Abstract Title: Improving the Accessibility to Earthquake Data, Geologic Hazard Maps and Post-Earthquake Damage Information in the San Francisco Bay Area Using Google Earth
Author(s):
Luke Blair* - United States Geological Survey
Marco Ticci - United States Geological Survey
Scott Haefner - United States Geological Survey
David Wald - United States Geological Survey
Abstract:
Virtual globe programs such as Google Earth can be used as an easily accessible platform to communicate relevant geospatial data to the public. This popular software program is an interactive map of the Earth that can display user-generated geospatial datasets stored in Keyhole Markup Language (KML) format. These KML files can be generated automatically or exported from popular geographic information system (GIS) programs such as ArcGIS. Currently, the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) provides real-time, global earthquake epicenter locations, along with Shakemaps and "Did You Feel It?" maps in KML format to make the data more widely accessible. Methods are now being generated to convert geologic hazard maps in the San Francisco Bay Area into KML format to accompany the earthquake data. Although the USGS, California Geological Survey (CGS), and other groups have collected a wealth of geologic information in the Bay Area, little has been done to organize and provide this data in an accessible manner. By converting the geologic maps into KML format, they can be downloaded and viewed as overlays on the aerial imagery and 3D terrain provided in Google Earth. This project presents the methods used to convert important geologic information such as bedrock geology, liquefaction susceptibility, faults and fault zones, landslides, flood zones and various shaking scenarios in the Bay Area into KML. As a result, these methods can provide quick and accessible decision making support in the form of post-earthquake information to emergency response agencies, as well as public and scientific audiences.
