CSEP and CSEP Testing Centers

The Collaboratory for the Study of Earthquake Predictability (CSEP) is a encompassing term which refers to an international collaboration between scientists to study the predictability of earthquakes. Currently, CSEP includes researchers in the United States, Switzerland, New Zealand, Italy, Taiwan, Japan, and other countries.

CSEP participants are working together on several aspects of the earthquake predictability problem. Current research activities include both the development of scientific techniques relating to earthquake predictions as well as work on organizational and engineering issues relating to how earthquake predictions can made and then evaluated. A good overview of the CSEP concepts and ideas is presented in this CSEP Executive Summary.

CSEP Testing Centers are facilities which are part of CSEP. CSEP Testing Centers are computing facilities within CSEP. A CSEP Testing Center will run earthquake forecasts and evaluate those forecasts. At this time, we anticipate that a CSEP Testing Center will focus on running earthquake forecasts, and evaluating those forecasts, for a particular natural laboratory, that is, for a specific geographical region. CSEP Testing Centers are currently modeled after the RELM Testing Center. One of the principles of the CSEP Testing Centers, is that the test methods are open and reproducible by other CSEP Testing Centers.

The W. M. Keck Foundation CSEP Testing Center at SCEC was funded in 2006 and recently began operations. This Testing Center runs earthquake forecast for the California natural laboratory. Software infrastructure developed at this CSEP Testing Center is being distributed to other testing centers, and we anticipate that additional CSEP Testing Centers including a CSEP Testing Center at ETH (Switzerland) and a CSEP Testing Center at GNS (New Zealand) will be implemented in the near future.

Executive Summary

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