At 6:42 AM on June 29, 1925, residents of the Santa Barbara area were shaken by a startling geologic upheaval. Two observers witnessed the ground roll like an ocean wave as it moved up State Street, knocking over one eyewitness and destroying buildings. Quick-thinking local heroes cut off power and gas, preventing explosions and fires. In addition to saving lives and property, these actions preserved earthquake-damaged buildings for engineers and scientists to study and evaluate different construction types.
Engineering geologist Larry D. Gurrola, Ph.D., P.G., C.E.G., will tell the story of the earthquake and what geologists have learned from it over the last 100 years. He’ll describe how the faults that reshaped the city also created a beautiful landscape where the mountains meet the sea. How large could “The Big One” be if one of our faults ruptures? Join the Santa Barbara Museum of Natural History's fun, friendly, and free conversation at Dargan’s Irish Pub & Restaurant in downtown Santa Barbara to find out.
Dr. Gurrola provides consulting services for fault, landslide, and forensic studies. His graduate education at San Diego State University focused on determining earthquake history of a strand of the San Andreas fault, and his research at U.C. Santa Barbara focused on the earthquake hazards and mapping faults from Carpinteria to Goleta. He studied the history of debris flows in the Santa Barbara area for the non-profit organization The Project for Resilient Communities.
No tickets or reservations required, but be sure to get to Dargan’s early to secure a seat, order your favorite food and drink, and buy a raffle ticket to support science education and win Museum swag.
This event is part of the Museum’s ongoing Science Pub series of free science talks held on the second Monday of every month, as well as one of a slate of commemorative events from the EQ25 Alliance promoting the centennial of the 1925 Santa Barbara Earthquake.
For more information about Science Pub, contact Kelsey Perry at
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Historic photo of 1925 earthquake damage to the Santa Barbara County Jail from Santa Barbara Historical Museum, Gledhill Library, with special thanks to Head Archivist Chris Ervin.
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