The work on slip-distribution faulting models for specific earthquakes is cited often because a definitive model for each important earthquake is not only interesting in its own right, but these models serve as the starting point for subsequent studies, which, in turn, require my models as basic input. That these models were highly cited attests to the fact that many researchers, who need these models for their work, appreciate that we used multiple types of data in each analysis to come up with a single model that best explains all the observations. Among the types of studies that require a distributed-slip earthquake source model are: rupture kinematics and dynamics, earthquake engineering ground motion attenuation relations, explaining near-fault ground motions and damage to structures, prediction of damaging ground motions, and modeling stress changes.

ShakeMap is now widely accepted as a critical tool for rapid, post-earthquake response and information in the emergency-response communities and the engineering and loss-estimation arenas, and is highly regarded by the media and the general public.

Our later work on developing ShakeMap is of wide interest since it relates to a new approach to providing post-earthquake information well beyond what is typically provided: epicenter and magnitude. ShakeMap is an automatically generated map of the intensity of shaking over the area affected by an earthquake. Development of ShakeMap required combining ground-shaking observations with newly developed seismological tools for predicting ground motions. ShakeMap is now widely accepted as a critical tool for rapid, post-earthquake response and information in the emergency-response communities and the engineering and loss-estimation arenas, and is highly regarded by the media and the general public.

The work on slip-distribution models was motivated by high-quality ground motion and geodetic data for recent earthquakes. Full and suitable explanation of these data demanded advances in source-inversion techniques. Likewise, ShakeMap was made possible with advances in seismic network technology, telecommunications, and computational resources, combined with the need to effectively communicate to the general public, in a suitable format, the complexity of earthquake ground motions as an effort to facilitate response to an earthquake disaster.

Recent technological advances in computer and communication technology, as well as developments in seismic networks in the United States, have allowed seismologists to respond rapidly to earthquakes in revolutionary ways. Rather than limiting post-earthquake information to simply epicenter and magnitude, we can now rapidly provide maps of the intensity of shaking over the region affected by a damaging earthquake.

One system, the aforementioned ShakeMap, relies on shaking levels recorded at seismic stations to map out the distribution of shaking, pointing to the areas most shaken and likely to have experienced damage. These maps now provide the basis for emergency response coordination, estimation of damage and losses, and information for the public and the media.

The second system, the Community Internet Intensity Maps (more commonly referred to as "Did You Feel It?"), is a unique approach to citizen science. By collecting reports of what was felt and of observed earthquake effects through the World Wide Web immediately after the shaking subsides, we can rapidly map out the extent and distribution of shaking and damage in any area of the country. Remarkably, the public has taken kindly to "Did You Feel It?" In fact, to date, we have logged more than 350,000 individual entries to our questionnaire nationwide. This includes entries from all 50 states, plus the U.S. territories, indicating that the earthquake problem is indeed nationwide!

Interestingly, my earlier work on slip distribution models feeds directly into the ShakeMap work. By rapidly determining the earthquake rupture characteristics, we can then estimate the level of damaging ground motions for earthquakes in regions without the density of seismic instrumentation necessary to make an observational ShakeMap. These predictive ShakeMaps will be produced rapidly and automatically for earthquakes worldwide as we refine the tools necessary for this analysis. These rapid-impact assessments will be used for emergency response, government agencies, and disaster aid agencies for coordination and by the media to explain the extent of damage for earthquakes worldwide shortly after their occurrence.

I've been fortunate to find areas of research that are scientifically challenging and interesting, yet provide the fundamental basis for real-world practical applications. The latter comes from stepping out of the scientific community through constant interaction with the end-users of such systems. This allows one to keep in touch with the needs and perspectives of the communities outside the scientific arena.