Earthquake Maps Available from Ball State University

Maps in the News:  Earthquake Maps Available from Ball State University Libraries

Japan experienced two large earthquakes at the end of last week.  And Ecuador, almost 10,000 miles across the Pacific Ocean from Japan, experienced a deadly earthquake on Saturday night.  The two countries lie along the famed “Ring of Fire” where 90% of the world’s earthquakes occur according to the National Geographic Society.

The Ball State University Libraries’ GIS Research and Map Collection (GRMC) has a unique collection of maps related to seismic activity around the world.  Maps identifying the seismic potential around the world, global seismicity of world cities, and seismic hazard maps for specific regions in the United States are included in the collection. 

One of the unique maps (above, click to enlarge) depicts tsunami-generating earthquakes of the Pacific Rim.  The map was created by Robert P. Masse’ and James W. Dewey in 1994.

A set of these maps is also available in digital format via the Digital Media Repository (DMR).  This collection, Earthquake and Seismic Hazard Maps, provides online access to maps showing the locations of fault lines, historic earthquakes, active volcanoes, and plate tectonics from around the world, including the New Madrid fault line in the Midwest.

For more information about using maps for research and learning, please contact the GRMC at 765-285-1097.