Problem Loading Page
In addition to technical difficulties, there are two other reasons that we
have decided to discontinue this online appilcation:
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Hazard values by lat/lon and zip code, from both the 2002 and 1996
USGS National Seismic Hazard Maps, are otherwise available via the
downloadable USGS Java Ground Motion Parameter Calculator -- please
see http://earthquake.usgs.gov/research/hazmaps/design/.
We continue to work on making this downloadable application as easy
to use as the online application.
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While the online application has been down, it has come to our
attention that it was being used by some to obtain ground motion
values for building design. For some locations in the U.S., however,
the design values in modern building codes (e.g., the International
Building Code) are significantly different than the USGS hazard
values, sometimes by more than a factor of two. Fortunately the
hazard values are never smaller than the design values -- i.e., the
hazard values are always conservative. The new downloadable
application more clearly differentiates design and hazard values.