▁determ ines , ▁as ▁rapidly ▁and ▁as ▁accur ately ▁as ▁possible , ▁the ▁location ▁and ▁size ▁of ▁all ▁significant ▁earth qu akes ▁that ▁occur ▁world wide . ▁The ▁NE IC ▁dis sem in ates ▁this ▁information ▁immediately ▁to ▁concerned ▁national ▁and ▁international ▁ag encies , ▁scient ists , ▁critical ▁facilities , ▁and ▁the ▁general ▁public . ▁▁ ▁Second , ▁the ▁NE IC ▁collect s ▁and ▁provides ▁to ▁scient ists ▁and ▁to ▁the ▁public ▁an ▁extensive ▁se ism ic ▁database ▁that ▁serves ▁as ▁a ▁solid ▁foundation ▁for ▁scientific ▁research , ▁princip ally ▁through ▁the ▁operation ▁of ▁modern ▁digital ▁national ▁and ▁global ▁se ism ograph ▁networks ▁and ▁through ▁co oper ative ▁international ▁agre ements . ▁The ▁NE IC ▁is ▁the ▁U . S . ▁national ▁data ▁center ▁and ▁archive ▁for ▁earth qu ake ▁information . ▁▁ ▁Third , ▁the ▁NE IC ▁purs ues ▁an ▁active ▁research ▁program ▁to ▁improve ▁its ▁ability ▁to ▁locate ▁earth qu akes ▁and ▁to ▁understand ▁the ▁earth qu ake ▁mechanism . ▁These ▁efforts ▁are ▁all ▁aim ed ▁at ▁mit ig ating ▁the ▁ris ks ▁of ▁earth qu akes ▁to ▁man kind ; ▁and ▁they ▁are ▁made ▁possible ▁by ▁the ▁fine ▁international ▁co operation ▁that ▁has ▁long ▁character ized ▁the ▁science ▁of ▁se ism ology . ▁ ▁Using ▁a ▁combination ▁of ▁autom ated ▁tools ▁and ▁human ▁review , ▁NE IC ▁issues ▁moment ▁magnitude ▁and ▁location ▁information ▁as ▁soon ▁as ▁possible ▁after ▁a ▁qu ake . ▁As ▁earth qu ake ▁waves ▁take ▁time ▁to ▁travel ▁around ▁the ▁glo be , ▁the ▁estimated ▁moment