Did you feel it?: A community-based approach to natural hazard assessment
BrooksBailey, ToriHedden & CaitlinSylvester
BrooksBailey, ToriHedden & CaitlinSylvester
Indiais a nation subject to a wide range of natural hazards. This research focused ontectonically induced natural hazards including volcanoes, earthquakes, andtsunamis. Developing more efficient and effective methods of monitoring andreporting these natural hazards will enhance public knowledge of areas at risk.A qualitative, low-tech classification method such as the USGS Modified Mercalliindex (MMI) has the potential to provide a more complete assessment of thespatial distribution and extent of damage caused by natural hazards because itworks in areas that do not have seismic instruments. The 2004 Sumatraearthquake and the recent 2011 India-Nepal Border Region earthquake were chosenas case studies to demonstrate the nature of USGS MMI assessment. MMI responsesfrom the USGS were georeferenced tomap layers. The resulting maps provided an accurate assessment of earthquakeintensity as a result of more egalitarian data collection methods. This sort ofcommunity-based data collection has potential to be utilized as an assessmenttool for India’s other natural hazards.
“Did You Feel It?” is a qualitative surveydesigned by the USGS for the general public to self-report perceived phenomenacaused by earthquake activity. This survey collects online data fromrespondents who report on local seismic phenomena. Location, personalexperience, and observable physical effects are all covered in thequestionnaire and used to classify the seismic event on the MMI (Figure 1). We note the potential for cellphone use (due to the prominence of cellphone ownership in India) as a potential boon to this type of natural disaster reporting.
Thetwo major methods of earthquake classification are Moment Magnitude scale (MMS)and Modified Mercalliindex (MMI). The Moment Magnitude is a quantitative scale that measures theenergy released by an earthquake. The Modified Mercalliindex is a qualitative way in which earthquake intensity is reported. Thisindex classifies earthquakes into 12 different categories based on publicobservation of physical manifestations as a result of seismic activity (Figure2). This index of seismic activity provides accessible information onearthquake intensity, regardless of the scientific or technical background ofthe individual. The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has used this scalesince 1931 to monitor seismic activity around the world.
“Did You Feel It?” is a qualitative surveydesigned by the USGS for the general public to self-report perceived phenomenacaused by earthquake activity. This survey collects online data fromrespondents who report on local seismic phenomena. Location, personalexperience, and observable physical effects are all covered in thequestionnaire and used to classify the seismic event on the MMI (Figure 1). We note the potential for cellphone use (due to the prominence of cellphone ownership in India) as a potential boon to this type of natural disaster reporting.
