Probabilistic Seismic Risk Maps (Version 1.0)

This web tool provides “risk maps” for the conterminous United States that you can view in Google Earth. Each map displays, for the kind of building you select, probabilities of exceeding a selected degree of earthquake damage over a 50, 30, or 1–year planning horizon. The tool is intended to be informative to both the general public and seismic engineers.

The risk maps provided by this web tool are extensions of the data behind the USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps which instead display ground motion accelerations that have a specified chance of being exceeded in (by convention) 50 years. The kinds of buildings you can select for the risk maps are based on those defined in HAZUS, FEMA’s software program for estimating potential losses from disasters. For an explanation of how the risk maps are computed, please read our documentation.

What appears below is only the first step toward a more comprehensive web tool. Please read our development roadmap for information about where we plan to take this application in the near future.

You must have Javascript enabled in order to use this application. If your browser does not support Javascript or if you are not allowed to enable Javascript, please read our online FAQ for instructions about how to obtain this information.

Although this application is a product of the U.S. Geological Survey, no warranty, expressed or implied is made by the USGS as to the accuracy of the output data nor shall the fact of distribution constitute any such warranty, and no responsibility is assumed by the USGS in connection therewith. Use of this application may be interesting for the lay person but should not be used as a substitute for technical seismic structural engineering. Proper application and/or use of this data is the responsibility of the user.