Visualizing earthquake aftershock forecasts

Forecasting aftershock risk after an earthquake can help save lives and property.  

USGS researchers in the Earthquake Hazards Program study how to communicate earthquake aftershock risks to minimize surprises after a damaging earthquake. A usability experiment found that showing two maps side-by-side that represent the “optimistic” and the “pessimistic” aftershock outcomes can reveal where zones could have surprise aftershocks in a region recovering from an earthquake.  

 These maps show example aftershock forecasts and uncertainty (top row) along with the optimistic and pessimistic forecasts (bottom row), following a hypothetical earthquake.  

Learn more about the Earthquake Hazards Program here.

Uncertainty – Risk #30DayChartChallenge