Maryland Department of Natural Resources

Seismic Network

While strong earthquakes are unusual in Maryland, the state occasionally experiences perceptible earthquakes. Portions of Maryland are considered to be at moderate risk for earthquake damage.1 In order to evaluate and monitor this risk, Maryland Geological Survey has developed the Maryland Seismic Network. The Seismic Network provides high quality, real-time data on local earth movements and earthquakes in Maryland and other more distant earthquakes around the globe. Seismic data from the network are analyzed by the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) and included in the Lamont-Doherty Cooperative Seismic Network (LCSN) database. These data will be available on the World Wide Web to anyone with an Internet connection.

If you believe you have experienced an earthquake in your area, please visit the USGS Earthquake information web pages for a positive determination of seismic events. Earthquakes that have been detected within 800 miles of Maryland are listed on the Maryland Local Quake page. Also, you can contact the Lamont-Doherty Cooperative Seismic Network for more information. The Maryland Seismic Network only supplies seismic data to the Lamont-Doherty Cooperative Seismic Network. We do not analyze seismic data or make determinations of seismic events.

The Maryland Seismic Network project is a partnership between Garrett College, Towson University, Maryland Geological Survey, and the Lamont-Doherty Cooperative Seismic Network. We wish to thank the Maryland Department of Natural Resources, Towson University, and Garrett College for their support of this project.

1Algermissen, S. T., Perkins, D. M., Thenhaus, P. C., Hanson, S. L. and Bender, B. L., 1982, Probabilistic estimates of maximum acceleration and velocity in rock in the contiguous United States: U. S. Geol. Survey Open-File Report 82-1033, 99 p.

Partners in the Maryland Seismic Network