Tuesday, March 29, 2016

USA: New Maps Show Potential Earthquake Hazards from Human-Induced Activities

USGS Releases First-Ever Maps of Induced, Natural Earthquake Hazards (Rigzone)
The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) published its first-ever maps showing potential ground-shaking hazards from human-induced and natural earthquakes Monday.

Previously, USGS maps only showed natural earthquake hazards. But concerns over potential damage from induced earthquakes prompted USGS to update its 2014 hazards map to show induced and natural earthquake risks in the central and eastern U.S. (CEUS).

The new supplement to the 2014 hazard map shows a one-year outlook for nature’s hazards, whereas the 2014 map uses a 50-year timeline.

While there are some areas of induced earthquakes in the western U.S., they don’t significantly change the regional hazard level compared to the much more abundant natural earthquakes.

Therefore scientists just considered the historical catalog in the western U.S. and did not separate natural from induced earthquakes. Future research could take a more detailed look at induced seismicity in the west, including in California at The Geysers, Brawley or the Los Angeles Basin.

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