dimensions of North America's structure, a fourth dimension of the continent is being described through geochronology using EarthScope data. Improving understanding of the continent's geologic history will allow future generations to more efficiently manage and utilize geologic resources and live with geologic hazards. Environmental policy laws have been the subject of some controversy since the European settlement of North America. Specifically, water and mineral rights issues have been the focus of dispute. Representatives in Washington D.C. and the state capitals require guidance from authoritative science in drafting the soundest environmental laws for our country. The EarthScope research community is in a position to provide the most reliable course for government to take concerning environmental policy. Hazard identification with EarthScope is an application already in use. In fact, the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) has awarded the Arizona Geological Survey and its partner universities funding to adopt and maintain eight Transportable Array stations. The stations will be used to update Arizona's earthquake risk assessment. Social Legacy For EarthScope to live up to its potential in the Earth sciences, the connections between the research and the education and outreach communities must continue to be cultivated. Enhanced public outreach to museums, the National Park System, and public schools will ensure that these forward-thinking connections are fostered. National media collaboration with high-profile outlets such as Discovery Channel, Science Channel, and National Geographic may secure a lasting legacy within the social consciousness of the world. Earth science has already been promoted as a vital modern discipline, especially in today's “green” culture, to which EarthScope is contributing. The size of the EarthScope project augments the growing public awareness of the broad structure of the planet on which we live. See also EarthScope Consortium German Continental Deep Drilling Programme (KTB) Kola Superdeep Borehole San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD project) References External links Historic EarthScope program website archive EarthScope Consortium Incorporated Research Institutions for Seismology (IRIS) University NAVSTAR Consortium (UNAVCO) National Science Foundation (NSF) United States Geological Survey (USGS) Seismological observatories, organisations and projects Geophysics Geodesy Seismology Regional geology Satellite navigation Global Positioning System