Summary of Earthquake Intensity File: A Computerized File of the Effects of Earthquakes in the United States

摘要

In the early 1960s, preparing lists of historical earthquakes became less laborious and time consuming after the U.S. Coast and Geodetic Survey compiled a computerized data file of worldwide earthquakes. The file not only contained epicenters of earthquakes but also held other valuable information on each event, including the maximum reported intensity. The new file still had limitations, however, because the names of cities experiencing the earthquakes and the intensities at those cities were not included in the data base. The next logical step, therefore, was to compile another file--an Earthquake Intensity File--that not only would include instrumental earthquake data, but also would contain the important ancillary data on earthquake effects. This summary describes a computerized data file of this kind at the National Geophysical Data Center in Boulder, Colo.