo 🌍📽️
Have a plan, download the MyShake Earthquake Early Warning app, and sign up for local tsunamis warnings where you live.
More Pop Culture Fridays coming soon from @berkeleyseismo 🌍📽️
\What the Movie Gets Right (Science)
A few fundamentals are accurate:
• The San Andreas marks the plate boundary
• Big earthquakes can last minutes
• Triggered earthquakes are real
• Water receding before a wave is a valid tsunami clue
November 21, 2025 at 11:00 PM
\What the Movie Gets Right (Science)
A few fundamentals are accurate:
• The San Andreas marks the plate boundary
• Big earthquakes can last minutes
• Triggered earthquakes are real
• Water receding before a wave is a valid tsunami clue
What the Movie Gets Right (Safety)
The film nails some key safety behaviors:
• Drop, Cover, and Hold On
• Running during shaking = injuries
• Cell networks jamming after major quakes
• First aid and emergency planning matter
These scenes reflect real guidance!
The film nails some key safety behaviors:
• Drop, Cover, and Hold On
• Running during shaking = injuries
• Cell networks jamming after major quakes
• First aid and emergency planning matter
These scenes reflect real guidance!
November 21, 2025 at 11:00 PM
What the Movie Gets Right (Safety)
The film nails some key safety behaviors:
• Drop, Cover, and Hold On
• Running during shaking = injuries
• Cell networks jamming after major quakes
• First aid and emergency planning matter
These scenes reflect real guidance!
The film nails some key safety behaviors:
• Drop, Cover, and Hold On
• Running during shaking = injuries
• Cell networks jamming after major quakes
• First aid and emergency planning matter
These scenes reflect real guidance!
The San Francisco Tsunami
A Golden Gate-sized tsunami makes for great cinema, but not real science. Because the San Andreas sits on land, it can’t generate large tsunamis. Small landslide-driven waves are possible, but not a 100-foot wall of water.
A Golden Gate-sized tsunami makes for great cinema, but not real science. Because the San Andreas sits on land, it can’t generate large tsunamis. Small landslide-driven waves are possible, but not a 100-foot wall of water.
November 21, 2025 at 11:00 PM
The San Francisco Tsunami
A Golden Gate-sized tsunami makes for great cinema, but not real science. Because the San Andreas sits on land, it can’t generate large tsunamis. Small landslide-driven waves are possible, but not a 100-foot wall of water.
A Golden Gate-sized tsunami makes for great cinema, but not real science. Because the San Andreas sits on land, it can’t generate large tsunamis. Small landslide-driven waves are possible, but not a 100-foot wall of water.
The Giant Cracking Ground Scene
The movie shows a massive canyon swallowing highways. Strike-slip faults don’t create giant gaps like this; they slide sideways, offsetting roads and fences, not opening voids. That dramatic “earth opening” effect only happens on faults with vertical motion.
The movie shows a massive canyon swallowing highways. Strike-slip faults don’t create giant gaps like this; they slide sideways, offsetting roads and fences, not opening voids. That dramatic “earth opening” effect only happens on faults with vertical motion.
November 21, 2025 at 11:00 PM
The Giant Cracking Ground Scene
The movie shows a massive canyon swallowing highways. Strike-slip faults don’t create giant gaps like this; they slide sideways, offsetting roads and fences, not opening voids. That dramatic “earth opening” effect only happens on faults with vertical motion.
The movie shows a massive canyon swallowing highways. Strike-slip faults don’t create giant gaps like this; they slide sideways, offsetting roads and fences, not opening voids. That dramatic “earth opening” effect only happens on faults with vertical motion.
The M9.6 Mega-Quake
The film opens with a magnitude 9.6 earthquake ripping across California. In reality, the San Andreas Fault cannot produce a quake that large, it isn’t long or deep enough. The largest likely event is around M8.3, still huge but far from a 9.6!🫨
The film opens with a magnitude 9.6 earthquake ripping across California. In reality, the San Andreas Fault cannot produce a quake that large, it isn’t long or deep enough. The largest likely event is around M8.3, still huge but far from a 9.6!🫨
November 21, 2025 at 11:00 PM
The M9.6 Mega-Quake
The film opens with a magnitude 9.6 earthquake ripping across California. In reality, the San Andreas Fault cannot produce a quake that large, it isn’t long or deep enough. The largest likely event is around M8.3, still huge but far from a 9.6!🫨
The film opens with a magnitude 9.6 earthquake ripping across California. In reality, the San Andreas Fault cannot produce a quake that large, it isn’t long or deep enough. The largest likely event is around M8.3, still huge but far from a 9.6!🫨
During World War I, Wood worked at the National Bureau of Standards, designing a new kind of seismograph.
November 20, 2025 at 10:01 PM
During World War I, Wood worked at the National Bureau of Standards, designing a new kind of seismograph.
Harry O. Wood bridged early 20th-century geology and modern seismological instrumentation. His teaching at Berkeley, his contributions to the MMI scale, and his work on the Wood-Anderson seismograph defined how we measure and understand earthquake impacts today.
November 20, 2025 at 10:01 PM
Harry O. Wood bridged early 20th-century geology and modern seismological instrumentation. His teaching at Berkeley, his contributions to the MMI scale, and his work on the Wood-Anderson seismograph defined how we measure and understand earthquake impacts today.
In the 1920’s, alongside J. A. Anderson, Harry O. Wood also developed the Wood-Anderson seismograph. Its precise records allowed scientists to quantify earthquake size, laying the groundwork for Charles Richter’s magnitude scale (1935).
November 20, 2025 at 10:01 PM
In the 1920’s, alongside J. A. Anderson, Harry O. Wood also developed the Wood-Anderson seismograph. Its precise records allowed scientists to quantify earthquake size, laying the groundwork for Charles Richter’s magnitude scale (1935).
With Frank Neumann, Wood devised the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) Scale in 1931. This is still used worldwide to describe how strongly an earthquake is felt!
November 20, 2025 at 10:01 PM
With Frank Neumann, Wood devised the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) Scale in 1931. This is still used worldwide to describe how strongly an earthquake is felt!
His seismograph used quartz crystals that converted ground vibrations into electrical signals. It was one of the earliest devices sensitive enough to locate artillery fire.
November 20, 2025 at 10:01 PM
His seismograph used quartz crystals that converted ground vibrations into electrical signals. It was one of the earliest devices sensitive enough to locate artillery fire.
After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Wood joined Andrew Lawson’s investigation team. This experience shaped his lifelong focus on earthquake instrumentation and intensity studies.
November 20, 2025 at 10:01 PM
After the 1906 San Francisco earthquake, Wood joined Andrew Lawson’s investigation team. This experience shaped his lifelong focus on earthquake instrumentation and intensity studies.