Post earthquake response application: a new and improved method for data collection using ArcGIS Field Maps

Elaine K. Young, Kate Thomas, & Timothy Dawson

Published September 11, 2022, SCEC Contribution #12058, 2022 SCEC Annual Meeting Poster #087

Earthquake response coordination requires planning, practice, and cooperation, balancing a variety of needs including safety and medical responses, utility repair, damage assessments, and scientific data collection. The scientific response, especially when documenting earthquake surface ruptures and other surficial features like slope movement and liquefaction, requires a rapid and well-coordinated effort to efficiently collect ephemeral data. As demonstrated by the scientific response to the 2019 Ridgecrest earthquake sequence, these data are most useful to those collecting field data and those focused on remote analysis if they are collected in a uniform and consistent format. A preliminary version of a uniform data collection method via Arc Collector was used during the Ridgecrest response. Here we present an updated version of this “Earthquake Response App” that incorporates lessons learned from the Ridgecrest response and uses the updated application ArcGIS Field Maps. This app is free to use; works on iOS, android, and windows mobile devices; and can be used on- or off-line. Accompanying the updated application is an instructional document that provides a quick reference guide, instructions on using the app, and more detailed definitions of all data collection fields. This documentation will facilitate consistent data collection from a variety of scientists (agency, industry, academic, etc.) without requiring extensive training prior to a large event. We invite feedback from the SCEC community on this application- come try it out!

Key Words
Earthquake, Response, Data Collection, Fieldwork,

Citation
Young, E. K., Thomas, K., & Dawson, T. (2022, 09). Post earthquake response application: a new and improved method for data collection using ArcGIS Field Maps. Poster Presentation at 2022 SCEC Annual Meeting.

Related Projects & Working Groups
Earthquake Geology