What is the USGS doing to mitigate and respond to earthquake hazards?
The U.S. Geological Survey performs the following functions related to earthquake hazard mitigation:
- Receives, analyzes, maintains, and distributes data on earthquake activity worldwide. Satellites link our National Earthquake Information Center in Golden, Colorado to a network of seismograph stations. These stations, located throughout the world, are maintained by the U.S. Geological Survey, State geological surveys, universities, research institutions, and foreign governments.
- Provides rapid notification of earthquake events to civil defense and government officials in the affected area, and to the public through the news media.
- Produces regional assessments of earthquake hazards in conjunction with State and local governments. This information is used by: local planners and building officials in setting appropriate building and retrofitting standards in an area government and civil defense officials in planning for disaster recovery professionals conducting detailed site assessments researchers engaged in basic and applied research.
- Engages in basic research to learn more about the nature of earthquake activity.
- Provides education on earthquake hazards and safety to the public by publishing and distributing literature, and through a variety of other outreach efforts.
Related Content
How do I get earthquake hazard maps for locations outside of the U.S.?
How are engineers working to make roads and buildings safer?
Can the National Seismic Hazard Maps be used as an earthquake forecast tool for the near future?
What is the probability that an earthquake is a foreshock to a larger earthquake?
Are earthquake probabilities or forecasts the same as prediction?
What is the probability that an earthquake will occur in the Los Angeles Area? In the San Francisco Bay area?
How do I decide whether or not to get earthquake insurance?
How do earthquakes affect buildings?
What is the likelihood of a large earthquake at location X? Is it safe to go to X since they've been having a lot of earthquakes lately?
How will my house hold up in an earthquake? Can the USGS send someone out to evaluate my property?
What are the earthquake hazards/risks where I live?
What is seismic hazard? What is a seismic hazard map? How are they made? How are they used? Why are there different maps, and which one should I use?
The HayWired Earthquake Scenario
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ANSS-Advanced National Seismic System
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East vs West Coast Earthquakes
Why was an earthquake in Virginia felt at more than twice the distance than a similar-sized earthquake in California? The answer is one that many people may not realize. Earthquakes east of the Rocky Mountains can cause noticeable ground shaking at much farther distances than comparably-sized earthquakes in the West.
New Audiences, New Products for the National Seismic Hazard Maps
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A 100-year-long History of Earthquakes and Seismic Monitoring in Hawaii
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PubTalk 9/2018 - Hayward Earthquake
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- There
PubTalk 1/2018 — ShakeAlert: Path to West Coast EQ Early Warning
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USGS Forecast for Ground Shaking Intensity from Earthquakes in 2017
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PubTalk 8/2014 — Ground Shaking in '89 Loma Prieta Quake: 25 yrs later
by Brad Aagaard, USGS Research Geophysicist
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Earthquake-damaged building
Building damanged by the February 2011 earthquake in Christchurch, New Zealand.
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Northridge, CA Earthquake Damage
Collection of USGS still images taken after the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake highlighting the damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Northridge, CA Earthquake Damage
Collection of USGS still images taken after the January 17, 1994 Northridge earthquake highlighting the damage to buildings and infrastructure.
Marina District, San Francisco, after the 1989 Loma Prieta Earthquake
Ground view of collapsed building and burned area at Beach and Divisadero Streets, Marina District, San Francisco, following the October 17, 1989 Loma Prieta earthquake. At 5:04:15 p.m. (PDT), the magnitude 6.9 (moment magnitude; surface-wave magnitude, 7.1) earthquake severely shook the San Francisco and Monterey Bay regions. The epicenter was located at 37.04° N.
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