3 thoughts on “Evacuations Underway After California Gas Line Blowout”
At ~1:54 in the video she’s saying “right now the source and the cause of this leak is still unknown” but the ground by the leak shows recent significant slumping.
Soaked ground is at the same time both weaker and heavier.
Geologists note that in warmer times on the planet, one signature they see is increased erosion from heavier storms.
This one reminded me of a Pennsylvania incident a while back but when looking I found TWO times heavy rains damaged pipelines in PA. One dumped gasoline, the other was natural gas.
Officials with Sunoco Logistics said Tuesday that “an object of extreme destructive force” severed the 8-inch pipeline under Wallis Run in Lycoming County. David Chalson, s Sunoco Logistics executive, says “it’s clear the bridge was responsible for the damage to the pipe.”
A storm late Thursday into Friday dumped up to 7 inches of rain on areas in western and central Pennsylvania. Flooding destroyed the bridge and damaged hundreds of homes.”
“Energy Transfer Partners has shut down part of the Revolution Pipeline as officials investigate why a section of it exploded in a Beaver County residential neighborhood on Monday.
[…]
On Tuesday, investigators from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission were looking into what caused the blast. Officials suspect that heavy rains led to a landslide that caused the pipeline to break and explode.
“We believe that may have had an unusual amount of stress in the area on the land that may have possibly contributed to it,” Daniel said.
The recently-completed pipeline had already experienced rain-related problems during construction months before.”
I do recall one impressive example of preventing a pipeline break: The part of the trans-Alaskan pipeline that went over the active Denali strike-slip fault was mounted on a series of rolling supports on rails that paralleled the fault. When there was a major slip (earthquake) in 2002, the rails actually did their job: The pipeline stayed in place while the rails on either side of the fault went in opposite directions.
At ~1:54 in the video she’s saying “right now the source and the cause of this leak is still unknown” but the ground by the leak shows recent significant slumping.
Soaked ground is at the same time both weaker and heavier.
Geologists note that in warmer times on the planet, one signature they see is increased erosion from heavier storms.
This one reminded me of a Pennsylvania incident a while back but when looking I found TWO times heavy rains damaged pipelines in PA. One dumped gasoline, the other was natural gas.
October 26, 2016 https://www.abc27.com/news/washed-out-bridge-blamed-for-pipeline-rupture-gas-spill/
“TROUT RUN, Pa. (AP) – Officials say a bridge washed out by flooding traveled the length of a football field and ruptured a pipeline last week, spilling about 55,000 gallons of gasoline into a Pennsylvania creek.
Officials with Sunoco Logistics said Tuesday that “an object of extreme destructive force” severed the 8-inch pipeline under Wallis Run in Lycoming County. David Chalson, s Sunoco Logistics executive, says “it’s clear the bridge was responsible for the damage to the pipe.”
A storm late Thursday into Friday dumped up to 7 inches of rain on areas in western and central Pennsylvania. Flooding destroyed the bridge and damaged hundreds of homes.”
And the methane – September 12, 2018:
https://www.alleghenyfront.org/pipeline-explosion-part-of-line-shut-down-during-investigation/
“Energy Transfer Partners has shut down part of the Revolution Pipeline as officials investigate why a section of it exploded in a Beaver County residential neighborhood on Monday.
[…]
On Tuesday, investigators from the Pennsylvania Public Utility Commission were looking into what caused the blast. Officials suspect that heavy rains led to a landslide that caused the pipeline to break and explode.
“We believe that may have had an unusual amount of stress in the area on the land that may have possibly contributed to it,” Daniel said.
The recently-completed pipeline had already experienced rain-related problems during construction months before.”
I do recall one impressive example of preventing a pipeline break: The part of the trans-Alaskan pipeline that went over the active Denali strike-slip fault was mounted on a series of rolling supports on rails that paralleled the fault. When there was a major slip (earthquake) in 2002, the rails actually did their job: The pipeline stayed in place while the rails on either side of the fault went in opposite directions.
https://alyeska-pipe.com/2002-the-denali-fault-earthquake/