Are you at risk from a large, damaging earthquake? A new online tool developed by OpenHazards Group quickly estimates the chances of a future earthquake and how much property damage it will do in any time period, anywhere in the world.
OpenHazards is the creator of the first free, public earthquake hazard tool that offers vital information about earthquake hazards worldwide. The online "Hazard Viewer" shows earthquake forecasts and predicts how often and how much shaking might happen at any location. The "Home Response" tool shows likely damage to different types of buildings.
The site also features earthquake news, safety and preparation tips, and blogs by experts in earthquake hazard awareness and public education.
Information on the site is based on the best available science and technology from peer-reviewed literature from government agencies, universities, and public research centers worldwide. It draws data from open sources such as the US Geological Survey global geoscience data catalog, and uses forecasting methods adapted from peer-reviewed literature by earthquake physicists and OpenHazards co-founders John Rundle and James Holliday.
Previously, Rundle, Holliday and colleagues produced maps forecasting locations for significant earthquakes over a limited time frame. The group has successfully forecast the locations of 26 of 30 earthquakes in California since 2001.
"The site is the first of its kind as a truly free, open-source tool for the public," says OpenHazards co-founder and CEO William Graves. "We expect to see a rapid increase in traffic as we grow the site to include new applications and products." Graves, whose degrees in physics are from University of California, Berkeley and Massachusetts Institute of Technology, was the first CEO of Cisco Systems, the networking company.
Check it out at http://www.openhazards.com/