The Taiwan earthquake was a magnitude 7.6 event, much larger than the Northridge earthquake, but probably on the order of the maximum size we might expect for a thrusting event in the Los Angeles basin. It is extremely important to use earthquakes that occur globally as proxies for future U.S. events. Although I would like to say we have a good understanding of the basics of earthquakes, clearly we are still learning about very fundamental earthquake processes. Every earthquake that happens globally may provide a definitive piece of the puzzle that will save lives. The recent authorization of the Advanced Seismic System by this committee is an essential component of the earthquake hazard reduction.
Basic research is essential to hazard reduction.