Earthquakes in our Backyard

Visualize and analyze seismic risks in San Diego County using GIS technology to enhance public awareness and understanding of earthquake impacts on infrastructure and populations, especially in rural areas of the county.

Databanks: Databases including USGS for seismic records and data, SanGIS for shapefiles and infrastructure data.

Software: ArcGIS Pro for data visualization and analysis.

Employed proportional symbols and heat maps and fault line shapefiles in ArcGIS Pro to represent earthquake magnitudes and locations, providing an understanding and visualization of earthquake density and magnitude distribution across the county.

• The project turned complex seismic data into accessible visualizations, highlighting the infrastructure and communities at increased risk due to seismic activity.

• Emphasized the importance of GIS in disaster preparedness and risk management, especially for vulnerable populations in rural areas.

• Contributed to the broader goal of making scientific information accessible to all community members, regardless of their educational background.

• Gained invaluable experience in handling large datasets, employing GIS software for spatial analysis, and the importance of geospatial technology in public safety and urban planning. 

• Enhanced ability to communicate complex geographic information in an understandable and impactful way.