This year began with Haiti sustaining a major earthquake—among the deadliest on record. A month later, another huge one struck off the coast of Chile. Other damaging earthquakes have followed, including one south of the U.S. border, in Baja California. Later came the eruption of an obscure volcano in Iceland. The resulting cloud of volcanic ash shut down commercial aviation over much of Europe, stranding thousands and leaving many more to wonder just what our planet was up to.

Although such events are business as usual for an active planet, they reveal much about our growing vulnerabilities to geologic disruptions. The Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program, which maintains one of the world's most comprehensive databases on volcanic activity, is devoted to a better understanding of Earth's active volcanoes and their eruptions during the last 10,000 years. Actively partnered with this program is the U.S. Geologic Survey (USGS).

Tonight, two of USGS's geoscientists—David Applegate and John Eichelberger—describe current efforts to monitor the world's earthquakes and volcanoes, assess the risks they pose to society, and apply new technologies to better understand and predict their activity.

Applegate and Eichelberger, respectively, oversee monitoring and research activities at the USGS for earthquake and volcanic hazards.

The Smithsonian's Global Volcanism Program—run by the Museum of Natural History—compiles information about volcanic activity around the world.