Real-time Earthquake Map
Most of us don’t give much thought to earthquakes if we don’t live in California, Alaska or Hawaii, but you might be surprised to learn that earthquakes pose a significant threat to 75 million Americans in 39 States, according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).
The two most common questions following an earthquake are “Did you feel that?” and “How big was it?” The answer to the first often depends on who you ask, unless it was so huge nobody could have missed it. The answer to the second is typically available within 30 minutes or less on the USGS’s Earthquake Hazards Program website. The website has recently been updated and includes a nifty interactive mapping application. There are so many different setting options for the Real-time Earthquake Map that it comes with its own navigation map:
One of the many features of the application is a running count of current earthquakes. This running count can be set based on the chosen data feed options which include:
• 7 days, Magnitude 2.5+
• 7 days, All
• 30 days, Significant
• 30 days, Magnitude 2.5+
• 30 days, All
• Custom (select time range, magnitude range and more)
You can also choose which region you want to observe whether it be worldwide, the US , any of the most common earthquake states or simply zoom into a region within the map window. The list of displayed earthquakes will adjust to match the view option you choose. If you are a mapping geek/geography buff, check out the site and have fun trying out all the different option settings. And may the ground beneath your feet hold steady!