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Be Proactive in Data Center Earthquake Mitigation

Gary Wong is Director of Applications Engineering at Instor Solutions.

Of all the natural disasters that can affect data centers, earthquakes are among the most damaging. Given the data center industry’s continued growth and expansion throughout California, these potentially catastrophic events are always top of mind for data center owners and operators.

With the passing of the 27th anniversary of the 6.9-magnitude Loma Prieta earthquake, centered within 10 miles of Santa Cruz, now is the time for data centers across California and other areas prone to seismic activity to reevaluate their earthquake disaster strategies and look at the availability of proactive protection plans.

Across the world, there are an estimated 500,000 detectable earthquakes each year; 10,000 in the area of Southern California alone. These sobering facts lead to some important questions: If an earthquake like the Loma Prieta were to strike again, how are data centers better protected now than 27 years ago? What would the projected loss be to your company and customers if a major earthquake hit? What is your company doing to protect the valuable data and physical assets in your facility?

Earthquake damage can be particularly devastating to the data center industry for a variety of reasons. Going beyond the health and safety of its staff, the loss of uptime resulting from an earthquake can be financially devastating. If a seismic event occurs and the facility is unprotected, the physical damage to servers and IT equipment can also be beyond repair. This combination of loss of equipment and downtime for clients will likely result in the loss of the business in its entirety.

While we have yet to develop the technology to accurately predict where and when an earthquake will take place, there are precautions that owners and operators can take to help protect data centers from substantial earthquake damage. Whether planning a new build or retrofitting an existing facility, these forms of seismic planning should be a priority.

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Signs of past California ‘mega-quakes’ show danger of the Big One on San Andreas fault

As Interstate 10 snakes through the mountains and toward the golf courses, housing tracts and resorts of the Coachella Valley, it crosses the dusty slopes of the San Gorgonio Pass.

The pass is best known for the spinning wind turbines that line it. But for geologists, the narrow desert canyon is something of a canary in the coal mine for what they expect will be a major earthquake coming from the San Andreas fault.

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The Big One is going to happen, no matter how much you want to deny it, California scientists say

Fear of earthquakes is part of life in California.

But people experience this anxiety in different ways. For some, the fear prompts them to take steps to protect themselves: strapping down heavy furniture, securing kitchen cabinets and retrofitting homes and apartments.

For others, the fear prompts denial — a willful ignorance of the dangers for years until the ground starts shaking.

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New study finds Los Angeles and San Diego are at risk from M=7.3+ offshore earthquakes

A new study by researchers at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography, the Nevada Seismological Laboratory, and USGS has revealed that the Newport-Inglewood/Rose Canyon fault zone, which extends offshore from San Diego to Los Angeles, is capable of rupturing in M=7.3+ earthquakes. Such a quake could cause significant damage to some of the most densely populated areas in California.

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Is Seattle prepared for a Cascadia Megathrust or Seattle Fault earthquake?

In the event of a large Cascadia Subduction Zone (CSZ) earthquake, damage will be significant, and lifelines will be cut off. Approximately 8 million people live in the earthquake damage zone, and the Seattle and Portland metro areas are home to Nike, Amazon, Boeing, and Microsoft. Therefore, preparing for a large-scale earthquake along the entire West Coast is vital.

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Risk of big earthquake on San Andreas fault rises after quake swarm at Salton Sea

The rumbling started Monday morning deep under the Salton Sea. A rapid succession of small earthquakes — three measuring above magnitude 4.0 — began rupturing near Bombay Beach, continuing for more than 24 hours. Before the swarm started to fade, more than 200 earthquakes had been recorded.

The temblors were not felt over a very large area, but they have garnered intense interest — and concern — among seismologists. It marked only the third time since earthquake sensors were installed there in 1932 that the area had seen such a swarm, and this one had more earthquakes than the events of 2001 and 2009.

The quakes occurred in one of California’s most seismically complex areas. They hit in a seismic zone just south of where the mighty San Andreas fault ends. It is composed of a web of faults that scientists fear could one day wake up the nearby San Andreas from its long slumber.

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For Japan: Compassion and a Commitment

In the afternoon of March 11th 2011, a 9.0 magnitude earthquake followed by a killer tsunami struck Japan and was then compounded by a nuclear accident at a damaged power plant.

The gravity of the tragedy facing Japan is almost incomprehensible.

At WorkSafe Technologies, we want to extend our compassion to all Japanese people as their great nation struggles to overcome one of the worst natural disasters in its history.

Japan has long been known for both its preparedness and its resilience. As high as the death toll may climb from this disaster, there is no question that the earthquake and tsunami early warning systems the country has in place saved thousands of lives. We know that thanks to the determined spirit of its resilient citizens, Japan will recover – and we are committed to aiding this recovery in the way we know best.

Japan’s focus on preparedness is directly responsible for it being WorkSafe Technologies’ largest customer nation. Our ISO-Base™ Seismic Isolation Platforms for protecting computing and networking equipment are the de facto standard in data centers of businesses and government agencies throughout Japan, including Sendai, the largest city near the epicenter.

According to all reports we’ve received to date, despite intense and prolonged shaking, all equipment protected by ISO-Base™ seismic isolation platforms is intact and there has been no lost operational activity as a result of the mega-earthquake or aftershocks, except what was caused by loss of power to these facilities.

Going forward, WorkSafe Technologies’ commitment to our customers throughout Japan is simple. We are here and ready to provide any support you need to ensure every ISO-Base™ Seismic Isolation Platform will continue to successfully perform its design function during this very difficult time – and in the better days to come.

Download letter from WorkSafe Technologies in Japanese