Did you feel it?: Shake up your Earth science classroom with earthquake citizen science

摘要

In August 2011, an earthquake shook central Virginia, and its impact was felt by millions of individuals throughout the eastern United States and even parts of Canada (see Figure 1). The earthquake damaged homes, businesses, and government buildings, including the Washington Monument in Washington, DC. Following this event, roughly 150,000 people reported their earthquake experience (what they felt) to the United States Geological Survey's (USGS) Did You Feel It? (DYFI) online citizen science program. Did You Feel It? is designed to crowdsource earthquake information from individuals who experienced any seismic event. Once the DYFI online questionnaire is submitted, the information and data immediately populate on the USGS website. By using information from people who experience earthquakes, the USGS is able to learn more about the earthquake experience from the ground level, and the reports enable scientists to compare and validate earthquake data collected from other, traditional sources. For educators, the program provides an engaging way to introduce and explore earthquakes in the classroom, within the context of cutting-edge Earth science.