Exciting news! We're transitioning to the Statewide California Earthquake Center. Our new website is under construction, but we'll continue using this website for SCEC business in the meantime. We're also archiving the Southern Center site to preserve its rich history. A new and improved platform is coming soon!
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Frequently Asked Questions

Is my house on an earthquake fault?
Maintained by the California Governor's Office of Emergency Services, My Hazards is a tool for the general public to discover hazards in their area (earthquake, flood, fire, and tsunami) and learn steps to reduce personal risk. Using the My Hazards tool, users may enter an address, city, zip code, or may select a location from a map. The screen then presents information on the risks identified within the search radius, and recommended actions.

Can our group visit SCEC to see an exhibit/demonstration/seismometer/etc?
No. While SCEC headquarters at USC houses our software development lab and Communication, Education and Outreach program, most SCEC research is distributed among the hundreds of scientists, engineers, programmers and educators who work at one of our many partner institutions. Some of them, notably the Caltech Seismo Lab, do offer student tours of their facilities. To be able to view a seismometer right in your own classroom, check out the resources at Quake-Catcher Network.

Can SCEC provide data about past earthquakes?
The Southern California Earthquake Data Center (SCEDC) is the archive of the Southern California Seismic Network (SCSN). It is funded by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) and the Southern California Earthquake Center (SCEC). Its primary mission is to distribute data recorded or processed by the SCSN such as:

Where can I find a list of SCEC terms and acronyms?

Please visit our SCEC Glossary page.