Why are we having so many earthquakes? Has earthquake activity been increasing?

[music fades in] Welcome to CoreFacts, where we're always short on time and big on science. I'm Jessica Robertson. Today's question is a good one. What is the most frequent community name in the United States? The most frequent community names continue to vary. In the past year, it was Midway at 212 occurrences and Fairview at 202. More recently, Fairview counted 288 and Midway 256. The name Springfield often is thought to be the only community name appearing in each of the 50 states, but at last count it was in only 34. The most recent count shows Riverside with 186 instances in 46 states. Alaska, Hawaii, Louisiana, and Oklahoma are the states missing this community name. I also want to point out that there are no official definitions of a city, town, village, or neighborhood. All named entities with human habitation are classified as a "populated place." And now you know. Join us again every weekday for a new CoreFact. For other CoreFacts, or for CoreCast, our in-depth science podcast, go to usgs.gov/podcasts. If you'd like to have a question featured on our show, give us an email at corefacts@usgs.gov or a phone call at 703-648-5600. Remember, long distance fees do apply. CoreFacts is a product of the U.S. Geological Survey, Department of the Interior. [music fade out]