USGS earthquake data now available via Google Earth™

Citation

(2008), "USGS earthquake data now available via Google Earth™", Disaster Prevention and Management, Vol. 17 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/dpm.2008.07317dab.002

USGS earthquake data now available via Google Earth™

Article Type: News items From: Disaster Prevention and Management, Volume 17, Issue 4

Users of US Geological Survey (USGS) earthquake information can now access worldwide historic earthquake data using Google Earth™ mapping technology. Although the huge databases of earthquake occurrences have been available publicly for a long time, the interactive graphic display of Google Earth™ makes it easy to understand the context and significance of each quake. Pop-up windows in the application give the user more information about the earthquake’s magnitude, date, location, and depth. USGS and Google™ signed an agreement to publish historic earthquake data from the Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) catalog as a “built-in” layer, accessible directly from the Google Earth™ viewer. Now, it is simply a matter of toggling a check box to turn on the earthquake layer, similar to roads and other geographic features. The new layer includes historic earthquakes since 1900, and USGS realtime earthquake data are now accessible as a hyperlink from Google Earth™. If the layer is checked, users will see a sprinkling of dots across the globe, each marking an earthquake epicenter. The ease of finding USGS earthquake data directly within the Google Earth™ viewer makes complex scientific data much more accessible and understandable to more people worldwide. To read the full USGS press release, see www.usgs.gov/newsroom/article.asp?ID=1860