A new center for data monitoring and communications opened in Bangkok,
Thailand on Monday. This center will receive data from existing tsunami monitoring networks and have the ability to broadcast warnings to Thai emergency response groups. Experts believe that this center will have the capability to save many lives if a repeat of the December 2004 tsunami occurs. The International Herald Tribune website has the best explanation of the
Tsunami Warning Center in Thailand that we have seen so far. Available on geology.com are two articles:
What Causes a Tsunami? and
Indonesia Tsunami Maps.
Labels: Tsunamis
You can get a free download of the Geographic Names Information System file for your state at the USGS
Geographic Names download page. These files contain an entry for each place name found on a USGS topographic map. Included in the entry are latitude/longitude, state, county, feature type, USGS quadrangle, elevation and more. Feature types include populated places, streams, lakes, waterfalls, hospitals and more. If you know a little bit about Microsoft Excel you can make a spreadsheet from the data like the one shown below. This will allow you to sort and prospect the data for a variety of purposes.
Labels: Geography
A portion of the Beartooth Highway, one of the gateways into Yellowstone Park, has been closed by a large mudslide. More information can be found at the
Casper Star Tribune website.
Labels: Landslides
The USGS Earthquake Information Center is now posting real-time
earthquake hazard maps on their website. These are updated every hour and show the probability of strong ground shaking for the state of
California.
Labels: Earthquakes
USGS has released a report on the 169 volcanoes within the United States, rating them into groups on the basis of threat. Volcanoes in the "Very High Threat" category include: Akutan, Augustine, Makushin, Redoubt, and Spurr in
Alaska; Lassen, Long Valley Caldera and Shasta in
California; Kilauea and Mauna Loa in
Hawaii; Crater Lake, Hood, Newberry and South Sister in
Oregon; and Baker, Glacier Peak, Rainier and St. Helens in
Washington. The
Volcanic Threat Report can be downloaded from the USGS website.
Labels: Volcanoes
