Liquefaction after Japanese Earthquake Larger than Expected –

Liquefaction after Japanese Earthquake Larger than Expected –"Tremendous Liquefaction in Japan

The broad extent of the liquefaction observed over hundreds of miles was daunting to experienced engineers who are normally not so affected by disaster sites, having recently been involved in the clean-up in Chile and New Zealand.

“We’ve seen localized examples of soil liquefaction as extreme as this before, but the distance and extent of damage in Japan were unusually severe,” said Scott Ashford, a professor of geotechnical engineering at Oregon State University and a member of this research team."