We here at Government Book Talk like to keep up with current events. It was really easy to do so on Tuesday, because the event conveniently came to us. Since I work at the Government Printing Office, where the movement of heavy equipment is not all that uncommon, I first thought that the vibrations I was feeling derived from a web press or other behemoth being shifted around downstairs. When my office began to shake, however, I was willing to reconsider my hypothesis – seriously reconsider it.
Today, back at GPO (which, by the way, was built to last for the ages, as anyone who works here will testify), it occurred to me that a Government publication about earthquakes might be a timely subject for a blog post. I checked in with the U.S. 
Geological Survey’s Earthquake Hazards Program. Very cool! There are links for reporting an earthquake, “shake maps” (left) for depicting shaking intensity (and now I know what that shaking feels like!), and best of all, a page about our very own 5.8 Virginia special, which occurred at 01:51:04 PM at epicenter (I admit it – I didn’t look at my watch).
My favorite page, though, is a tectonic summary of the quake with a link to earthquake information about the Old Dominion that includes lots of resources. After all, I live in Virginia and like to keep up with the happenings, especially when those happenings make things fall off my shelves. Also, if you have a plotter, you can print out a poster and hang it on a wall – as long as you’re confident that another “event” will let it stay there.
Well, time to start thinking about this weekend’s hurricane – National Hurricane Center, here I come!
Posted by govbooktalk 
