Conclusions
The Sumatra-Andaman tsunami of December 2004 heightened public awareness of the potentially devastating scale of such infrequent natural disasters. An earthquake will generate a tsunami if and only if it possesses a threshold magnitude, an appropriate geographic location, and particular focal mechanism geometry. The Hawaiian Kiholo Bay earthquake of 2006 did not produce a dangerous tsunami, but it demonstrated that so-called aftershocks can be almost as large as the main event. It is therefore useful to have access to timely data! Modern desktop and laptop computers, and even video cell phones, and other pocket devices (PDAs) are capable of displaying seismic data in real time and can be programmed to receive alerts. Timely communication of hazards (e.g., Hirshorn 2006) may benefit from delivery of data in easily comprehended format directly to the vulnerable population rather than indirectly via public officials, some of whom are bound to be on their cigarette break, or otherwise inattentive, at the crucial moment. The use of virtual globe technologies such as Google Earth and NASA World Wind hold great promise for enhancing the ability of the public and experts alike to visualize, analyze, and evaluate natural hazards.