Global Earthquake Hazard Frequency Grid 1976-2002

1976 through 2002 global dataset models relative earthquake hazard frequency using a 2.5-minute grid. It classifies grid cells into deciles based on the frequency of actual seismic events exceeding magnitude 4.5 from the Advanced National Seismic System catalog. The dataset was produced by the Columbia University Center for Hazards and Risk Research and the Center for International Earth Science Information Network.

Use Cases

• Mapping regional seismic hazard frequency using the decile-classified grid values.
• Comparative risk analysis by identifying grid cells with the highest relative hazard scores.
• Foundational layer for multi-hazard risk assessments that incorporate earthquake data.
• Validating probabilistic seismic hazard models with a 26-year historical event catalog.

Strengths

• Covers a significant 26-year time period (1976-2002) of seismic events.
• Based on a authoritative event catalog (ANSS) for earthquakes above magnitude 4.5.
• Provides a standardized global analysis with data classified into 10 deciles for comparison.
• Result of collaboration between two specialized Columbia University research centers.

Limitations

• Data is not current, with the underlying event catalog ending in 2002.
• The exact number of rows, columns, and file size is unspecified across all platforms.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between NASA Earthdata (2002) and Data.gov (2026), suggesting a metadata refresh rather than data update.

Provenance

Source

Advanced National Seismic System (ANSS) Earthquake Catalog, processed by Columbia University CHRR and CIESIN.

Collection Method

Earthquake event frequency calculated per 2.5-minute grid cell and classified into deciles.

Time Range

1976-2002

Freshness

2026-03-13 20:24:50.298955

Geography

Global