Studies Focus On Quake-risk Areas

"he first, released by the Southern California Earthquake Center, identified "hot spot" areas stretching from Irvine to the Los Angeles Coliseum that are susceptible to stronger shaking -- and therefore at risk for greater damage -- during a quake. The intense jolts occur because the soil is softer, the ground flatter and the area more densely populated. The second report is the state Department of Conservation's second installment of "hazard-zone mapping" of Orange County. It identifies liquefaction and landslide zones in Anaheim, Orange, Tustin, Yorba Linda, Irvine, Laguna Hills, Mission Viejo and El Toro. "