Report from Parkfield

The earthquake capital of the world—Parkfield, California—is in fine shape. I arrived late this morning and spent some time with the Parkfield Interventional EQ Fieldwork or PIEQF. It's a motor-equipped platform, placed in a shallow pit, with steel wands welded to a grid of metal cleats. Seismic signals from all over California, and from four geophones placed around the instrument, drive actuators that make the platform rock and ripple, tipping the rods every which way.

Every day I visit the US Geological Survey's earthquake map for my state, so I have a good sense of California's activity. But standing in front of this creation made it visceral. The installation ends November 16, so make plans soon if you want to have that experience.

Plate boundary at the Parkfield bridge — Geology Guide photo