Welcome

Welcome to the Association of the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium State Geologists. Please use the text links above to navigate these pages.

History

The State Emergency Managers from the midwestern states held a meeting in 1985 to form the Central U.S. Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC). Members recognized that of all single-event natural hazards, earthquakes originating in the seven-state CUSEC region pose the greatest threat to society.

Members also quickly recognized that detailed, three-dimensional portrayal of geologic materials (both rock and unconsolidated sediments) was needed to accurately assess the potential for ground-shaking amplification, for liquefaction, and for earthquake-induced slope failure. In 1992, State Geologists representing the state geological surveys of the seven CUSEC states organized to address these issues by means of a memorandum of understanding with CUSEC. The State Geologists also agreed to coordinate mapping across state boundaries because an earthquake event would affect multiple states. CUSEC-State Geologists (CUSEC-SG) was thus formed and adopted a mission to promote communication and coordination of efforts pertaining to the mitigation of risks posed by earthquakes in the central United States.

To enhance the effectiveness of CUSEC-SG, additional agreements with the Mid-America Earthquake Center (MAE Center), the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), and the Institute for Business and Home Safety were subsequently adopted. CUSEC-SG, in cooperation with the USGS, is coordinating efforts to develop maps showing how soils will amplify earthquake ground motions of the region and to prepare geotechnical databases and educational information to assist emergency management agencies at the state and federal levels with their programs of earthquake mitigation and emergency preparedness plan design. Although some of the information necessary for these tasks was available, the need was apparent for coordination, standardization of information, and cooperation among the CUSEC states.