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ANSS - Advanced National Seismic System

By Earthquake Hazards Program

As part of its monitoring activities, the ANSS includes a national Backbone network, the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) , the National Strong Motion Project , and 15 regional seismic networks operated by USGS and its partners.

The ANSS backbone
Sources/Usage: Public Domain.
The ANSS backbone is based on the core of the original US National Seismic Network. In partnership with the National Science Foundation, the USGS worked with the Earthscope program (through the USArray project and IRIS) in 2004-2006 to upgrade and install new backbone stations. This effort was completed in September 2006, with 15 new stations installed and 20 existing stations upgraded. Today, the ANSS Backbone consists of nearly 100 stations in the United States, many of them contributed by partner networks and organizations. (Public domain.)

When earthquakes strike, ANSS delivers real-time information , providing situational awareness for emergency-response personnel. In regions with sufficient seismic stations, that information includes –within minutes–a ShakeMap showing the distribution of potentially damaging ground shaking, information used to target post-earthquake response efforts. When fully implemented, ANSS will provide such dense station coverage for all at-risk urban areas. Information from ANSS is a key input to the USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps, which help communities in earthquake-prone regions develop safer building practices.

ANSS Stations

Basic station information and operation status. For technical station information, see the ANSS Station Information System (SIS).

ANSS Heliplots

Real-time seismograms from ANSS stations

    ANSS Products

    The ANSS data has been used to develop many real-time information products.

    ANSS Governance

    Regional Networks

    ANSS Policy & Procedures Documents

    Related Content

    Filter Total Items: 18

    Advanced National Seismic System—Current status, development opportunities, and priorities for 2017–2027

    SummaryEarthquakes pose a threat to the safety of over 143 million people living in the United States. Earthquake impacts can be significantly reduced if communities understand their risk and take proactive steps to mitigate that risk. The Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) is a cooperative effort to collect and analyze seismic and geodetic data on earthquakes, issue timely and reliable notif
    Authors
    By
    Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

    Origins of a national seismic system in the United States

    This historical review traces the origins of the current national seismic system in the United States, a cooperative effort that unifies national, regional, and local‐scale seismic monitoring within the structure of the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS). The review covers (1) the history and technological evolution of U.S. seismic networks leading up to the 1990s, (2) factors that made the 1
    Authors
    John R. Filson, Walter J. Arabasz
    By
    Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

    ShakeAlert—An earthquake early warning system for the United States west coast

    Earthquake early warning systems use earthquake science and the technology of monitoring systems to alert devices and people when shaking waves generated by an earthquake are expected to arrive at their location. The seconds to minutes of advance warning can allow people and systems to take actions to protect life and property from destructive shaking. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in collabo
    Authors
    Erin R. Burkett, Douglas D. Given, Lucile M. Jones
    By
    Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center

    Technical implementation plan for the ShakeAlert production system: an Earthquake Early Warning system for the West Coast of the United States

    Earthquake Early Warning (EEW) systems can provide as much as tens of seconds of warning to people and automated systems before strong shaking arrives. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) and its partners are developing such an EEW system, called ShakeAlert, for the West Coast of the United States. This document describes the technical implementation of that system, which leverages existing
    Authors
    Douglas D. Given, Elizabeth S. Cochran, Thomas Heaton, Egill Hauksson, Richard Allen, Peggy Hellweg, John Vidale, Paul Bodin
    By
    Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Earthquake Science Center

    USGS ShakeCast

    Automating, Simplifying, and Improving the Use of ShakeMap for Post-Earthquake Decisionmaking and Response. ShakeCast is a freely available, post-earthquake situational awareness application that automatically retrieves earthquake shaking data from ShakeMap, compares intensity measures against users facilities, and generates potential damage assessment notifications, facility damage maps, and o
    Authors
    David Wald, Kuo-Wan Lin

    Earthquake information products and tools from the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS)

    This Fact Sheet provides a brief description of postearthquake tools and products provided by the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) through the U.S. Geological Survey Earthquake Hazards Program. The focus is on products specifically aimed at providing situational awareness in the period immediately following significant earthquake events.
    Authors
    Lisa Wald
    By
    Natural Hazards Mission Area, Earthquake Hazards Program, Geologic Hazards Science Center

    Did you feel it? : citizens contribute to earthquake science

    Since the early 1990s, the magnitude and location of an earthquake have been available within minutes on the Internet. Now, as a result of work by the U.S. Geological Survey and with the cooperation of various regional seismic networks, people who experience an earthquake can go online and share information about its effects to help create a map of shaking intensities and damage. Such “Community I
    Authors
    David J. Wald, James W. Dewey

    PAGER - Rapid Assessment and Notification of an Earthquake's Impact

    PAGER (Prompt Assessment of Global Earthquakes for Response) is an automated alarm system being developed to rapidly and accurately assess the severity of damage caused by an earthquake and to provide emergency relief organizations, government agencies, and the media with an estimate of the societal impact from the potential catastrophe.
    Authors
    Paul S. Earle, David J. Wald, Lynda A. Lastowka

    Seismic monitoring of the Atwood building in Anchorage, Alaska

    Authors
    Mehmet Çelebi, Jill McCarthy, Niren Biswas, Lisa Wald, Robert Page, Jamison Steidl

    ShakeMap, a tool for earthquake response

    Authors
    David Wald, Lisa Wald, Bruce Worden, Jim Goltz

    Monitoring earthquake shaking in buildings to reduce loss of life and property

    Authors
    Mehmet Çelebi, Robert A. Page, Erdal Safak, James W. Hendley, Peter H. Stauffer

    ANSS, reducing the devastating effects of earthquakes

    Authors
    Jill McCarthy, Stephen H. Hartzell, Mark D. Petersen

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