What is a Seismic Hazard?
​A seismic hazard is the potential for an area to be affected by seismic activity. Earthquakes and other shifting of the earth's crust will cause elastic waves of energy to pass through the earth, which can harm structures on the earth's surface depending on the intensity of the vibrations. For this purpose, areas likely to be affected by seismic activity are marked as seismic hazards and additional safety measures and/or seismic monitoring must be put in place in order to safely build in these locations.

How can Seismic Hazards be Evaluated?
The method used for building codes for typical residential and commercial structures is known as the "Maximum Considered Earthquake" method. This method assumes the worst possible earthquake that could happen within 2500 years and therefore considers that there is a 2% probability of said activity happening within the next 50 years.

How can Seismic Activity be Measured?
Sensors known as seismographs can be installed on the earth's surface, inside boreholes, or even underwater. These sensors detect up to the most minute vibrations caused by natural shifting of the earth's crust.
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