National Earthquake Information Center
Encyclopedia
The National Earthquake Information Center (abbreviated NEIC) is part of the United States Geological Survey
(USGS) located on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines
in Golden, Colorado
. The NEIC has three main missions:
Using a combination of automated tools and human review, NEIC issues moment magnitude
and location information as soon as possible after a quake. As earthquake
waves take time to travel around the globe, the estimated moment magnitude may change as more information is received. The NEIC uses seismogram
s recorded in the United States
as well as around the globe. While they gather as much data as they can, some nations do not release earthquake data to the United States for political reasons.
NEIC personnel are often sought out by the news media after a large earthquake as experts. Thus the NEIC has a higher public profile than other parts of the US Geological Survey.
United States Geological Survey
The United States Geological Survey is a scientific agency of the United States government. The scientists of the USGS study the landscape of the United States, its natural resources, and the natural hazards that threaten it. The organization has four major science disciplines, concerning biology,...
(USGS) located on the campus of the Colorado School of Mines
Colorado School of Mines
The Colorado School of Mines is a small public teaching and research university devoted to engineering and applied science, with special expertise in the development and stewardship of the Earth's natural resources. Located in Golden, Colorado, CSM was ranked 29th, in America among national...
in Golden, Colorado
Golden, Colorado
The City of Golden is a home rule municipality that is the county seat of Jefferson County, Colorado, United States. Golden lies along Clear Creek at the edge of the foothills of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains. Founded during the Pike's Peak Gold Rush on 16 June 1859, the mining camp was...
. The NEIC has three main missions:
- First, the NEIC determines, as rapidly and as accurately as possible, the location and size of all significant earthquakes that occur worldwide. The NEIC disseminates this information immediately to concerned national and international agencies, scientists, critical facilities, and the general public.
- Second, the NEIC collects and provides to scientists and to the public an extensive seismic database that serves as a solid foundation for scientific research, principally through the operation of modern digital national and global seismograph networks and through cooperative international agreements. The NEIC is the U.S. national data center and archive for earthquake information.
- Third, the NEIC pursues an active research program to improve its ability to locate earthquakes and to understand the earthquake mechanism. These efforts are all aimed at mitigating the risks of earthquakes to mankind; and they are made possible by the fine international cooperation that has long characterized the science of seismologySeismologySeismology is the scientific study of earthquakes and the propagation of elastic waves through the Earth or through other planet-like bodies. The field also includes studies of earthquake effects, such as tsunamis as well as diverse seismic sources such as volcanic, tectonic, oceanic,...
.(1)
Using a combination of automated tools and human review, NEIC issues moment magnitude
Moment magnitude scale
The moment magnitude scale is used by seismologists to measure the size of earthquakes in terms of the energy released. The magnitude is based on the seismic moment of the earthquake, which is equal to the rigidity of the Earth multiplied by the average amount of slip on the fault and the size of...
and location information as soon as possible after a quake. As earthquake
Earthquake
An earthquake is the result of a sudden release of energy in the Earth's crust that creates seismic waves. The seismicity, seismism or seismic activity of an area refers to the frequency, type and size of earthquakes experienced over a period of time...
waves take time to travel around the globe, the estimated moment magnitude may change as more information is received. The NEIC uses seismogram
Seismogram
A seismogram is a graph output by a seismograph. It is a record of the ground motion at a measuring station as a function of time. Seismograms typically record motions in three cartesian axes , with the z axis perpendicular to the Earth's surface and the x- and y- axes parallel to the surface...
s recorded in the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
as well as around the globe. While they gather as much data as they can, some nations do not release earthquake data to the United States for political reasons.
NEIC personnel are often sought out by the news media after a large earthquake as experts. Thus the NEIC has a higher public profile than other parts of the US Geological Survey.