Track Earthquakes with Earthquake.usgs.gov

Did you know that almost every state in America has a fault line prone for earthquake?

When my family found out that we were moving to California, we were excited but also thought about one of those California disasters waiting to happen We had no idea what to expect out of an earthquake, what to prepare for, how often they happen, etc.

As I did some research, I came across a website that is pretty handy in helping you spot recent earthquakes as well as other information. And wouldn't ya know it, it's a government site.

The U.S. Geological Survey is a government program that devotes all their time to researching the science related to earth, rocks, plate tectonics and the such. According to their description, they serve the nation by "providing reliable scientific information to describe and understand the Earth; minimize loss of life and property from natural disasters; manage water, biological, energy, and mineral resources; and enhance and protect our quality of life." Their website, usgs.gov, is a hubbub where you can find tons of info on earth-related studies to include earthquakes.

The earthquake section, to me, is the most impressive part of USGS website and can be found at earthquake.usgs.gov. If you felt a shake beneath your feet, you can log onto the website and see-within the last week, day and HOUR-where an earthquake occurred. It goes beyond California and Nevada, states that get dozens of quakes a day. Major quakes around the world are also listed, such as the one that happened in southern England a few weeks ago.

Now some of you may ask "well, why would I want to see that after the fact?" Because earthquakes often come with aftershocks, and earthquakes happen deep in the earth. You may have felt a small shake from a big quake deep in the earth from far away, or a small shake from a small quake that's epicenter was less than 20 miles from you. You can't really tell, but the usgs.gov earthquake map can sure help.

For us who reside in California, the "Did You Feel It" and "ShakeMap" areas of usgs.gov has a special map that outlines intensity and damage of a quake. It shows a colorful spread from the epicenter to your hometown, outlining areas that you may want to avoid for the next couple of hours.

Because of this site I've become more aware and less scared of earthquakes. In the last year I've felt three of them that happened about 50 miles away, but there wasn't any damage or major shaking. Ironically, what I didn't know was that the town I moved from had a bigger and more dangerous fault line than the ones near me in California. The buildings there aren't earthquake-proof like the one I live in here, and there is much softer ground in Charleston, South Carolina. Log onto earthquake.usgs.gov and see what fault lines are near you.