Hi there! We're glad that you could join us on our UCD Geology Rocks! tour. We'll be covering quite a bit of ground today (pun intended) and there's no better place to start than right here in the Physics/Geology building.

Not only does this building house real Rock Stars, it is also built to Rock & Roll! Look for the 6 inch wide wall panel (near the “Geology” glass partition) in the main hall on the first floor.

In an earthquake, buildings of different heights tend to sway back and forth at different frequencies. Considerable damage can result when buildings moving in different directions bang into one another. The hollow space behind this panel separates the five-story part of this building from the three-story part. So in an earthquake, each part of the building will be able “to do its own thing” without bumping into the other part! Think of it as a mosh pit where no one get hurt.

Sorry, we realize it's not easy to see; but then again, we don't want to cause mass panic by having something that glaringly shouts,"You're in earthquake country!" Although we suppose that's a moot point since we do have that earthquake monitor sitting in the middle of the Courtyard. It records earthquake activity throughout California.