Liquefaction and foundation failure of Chevron oil and gasoline tanks at Moss Landing, California

Geophysical Research Letters
By: , and 

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Abstract

Liquefaction of gray, coarse‐ to medium‐grained, esturine sand during the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta (Ms=7.1) earthquake led to foundation failures of oil and tanks at the Chevron Marine Station at Moss Landing located about 25 km south‐southeast of the epicenter. Differential settlement of the foundations resulted in 1° to 6° of the tanks towards one another and an associated 2° to 7° inclination of tank piping. In addition, sand was vented around the bases of the tanks that contained the most oil and adjacent cracks. Liquefaction and related ground failure was not restricted to the vicinity of the Chevron tanks but was a widespread phenomenon at Moss Landing. Analysis of geological and geotechnical data at sites such as the Chevron Marine Station will serve to check and to advance current methods of assessing liquefaction potential at a site and of mapping liquefaction hazard on a regional scale.

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Publication type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Title Liquefaction and foundation failure of Chevron oil and gasoline tanks at Moss Landing, California
Series title Geophysical Research Letters
DOI 10.1029/GL017i010p01797
Volume 17
Issue 10
Year Published 1990
Language English
Publisher Wiley
Contributing office(s) Earthquake Science Center
Description 4 p.
First page 1797
Last page 1800
Country United States
State California
Other Geospatial Moss Landing
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