A potential microbiological approach to the evaluation of earthquake-induced soil liquefaction

Abstract

Summary Earthquakes occur thousands of times every day around the world. They are naturally destructive seismic events and often result in soil liquefaction. Soil microbiota plays a vital role in soil environments and may serve as an effective indicator to assess soil liquefaction after earthquakes. This study aimed to detect the microbial community abundance and composition in soil samples of different depths. Soil samples were collected in Southern Taiwan immediately after the 2010 earthquake. Their physical characteristics were determined, and their microbial communities were analyzed through 16S amplicon sequencing. The results revealed that Nitrospirae phylum dominated in the liquefied layer. In particular, the genus HB118 , dominant in the liquefied layer, was not detected at other soil depths or in the expelled liquefied soil. This finding not only provides valuable insights into changes in microbial community composition at different soil depths after earthquakes but also suggests a useful indicator for monitoring liquefied soil.

Effects of Strong Earthquake on Plant Species Composition, Diversity, and Productivity of Alpine Grassland on Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau

“…Forbs usually have rhizomes or tubers, as well as developed root systems, which might help them to better adapt to the stress environment. Additionally, after earthquake, soil structure (Matsuda et al, 2016 ), nutrients (Guo et al, 2013 ), moisture (Oommen et al, 2013 ), and microbial composition (Chao et al, 2021 ) are negatively altered. Forbs have a higher nutrient use efficiency than sedges and grasses, which makes it easier to become the dominant species as the earthquake can cause soil erosion (Zhang et al, 2020 ).…”

Impact of Earthquakes on Lung Health

“…Another microbial threat from earthquakes is the contamination of water sources with bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites due to damage to water distribution systems and sanitation units or direct earthquake-induced soil liquefaction and tsunamis. 36 , 37 These contaminations can lead to various waterborne diseases and respiratory infections. Moreover, this risk is particularly high for survivors pulled from the debris, those involved in rescue operations, and people living in tent cities, making it an issue that requires careful attention.…”