Dr. J. David Rogers, the Karl F. Hasselmann Chair in geological engineering
at Missouri University of Science and Technology, will discuss detailed studies
of downtown St. Louis and make recommendations for new building codes during an
event to promote earthquake awareness on Friday, Feb. 1, at the Data Center
Auditorium in St.
Louis.         

February is Missouri Earthquake Awareness Month. The St. Louis event,
“Earthquakes: Mean Business,” is an annual program for business leaders,
researchers and government officials who participate in morning presentations
and afternoon sessions related to earthquake
preparedness.         

Rogers will present a St. Louis area seismic hazards assessment from 11:10
a.m. to noon. At 3 p.m., Rogers will present findings from a Missouri S&T
mapping project of the St. Louis
area.         

“I will be showcasing what we’ve done in terms of gathering basic
information for the entire region, including downtown St. Louis and the areas
east and north of it,” Rogers says. “These studies will likely be incorporated
into the 2003 International Building Code adopted by St. Louis and St. Charles
counties in 2005.”         

A natural hazards expert, Rogers has years of experience studying the New
Madrid Seismic Zone. Gov. Matt Blunt appointed him to Missouri’s Seismic Safety
Commission in 2005. He was also appointed to the National Science Foundation’s
Independent Levee Investigation Team following Hurricane Katrina in 2005 and to
the Coastal Louisiana Recovery Panel in
2007.         

More information about Rogers’ research and about his presentations during
previous earthquake awareness events is available at http://news.mst.edu/research/2005/564.html
.