earthquake

USGS Releases Geologic Maps for Google Earth

April 25, 2006

The US Geological Survey (USGS) has added more earthquake related visualizations for Google Earth. A couple of weeks ago they released a large collection of visualizations for GE as part of the 100th year anniversary of the 1906 San Francisco Earthquake. The USGS has now released a collection of Geologic Maps (maps which show the age and types of materials at the surface) for several counties in Northern California. You can download either PDF, JPG, or Google Earth versions of the maps. The GE files are large, ranging from 1.6 Mbytes to 15 Mbytes – I would advise loading only one at a time and deleting them from your “Temporary Places” before loading another. Here is an example of Napa County (8.2 Mbytes).
You might be wondering what the colors represent. There is a map key here, and I recommend at least reading the overview of “What is a Geologic Map?“. These maps are quite interesting.
Geologists use these maps for helping identify hazardous areas, to find good gelogical resources, to help understand our environment, and to help understand the geological history of an area. Read more here.

USGS Releases Awesome 1906 Earthquake Documentary Using Google Earth

April 6, 2006

The USGS has developed a truly definitive documentary web site which uses Google Earth as the primary visualization tool in honor of the 100th anniversary of the 1906 Earthquake which devastated the San Francisco Area. The web site walks you through several segments describing various elements of the 1906 Quake and also the hazards and current conditions of the San Andreas and Hayward Faults today. Each segment includes a Google Earth KMZ file which includes a layer of visual information illustrating that segment. The USGS goal is to not only illustrate the most damaging earthquake in US History, but also to visualize and understand the causes and effects of this and future earthquakes.
Included in the visual elements are many Google Earth files, which I recommend you view along with the web site starting here. Here are sample of some of the more interesting ones: location and extent of the faults and the 1906 quake, historic photos of the 1906 quake, 3D model graphs showing the rupture length and slip , a shaking intensity map overlay, and illustrations showing the hazards of the bay area today and susceptability to conditions which might cause serious damage to structures. Also check out the real-time earthquakes network link.
This product was produced by the USGS Northern California Earthquake Hazards Program, Luke Blair, a geologist and Director of the USGS Geographic Information Laboratory, presented the new documentary at a press conference (inlcudes link to video of presentation) today.

Earthquake Monitoring

February 7, 2006

Earthquakes are happening around the world all the time, we just can’t feel all of them. The US Geological Survey (USGS) is constantly monitoring the Earth with sensitive instruments and for some time now has offered ways of sharing their data on the web through their Earthquake Hazards Program. In addition to RSS feeds, they introduced Google Earth KML network links which allow you to continuously monitor the status of earthquakes around the world. You can zoom in and look at the areas in the detailed satellite or aerial photos of GE. But, since most of the photos in GE are one or more years old, you won’t see evidence of that recent quake.
You have two main options off the USGS Earthquake Hazards page, plus a third option I found for just bigger quakes:

This is real-time data which can help you determine whether that shaking you felt really was a quake. One Google Earth Community member wrote how he experienced the earthquake data first-hand.

New Satellite Photos for Pakistan – Kathryn Cramer

October 25, 2005

Kathryn Cramer, who became well known in the Google Earth community for her efforts surrounding Hurricane Katrina relief efforts, has also been working on the Pakistan Earthquake relief efforts. Kathryn has a well-written blog where she helps by providing an international information resource. She in particular has been working with the Global Connection Project (a team of folks from Google, NASA, Carnegie-Mellon University, and some other Universities as well) to try and help get better satellite photos available to relief workers.
Kathryn has announced that an initial set of high-resolution Google Earth image overlays for the earthquake areas has been released by the Global Connection Project. She has included screen shots as well.