Telling Earthquake Stories in Google Earth

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) has developed an excellent educational resource titled "A Virtual Tour of the 1906 Earthquake in Google Earth." This resource uses Google Earth as a tool to recount the story of the 1906 San Francisco earthquake in the United States, which measured 7.8 on the Richter scale. It remains one of the most severe geological disasters in American history. A century has passed, yet to ensure this event is not forgotten, the earthquake has been recreated within Google Earth. This serves as a constant reminder to local residents that history could repeat itself, given the less-than-ideal geological conditions in the region.