Precarious rocks: providing upper limits on past ground shaking from earthquakes

John G. Anderson, Glenn P. Biasi, & James N. Brune

Published 2014, SCEC Contribution #1910

Precariously balanced rocks (PBRs) are naturally occurring geological features that could be easily toppled by strong earthquake shaking. They bring two forms of information valuable for understanding seismic hazard. In the specific regions where PBRs occur, they provide direct information about strong ground motions not exceeded during their lifetimes. Their more general application is to provide useful limits on ground motion variability. This article explains how precarious rocks may be interpreted, and why they are important for understanding strong ground motions in engineering application.

Citation
Anderson, J. G., Biasi, G. P., & Brune, J. N. (2014). Precarious rocks: providing upper limits on past ground shaking from earthquakes. In Anderson, J. G. (Eds.), Earthquake Hazard, Risk and Disasters, (, pp. 377-403) , : Elsevier doi: 10.1016/B978-0-12-394848-9.00014-6.