Search USGSSearch

USGS · fs03001

Did you feel it? Community-made earthquake shaking maps

Abstract

Since the early 1990's, 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 (USGS) 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 Internet Intensity Maps' (CIIM's) contribute greatly in quickly assessing the scope of an earthquake emergency, even in areas lacking seismic instruments.

Explore related subjects

90° N90° S · 180° W ← longitude → 180° E
Source-reported bounding extent: 46.3636439111726° to 48.977410101722484° latitude; -124.67186083232232° to -120.12699931893796° longitude. This indicates report coverage, not an exact sampling location. View area on OpenStreetMap.

Keep this discovery

Explore connections, maps & timelines

BibTeXRIS

D.J. Wald, L. A. Wald, J. W. Dewey, Vince Quitoriano, Elisabeth Adams. 2001. Did you feel it? Community-made earthquake shaking maps. https://doi.org/10.3133/fs03001

Cite the original work for its findings. Save a collection to share your selection of sources.

KEEP EXPLORING

Related USGS reports

Divisions of geologic time—Major chronostratigraphic and geochronologic units

Introduction The reports and maps of our Nation’s geological surveys inform and benefit the public, private industry, government officials, and scientists. The use of clear and consistent nomenclature and classifications can improve communication of data and interpretations. Since 1899, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) Geologic Names Committee (GNC) has been responsible for defining standards that promote uniform geologic nomenclature and classifications among geoscientists. The GNC periodically publishes a geologic time scale, the “Divisions of Geologic Time,” that serves as the national standard for USGS publications (for example, refer to Orndorff and others, 2023). Authors may use other published geologic time scales, such as those of the Geological Society of America (GSA) or the International Commission on Stratigraphy (ICS), provided that they are clearly specified and referenced. Access to the USGS, GSA, and ICS geologic time scales is also available from the U.S. Geologic Names Lexicon (Geolex) website https://ngmdb.usgs.gov/Geolex/stratres/timescales. The geologic time scale serves a dual purpose by enabling authors to distinguish earth material units by position (chronostratigraphic) and time (geochronologic), as outlined in order of decreasing rank.

Fact Sheet