HR: 0830h
AN: ED51B-1188    [PDF]
TI: The U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Summary Posters: A GIS-based Education and Communication Product for Presenting Consolidated Post-Earthquake Information
AU: Tarr, A
EM: atarr@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center PO Box 25046, MS966, Lakewood, CO 80225 United States
AU: Benz, H
EM: benz@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center PO Box 25046, MS966, Lakewood, CO 80225 United States
AU: Earle, P
EM: pearle@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center PO Box 25046, MS966, Lakewood, CO 80225 United States
AU: * Wald, D J
EM: wald@usgs.gov
AF: U.S. Geological Survey, Denver Federal Center PO Box 25046, MS966, Lakewood, CO 80225 United States
AB: Earthquake Summary Posters (ESP's), a new product of the U.S. Geological Survey's Earthquake Program, are produced at the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) in Golden. The posters consist of rapidly-generated, GIS-based maps made following significant earthquakes worldwide (typically M$>$7.0, or events of significant media/public interest). ESP's consolidate, in an attractive map format, a large-scale epicentral map, several auxiliary regional overviews (showing tectonic and geographical setting, seismic history, seismic hazard, and earthquake effects), depth sections (as appropriate), a table of regional earthquakes, and a summary of the reional seismic history and tectonics. The immediate availability of the latter text summaries has been facilitated by the availability of Rapid, Accurate Tectonic Summaries (RATS) produced at NEIC and posted on the web following significant events. The rapid production of ESP's has been facilitated by generating, during the past two years, regional templates for tectonic areas around the world by organizing the necessary spatially-referenced data for the map base and the thematic layers that overlay the base. These GIS databases enable scripted Arc Macro Language (AML) production of routine elements of the maps (for example background seismicity, tectonic features, and probabilistic hazard maps). However, other elements of the maps are earthquake-specific and are produced manually to reflect new data, earthquake effects, and special characteristics. By the end of this year, approximately 85% of the Earth's seismic zones will be covered for generating future ESP's. During the past year, 13 posters were completed, comparable to the yearly average expected for significant earthquakes. Each year, all ESPs will be published on a CD in PDF format as an Open-File Report. In addition, each is linked to the special event earthquake pages on the USGS Earthquake Program web site (http://earthquake.usgs.gov). Although three formats are generated, the poster-size format is the most popular for display, outreach, and use as a working map for project scientists (JPEG format for web; PDF for download, editing, and printing) whereas the other (smaller) formats are suitable for briefing packages. We will soon make both GIS and PDF files of individual elements of the posters available online. ESP's provide an unprecedented opportunity for college earth-science faculty to take advantage of current events for timely lessons in global tectonics. They are also invaluable to communicate with the media and with government officials. ESP's will be used as a vehicle to present other products now under development under the auspices of NEIC and the ANSS, including rapid finite-fault models, global predictive ShakeMaps, "Did You Feel It?", and Rapid Assessments of Global Earthquakes (RAGE, Earle and others, this meeting).
UR: http://earthquake.usgs.gov/
DE: 7215 Earthquake parameters
DE: 7230 Seismicity and seismotectonics
DE: 7299 General or miscellaneous
SC: Education and Human Resources [ED]
MN: 2003 Fall Meeting