Online quake resources
March 11, 2011In the aftermath of the massive Japan earthquake, there are myriad ways to keep up and gather information via news websites and social media, as is the case with nearly all modern natural disasters.
One primary way that concerned citizens around the world have been following events is on Twitter. On Friday, the hashtags #prayforjapan, #japan, #japanquake and #tsunami were all trending on the popular social media and microblogging site.
Both the Japan Meteorological Agency and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration in the United States have been issuing official statements on their websites concerning tsunami warnings. Currently, American authorities have issued a tsunami warning for much of the western United States.
In addition, the United States Geological Survey, the agency that monitors seismic activity around the world, has a number of diagrams, maps, and technical data on the quake.
Google has also stepped in, as it has after previous quakes in New Zealand and Chile, with a website in Japanese and English that can help locate people who are missing.
Author: Cyrus Farivar
Editor: Matt Hermann