National Public Radio: A seismic hazard map is essentially what it sounds like a map that shows the potential for earthquakes in certain areas. The maps give people a sense of the likelihood of earthquakes occurring, where they might occur, and how strong they might be. The maps can influence everything from public policy to building codes to insurance rates.
They govern hundreds of billions of dollars in constructions and insurance cost every year, says Mark Peterson, project chief of the USGSs National Seismic...