General Disclaimer
- Some USGS information accessed through this page may be preliminary in nature and presented prior to final review and approval by the Director of the USGS. This information is provided with the understanding that it is not guaranteed to be correct or complete, and conclusions drawn from such information are the sole responsibility of the user.
Specific Disclaimer
- PAGER results are generally available on the Internet within 30 minutes of the earthquake’s occurrence. However, information on the extent of shaking will be uncertain in the minutes and hours following and earthquake and typically improves as additional sensor data and reported intensities are acquired and incorporated into models of the earthquake's source. PAGER is regularly updated and users of PAGER hazard and loss estimates should account for uncertainty and always seek the most current PAGER release for any earthquake.
- There will be infrequent cases where the PAGER estimates will be inaccurate, and even outside the stated range of the postulated uncertainties. Population exposure is uncertain and varies by time of day, but these variations are not globally available so they are not currently considered for loss estimates in PAGER. In addition, PAGER model loss calculations are approximate and may be inaccurate for particular countries.
- The uncertainties estimated for a given earthquake and for a particular PAGER version do not necessarily account for all the uncertainty associated with the estimated losses. Potential errors or additional uncertainties in magnitude, location, depth, and shaking characteristics maybe not modeled explicitly and may remain unaccounted for in the PAGER loss-estimate ranges. PAGER loss estimates also do not include losses due to tsunami or other secondary hazards (such as fire, liquefaction, and landsliding). The PAGER system also does not completely account for aftershocks that may add to damage and losses.
- Users of PAGER products should understand the potential uncertainties and or inaccuracies associated with PAGER’s rapid loss-estimation capability: Individual or institutional users should use their own judgment and seek additional sources of information or advice before any decision making.
ShakeMap Disclaimer
- These are automatic computer generated maps and have not necessarily been checked by human oversight, so they may contain errors. Further, the input data is raw and unchecked, and may contain errors.
- Contours can be misleading since data gaps may exist. Caution should be used in deciding which features in the contour patterns are required by the data. Ground motions and intensities can vary greatly over small distances, so these maps are only approximate; when maps are enlarged beyond the limits of the original data in an effort to show small areas, the maps are unreliable.
- These maps are preliminary in nature and will be updated as data arrives from distributed sources.