Declarations

Low Seismicity

“North Dakota is one of the lower seismicity areas of the country.”

—Bob Woodward, a project director with The National Science Foundation’s EarthScope project in Washington, D.C., commenting on the lack of seismic activity in North Dakota so far this year. Installation is nearly complete on a network of earthquake-detecting instruments being placed across North Dakota as part of a national project. About 30 seismometers have been installed in North Dakota since late 2008. The remainder will be installed in the eastern part of the state by the end of the month, at Grafton, Northwood, Oriska, Ft. Ransom, Argusville and Colfax, the Associated Press reported. The seismometers have not detected any tremors this year in North Dakota. The seismometers in North Dakota are among 400 in place at any one time across the United States, Woodward said. The sensors are moved after two years to another location as the project moves east. The project was launched in 2003 and will wrap up in 2013.