Boston Areas Built on Wetlands at Higher Risk During Earthquakes

If you felt the quake yesterday, it was maybe a little scary, some buildings were evacuated, but we all remained safe and in-tact.

The same, however, cannot be said for the ground you were standing on, particularly in areas like Back Bay and the South End that were created by filling in wetlands.

While we needen't expect a "Big One" anytime soon, the small quakes still leave their mark.

"During an earthquake, “liquefaction” of the fill can cause buildings to collapse or suffer major damage," according to a press release from the Metropolitan Area Planning Council.

"Liquefaction is a process during an earthquake where certain kinds of earth materials absorb the shocks and vibrate in a manner similar to Jell-o," it continues. "This creates far more stress on any buildings constructed on these materials. Filled earth is most susceptible to liquefaction.

And what parts of Boston, exactly, were build on filled land? The map (see photo) shows those areas in red.