Program element: V, Providing Geologic Hazards Information Services
Key words: Information transfer, Recurrence interval, Regional seismic hazards
October 1, 1997 - September 30, 1998
In a previous project, we compiled information on early Cascadia earthquakes. This database catalog is the only comprehensive collection of source material describing the felt effects of historic earthquakes in this region. It currently includes over a dozen catalog-type sources, and about 400 other sources, including newspaper articles, technical reports, weather observer's records, and entries from diaries. The use of a standard database allows all of the information that we have searched out and compiled on Cascadia earthquakes (some of it from very obscure sources) to be conveniently shared with other investigators and with the public. The Cascadia database 1793-1929 is available over the World-Wide-Web in MS-ACCESS format.
The current project is a similar database for earthquakes since 1930, and a special data-base of material on the 1872 earthquake. In addition, we are converting some of the earthquake accounts we have collected in HTML format, so that any user with access to the World-Wide-Web can view the earthquake descriptions that we have compiled.
We have scanned and proofread materials on earthquakes in Washington and Oregon which appeared in "United States Earthquakes". Beginning in 1928, this annual publication of the Coast and Geodetic Survey provided fairly complete descriptions of earthquake effects based on survey forms completed by postmasters. Although this series is well known to seismologists, the information it contains has not been readily available. These publications include macroseismic maps, which describe the extent and geographic distribution of strong shaking. We have scanned almost all of the macroseismic maps we are aware of for Washington and Oregon and have formatted them for the World-Wide-Web. Previously, we scanned and proofread material related to the 1872 North Cascades (M 7.4) and the 1949 Olympia (M 7.1) earthquakes. These are the two largest earthquakes known historically in Washington or Oregon, and copious amounts of material are available.
Information about past historic earthquakes is used to evaluate seismic hazards. We are refining and extending an existing database of information on historic earthquakes in Washington, Oregon, and British Columbia. The database currently includes information on over 500 Cascadia earthquakes between 1793 and 1929. We are working to produce two additional databases; one for earthquakes from 1930-1969, and another dealing with the 1872 North Cascades Earthquake and events that may be its aftershocks. We plan to make this information avaialable on the World-Wide-Web, for most convenient access. As it becomes available, the material will be linked through:
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UW GEOPHYSICS PROGRAM ..... SEISMOLOGY INFO..... PNW EARTHQUAKES