Chapter 6: Summary and Recommendations

Recommendation #3: Produce a complete open listing of global seismicity that includes both explosions and earthquakes.

• A comprehensive listing of all seismic events (not just explosions and problem events) is essential for establishing natural seismicity patterns and aiding in the characterization of seismic events on a regional scale.

• A comprehensive listing should include date, time, accurate location (latitude, longitude), depth, seismic magnitudes, body-wave arrival times, source mechanisms, and associated error estimates.

• At present, the only complete listing of both earthquakes and explosions that is done on a timely basis is produced by the National Earthquake Information Center (NEIC) of the U.S. Geological Survey.

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  To implement...

• The production of a global seismic listing should be based on an expanded and improved version of the NEIC bulletins and catalogs. The NEIC should be funded to expand and improve its ability to detect, locate, and identify seismic events worldwide.

• Regional catalogs and bulletins that are produced on a timely basis by foreign institutions should contribute to the global listing of seismic events.

• Full waveform data should be made available to the international research community through data exchange programs such as those already established under the FDSN and the IRIS Data Management System.

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