How should I cite data produced by the Alaska Earthquake Center?

Option 1 (preferred)

This approach is modeled on the recommendations of the Federation of Digital Seismograph Stations. It includes three components:

Step 1: refer to the data as you would to any other source in the main body of the manuscript.

We begin by compiling broadband waveforms from western Alaska (Alaska Earthquake Center, 1987) …

Step 2: Include the network in your list of references:

Alaska Earthquake Center, Univ. of Alaska Fairbanks. (1987). Alaska Regional Network [Data set]. International Federation of Digital Seismograph Networks.  https://doi.org/10.7914/SN/AK.

Step 3: It helps us if you are able to include sponsor information in the Acknowledgements. In select cases, it may be appropriate to reference other projects. Ask us–we are happy to help!

Support from USGS ANSS cooperative agreement #G22AC00001 and NSF award #2024208.

Option 2

Combine all of the guidance in option 1 into a single statement in the Data Sources or Acknowledgements section of your paper.

Seismic data recorded by the Alaska Earthquake Center (http://doi.org/10.7914/SN/AK) under support from USGS ANSS program cooperative agreement #G22AC00001 and NSF award OPP-2024208

What if I downloaded the data from the IRIS Data Services?

That’s great! We send all continuous real-time data produced at AEC (seismic, infrasound, weather, …) to the IRIS Data Management Center so that it can be accessed publicly using a common set of tools. Be sure to include IRIS in your acknowledgements.

Seismic and weather data were retrieved via IRIS Web Services (https://service.iris.edu)

 

What if I downloaded the data from the ANSS ComCat?

That’s also great! Under the Advanced National Seismic System, networks from across the country contribute their earthquake solutions and information into a common database known as the Comprehensive Catalog (aka, ComCat) operated by the USGS. If you get your Alaska earthquake information from ComCat, be sure to plug the ANSS in your acknowledgements section. Example:

Earthquake information produced by the Alaska Earthquake Center was retrieved from the ANSS Comprehensive Catalog (https://earthquake.usgs.gov/data/comcat/), operated by the U.S. Geological Survey.