USGS - Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS)
Investment ID: 010-000000987
Overview
Program Title
USGS - Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS)
Description
ANSS modernizes & expands earthquake monitoring nationwide, focusing on high-risk urban areas planning a robust system for situational awareness operated 24x7. Authorized by Congress. Integrated into other agency hazard warning and response systems. This investment is managed in the Natural Hazard Mission and does leverage some limited geospatial services.
The National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program, which was first authorized in 1977, Public Law 95 124, 42 U.S.C. 7701 et. seq.; and the National Earthquake Hazards Reduction Program Reauthorization Act of 2004, PL 108 360.
Type of Program
Major IT Investments
Multi-Agency Category
Not Applicable
Associated Websites
http://earthquake.usgs.gov, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/feed/v1.0/atom.php, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/feed/v1.0/kml.php, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/feed/v1.0/quakeml.php, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/fdsnws/event/1/, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/feed/v1.0/geojson.php, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/earthquakes/feed/v1.0/geojson_detail.php, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/eq, https://earthquake.usgs.gov/arcgis/rest/services/haz
Investment Detail
In 2000, ANSS was authorized in Congressional legislation for the National Earthquake Hazards Program (NERHP) and ANSS is included in subsequent NERHP reauthorizations, including in 2018.
In 2003, the USGS commissioned a study by the National Research Council (NRC) on the economic benefits of improved seismic monitoring. USGS asked the NRC to examine how improved monitoring could reduce future losses and to estimate the benefits that could be realized by the full deployment of the ANSS. Their 2005 report represents the most rigorous effort ever to examine the costs and benefits of earthquake monitoring, and it clearly justifies the full deployment of ANSS.
* The potential benefits of improved seismic monitoring far exceed the costs annualized building and building related earthquake losses are estimated to be about $5.6B, whereas the annualized cost of the the fully deployed enhanced seismic monitoring would be about $96M, less than 2% of the estimated losses.
* The annual dollar costs for improved seismic monitoring are in the tens of millions, but the potential dollar benefits are in the hundreds of millions.
* Seismic monitoring provides the key to understanding how the built environment responds to significant earthquakes, and improved records offer the potential for fine-tuning the design process so that seismic safety requirements are adequately--but not excessively met.
* Earthquake mitigation actions based on improved seismic information and the resulting reduction in uncertainty- would yield benefits many times the cost of seismic monitoring.
* In just one benefit area, performance-based engineering, dollar estimates for benefits are estimated at $142 million annually about three times the cost of operating the full ANSS.
* In the area of loss estimation modeling, improved monitoring information will greatly reduce uncertainty, potentially decreasing the cost of insurance and reinsurance, and shifting costs from disaster relief payments and grants (publicly financed) to insurance recoveries (financed through premiums).
* Improved seismic monitoring can significantly increase the accuracy of tsunami warnings and reduce the risk of missed warnings or costly false alarms, which constitute 75% of the warnings issued since 1948.
* The U.S. should rank seismic risk reduction as highly as other critical national programs, should track the growth of risk nationally, and should make the necessary long-term investments to reduce it.
* Full deployment of ANSS offers the potential to substantially reduce earthquake losses and their consequences, whereas existing funding levels are insufficient to even maintain present capabilities.
In 2003, the USGS commissioned a study by the National Research Council (NRC) on the economic benefits of improved seismic monitoring. USGS asked the NRC to examine how improved monitoring could reduce future losses and to estimate the benefits that could be realized by the full deployment of the ANSS. Their 2005 report represents the most rigorous effort ever to examine the costs and benefits of earthquake monitoring, and it clearly justifies the full deployment of ANSS.
* The potential benefits of improved seismic monitoring far exceed the costs annualized building and building related earthquake losses are estimated to be about $5.6B, whereas the annualized cost of the the fully deployed enhanced seismic monitoring would be about $96M, less than 2% of the estimated losses.
* The annual dollar costs for improved seismic monitoring are in the tens of millions, but the potential dollar benefits are in the hundreds of millions.
* Seismic monitoring provides the key to understanding how the built environment responds to significant earthquakes, and improved records offer the potential for fine-tuning the design process so that seismic safety requirements are adequately--but not excessively met.
* Earthquake mitigation actions based on improved seismic information and the resulting reduction in uncertainty- would yield benefits many times the cost of seismic monitoring.
* In just one benefit area, performance-based engineering, dollar estimates for benefits are estimated at $142 million annually about three times the cost of operating the full ANSS.
* In the area of loss estimation modeling, improved monitoring information will greatly reduce uncertainty, potentially decreasing the cost of insurance and reinsurance, and shifting costs from disaster relief payments and grants (publicly financed) to insurance recoveries (financed through premiums).
* Improved seismic monitoring can significantly increase the accuracy of tsunami warnings and reduce the risk of missed warnings or costly false alarms, which constitute 75% of the warnings issued since 1948.
* The U.S. should rank seismic risk reduction as highly as other critical national programs, should track the growth of risk nationally, and should make the necessary long-term investments to reduce it.
* Full deployment of ANSS offers the potential to substantially reduce earthquake losses and their consequences, whereas existing funding levels are insufficient to even maintain present capabilities.