Temblor :: Earthquake Visualization

The study of earthquakes is an ideal gateway to the earth sciences that unifies elements of structural geology, plate tectonics, seismology, and geodynamics. Most introductory students, however, have never been compelled to think in 3D/4D and have a difficult time grasping concepts and phenomena that have been distilled into 2D figures. Software applications designed to enhance and ease this learning process, however, are commonly plagued by complex install procedures, licensing fees, unintuitive interfaces, long learning curves, and data format issues. Temblor is a free, 3D visualization application that addresses these difficulties. Pre-configured Temblor 'scenes' integrate earthquake locations with other related data sets such as 3D fault models and GPS data and allow users to easily navigate and animate earthquake catalogs. By focusing specifically on understanding crustal earthquakes, Temblor eliminates complexity arising from trying to be a general data viewer. Likewise, the interface is tailored towards interaction and understanding rather than customization. Preliminary use by introductory level students at the University of Southern California elicited an enthusiastic response. Many found they understood the relationship between earthquakes and faults and between mainshocks and aftershocks better after using Temblor for only a short period. Student response is currently being used to improve usability prior to wide release of the application.