Summary

The purpose of the AEIC is to collect and distribute information on Arizona earthquakes, and to conduct research on them. These tasks all contribute to increased knowledge about why earthquakes occur in our state and what the potential hazards to the populace may be.

Collection and distribution of earthquake data is handled by two branches of the AEIC, the Seismic Archives and the Sherman Mifflin Smith seismic observatory. The primary task of the seismic archive is to catalogue, store, and distribute information on earthquakes. Records in the archives dating back to 1966 are found nowhere else and provide a valuable data source to scientists and historians. The archives contain 10,000 paper records of earthquakes, as well as microfilm, microfiche, and original seismograph logbooks.

The Sherman Mifflin Smith Seismic Observatory is the operation center for the northern Arizona seismic network and monitors and collects data on earthquakes throughout northern and central Arizona.